**Our** house

More on the house we found today....

I got a call today from our realtor (and to think I almost didn't answer the call because I was busy cleaning the kitchen!) and she said a new house just came up on the market that she thought we would like. I decided it would be a nice break from cleaning, so I went to look at it, even though Kyle was working (he eventually was able to make it, and the realtor and I went back to the house) and I hadn't fully recovered from my earlier freak out about buying a house.
Well, the first reasons I knew I would love the house were the street name (Sandcastle, if you didn't read the last blog) and the red front door. And then the door opens, and I immediately felt like I was home. The house is a foreclosure, but it's immaculate, unlike all the other foreclosed homes we've looked at. Seriously, the only thing we would need to do to move in is buy a fridge. Carpet is perfect, it has beautiful hard wood floors in the entry way, dining room and kitchen, and the whole house was just painted, so we don't have to worry about that. There are things we'd want to paint to get more color in (it's all beige-ish right now - looks great, but it's all the same), but it's also nice to know we wouldn't have to paint the entire house or cover up ridiculous paint colors. Lots of counter top and cabinet space in the kitchen, which is definitely lacking in this apartment (I have to make dinner on the kitchen table, as there is about a foot of counter space available to me). It's a 3 bed/2 bath, which is what we want, and the master bedroom is nice and big, with a nice big bathroom and walk in closet (love that!) Good sized back yard, with plenty of room for a dog or two and an eventual swing set. :) Oh, and it's less than 10 years old and feels like a new home. And it's in a great neighborhood.
So, we've decided we're okay giving up some of our fun stuff in order to buy this house. Yeah, it will be tight for awhile, but this house felt so much like home, and it was a place that we could see ourselves living in for a long time, not just 5 or 10 years, like we've felt with some of the other houses. Hands down, the best house we've looked at.
We were the first offer in, and we could know tomorrow if our offer is accepted. We offered the list price, and asked the seller (bank) to pay closing costs, which isn't out of the ordinary, so we don't see why we wouldn't get it, but you never know. So now we're praying that this is the right one and that we get good news tomorrow. And we're praying that all the financing comes through, that we're able to get the city employee grant forms all filled out, and that we'll be able to pay all the ridiculous costs that come along with buying a home. And I'd love for you to pray with us. And thanks to those who are! Whether it's this house or another, we'll have to have you over (at least those who live local!) to celebrate with us when we finally have the space to have people over.
Hopefully this one will be ours, and I'll be able to post pictures soon.