So, way back in January, we decided that we should look for a new house. We seemed to be outgrowing ours little by little, and had enough money in savings to afford a bigger, more "what we always wanted" kind of place. We looked and looked and found some that were close but none that were perfect. The complexities of house hunting are nerve racking. One would have 4 bedrooms but not enough family space. Another would have a great fenced-in backyard but be in a neighborhood we didn't really like. We have now looked at over 50 houses.
On April 28th, with the tax credit deadline upon us, we had all but given up. We decided to take our house off of the market and just hang tight until we either had a little more money to spend or the right house fell into our laps. But we got a call that night from someone who saw the sign in our front yard, they came to see the house at 8 in the morning, and offered to buy it by 4:30 that afternoon.
At that point, we had sold our house and have to move out by June 25th, but we had no place to live. There was not a house on the market that would be the right fit for us. We knew that the "right fit" house exists since we'd let two of them slip through our fingers early in the house hunting game. And so we were torn. We looked for rental homes, apartments, thought about moving to Ohio.
And then, we went to see a for sale by owner house that we had seen months before. At the time, we loved it, but felt it was simply out of our price range, especially for a 3 bedroom. However, some magic fairy dust was blown our way. The price had dropped, and upon seeing this place the second time, we fell in love with it.
Today we went to the bank to sign another round of papers. We're closing on Thursday and getting the keys to our new place. It's a place that has been so loved, even from its planning phases. The father of the woman we are buying it from planned the subdivision and hand built the grand curved banister that welcomes you in the entryway. The couple created the plans and ensured that every inch was cared for for the last 24 years. They've moved closer to her parents to help care for them as they age and are understandably emotional over the decision to move. I cannot imagine. We get the sense that it is some relief to them knowing that there are 3 new beautiful children who will have the chance to grow up in that house, who will get to run down that hill in the backyard and play in those bedrooms. The home has such a feeling of love and happiness running through it. We intend to keep it that way.
