Our Big Month!

I think we're growing up. . .

So, a few big things have happened in the last few months!

We bought a house!  We don't close until March 31st but it has been very exciting (and nerve-wracking) to be in the home-buying process.  We found a GREAT place, and I know we will love it once we get there.....but it's just stressful to go through the inspection process, negotiating the price, trying to have enough money for the down payment, etc.  I'll be so glad when we have moved in, and can just enjoy it.

On the other hand, we have also experienced first-hand what a blessing it can be to RENT a house.  So, we are grateful that we've been renting in our current house since it just went through a major catastrophe involving the main water pipe that runs under the house.  The joy of being a renter is that we didn't have to pay to have it fixed!

Other big things going on, too.....but more on that, later!  

First Blog Post!

Looking for houses and jobs!

So, house hunting (and job hunting) are taking over our lives right now.  We are about 3 1/2 months away from moving back to Dayton.....but at this point we have no jobs and we haven't found a house to buy.  As you might imagine, this causes some anxiety!  I made a list of the things I have learned about us as house hunters:

1) Buying a house in real life is actually nothing like the TV show "House Hunters".  There are way more than 3 houses to choose from, and there are many more house features to notice than the granite counter tops and double vanities (ALWAYS mentioned on House Hunters).  As if these things existed in our price range.  We seem to be finding bathrooms like Exhibit A below:

2) Jason is like a human computer of real estate listings....we will just be driving around and he will say something like, "That house is listed for $139,900 and has 3 bedrooms but no basement".  (Keep in mind this is a house we've never discussed before- I think he's a real estate wizard).

3) We have very different styles of searching for houses.  I made a google doc and listed all relevant houses, along with details about fencing, lot size, etc.  Once I meticulously went through all listings in our price range and included them, I've been satisfied with the daily updates our realtor sends us to either add/discard and just wait until we find the right house.  Jason looks compulsively, and his storage system (described in #2 above) doesn't exactly mesh with how I like to organize the listings.  Jason also finds unusual sources of homes that continue to spice up our search (For Sale by Owner, HUD homes, foreclosures).

4) House hunting isn't as much fun as I thought it would be.  I know, everyone tried to warn me of this, but I truly thought it would be easy and we would find something instantly.  After all, how hard is it to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, with a basement, in a great city, with a huge fenced-in yard?  Turns out it is pretty hard to find!

5) The good news is that we know what we are looking for, and I wouldn't want to be looking with any one other than Jason!  He helps me to stay calm, look at what's really important, and we generally agree on what we are looking for.  Couldn't ask for a better partner in house hunting.....or in life!  :)