We have been so blessed to find a home to buy and all the circumstances that happened with it. I would like to tell about it so I don't ever forget!
Britt and I have been looking to buy a home for over 3 years now. The first time we looked we made an offer on a home out in Chester (by St.A golf course) and they accepted it. We put down $1000 earnest money and at the last minute we both had really bad feeling about it and backed out, yep and lost our $1000. We just took it as a lesson learned and maybe we would have lost more in the end. Today we are thankful we listened to that small voice telling us to stay where we were. After that we decided that we better stay living in the rental for a little longer.
Then a year ago we decided we really needed to get serious again, the market was good, we were growing out of our little rental house. They were offering the $8000 tax credit as well. As we looked at homes we quickly came to the realization that in Jefferson County you could get a lot more home for your money. We looked at several homes. One Britt loved...I seen lots of work not only outside but what had been finished inside needed re-finished (it looked VERY do-it-yourself and was obvious they didn't know what they were doing). Well, I just went with it and we put in an offer. So did 2 other people at the same time. Of course we low balled so they told us all to give them our best offer, we decided to pull out. SO glad we did, and Britt is glad we did today as well. We actually put a couple offers on different homes and then the same thing would happen, we would offer $7000 less than they were asking and someone else would swoop in and offer them full asking price and they would pay the closing costs. It was a buyers market indeed, but to be the buyer you had to fight and it just ended up not being worth the $8000 tax credit in the end. So there again, we felt like we were supposed to stay put in the rental...
The last few months Britt and I started talking again about buying and since we have a baby on the way due in August we knew there was no way we couldn't this time. As we looked over finances and such we decided it would be best to wait until late summer early fall. I kept showing Britt the homes that were for sale and the crazy low prices... then one day he said, call Jed (our realtor). I was like, no way, I am not calling him until we are 100% ready to buy. I need to call the bank, get pre-approved again, ect. ect. A couple days later Britt hit me up again, so I put him off a few more days, then just had this feeling I needed to call our realtor. So I did, and the next night he set up 6 homes for us to look at.
Almost ALL the homes we did look at were what we were looking for. A 3 bed 2 bath home with a partially finished basement. All but two had established lawns, which was a plus for the boys. Then we went to the last house of the night. **on a side note** Britt and I had joked two weeks before when we drove by this subdivision that we wished we could afford a home there (nice 1 acre lots and nice homes) and then laughed to ourselves maybe one day when we are rich and famous, lol. This last home was in this subdivision and I was sure it was way out of our price range. It was a foreclosure home and the price was actually on the low end of what we were previously looking at. Built in 2007, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, master jetted tub and tiled walk in shower, big 2 car garage. The only thing, no yard and an unfinished basement. This made we hesitate just a little because I really need a room for my office, craft, sewing stuff (or crap as Britt calls it). The insulation is done, and half of the walls are studded in. So our goal is with our next tax return to finish the basement with 2 more bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and a 'theatre room' style with a play area. Until then the crib will go in the office until we can move the 2 boys downstairs. Ok, back to the story about the house. WE LOVED IT!! We put our offer in the very next morning and then heard back from them the next day that they accepted our offer!! HOLY COW we just bought a home, we were both a little shocked and excited because we didn't think it would happen this quickly. Because the home had not been lived in for awhile the home owners exemption on the property taxes had been taken off so the taxes were about double what they should be. I did some checking and found out we needed to close on the home no later than friday the 15th of April and go in and fill out paperwork for the next year so we could use the exemption the following year. Otherwise we would be paying those high taxes for two years, yuck! I called the bank and they said, well we will have to work hard to get closed by then. We closed April 14th and in the closing we got back ALL of our $1000 earnest money, and the seller paid an insurance for a year that would cover anything in the house that broke. Furnace, windows, light fixtures, well, ect. That was awesome. Everything just went our way and fell right in to place. It just felt right and Britt and I knew this is what and where we were supposed to be. I asked a few people, how do you know its the right house for you? They told me, you just know... I was skeptical because I liked multiple homes that I could live in and then things fell through. But after all that waiting, I now see why we had to stay in the rental and go through the things we did to get us to where we are now. Here's to our new 2900 sq. foot adventure... scared, but excited :)
Here is a pic of the outside of the home, I am so excited to be able to put a yard in the way that we would want it. Good thing for Britt's awesome brother Brandon to haul all his sprinkler system and landscaping stuff from Pullman, WA to here to put in a lawn and landscaping just for cost! Also, thanks to all our great friends and family who helped us clean, paint, fix, move, and everything else! We couldn't have done it without you!!
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