Another House Update

I got chastised, lovingly, today for my absence (thanks for keeping me on my toes Robin :) ) so here's an update for everyone!

I am working my way through the process of purchasing my first house. My tendency to be painfully detail oriented has really been a blessing throughout this venture. Here's a quick breakdown of the timeline thus far, and in the near future...

August 9th: Saw the house, despite my stomach bug that nearly kept me home for the day. SO glad that I decided I needed to try to get out to see some houses!

August 10th: Made the offer at about 9:00 AM. The house had only been on the market for a day when I saw it. I knew that I was the first offer, but didn't want to risk anything by playing the low ball game. Instead, I offered asking price, and asked for a few unconventional items to convey. The offer was accepted as presented, which means that I will also be the proud new owner of the W&D, all curtain rods, a bathroom cabinet and surround sound speakers.

August 12th: I'm called the "posterchild" of homebuyers. My realtor and mortgage broker both inform me that I am ahead on all my paperwork and that this is abnormal. I still have a hard time understanding how people can sit on their haunches while trying to buy a house...I KNOW I'm not the only one giddy with excitement about this!

August 13-20: I continue to stay on top of things, receive all the necessary documents from the seller, and everything looks great! I also manage to sell and replace all my living room furniture. New dining room table, coffee table, entertainment center and couches.

Quick side story...I did all of this on craigslist. I wasn't planning on replacing my couches. I was browsing through craigslist one night and found a beautiful chaise lounge. I've ALWAYS wanted a chaise lounge and my new bedroom is big enough to accomodate one. So I got it...later that night I was doing some more browsing and found the matching couch and loveseat to the chaise lounge that I had just purchased. How could I not see that as serendipity?! (he he he) They are all in perfect shape, match my personality perfectly, are microsuede (which apparently cats don't like to sink their claws into), and they're beautiful. So, I got a whole new set of couches...retailing at about $1800...for $550! SCORE!

Great thing is, I've been able to purchase the new stuff almost entirely with the money that I made from selling the old stuff. Upgrading for no more money...amazing! Of course, I am selling items that I'm not replacing, but I am really excited to get rid of some of the clutter. Currently I am VERY tidy, but still have a lot of stuff. Trying to get rid of some of the unecessary stuff to achieve the clean, modern, minimalistic look. We'll see how successful I can be...I'm certainly not getting rid of everything!

August 21st: I find out that an earlier closing date is a good possibility. Background...before I made the offer, my realtor spoke with the seller's realtor and found that the family had just outgrown the house and wanted to stay in the neighborhood. For that reason, their ideal situation was to get under contract to sell, and THEN begin searching for a house...in the same neighborhood. I took this as a great testament to the neighborhood by the way! So, as a good faith gesture I made the offer with a six week closing period. The understanding was that if they found a place earlier, we could probably close earlier. Never really expected that to happen though. SO...looks like it may! I'll let you know (I promise!).

August 25th: Home inspection

September 25th: Original closing date (hopefully changing)

September 28th: Original possession day (hopefully changing). Painters, DirectTV, Qwest...already scheduled to be there...gotta remember to change that too...

September 29-October 1: Moving mayhem (hopefully changing)

October 1st-4th: Mini VayK to Denver (NOT changing, but great motivation for hoping the others change)

October 9th: Tentative house warming party (not solidifying this date until after inspection...and I guess it won't even be definite at that point if closing is moved up)

October 31st: Open for trick-or-treating at my new house!!!

So there you have it...a completely ridiculous update with no solid information at all! :)

Thank you all for caring enough to read! Have a great day and I'll come back soon.

Kristin...all growed up! :-)

Well ladies and gentlemen...I am under contract to purchase my first house. I am up late because I found out late, so I won't write much now. But you can see pictures here, and I will write more as the process continues. Closing is September 25!