I am officially 37, well as of one minute ago I am. So far 2015 has been pretty crazy, I go a new car, well it's new to me anyway. Then I had my stomach surgery and since then I have lost 80+ pounds (woo hoo!). I got a promotion at work, I attended the Lori Foster RAGT conference in June and then we bought our first home at the end of July! My oldest son moved out, and now we have a senior as well as a 7th and 8th grader. Now I just added another year to my age.
My weekend started off going out with a few co-workers for drinks after our shifts ended. Hanging out with them outside of the office was fun. It was interesting getting a glimpse of the guys I spend 40 hours a week with away from the daily grind. I hope we do it again soon.
I spent this weekend baking pumpkin cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting, both gluten free and regular, pizzas, again both gluten free (Chebe is the best crust I have ever tried!) and regular. I also made loaded baked potato salad, deviled eggs, and brewed iced tea. We had a BBQ and our friends and family made a GF carrot cake (OMG my mom is amazing), and pasta salad. We grilled various sausages from Schmidt's in German Village, steaks, and juicy Lucy's (burgers with cheese stuffed inside). It was wonderful. Spending a nice, relaxing weekend with loved ones was definitely awesome.
Our life has certainly been chaotic this summer. We are still unpacking and getting settled. Since we started this process back in June, nearly every weekend has been filled with chores, moving, packing and unpacking, organizing, donating unneeded items, looking for misplaced items, fixing just about everything (that is an entirely other blog entry), and the list goes on and on... So needless to say, a bit of fun was well deserved.
I even took my birthday off from work. Which was definitely a good call since school starts on Tuesday for my two boys in junior high and I have yet to buy all their school supplies and my driver's license and tags expire. Oh, and I still have to go to the grocery store so they will have something to put inside their lunch boxes. Even though I won't be at work, I will be a busy girl!
Now that I am 37 years and 43 minutes old, I guess I should go to bed.
Showing posts with label #newhouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #newhouse. Show all posts
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
And it continues...
So last Thursday we were supposed to close on our house but because our lender/loan nazi has decided to take his good old sweet time and dick around with our paper work while trying to drive us absofucklinglutely batshit crazy we did not. Oh yeah, and this asshat has still not given us an actual closing date either. Can you tell that I am a bit frustrated? Sorry for venting...
We have the loan, it has been approved, but for some reason, we are still sitting here in the dark waiting to get the final word that all the T's have been crossed and all the I's have been dotted so we can finally get the keys to our home. We are hoping that it will happen by the end of next week. At this point, we have no clue.
I have started packing. Jamie has not. Why you may be wondering have I begun the process of cataloging our belongings and placing them into boxes, wrapping all fragile items in newspaper and bubble wrap, and filling our hall, living room, and bedrooms with boxes and totes when my husband refuses? Because he has reached the point of doubt. Doubt that we will get the house, that the seller will continue without a closing date, that our lender is ever going to do his damned job. Jamie doesn't want to put our lives away only to be disappointed if we lose the house because our lender has dragged his feet for so long that everything falls apart for us. Honestly I can't say I blame him. Sitting here in my living room looking at the brown boxes and Sterilite storage tubs currently surrounding me filled with knick knacks and clothes and photos makes me anxious.
What if he is right? Unpacking them would be difficult if we lose the house we have come to think of as our new home, the home we plan on building with our sons. Our family needs a new home. A few months ago our dog Brutus died, and we have all been sad since then. Our current home where we have lived since 2004 is filled with memories, good mostly, but once Brutus passed, it just seems so sad here. Time for a fresh start. We had already begun the house hunting process before we lost Brutus , so it isn't just because of him we are leaving, but it is time for sure. In fact, he is coming with us, well, his ashes are anyway. We'd never leave him behind.
I was able to get this past Thursday and Friday off work for the planned closing and move, but since that fell through, I spent the days off taking my kids to doctor appointments, school shopping, going to yard sales, and going to the gym. What makes me even angrier is that I can't get any days off this week so hopefully IF we do close this week, we can do the closing before I go to work at 2 pm. My mother in law is planning on coming up to help us pack and move, and my mom is also planning on helping. We have a few friends who are supposed to help too, but I am not sure with all the help we have planned it will be enough now that I only have Saturday and Sunday and weekdays before 2 to move.
