The House-Hunting Saga - Part 4
Created | Updated Jun 22, 2003
Well, I can't say that we weren't disappointed about losing the house. It hadn't been perfect, but it had been close. And it would have been a quick resolution to the Earthling Dream.
However, it wasn't to be, so we had to move on. Ren was contacted and we went out to see more houses. Time to get back in the saddle again.
The first trip out, Erik found the house that he wanted and I found the house that I wanted. Sadly, they weren't the same house and neither of us could make the other 'see the light'. Ren made notes on what we liked in each house and we decided to call it quits for the night.
A few days later, we received a bit of a shock. In working with Ed, we had been given a very limited amount that we would be allowed to borrow. We took it for granted that the amount would stay the same, even though we were working with a different lender. This couldn't have been more wrong. Suddenly we were going to be able to look at a much different class of houses. And that's when IT happened.
The second trip started out much the same way as the first. Ren had gotten a call about a property he was very excited about, so he added it to our list of places to see.
The first house was a decent sort. It was one that I had found in my wanderings on the web and decided to check out. Not as thrilling as it could have been, but it had a lot of potential. It also had teenagers sitting in the front room watching television, so we felt a bit curtailed in our looking around.
Then, in the car on the way to our next stop, Ren started telling us about a dream home. Or rather, our dream home.
Big enough to accomodate ourselves and all the people we are likely to invite over. Large backyard, practically begging for a large dog to romp through it. A fireplace to cuddle up next to in the winter. And - perhaps most surprisingly - a hottub to soak in after long in-line skating treks.
As he wrapped up his description, we pulled up in front of it. And it was The House. Capital letters and all.
Erik and I got out of Ren's minivan and Oooohed and Ahhhhed over the outside for a bit. (Brick and frame construction with vinyl siding. Easy maintainence, clean appearance.) Then we went inside and Oooohed and Ahhhhed some more. (Berber carpets and wood floors. Many windows and lots of space.) The backyard got even more Oooohs and Ahhhs as it lived up to Ren's description. (Big enough to play volleyball or softball. Or - as was Erik's thinking - to train a frisbee dog.)
It was unbelievably incredible. Not to say that it was perfect: it does lack the one thing that we will truly miss from our apartment, Air conditioning. This is something that we think of - especially in the summer as the temperatures climb up to 100F (C35). But it is also something that we are willing to work around.
We thought about it. Seriously thought about it. We were taken to four other houses that day, but I honestly don't remember a thing about them. We got home and all we could talk about was The House. We exchanged silly little smiles - much as we had in our courting days.
And we decided to go for it.
As of now, our offer has been accepted. The house is under contract and we are on our way to the Earthling Dream. We still have a long way to go before the signing date on August 8th, but the Dream is in evidence and The House awaits us.
The inspection is scheduled for this Thursday. The appraisal will happen next week. And we have to go shopping for paint soon. I'll keep you all informed!
The House Hunting Saga Part One.
The House Hunting Saga Part Two.
The House Hunting Saga Part Three.
