Oh, who am I kidding? I am the queen of making a long story a long story. Which is probably why you all like my writing so much. I can't help myself!
I haven't really wanted to talk about this too much on the DIS until it came to fruition, but here's my big news.
Yesterday, DH and I signed the contract to buy our first home!
For those of you who don't know, the lovely little TK clan which has now grown into the lovely little TK clan with two children, lives in a two bedroom apartment. And although we can continue here, and by no stretch is it an impossible feat to have the boys share a bedroom, we have been looking at houses.
I don't even know where to start really.
Gosh, it's such a saga.
Okay, we went to look at this house a few weeks ago. Then we went back with my uncle (who does painting, and has construction knowledge). Then we thought about it, and decided to put in a lowball offer. It's a home that could be beautiful but has never been updated. It was built in the 70s and everything...and I mean everything...is original. Appliances, shag carpet, wood paneling in the basement.
It's retro.
Don't hate.
Anyway, it needs a lot of work, and there are a few maintenance things we're worried about (that will come out in an inspection) so we lowballed it. And they came back so high that we got emotional and just decided to walk.
Fast forward a few weeks later and I can't stop thinking about the house. Not obsessively, just in the back of my mind. There's a little voice that's saying, this is your house, Kat.
So I mention offhand to our realtor that I've been thinking about it and what's going on?
Funny you should mention it, she says. The listing agent called me yesterday and wants to know if you're interested.
Oh ho ho! Now the ball is in our court!
We came up a little bit on our offer. They came down a little bit on theirs. Then they threw in "as is."
'Scuse me?
This wasn't part of the original listing, and basically the sellers were saying, if you find things to be done in the inspection, we're not doing them. Now DH and I are fairly certain we know what's wrong with this house, and we are having a home inspection done, so it was really, do we think we can afford this price and those repairs, never mind ripping out the shag carpet and a fresh coat of paint, savvy?
Well, we had some thinking to do. So we slept on it. And when we woke up, I called my realtor and said, I just need one more day. I wanted to further research some financing with a different bank, since the broker I've been dealing with is pretty high on his closing costs.
Who knew my financial searching would translate to the buyer as hesitation?
Yesterday, my realtor called. The listing agent contacted her, and here's the deal. They'll give it to us at a lower price, and they'll do any reasonable repairs. I probably should have mentioned that this house has been on the market for almost two years. They had two other offers that fell through because the buyers were contingent on selling their own homes, and they didn't. Since we rent, and have no such attachments, we look pretty attractive to them right now, savvy?
Apparently, they didn't want let us go! So now, MJS and I are getting a house for what we really wanted to pay / felt it was worth, and they're going to do reasonable repairs!!!!
Let me tell you about the power of positive thinking. For the past couple of days, I had been repeating to myself, and putting it out there in the universe, "this is my house and it's going to work out. This is my house and it's going to work out."
So now, it's changed to, "this is my house and the inspection will be fine. This is my house and the inspection will be fine."
Last night, we signed the offer, and they signed back. We have, officially, bought our first home (on paper).
I don't want to talk too much about how great the house is until after it's inspected, but suffice it to say it's more than we ever thought we could afford in a neighborhood I adore that I never thought I'd be able to live in.
And we owe it all to my mom.
It's the money she left me that is helping to enable this purchase. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am, and I am so grateful.
If all goes as planned, we'll be closing on the house at the end of March and moving in the beginning of April. I'd like to do something to honor her, and someone suggested if we plant a tree, which I think is a great idea. Something pretty, something that flowers...I know she'd really like that. It almost makes me want to cry to know that she can't physically be there, even though I feel like she is so pulling for us right now. She really has become my angel, and you know, it reminds me of that conversation in Steel Magnolias where Darryl Hannah's character says, and I for one, feel much better knowing that she's up there on my side.
My mother was a force of nature, and I am sure glad she's on my side.
