We are slowly starting to look at houses again, catching open houses when we can.  The trick is to see them without running your realtor around since he's probably not going to get a dime from your move.  Do tell, you say.

Well, because of articles like this, Matt and I are seriously considering renting again, unless we are able to practically steal a house.  It just doesn't make sense for us to purchase a home if we will be moving in less than 5 years.  We're pretty sure within 5 years we'll know our long-term plan for our family, and that's when we'll consider settling down for good.  Renting is a great feelikng: we don't have to sell it (ever),  and we don't have to worry that the house we just bought is a depreciating asset.  House prices continue to fall, and we are doing suprisingly OK in the market.  Why take your money from a place where it's growing, and sink it into a place that may cause it to shrink?

 
This is the one I've got my eye on.  It doesn't have much of a back yard, but I suppose a pool could make up for that.  The front yard is decent, and since it's a private drive (well, more like a long driveway with a fence at the road) I figured the kids could play in the front.

We were a little surprised to find tonight that it is no longer on the market, however (thus the fuzzy pics, pickings are slim).  Tomorrow we will investigate.  It's a foreclosure, and the price had been dropped significantly.  Perhaps it's been snatched up already.

And yes, we've decided to stay on the west side.  We just don't want to leave the tennis club we belong to!

 

We saw the house.  It was VERY similar to this one, minus a few windows and such.  I was tempted, but couldn't quite decide ... and Matt was no help since he didn't go look at it.  Today it showed up "pending."  Guess it wasn't meant to be.

I'm actually tempted to rent again.  It's hard to justify a realtor's commissions if we're going to sell again.  Who knows ... we might make it down south after all.  Or we'll find out we are staying here, and then I'll look around for my acreage.  I'll let you know if anything significant happens ...

 

Well, today we reenter the world of house hunting.  We have been informed that the owners of this house want to put it on the market, and if they do not sell it they will move into it.  We've known the part about them wanting to sell, but since they are going to price it HIGHER than they did last year, we figured we could take our time.  Hmm ... guess not.  He took a job here.

So at 4:30 we are going to look at a house down the street that is identical.  Yes, I've given up on my dream of the 5 acres, for now.  Five acres can't be easy to sell, so I don't want to make the mistake of buying it until we are at our final destination.  Whether that will be here or in the Carolinas remains to be seen.

The house down the street is IDENTICAL to this one, except for some paint colors and the stove is in a different place.  So we know it's big enough, we know and like the location, and so far no annoying kids to contend with.  Yet.  I know God will let us know the right move.  He always does.  He has always taken such good care of me.  :-)

 

It's pathetic that I blog so little these days.  I'm just so busy, and not really efficient at my time management.  Being on a schedule would probably help me so much, but it's absolutely painful for my personality.

Here are some things I AM getting done:

School

Wonderful, healthy meals

House cleaning.

That's almost literally all I'm doing these days.  I gotta live a little!

So tomorrow night I'm going out.  In fact, I'll be out all day -- it's the Nutcracker with my big girls in the AM, then lunch then ... guess what?  We are supposed to close on our house!!!  I know, I know, I've said that before.  I'll update you tomorrow.

After this weekend, it's a new start for me.  I'm going to get myself on a better schedule, and try to say a few words to you now and again.  It's not that I don't blog, it's just that it never makes it past my brain ... but I'm working on that.

Dieter

11/14/2008

3 Comments

 

In a bizarre 11th Hour twist, our realtor called us last night to say that closing will not be today.  I woke up this morning thinking it was all a dream.  But it's not.

Apparently this guy owns his own financial company and it's tanking.  He's unable to secure a loan two conventional ways, and it doesn't seem likely he's going to get the FHA loan either.  That he only knew this hours before closing is pretty suspect.

At this point we have a right to take his escrowed Earnest Money (which was doubled because they were moving in before closing), and if our realtor's mortgage company isn't able to assure us they'll get a loan we will probably have to start getting them out of our house.

My kids keep asking if we're going to have to move again.  Never say never, I guess, but that's a reeeeeaaaaaly hard thought right now.

On a good note, a lady had just contacted our realtor the other day saying that she was watching the "pending" on our old house and wanted to know if he thought it was actually going to close.  We might try to get her to go through the house and see if she'll make an offer.  That would certainly give us some leverage.


Oh, and the title of this post?  That's the guy's name.  And he lives up to it every little bit.


