I BOUGHT A HOUSE!
I am beyond excited to say that my husband and I finally found the perfect house for us. After some back and forth in a crazy real estate market, we were able to close on our very first home!
It was a challenge finding a single-story, step-free home, let alone staying within budget as the market soared to never before seen heights. We had to consider if it was a mistake to buy right now and if we would just be settling for something we could afford but didn't love.
The day we were leaving for vacation, we found a listing online that made our hearts skip a beat. A mid-century build with an updated kitchen and bathrooms, a pool, and a yard big enough for our dog to run around to his heart’s content. Bonus points for sidewalks, a quiet neighborhood, and a much shorter commute to work for me. We immediately drove down the street and scoped out the neighborhood before hopping on our flight. Our angel of a real estate agent really came through for us and scheduled a tour via facetime. As we sipped our morning coffee in a hotel bed, we asked a million questions knowing that if we wanted this house, we would have to act fast. And so we did, we put in an offer without having even stepped foot in the house like complete lunatics, then the waiting game began. A day or so later, we were shocked to learn that our strong over asking price offer with an escalation clause was not strong enough and someone else's offer had been accepted. We were in disbelief because we felt good about this house and could picture ourselves in it. We proceeded to down our sorrows in wine while road-tripping from San Francisco to Napa Valley because "when in Rome".
The day after we returned from our trip, while still re-adjusting to the time change, we got a surprising phone call from our realtor, Rich. THE HOUSE WAS BACK ON THE MARKET and the sellers wanted to work with us! It felt like Christmas morning! I proceeded to yell " I told you this was our house!" to anyone who would listen. After several smooth inspections and standard procedures, we finally signed the closing paperwork yesterday afternoon. She's ours! I have begun a very well-curated Pinterest design board full of projects a landlord would never let us do. Am I the only one who can't wait to use a sledgehammer on their hallway?
It may take us some more savings and some time, but little by little we will make this house feel like home. Cheers to a Christmas gift so big it can't be wrapped!