The bad news (yes there's more) is that we have to pay another month of rent but the good news is that we have the whole month to move so there isn't such a big rush. Oh well... Nothing we can do to change any of this. As I write this reflecting on this past weekend that should have been chaotic and stressful and busy and exhausting, this weekend wasn't so bad at all.
Aside from errands, we spent family time poolside, went shopping, and even to a concert (if you are not a James Bay fan, you do not know what you are missing). Maybe next weekend will be crazy and this time next Sunday I will be in my new home. I guess what's meant to be will be.
We have the loan, it has been approved, but for some reason, we are still sitting here in the dark waiting to get the final word that all the T's have been crossed and all the I's have been dotted so we can finally get the keys to our home. We are hoping that it will happen by the end of next week. At this point, we have no clue.
I have started packing. Jamie has not. Why you may be wondering have I begun the process of cataloging our belongings and placing them into boxes, wrapping all fragile items in newspaper and bubble wrap, and filling our hall, living room, and bedrooms with boxes and totes when my husband refuses? Because he has reached the point of doubt. Doubt that we will get the house, that the seller will continue without a closing date, that our lender is ever going to do his damned job. Jamie doesn't want to put our lives away only to be disappointed if we lose the house because our lender has dragged his feet for so long that everything falls apart for us. Honestly I can't say I blame him. Sitting here in my living room looking at the brown boxes and Sterilite storage tubs currently surrounding me filled with knick knacks and clothes and photos makes me anxious.
What if he is right? Unpacking them would be difficult if we lose the house we have come to think of as our new home, the home we plan on building with our sons. Our family needs a new home. A few months ago our dog Brutus died, and we have all been sad since then. Our current home where we have lived since 2004 is filled with memories, good mostly, but once Brutus passed, it just seems so sad here. Time for a fresh start. We had already begun the house hunting process before we lost Brutus , so it isn't just because of him we are leaving, but it is time for sure. In fact, he is coming with us, well, his ashes are anyway. We'd never leave him behind.
I was able to get this past Thursday and Friday off work for the planned closing and move, but since that fell through, I spent the days off taking my kids to doctor appointments, school shopping, going to yard sales, and going to the gym. What makes me even angrier is that I can't get any days off this week so hopefully IF we do close this week, we can do the closing before I go to work at 2 pm. My mother in law is planning on coming up to help us pack and move, and my mom is also planning on helping. We have a few friends who are supposed to help too, but I am not sure with all the help we have planned it will be enough now that I only have Saturday and Sunday and weekdays before 2 to move.
The bad news (yes there's more) is that we have to pay another month of rent but the good news is that we have the whole month to move so there isn't such a big rush. Oh well... Nothing we can do to change any of this. As I write this reflecting on this past weekend that should have been chaotic and stressful and busy and exhausting, this weekend wasn't so bad at all.
Aside from errands, we spent family time poolside, went shopping, and even to a concert (if you are not a James Bay fan, you do not know what you are missing). Maybe next weekend will be crazy and this time next Sunday I will be in my new home. I guess what's meant to be will be.
Monday, June 29, 2015
What were we thinking?
Of all the insane things we have done, buying a house has got to be at the top of the list. I know it is a right of passage of sorts, but I am not sure we are ready for this level of insanity. Now we have been thinking about this for a very long time and are not wanting to rush into anything though I think there isn't a way to be 100% secure when purchasing a home.
There are so many unknowns... What if this is not the right house for our family? What if our dream house comes on the market after we start this process? What if we are making a huge mistake? What if what if what if... I am driving myself crazy about all the "what ifs". I keep trying to reassure myself and usually it works, or at least helps, but nagging thoughts sneak in from time to time causing me to freak out. We have planned as much as we are able and have tried to be as educated about this process as possible. We have searched and searched for a good house, and let me tell you, finding a house both my husband and I agree on has been difficult enough, then getting our four sons to concur with our decision has been an adventure in itself.
When we started looking, we sat down together and listed all of the features that we required, others that would disqualify a house, and some that we wanted but were not deal breakers. What did our lists contain you may be wondering... Here are a few. Must haves: three or more bedrooms, stay in the same school district, at least one and a half bathrooms (no way in hell I am sharing a potty with five guys), and a decent kitchen. Deal breakers: anything opposite of the must haves list, Wants: fireplace, deck, hardwood floors, two car garage, and main floor laundry.
