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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Finding Home - Part Two

Finding A Home - Part 2

James 3:17-18

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Part 2 - Buying a new house

Wisdom is what we've needed throughout this process and God provided it. The house buying process has been just as crazy of a roller coaster ride as selling our current home. You know I remember it being more fun the first time.

When we purchased our first home we had no other home to sell. We had no children. We had no rush or timeline. We were way more naive. We found it fairly quickly and had no competition in the purchase. We were in such a different frame of mind.

Well a lot has changed since then and it has effected the process tremendously.

When we went into this whole process we had a location of our future home in mind as well as a price and size. There was also our short list of must haves: a garage, formal dinning room, 4 bedrooms, a master bath, small front yard and a more moderately sized back yard, no hills, and no corner lot. Our 'most have' list is much longer this second time around. I think the first time around our most have list was "must be a house," lol. 

Now after owning a home we see houses differently the second time around too. First, I see them with children in mind. When we purchased our first house I didn't ever think of have two of our bedrooms on the first floor as an issue until children came into the picture. In fact, it worked out nicely since the two rooms downstairs were a guest room and an office. However, once sweet Olivia came around my view changed. Also, the fact that the living room wasn't in view from the kitchen space didn't bother me until children. And then lastly the 'traffic' flow that the floor plan created didn't really bother me until kids were in tow. 

But there are things we loved about our first home as it is concerned with children. Like the fenced in backyard- ideal with children. The computer being on the same floor as the living space makes monitoring them much easier during computer time. So all of these lessons learned and future growth of both our current family members and of our family as a whole, play such a big roll this second time around. Just so many more factors to consider. 

Location, location, location. This second time I'm not budging on location. When we first moved here (states away from our 'home' state) we lived in apartments that were part of a bigger housing development. I loved that location. I loved how we could walk to things and it's proximity to our church. This was important not just for convenience sake when it came to commute time, but because we are so far from our 'blood' family that being close to our God given family holds that much more importance to us. But when we bought our first home, at the top of the market mind you, we couldn't afford this area and God didn't lead us to it either. I wish he had but His plans are not our plans (Isaiah 55:8) so we landed just ten minutes to the west. Which in all honesty wasn't far back then. But it seems more so now. I think that we're in a different school system effects us more since our children wouldn't go to school with their church friends, if God ever leads us to have them in public schools. But also it would be nice to have neighbors who we know from church or neighbors we could invited to church! Also, we're more involved in church now than we were before. I would say it is the one place I travel to the most besides the grocery store. It is a home away from home to us so to be closer makes more sense. 

So with all this in mind we began looking for homes on the internet last fall. We started seriously watching the local market and the neighborhoods we were interested in January. And we began going to see houses in person once we received a contract on our house (the story of selling our house can be found here).

The first house we looked at, looked great in pictures but then once we got into it, not so much. It's amazing to me how pictures and the act of physically going to see a house can be so different (more about that when I tell you about the house we purchased!) That first house was so small and boxy. It met the criteria on our list but it wasn't right. So we went to two more a week or so later.

Again, they seemed small. Just like I said above, the floor plan can play such a huge role in the flow of a house. So a house with the same square feet can seem to not feel like it does when you're actually in it. We saw a few houses that didn't seem to click and that is when we found out that they lady who was trying to buy our house didn't have the money and the contract fell through.  

So our house quest was temperately on hold. It's funny how God often uses music in my life to inspire me, get me through or to speak His word into my heart. Well this time it was the song "Keep Moving" by TobyMac. This song resonated in my heart through this time. I have a such a vivid memory of making the girls beds when I was yet again preparing the house for a showing and this song playing on the radio.



But before we knew it two contracts came in and we accepted one and we were back to going to see houses again.

I think the fact that we felt rushed lead us down this next road. Mike got wind of a house, in one of our desired neighborhoods, had gone up for sale at a wonderful price. It was being sold "as is" so the current owners wouldn't do any work to the house but the low price made the house look much more desirable. We were the first to see the house and put an offer in that day. This house was at the top of our square footage which was nice, more room but not the top of our budget! Just walking through it you could see it needed some much needed love. I guess it was currently owned by a married couple who didn't live together and they couldn't get along so their realtor was trying to make the process easy for them- if they sold the house "as is" they didn't have to bicker about what they could/would fix when it came time for the inspection. And we thought with the low price we'd have money to fix it up. So we forged ahead. 

The day of the inspection came and the guy we hired to inspect the house was wonderful and very detailed as he described the needs of the house. He found a lot more than met the eye. Let's just say "water, water everywhere!" We left the house still optimistic but I think we both felt like it might be more than we could handle/afford. We sent our dad's the report once we received a digital copy of it. I also sent it to a trusted friend and contractor who we would need the assistance of. 