 

We are in our new house.  It's midnight, I'm exhausted, and I'm blogging.  Wow, my dedication blows me away!  ; )

Seriously, that was so much work, and it's only about half over.  We still have a few more things to move tomorrow, and we have to clean that place.  Ugh.  And then we have to unpack.  I'm about 1/8 of the way through that.

But I wanted to blog to say I freaking love this house.  I hate the yard, but I will not want to leave this house.  I am so blessed and grateful to be able to live in such a beautiful, spacious place.

My kids worked so, so hard today.  And the younger ones got their dream come true -- cereal for dinner for only the second time in their lives.  The big ones opted for the fried chicken with the movers.

OK, gotta go post on Craigslist.com so that we don't have to move one dresser.  It had to go anyway, but I seriously considered chucking some perfectly good things toward the end just so we wouldn't have to move them!

 

The scene: dinner at the Z house

Owen (to Mia): I’m your boyfriend

(Mia smiles lovingly at Owen.)
 
Me: You guys.  Why can’t you just say you’re her husband?  Then you can be the mom and the dad, and you can love each other.

Mia (in earnest): But I don’t want to be a mom!

Me: Why not?  Being a mom is cool.

(Mia looks skeptical.)

Me: What, you don’t think Moms are cool?

Mia (without skipping a beat): NO.  All they do is tell their kids what to do all day.

Noelle:  Nah-uh, Mia.  They do work all the time too … but they LIKE it.  They learn ways to make it fun over the years.
 
It seems my “hip mom” designation is in question.  Apparently so is my sanity, but hey, at least they know I’m working hard!

 This whole conversation, as cute as it is, is why I need to remove myself from neighborhood influences.  I mean, what ever happened to little girls wanting to me mommies, instead of girlfriends!!???

One other cute thing …

 
I scolded Owen for pestering me about Halloween candy, so he went into the other room and came back with these on

and said, “Mom, now I have these on so you can’t yell at me.”  
 
LOL!  He found these in a box of Matt’s old stuff.  They are to be worn in a firing range.  Does that give you any idea of my stress level these days? 
J



 

It's certainly not where I'd live forever, but I'm loving the idea of space!

 

I’m going out to night.  La la.  I’m going out tonight.  La la.


It’s been a stressful week and I could sure use the levity of a night out downtown with friends.

I think this moving thing might be starting to get to me.  Either that or PMS is reeeeealllly sticking around this time.  Gotta find a way to chillax.

Some ideas, please.  Here are some things I’ve come up with:

 1. Get a sitter and go out for some laughs: Check.

2. Girls’ Night Out : Got one in the works for next week.

3. Meditation: I have been blessed with the desire to really be alone with God lately, and yet I, ashamedly, have not found the time for it much lately.  Going to really work on that one today.

4. Frequent prayer throughout the day: I have been forgetting to pray for what I need ALL day.

5. Hot chocolate (with mint):  I’ll try anything.

6. Blow off school:  We did that yesterday.  So we’re doing some today instead.  Usually Fridays are our days off.

7. Clean my house: I’m learning that a messy/dirty house can affect my mood.  Sometimes even the act of cleaning it lifts my spirits, as in the actual work.  What is wrong with me???
 
You guys have any other suggestions?

 
Oh yeah, and I forgot.  

 
8.  STOP LOOKING AT THE FINANCIAL NEWS.



 

Seriously, I can't believe your still even checking this blog.  it's been nearly 3 weeks since I've posted and it only seems like a few hours.  Time is flying by because I'm immersed up to my eyeballs in all things moving and school and potty training.  Finishing school, that is.  And not actually moving but trying to, that is.  And gearing up for potty training, not actually starting the training, but it's crowding my brainspace.

Once we start living at the pool to avoid messing up the house, I'll have a harder time blogging but I've got a plan.  You see, my philosophy goes this way: if i had a laptop, then i could blog EVERYWHERE and ... and therefore I need a laptop.  Because you guys are THAT important.

But since I won't be getting a laptop, I'm just going to have to try to be a little more determined about regular updates.  What good is it having a blog if I'm not going to keep it up a little better?  I'll have to carve out a little time in between searching for new homes to say hello to my blog buddies.

First I'll start by giving myself a little accountability partner (that's you).  I'll be posting photos of the rooms that I photograph to put on the MLS, and I need a little deadline.  How about by Monday?  Done.

I'll try to see you around more often.