Letting Go

Of this one

Our realtor told us that playing the house game was not easy!  Game still on!

We decided yesterday after a preliminary inspection by a building contractor that the house has too many issues that we would not be able to fix ourselves! 

Disappointment came but did not hang around too long!  We know the right house is out there for us somewhere.  

House Hunting

Long long ago...when we lived in the land of cable...I watched HGTV! House Hunters was my favorite show.

This show makes house hunting look somewhat easy and quick and painless.  For one, they barely mention the gazillions of houses the families have to look at before narrowing their search down to the three that make the "short list."  Occasionally I would not understand their choice. It would seem as clear as a bell to me which one they should buy and yet they would choose another one.  That's because of the things the show does not elaborate on, things the viewers are not in on that factor in to the buyers decision.

I had this crazy notion that I would walk into a house and get all emotional knowing that it was the ONE!  I thought our house here in Texas may be something unusual or unique, not cookie cutter, I thought it would be old. 

I was so wrong!   The first time I stepped into this house I hated it! The only tears I shed were tears of disgust from the condition and smell of it.  It is cookie cutter and it is not old!

So why then? Why this one?

The only explanation I have is that it is a God thing! He has directed our steps and has opened the door wide open for us to purchase it. 

After my second visit to the house I could not get it out of my head!  I could not imagine living anywhere else.  The living area is spacious and open and yet it has several small rooms that appeal to the decorator in me. 

The owners circumstance allows us to get it at a good price and that's always a good thing.  They have accepted our offer despite it being several thousand dollars under what they owe.

The location is great for us.

After looking at a few historical houses I lost a desire to own one knowing they would end up owning us!! Financially and time wise!!  We no longer want our free time to be spent on house projects or yard work.  We are getting too old for that and besides there is too much to do here in Texas.  We also want to go home whenever we feel like it.  

This house should retain its value if we decide to sell and move back to Mississippi after retirement. 

There are still inspections to do and the owners are selling "as is" to us so we will see in the very near future if there are any hidden surprises! 

But for now we will continue to move forward until God shuts the door but if He continues to leave it open we will walk through knowing He has placed us in this little house on Gleneagles Drive in Ennis Texas.  

P.S. It will give me blogging material for many many months!!

Two Two

Still house hunting but we keep going back here: 

This house is located in a subdivision not far from the apartments where we are now. There are several things not so great about this house. Here are TWO!

1. The owners have been gone for several years and have rented it out. Need I say more? It's in bad shape.

2. The neighbor's house looks like Sanford and Son, unkept yard and old broken down cars all over the place. And we would share a driveway with them.

So why do we keep going back? Can't really answer that except for maybe TWO reasons:

1. We think we could possibly get it for a good price because of its condition and the owners eagerness to sell. There are not many subdivisions in this area and this is one of the nicer ones.

2. I can see myself living here. I have not been able to do that with any of the other houses we have looked at. I need to be able to do that.  When I close my eyes at night I decorate! Sometimes I decorate other people's houses. Sometimes I decorate my own. Lately I have been decorating this house! Crazy! I know!

Truly we understand that if this not the house for us then doors will close! TWO of which could be: 

1. The owners not accepting our offer 

2. A major problem with the house after an inspection that would cause us to back out. 

Until then TWO things we will do:

1. Pray

2. Wait

TWO more pics of this house:

Living room

Master bath

Too Too

Too expensive...Too large...Too small...Too much acreage...Too far away...Too much work...

We looked at this little jewel, a house in the heart of the historical district. Can you say, Money Pit?  Too much work!!

Another house in the historical district.  Beautiful! Too large!!

Somewhere around 100,000.00 over our budget. Plus one million!! Yep, one million one hundred thousand above our price range!!  Too expensive, too big, and too much acreage!!

Too small!

Just right?? Hopefully we are getting closer!! 

Friends, Flea Markets, & Finding A House

FRIENDS! I noticed a couple at church a month or so ago, not sure why! I just did! This is a large church. Weeks later we attended Sunday school for the first time and they were in the class. Today began a four week series in a different class (even in a different  building) for anyone interested in joining the church and there they sat when we walked in. They sat in front of us in church and then asked us to lunch. After lunch, BJ and I drove to Walmart. They pulled up in the parking lot right ahead of us. All coincidental? No, I don't think so. I have prayed for friends.  We have several things in common with them. They are new to the area as well and are empty nesters too!

FLEA MARKET! Yesterday. Grand Prairie. Traders Village. My purchases. Two matching chairs for $20.00 each. Much work to be done on them, paint and new fabric, but I could not pass them up for that price. It's also hard to find matching chairs. (They are still in the car!)

FINDING A HOUSE! Still looking. We have never had to do this before and have only owned two houses. The first one we bought from my mother and the second one we built. In some ways it is fun and in others frustrating. I am trying to relish in the moment because we may never have the opportunity to do this again.  I want to concentrate on the fun and not the frustrating!!

House Hunting - Week 1

One Word - Overwhelmed!!

Our apartment lease is up at the end of next month and we need to find something larger and a little more comfortable to suit our needs so we decided to begin the process of  looking to see what kind of houses in our price range are available in the area. I spent a few hours with a Realtor this week and I came to a significant conclusion:  This is hard! Harder than I ever expected.  It's going to be a challenge and I'm going to need a lot of patience!  A lot!!

All along I have visualized this moment:  I walk into a house and become emotional to the point of tears because I have fallen completely in love with THE ONE!  Well, I can tell you THAT didn't happen!  I hoped it would but it just didn't!!  I have been on realtors.com so much over the past year that I have most of the houses on it memorized, but  I can tell you for certain things are not always what they appear in a picture on the internet!   The problem with the houses in our price range is that they are severly outdated and would take a ton of work and money to upgrade.  The ones under our price range that would give us extra money to do the upgrades are in not so great locations.  This is the challenge I am talking about!

On a positive note, the landlord at our apartment complex has been gracious to the point of giving us the option of staying here on a month to month basis without signing another year's contract and we recognize this as a blessing! It will give us the luxury of  being able to look for another apartment or a house on our time and without feeling rushed. And I feel certain we are going to need A LOT more time!!

In the meantime, I will continue to update on this new journey and will try to hold on to my dream!  THE ONE is out there somewhere.  I just know it is!

Monkey Business

We drove to Fort Worth Saturday to a flea market in this Cattle Barn.

Here is one of my purchases. B J thought I was crazy for wanting this.

  

I think whoever paid this for it is the crazy one!

Even though it IS signed by the artist!

I paid 20.00 and still thought it a little pricey, but then again I am a major cheapskate!!