Except, it didn't really feel very official since our realtor is a very good friend from my old job. And most of the houses that we saw were so far from viable options it was kind of a joke. We met up at a house that was designed backward, faced an amusement park and had a cramped stairwell to the basement that was totally encased in tile, a la a shower stall. It's redeeming quality? The miniature ceramic deer by the tree in the front.
The second house we saw had 7, YES 7, bathrooms. I couldn't believe it was possible to have 7 bathrooms in a 2000 sq ft house, but these people managed it. I think in a previous life it was a privately run cheap-o nursing/convalescent home which just made me really sad. I kind of hate how many nursing homes we have in the US....but that is a post for another day.
One house was beautiful, but had many offers already on the table. Another house was wonderfully remodeled, but in a horrible neighborhood. Another had a HUGE crack through the entire foundation where a tree was trying to get inside. The cute one with the rainbow shingles I posted last week has a terrible steep and narrow stairway put to the minuscule upstairs bathroom.
As our agent drove us back to our cars I was feeling dejected. I knew in my head that there was no way we would find out house on our first venture out. I knew it was silly to expect that. But my heart was a little broken. I'd really hoped that we'd find a house that we remotely thought had at least a little potential.
I was totally bummed. Bummed and depressed and feeling a bit of dejected fear. When we came back to our apartment it felt so good and familiar that I considered throwing in the towel on the search. It just seemed too hard.
But then the ear doctor reminded me that good things usually come after we're put to the test. And this afternoon my sister said, "Katie, that's why they're called a diamond in the ROUGH...you have to go through a lot of rough to find them." It is called a house HUNT after all. Maybe I just need to sharpen my weapons and don my armor.
Between the job change and the house search it seems that 2009 will be the year I voluntarily forgo the familiar and comfortable with the hope that, in the end, the reward will outweigh the requisite sacrifice.
7 comments:
It is definitely hard worked. I had a blast tearing apart and joking about how bad the houses were that we were looking at, but then we'd go back to our apartment (which I affectionately referred to as a craphole) and I would be so bummed that we hadn't made any progress. Stick with it and be happy you have a cozy place you like to live in while you continue the hunt! Good luck!
Oh honey, this is definitely a venture that will take time. When I bought my car...a CAR!!!, it took me eight months to finally find the right one, with the right options, in the right condition, for the right price. It was very frustrating at time, but in the end, I was SO glad I was patient and didn't settle previously up the road!
And that was a stinkin' car! Not a HOUSE!!
How exciting! House hunting is definately not as easy and fun as I had imagined it would be. It took us a year and 100+ houses before we found ours. You'll get there!
I am excited for you! You will find the perfect house. The process can be kinda discouraging at times...but in the end it is totally worth it. One of the houses I looked at before I found mine had stairs (actually more like a ladder) up to the shower...yes that's right...there were 8 or 9 rungs on the ladder. Just keep a good attitude and a sense of humour!!
Good luck...I know you will find the perfect house!
You can do it!!!
Can you imagine having to clean 7 bathrooms all the time? No thanks.
house hunting and buying a house made the last eight months of our lives a VERY bumpy ride.
I remember going out with our realtor for the initial house hunting visit. We had 3 days to look at houses while in California (at that time we were living in Iowa still). I disliked every single house we went into. Each one just didn't feel right.
After hours of online house hunting myself I found our house! This was 4 months AFTER our first outing with the realtor!
I have to say finding a house and buying a house was NOT fun...at least for me. I remember I kept telling myself that if I just make it to August 2009 (roughly 3 months after moving into our new home) I'll be looking back at that house buying time as a blurry memory while living and loving life in our new home.
Yes, I am living and loving life in our new home, but that process it took to get here is still very much in focus. I'm hoping that by the time we're ready to move and buy another home the process is in fact blurry...sort of like child birth :)
Why I'm telling you all this I'm not quite sure. Perhaps just to let you know to expect it to be frustrating and at time fun, but for the most part frustrating and stressful! Going in with that mind set will make it easier I think...since you'll already know it won't be an awesomely smooth house buying ride :)
p.s. 7 bathrooms? 7??!!!
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