We have a home!!! We have a home!!! We have a home!!!
Right now I am jumping up and down for joy internally!!!
As you recall, we put an offer for an amazing house in June and then lost it. That house was beautiful but needed upgraded bathrooms, new doors and interior and exterior painting done. Plus, when we put our offer in, I was hoping they would leave me their super cool bar stools :oD
Then in July, we stumbled on another amazing short sale home that was really roomy with the perfect sized yard. I loved the flow of the rooms but all four bathrooms needed a new face lift, new appliances were needed and definitely repainting was necessary before it was move-in ready. We were one of three offers and after three weeks of waiting, we were still in the dark as to whether or not our offer was the one they chose.
Meanwhile, a house came back on the market that I had seen in May with a lower price. It had a pool, spa, BBQ & dry bar, a half-court basketball and fire pit in the backyard. The house was move-in ready and beautiful---except for one bathroom that had a distinct 90s feel to it and needed a makeover! We loved the house but the location was near a busy road and backed up to an elementary school (only visible when you looked out the bedroom window). But, we decided to make an offer since the house was great and the location wasn't terrible---it just wasn't ideal compared to the other houses we had put offers on.
Our offer was accepted over the weekend and through the days that followed, I would drive back and forth to get a feel for the area. The more I drove through the neighborhood (it was a great neighborhood!), the more I starting hating the location (the traffic because of the elementary school had the potential to be a huge nightmare!). Jacob and I both agreed that we loved the house but hated the location (we prefer to be in a cul-de-sac or somewhere deeper in the neighborhood away from busy roads and schools). Plus, a friend who lives in the area shared some insider information about a neighborhood around that area that raised some red flags in our minds. So, on Wednesday, Aug 8, after dinner (and the day before our scheduled inspection), I called the realtor and we withdrew our offer.
I felt horrible in the pit of my stomach because I could only imagine how the owners felt (and we found out they had tickets to fly out to AZ for house hunting that night) and the frustration our realtor was feeling since we were so close to finding a house (we looked at 50+ houses in 19 days!). We had been praying that God would show us clearly if this was "the one" and we felt He did. We regretted the impact our decision had on others but we didn't regret the decision we made together.
We decided to broaden our search and look for houses 30 minutes away from Jacob's work. Then we found out that our offer was chosen for the short sale house. Our concern was that it took 3 weeks for them to make that decision. Who knows how long it would take for the short sale process before we could even close?!? Plus, there were bathroom renovations needed before we could move in which would mean more time in temp housing (the lease was expiring on Sept 11). We decided to look outside of the area to see if anything interesting was available before making the decision about the short sale house.
I was online looking at houses until 1am on Thursday, 8/9. On Friday, 8/10, I did something very uncharacteristic of me. I went online to check if anything new had come on the MLS before running errands in the morning. Normally, my online house hunting is at night so I have unlimited time at my computer with minimal interruptions. All I can say is that it was a God prompting because a new house came up on the MLS that I had never seen before. It looked too fabulous, was too new (built in 2006) and the price was within our budget which made me all the more suspicious about the interior and foundation of the house.
 |
| My fear was that it was a nightmare underneath that beautiful exterior! |
And, the realtor had only posted pictures of the main floor on the MLS which led me to the conclusion that the upper and lower level part of the house were probably a nightmare to update or finish!
I sent a link to Jacob and contacted the realtor. She already pulled it up that morning and thought we should check it out. She had a crazy schedule that day so the earliest we could see it was that afternoon at 4pm. We wanted Jacob to see it, too, but his schedule was usually packed so we didn't expect him to make it. Surprisingly, he was able to leave early to join us. We drove around the neighborhood to get a feel for the location and area and really liked what we saw. What we found disturbing was how many cars were parked in front of the house---there were a gazillion and one people streaming in and out of the house, too!
We were shocked by the price of this house and the condition of the house. The main floor was as beautiful in person as it was in the pictures! There were upgraded appliances, Pella windows, wood floors throughout, a fireplace in the great room and an upgraded and beautiful kitchen with a little walk in pantry. The upper level had four bedrooms suites complete with beautifully upgraded bathrooms (hello, heated floors, granite counter tops and lovely tiling!) and built-in organizers in every closet!!! You have to understand something---bathrooms and closets are a HUGE deal for me---I like them upgraded and I like them pristine! Plus, Krista has wanted a bedroom with her own bathroom ever since she was 3 years old (she wanted to trade bedrooms with us when she was at that stage...so NOT happening!).
Seeing a house with a bathroom and closet organizers in every bedroom was beyond what we could even think, imagine or dream about (Eph. 3:20!!!)!!! The lower level was amazing too. There were three separate rooms (one had a walk-in closet with a door leading to a full bathroom) and a great room with a fireplace! Other than the backyard (I want one with less grass), this house was perfect, empty and move in ready (there had been renters for 2 years). It was so perfect for ministry opportunities :o)
We made the decision to put in an offer immediately and on seemingly impulse, added that we would take the house "as is" with a 30 day contingency. And something that our realtor had never done before was putting an expiration date to our offer---midnight on Saturday. We left the house as another realtor and client walked in and quickly went to a nearby school to finish up the contract in the parking lot.
At 10pm, we found out that the owners verbally accepted our offer but couldn't get the paperwork in because they were at an event. Plus, they knew their house had generated a ton of traffic and were expecting other offers so we were realistic to the fact that the owners could change their mind. But by late Saturday afternoon, we got word that the paperwork came through from the owners (Wow! We were thankful for owners with integrity who keep their word!!!). The key to accepting our offer besides the fact that it's all about GOD? Our willingness to purchase the house in "as is" condition---a total GOD thing and stroke of genius suggestion from our realtor.
The house is still showing (there were already 18 showings by the time we saw it that day!) and there are back-up offers on it. We just had the inspection today and found that there are no structural issues!!! What a GOD thing!!! Our realtor and the owner's realtor told us how lucky we were to get the house but I told them it was because of God and all our friends and family who were praying for us!!! They were amazed by what happens when God's people pray!!!
When we saw this house, we knew this house was "the one" and it was further confirmed by the inspection today. It's such a GOD thing!!! I feel like the words in Psalm 89:5-17 and I actually love how The Message captures this passage...
God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways,
the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways!
Search high and low, scan skies and land,
you'll find nothing and no one quite like God.
The holy angels are in awe before him;
he looms immense and august over everyone around him.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you,
powerful and faithful from every angle?
You put the arrogant ocean in its place
and calm its waves when they turn unruly.
You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand,
you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist.
You own the cosmos—you made everything in it,
everything from atom to archangel.
You positioned the North and South Poles;
the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you.
With your well-muscled arm and your grip of steel—
nobody trifles with you!
The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule;
Love and Truth are its fruits.
Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
And this concludes our House Hunting Adventures in the great Midwest. Now you can make your plans to come visit Chicago and stay with us... in a few months after we're settled! I'm open to taking reservations now (and no surprise plans to visit without informing me first...ahem, family!There are 5.5 bathrooms and 50+ windows to clean first!)... :o)