So we decided to start by getting pre-qualified for a loan. Seemed like a good place to start since if we didn't have the money then we were dead in the water. We turned in the application, then got a call from our lender requesting additional information. Once we gave them everything they needed, we were told that we were approved! Pretty amazing first step. Then it was time to find a realtor. So we asked around and one of my co-workers recommended the realtor that helped her and her boyfriend purchase a home last year in the exact same area we were looking in, and my coworker couldn't say enough nice things about her realtor, so I gave her a call on Wednesday. The realtor eagerly sent us emails with homes for sale meeting our minimum requirements. Five homes looked good, so we set up showings for that Saturday. By Friday morning, three of the houses were in contract, all three had been on the market less than forty eight hours. Yikes.
Saturday afternoon arrived and I was nervous and excited. We planned on meeting our realtor at the first home at one. The house would definitely need some work, but the price was good, so we walked in the front door. Everything was out of date, light fixtures, carpet, appliances, paint, pretty much everything would need to be replaced. Did I mention the awful sponge painted walls and the golden rod shag carpeting? It smelled musty and the floors squeaked and creaked. Oh, and there was a typo on the listing, only one bathroom. On to the next house.
House number two looked much more promising from the outside. It was a split level foyer so we decided to start up stairs. The carpet was brand new, and were a nice neutral light tan shade and was super soft. The walls were freshly painted tan and trimmed in white. The kitchen was small but had just been renovated. New cabinets,new stainless steel appliances, new sink with a new fixture. The full bathroom was also redone and would work well for us. The three bedrooms were on the smaller side and the closets were also smaller than our condo currently has.
We headed downstairs and were pleased with the half bath and easy access to the garage. Though it was only had one stall, the garage door was brand new. The next room was a large family room/den/rec room. Then we took a peak inside the utility room, the only room that was not finished, but looked easy enough to finish. Then we found a surprise. After opening the last door off of the utility room, we found another room. It was big enough to be a fourth bedroom, though it couldn't be considered a bedroom since it lacked a closet. We would figure that room out later. We next headed outside to check out all of the landscaping and yard.
There was a tool shed beneath the second floor deck, lots of trees (which needed trimmed in a bad way), new mulch and river stone walled flower beds, and overall, was lovely. A few other items we found to be cool were the new windows that tilted in for easy cleaning and the new light fixtures through out the house, including the one directly above the front door. Overall, we really liked the house. It wasn't perfect, not our dream house, but it was a great house at a great price in a great neighborhood. Add to that how fast houses in our area had been selling faster than funnel cakes, we knew we needed to act fast if we wanted this house.
But did we want it? Or did we want to keep looking? We left the house and said good-bye to our realtor and headed home to talk. Within an hour we decided to make an offer. We sent a text to our realtor and then we waited. We offered $4,500 less than the owners asking price and asked them to pay for the closing costs. We were told that it would take a few days most likely to hear back. However, the next morning they countered our offer, they agreed to pay all the closing costs, but would not go any lower than $1,500 less than asking price. We accepted with the stipulation that the inspection went well. And with that, we were in contract.
We had seven days to complete the inspection. So we found a guy and within five days, we had the house inspected. He found a few small things that needed repaired, the three biggest were that the exterior water spigots were missing, the whole house was in need of insulation, and biggest of all, the AC was not working. So we sent the report as well as our repair requests. Within twenty four hours, the seller got back to us and agreed to do everything with the exception of the water spigots and the insulation. We accepted and officially are in contract. Now we are finalizing the loan information and are waiting for the promised repairs to be completed.
Now we are busy planning our move, the new patio and fire pit in the back yard, and where all of our belongings will end up. We are set to close in less than a month and I feel like we will not be able to pack up ten plus years of stuff in enough time. What will we bring with us, what will we trash or donate or give away? My stress level has increased tremendously and we are no where near done. There's no turning back now. We are in the midst of the first time home purchase for our family.
But I am so excited and absolutely can not wait until the end of July when we are handed the keys to our new home. That's right, HOME.
There are so many unknowns... What if this is not the right house for our family? What if our dream house comes on the market after we start this process? What if we are making a huge mistake? What if what if what if... I am driving myself crazy about all the "what ifs". I keep trying to reassure myself and usually it works, or at least helps, but nagging thoughts sneak in from time to time causing me to freak out. We have planned as much as we are able and have tried to be as educated about this process as possible. We have searched and searched for a good house, and let me tell you, finding a house both my husband and I agree on has been difficult enough, then getting our four sons to concur with our decision has been an adventure in itself.
