I got it!

This is my little house. Well, it is if the home inspection goes well next Tuesday.

We had a weekend of really miserable weather here, but my realtor called me. She did a super job of helping me negotiate.

The loan I qualified for was an FHA loan - and there is a program where you can ask the seller to donate the down payment to a 501 (c3) non-profit organization which provides the down payment for the property. The seller gets to write it off on their taxes and as a result, I got a no money down loan. Now if the seller hadn't gone for it, I would have been required to come up with the 3% required by the loan. However, the seller accepted. I'm over the moon!

Now I just have to come up with earnest money and the money needed to pay for the house inspection. Fortunately, I can scrape that up. Be sure to check with your realtor if you're house hunting. This option is a REAL life saver for those of us without a lot of money for a down payment!

I'll keep you posted about the results of the house inspection.

Oooops, I did it again!

I made an offer. Again. But this time it wasn't quite so terrifying. Two of my friends met with me and my realtor to look through the house with me. They like it. I like it.

It's not nearly so scary this time because it really feels like the RIGHT house this time. So of course, this time I'm on pins and needles because I haven't heard yet whether they'll accept the offer. They have until noon tomorrow.

The house is very cute. Smallish - but anything in my price range is. It has an enclosed and heated front porch. Brand new windows. All the appliances stay. A back deck and there are wood floors. The wood is probably pine - but for me (and my cats) anything in which carpeting is not involved is a very good thing. Unless you steam clean monthly, carpets gets disgusting. I want FLOORS! The living room/dining room has carpeting but there's wood hiding underneath.

I really hope I get this house.

HGTV Junkie

Ever since I started house hunting, I've turned into a HGTV junkie. I preface all statements with "Well, when I was watching HGTV I saw..." It's so sad.

Yet, HGTV really speaks to me now. I used to watch it before. I'd pop in to watch the occasional decorating show, or something about people looking for a house to buy. It was entertaining but held no real meaning for me.

Now, I watch almost any show on HGTV and I think to myself, hmmmm could I do that when I find a house I want to buy? Would it be hard to paint? Could I build that...whatever it is?

I think my friends have started to want to tape my mouth shut. But they're my friends, so they haven't done it yet but it's only a matter of time. Help! I think I need an intervention...

Buyer's Remorse

I offered for a house on Friday. I was in low level panic all afternoon, because I began to realize it wasn't the right house for me. There's nothing scarier than hoping someone WON'T accept your offer!

It's a really cute house at a very good price, but it just wasn't right for me. The tough thing was that there was another offer on the property. I felt internal pressure to make an offer or lose the house. My realtor didn't pressure me at all and she has been SO great in all of this.

But I have some tips for other house hunters:

• Do NOT let yourself fall into the "Me, too" feeling if you're not sure about a house.


• Do NOT talk yourself into a house because it's cheaper than another house you'd looked at. Not good.


• DO set a short deadline if there's another offer. It may save your life.

How does a short deadline save your life? Let me explain. Because there was another offer, my realtor set an 8pm the same day deadline for the offer. If the sellers hadn't responded by then my offer was off the table unless I CHOSE to keep it there. The sellers decided they needed to consult a lawyer but couldn't talk to him until Monday. I was off the hook. I've never felt so relieved as when 8pm passed on Friday evening. I thought about my decision and let the seller know today that I wanted to pull my offer. This gave them the opportunity to accept the other offer if they chose to, but I was clear of the deal.

I may still be house hunting, but I survived the weekend.

Still House Hunting

I've been house hunting. And hunting... and hunting.

Now, I'm a bit limited because I want to buy a house local to where I work. I have NO desire to commute. Also, I am looking only at homes under $70,000. So yes, we are talking some smaller homes. Some of the houses I've been seeing are really awful. In my town there are TONS of foreclosures. Almost uniformly, the foreclosed homes have been trashed. It's pretty bad.

It's so frustrating because I can see beyond the repairs needed to the houses that they could be. If only I had money, I'd have bought a home by now. However, anything I buy has to be almost move in ready. I can pull out carpets to get to hardwood (or wood) floors, but I can't gut a kitchen or bathroom. No money for it. Grrrrr.

I know the right house is out there. I just have to FIND it. Or wait to come onto the market. Keep your fingers crossed for me...

House Hunting

Well, I received some less than happy news from my landlord at the end of last month. He decided to list the house I'd been renting. In other words, it's for sale. Between my lack of house keeping and hate for housework, and the fact that I could be homeless or scrambling for housing any time...well, I'm a bit scattered.

I'd chosen to rent a house when I got my library job because I could change my location at will, however I forgot that also meant my landlord could change my location at will too. I don't like strangers coming into my home - unless I invite them - and I don't like worrying about having to make a sudden move.

I contacted the realtor my landlord was using because I liked her. We checked into financing and low and behold, I qualified. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm thrilled. But I'm also now embarking on one of the scariest things I've ever done.

Yes, learning to fly a plane can get you killed if things go bad. But buying a house can get you in debt! You can end up with a money pit. In short, I'm excited and terrified all at once. I'll keep you posted on how things go.