Mike and I share a healthy fear of debt and an even healthier fear of "settling down." I think I must have gypsy blood and still haven't resigned myself to the fact that we are western Washingtonians.
But since our condo is becoming hopelessly small and we need a yard and we have lived here nearly 6 years now and Mike's job does appear to be relatively stable and it is a buyer's market and mortgage rates are low but headed up, we thought we should start looking and see what we can find.
So yesterday we ventured out and looked at four houses with a realtor. We left the girls with Grammy and took Ben, the allergy boy whose body can spot all kinds of evil lurking in houses. Ben thought it was the best and was ready to come home and start packing. "We'll take our toys, right?" was his second question after clarifying that if Mike and I moved we would take him with us. (He reminded us that "Mommy said I could live with you always.")
The first house we looked at was an example of how not to sell your house. There were approximately seven children in it and a person who slept on the couch the whole time we were there. I don't think there was an adult present but the sleeping person was under a blanket and could have been a small adult. There was a nasty little Chihuahua (who should have been tied up or thrown in the garage) who attacked Ben. The house was in rough condition with holes in the wall and horrible carpet and banged up cupboards and a moldy skylight. So that was a quick "moving on."
I loved the second house but it sits on a golf course and there is no fence. So I would have to work hard to keep the kids from wandering off onto the green and getting beaned in the head with a golf ball. And Mike pointed out that the bedrooms were much smaller than we were used to.
Mike loved the second house. It had four bedrooms upstairs but very small living areas downstairs. I could live with it but it was a bit out of our price range and a short sale.
The fourth house had five very small bedrooms. So small we couldn't have gotten more than our bed in the master bedroom.
Of course, each house had features I would have loved to have combined into one house. But since that is not possible, we'll keep looking.
7 comments:
I'm a little concerned about your attitude toward Ben, claiming that he needed to be tied up or thrown in the garage. That's my godson you're talking about!
;)
Darren, it's called "extreme parenting." ;) j/k
What's wrong with being Western Washingtonians? Beautiful part of the country, near family....
Your gypsy blood must be from your mom's side, as I LOVE being "settled down." I would think the second house could have a fence built - but that doesn't solve the small bedrooms. If you're anything like me, the househunting will be exhausting. Good luck!
Nice grammatical catch Darren....Will be fixed.
J-There are many good things about western Washington. The bad: the driving skills (or lack thereoff), the complete lack of political common sense (with a few exceptions), and the 9-month grey rainy season).
Hilary-You are correct. My dad would have lived in Medford his whole life if he had his way. My mom has the gypsy inclinations.
how cool! househunting -- the most awesome...and the most frustrating of all activities! you'll know when it's right. keep looking. will keep you in mind and prayers. (and it's good to have you posting again; those four days felt long! ;-)
I'm so excited for you! House hunting can be discouraging when you don't find the "right" thing right away, but I also think it can be really, really fun. And don't think of it as settling down--just think of it as a base/starting point for all your adventures. :) It will be so great if you can take advantage of the market!
Hang in there! Those certainly weren't the best experiences for house hunting, at least the first wasn't (what the???), but you will find something. Just keep in mind what's important and eventually you'll find just the right place. :)
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