That evening after dinner my dad was the first to call us. He began the conversation with "I think you know what I'm about to tell you..." I got off the phone with a sunken heart. I know I agreed with him that there was too much work and too much unknown about potential water damage to the structure but this house fit OUR timeline. We would be able to close on our house and this house and not need to find another temporary place to live. I looked at Matt and said "how about we call your dad and see what he thinks?" So that we did, only to hear him say with such sincerity that this house was not the house for us and he had been sick to his stomach all day thinking that we might not heed his and my dad's warning against purchasing the house (I guess they had called each other and spoke before calling us).

We were ill with the burden we were carrying. How on earth we could go against both of our fathers was unthinkable. They're both so knowledgeable about this stuff and they truly wanted the best house for us and both of them knew in they're hearts this wasn't the one. We had laid there in bed that night with no words. No words to pray but just tears as to what this all meant for our future. 

To find out what we did you'll have to go to this post and see how God provided and saw us through the process of finding temporary housing and moving forward after such a set back. But after we got out of that contract, we were off again to more showings and more houses that might fit our needs/wants and houses we were hoping would be a bit more dry! 

The night we found our "forever home" was a bit frantic. It was a Wednesday night so I had High School Bible study to get to (although it was a fun night where we went to see one of the girls play lacrosse in the playoff tournament and enjoyed ice cream.) So between Matt getting off work (5:30) and the game (6:45) we had scheduled to see two houses. The first one I wasn't too fond of. The pictures didn't wow me and the second one was at the top of our price range and the lot was on a bit of a sideways hill- not something we really liked. But now the time was ticking, we needed to find a house! So I wanted to leave no stone unturned. Plus, from past experience pictures could be misleading and I didn't want to rule anything out. 

The first house we only had a half hour to look around. I was kind of unaware of this and just figured it was our time constraint that caused the shorten time. But with three kids in tow we zoomed through the house in the blink of an eye. Overall I liked it. I wasn't sure it was quiet as "big" as we were looking for but I really liked the upstairs and the layout was nice and had a good flow. The second house however both Matt and I agreed was not the house for us. The house it self wasn't at all right for us and the slopped lot was a big yuck.

So off to the lacrosse game I went. But I couldn't get the first house out of my mind. And I couldn't get how much this process was sucking out of my mind either! Good thing I was so excited for ice cream and great fellowship, so I put the bad thoughts out of my mind. 

The whole game though I was watching, chatting and thinking about that first house. Was it really too small or was I just rushed through it? The upstairs was perfect and I liked the way the floor plan was laid out both upstairs and downstairs. The yard was a good size too and on level ground. The small front yard was nice, with mature trees and the backyard, although a bit smaller than we had hoped for would work okay and it was fenced. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. So on the way home I called my mom and dumped my ever crazy thoughts on her. She suggested we go take a second look at the house. Maybe without the kids. Such a simple idea and it never occurred to me- but yes we should. 

So I got home and once Matt and I finally got a chance to discuss the houses (aka when the kids were in sleepy land) we were both on the same page. The second house was a no go but the first house had something about it and we wanted to go see it again. So we called Mike. He said he'd call them and set up a second showing but not to hold our breaths since houses weren't staying on the market very long. Now I should have prefaced this with the fact that I was going out of town on Friday morning for my sister-in-laws baby shower and I won't return until Sunday afternoon. Now remember this was Wednesday night. So it wouldn't be until Sunday evening that we would be able to see the house again. So more waiting was in store for us since for whatever reason Thursday didn't work.

So the whole weekend I thought and prayed and prayed. I was staying at my in-laws house and I was so excited to be there and celebrate our first niece coming in just a month and her wonderful mother but I couldn't get the house out of my head. I prayed that if this was the house that God would make it known to us. That not only would the house still be on the market Sunday but that the act of putting a contract on the house wouldn't be drama filled, but simple. I just kept saying I wanted God's house for us and I would know it was HIS house if He just took us down a simple path, not a path filled with crazy. I prayed over and over- every time my mind thought of the house or got filled with worry. 

Before we knew it Sunday was there and we dropped the kids off with some friends from church who lived down the road (just three blocks away). We had a full hour to look at the house. Mike was running late and as Matt and I waited for him I told Matt what I was thinking. I wanted a closing date in mid July, X amount of money back at closing so we could get new carpet right away (a regret that still lingered from our other house- where we never changed the yucky carpet) and lastly that I think we should pay X amount for the house. Matt was completely on board with all of it. So we spent each and every moment we had looking at everything, discussing it with each other and Mike. 

As it turns out the family room and kitchen were the exact same size as our old house but the layout was a LOT more open and other aspects made them feel more spacious. Plus we had a formal dinning room and living room added onto them in this house. There were four bedrooms- again the same as our old house- but they were all upstairs. There were two moderately sized rooms, a master and a spacious bedroom over the garage. The garage was a good size and would fit both cars (although a bit snug since we own a minivan and SUV, both of which are big/wide cars). The yard needed a bit of love since there wasn't much grass (mostly weeds) but it was a good enough size. The fireplace had already been converted with a gas insert- something we only saw in one other house and a nice added bonus. The backyard had a brick patio and not a deck- a bonus to me since maintenance is much easier. The furnace, AC unit and water heater were new within the last five years. The house had vinyl siding and new windows, something that was a big selling point to us since we wouldn't need replace and which we would have had to do with many of the other houses we looked at. The only thing needing attention in next few years was the roof, that was original to the house (so 25 years old) and nearing the end of it's life. So some grass seed/tlc for the lawn and a roof were the only big money items that we could see. And the more we walked around the more we could just feel like this was the house. 