When we started looking, we sat down together and listed all of the features that we required, others that would disqualify a house, and some that we wanted but were not deal breakers. What did our lists contain you may be wondering... Here are a few. Must haves: three or more bedrooms, stay in the same school district, at least one and a half bathrooms (no way in hell I am sharing a potty with five guys), and a decent kitchen. Deal breakers: anything opposite of the must haves list, Wants: fireplace, deck, hardwood floors, two car garage, and main floor laundry.
So we decided to start by getting pre-qualified for a loan. Seemed like a good place to start since if we didn't have the money then we were dead in the water. We turned in the application, then got a call from our lender requesting additional information. Once we gave them everything they needed, we were told that we were approved! Pretty amazing first step. Then it was time to find a realtor. So we asked around and one of my co-workers recommended the realtor that helped her and her boyfriend purchase a home last year in the exact same area we were looking in, and my coworker couldn't say enough nice things about her realtor, so I gave her a call on Wednesday. The realtor eagerly sent us emails with homes for sale meeting our minimum requirements. Five homes looked good, so we set up showings for that Saturday. By Friday morning, three of the houses were in contract, all three had been on the market less than forty eight hours. Yikes.
Saturday afternoon arrived and I was nervous and excited. We planned on meeting our realtor at the first home at one. The house would definitely need some work, but the price was good, so we walked in the front door. Everything was out of date, light fixtures, carpet, appliances, paint, pretty much everything would need to be replaced. Did I mention the awful sponge painted walls and the golden rod shag carpeting? It smelled musty and the floors squeaked and creaked. Oh, and there was a typo on the listing, only one bathroom. On to the next house.
House number two looked much more promising from the outside. It was a split level foyer so we decided to start up stairs. The carpet was brand new, and were a nice neutral light tan shade and was super soft. The walls were freshly painted tan and trimmed in white. The kitchen was small but had just been renovated. New cabinets,new stainless steel appliances, new sink with a new fixture. The full bathroom was also redone and would work well for us. The three bedrooms were on the smaller side and the closets were also smaller than our condo currently has.
We headed downstairs and were pleased with the half bath and easy access to the garage. Though it was only had one stall, the garage door was brand new. The next room was a large family room/den/rec room. Then we took a peak inside the utility room, the only room that was not finished, but looked easy enough to finish. Then we found a surprise. After opening the last door off of the utility room, we found another room. It was big enough to be a fourth bedroom, though it couldn't be considered a bedroom since it lacked a closet. We would figure that room out later. We next headed outside to check out all of the landscaping and yard.
There was a tool shed beneath the second floor deck, lots of trees (which needed trimmed in a bad way), new mulch and river stone walled flower beds, and overall, was lovely. A few other items we found to be cool were the new windows that tilted in for easy cleaning and the new light fixtures through out the house, including the one directly above the front door. Overall, we really liked the house. It wasn't perfect, not our dream house, but it was a great house at a great price in a great neighborhood. Add to that how fast houses in our area had been selling faster than funnel cakes, we knew we needed to act fast if we wanted this house.
But did we want it? Or did we want to keep looking? We left the house and said good-bye to our realtor and headed home to talk. Within an hour we decided to make an offer. We sent a text to our realtor and then we waited. We offered $4,500 less than the owners asking price and asked them to pay for the closing costs. We were told that it would take a few days most likely to hear back. However, the next morning they countered our offer, they agreed to pay all the closing costs, but would not go any lower than $1,500 less than asking price. We accepted with the stipulation that the inspection went well. And with that, we were in contract.
We had seven days to complete the inspection. So we found a guy and within five days, we had the house inspected. He found a few small things that needed repaired, the three biggest were that the exterior water spigots were missing, the whole house was in need of insulation, and biggest of all, the AC was not working. So we sent the report as well as our repair requests. Within twenty four hours, the seller got back to us and agreed to do everything with the exception of the water spigots and the insulation. We accepted and officially are in contract. Now we are finalizing the loan information and are waiting for the promised repairs to be completed.
Now we are busy planning our move, the new patio and fire pit in the back yard, and where all of our belongings will end up. We are set to close in less than a month and I feel like we will not be able to pack up ten plus years of stuff in enough time. What will we bring with us, what will we trash or donate or give away? My stress level has increased tremendously and we are no where near done. There's no turning back now. We are in the midst of the first time home purchase for our family.
But I am so excited and absolutely can not wait until the end of July when we are handed the keys to our new home. That's right, HOME.
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