So that night we put in an offer. We got home ~5:30-6 and by 9:30 the sellers and us had settled on a contract. No drama, no bumps, nothing. And each item I had talked about with Matt in the car while we waited for Mike was exactly what the contract said. Mid July closing, X dollars back at closing and X amount purchase price for the house. It was everything I had been praying for. Everything, down to the last detail. I went to bed that night with no question that God had lead us to our home.

More wonderful blessings came as the house buying process continued. Matt's parents were in town for the inspection of the house, which happened to fall on the day we closed on our old house. So they were here to help us move to the rental too. But Matt's dad loved the house and could find no reason why we shouldn't buy it it. We used the same guy for the inspection and he seemed more pleased after going through this house. After the inspection we asked for some more money back at closing to fix the things he had found. This money totaled to the amount needed to pay for the new carpet. So we used very little savings to pay for closing and then put that money into new carpet. Our friend owns a flooring store and she was wonderful and so where the men who installed it. The instillation took place the two day following our closing and before we moved all of our furniture in- nice and easy. My dad came down to help us move from the rental to the new house and was able to fix a few of the 'big' projects- like a new man door to the garage and he rebuilt the steps from the garage into the house. Matt's parents came down a little later in the summer and then again in the fall and helped with a few other things, like fixing the fence doors so they opened and cleaning out the dryer vent that was all blocked causing the dryer to not work too well. These and other small jobs have gotten done with their help. All of these things were manageable. Just little stuff, normal house maintenance. Nothing like the work needed on the house we passed up.

Now I look at this house, six months into living here, and it feels like I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The things I was worried about, the size of the family room and kitchen, are not even an issue. When I tell people that they're the same size as they old house they always have a look a surprise on their face. I love my kitchen. It has the perfect amount of cupboards and a nice pantry. It fit all of my things nicely. Has more counter space than the old house and just an overall better layout. I love how it overlooks the family room so I can have my eye on the girls when they're playing in there and when we entertain it is a nice flow for those relaxing and those helping in the kitchen. The dinning room makes us able to entertain beyond our own family of five. At Thanksgiving we had six adults and four kids here and the kids table was in the kitchen and the adult table was in the dinning room. It was very nice. And the storage in this house is out of this world. Our master bedroom closest square footage alone is the size of the old houses closets all put together. There is attic storage, garage storage, knee wall storage, and ample closet space in each bedroom too. I love how the big girls room just holds their beds, lovies, a small book shelf, and their clothes (dresser and closet). Same with the nursery. 95% of the toys are in the playroom/guestroom, the over sized room above the garage, that is a neutral zone for all to play in. I love that we have a place for grandparents to stay when they come. The playroom is great when the girls have friends over and I love that all the mess is upstairs and out of sight- causing this mama to not feel like I'm forcing the kids to constantly clean up a big mess. Instead I just have them gather what migrated downstairs for the day and put it where it belongs. Then we do a big clean up when necessary. I could go on and on when I sit back and think about the blessings that each room/area of the house lends our family.

What we love, love, love just as much as the house structure is the neighborhood. It's got sidewalks (which any northern friend might laugh about, but in our area they are not common). There are two pools in the neighborhood, one only 1.5 blocks from our house! There are three playgrounds, one only 2.5 blocks from our house! In fact, this is the neighborhood that is connect to the apartments we lived in when we first moved here. We've come full circle. Where I always dreamed of living. Our neighbors are so nice. There are three of us (mind you there are over 900 houses in this development) right next to each other who moved in within months of each other. We all have young kids- theirs are all boys but potential future friends all the same. I just talked with one of them a week or so ago and we talked about doing a little get together between the three of our homes to get to know each other a bit better. I know I'm a dork but I love that my kids will grow up with neighborhood friends. I had that growing up and I loved it. We have multiple church friends/family that live in the neighborhood which is wonderful. You can walk to a grocery store, a CVS, and much more. I loved being able to go to the corner store with my friends growing up. Mom would give us a few dollars as long as we picked her up some Boston Baked Beans too! Countless blessings again.

I have to say that it was an adventure I'm not soon to forget and one that I see God's hands all over. I love that when I look back on the tough times, I see His miraculous work in my life. I praise Him for it all. The first thing I did when Matt and I pulled up with the keys from closing was to sit on the steps and dedicate this house back to Him who provided it. May all who enter these doors see my God and his blessings in our family on in our home.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 
1 Timothy 6:17