Here we go on the house hunt again...

[Maisie]

The houses you have over there are amazing!! Far nicer than UK houses!

I hope you will get the house you are meant to have!

 

[LegacyGirl]

Oh my goodness I love that house. Even the color! There is something special about it. That kitchen looks like it rocks.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I now have a list of my top three homes, two of them being those listed here already, and the other is a complete and total diamond in the rough. It was bought three years ago, lived in for a short time, and then remodeled by the current owners. They took a 100,000 house and totally rocked it!

I don''t have pictures, but this is a house that we''ve been to a few times now, and every time, it grows on me a little more. It''s the house I''d talked about where they made the kitchen Cali-style, with the tiles, the island, all that. It''s a great home. The things we love: THE PRICE (my not working when we have a little baby would NOT be a problem with this house), the kitchen is beautiful!!!!!, the appliances are brand new, the living room has a fireplace (brick), there is a bedroom downstairs that could be the master (is supposed to be the master), but I think we''d move upstairs so that could be the guest bedroom and so we''d be upstairs with the baby (when there is a baby, I mean). Having at least one room downstairs is an interest to me becuase of my parents living out of state and when they visit, I don''t want them to have to go upstairs to get to bed, if possible. There is a nice deck, the back yard backs up to a creek thing that Paul loves (not so much a fan myself, but I guess it could be fun to look for tadpoles every now and then, maybe), there is a small room to the side of the house that can be an office/workout/hobby room, there is a jack-n-jill bathroom upstairs (for some reason, I just love that kind of bathroom), everything has been remodeled and painted and given amazing fixtures for lighting.

The things we don''t love: small bathrooms, no guest bathroom downstairs (unless the guest bedroom is the downstairs bedroom), the living room is wood paneling (but painted and our realtor said it can be skimmed with drywall for next to nothing, if we wanted to do that), there is an attached carport instead of a garage (again, could be fixed for a few thousand dollars, most likely), there is a basement, but it''s exterior entrance only, so it would be only used for storage, no additions to the home.

There is also the chance that the carport could be finished like a room and we could have detached garage added later (a much more expensive option), but there is room on the property to have it be beside the house.

It''s yellow (not our favorite color, but could be painted). It''s a wood house and we saw one board that appears to be either water damaged or softish for another reason. Of course, we''d have an inspection on the house during the contract.

The thing is, Paul wants to find a house that feels as much like home right away as we did with the first home we made an offer on. I don''t know that we''ll find that. He says not finding that is settling.

As of yesterday, we''ve looked at 64 houses with our realtor. Until more come on the market, there are no more to see in our area, specifications, and price range.

So, for us, I suppose the hunt continues. Sadly....

 

[Anastasia]

Fisher - you have several great choices there! Good luck, buying a house is so exciting. I absolutely love both of the ones you have posted pictures of.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I really, really like the victorian house. It''s like I''m scared to like it too much, though, because the home we made an offer on before was priced just about the same as this one is, and we didn''t get it.

And, I also really like the idea of being able to have a much, much lower payment each month.

We drove by all three of them today after church; still no clue what we''re doing. I suppose that with time, it will become clear, or that they will sell, or that all but one will sell, or that another home will come along. I still think Paul is waiting for the "wow" factor to hit us like the first house we made an offer on to come along again. Maybe it will.

Looking is fun, but it''s also tiring and frustrating at times. (Now is one of those times!!)

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, there is one more to throw into the mix after all.

(Figures, now doesn''t it?)

This is another one I like that Paul hasn''t seen yet. Tomorrow evening, we go out again.

And, sadly, interest rates seem to be on the rise. But, they could always fall again, too. Here''s hopin!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, off we go to hope Paul and I fall in love with a house. Please be hoping that he can finally let go of the green house we thought we were going to be able to buy (dang that family for making an offer right after we made our "best and final!!").

 

[fisherofmengirly]

No epiphanies and no offers made on our part. Here''s to another Saturday house hunting spectacular!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, attention please! We''re making an offer tonight on a possible home for fisher and argh. Yay!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I took a picture of the house and then I had to keep cutting the size down... It''s not the best. But it''s a peek at what could be!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, the house is not leaning to the right in real life. I messed something up!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Offer officially made.

 

[lumpkin]

I like this one the best. Oh, I hope you get it! Please let us know how the offer is received.

 

[swingirl]

You must have a nice budget because all those houses are beautiful. I love the wooded areas you are looking in. I know you''ll find something you love. I''d take anyone of those!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 2/29/2008 3:04:45 AM
Author: swingirl
You must have a nice budget because all those houses are beautiful. I love the wooded areas you are looking in. I know you''ll find something you love. I''d take anyone of those!

Swingirl,

Thankfully, the cost of housing in GA is lower than it is in many other parts of the country. This is also a foreclosure. It was listed late last year by the previous owner, trying to get out of a foreclosure situation, in a price range above our maximum. It was a *lucky* find for us.

Now it''s just a matter of waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Our realtor told us when a home is a foreclosure and is bank owned, the time frames go all over the place. She said just because we put when we want a response into the contract with the offer, they don''t have to follow it, but we still have to follow the time frame they then respond to us with. Oh the fun!

We are trying really hard not to get too attached to the house yet, though. The loss of the first house we made an offer on absolutely crushed me. So, I''ll be happy if we get it (I mean, like thrilled!!), but I won''t be as upset as I was the first time because I''m trying really hard not to imagine rocking babies to sleep in the house. Really hard, I''m tryin!

Thanks for the well-wishes!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That house is beautiful, Fisher! let us know what happens!

 

[plantationcatt]

PS House Fairy Dust!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

So, our realtor called us yesterday and told us that this bank that currently owns the home is known for being SLOW in responding to offers and the selling agent told her to tell us that we need to be prepared to wait up to three to five weeks to hear anything from them about the offer we made! Insane!

The good thing is this, though: most home buyers aren''t going to want to wait that long and will pull their offers. So, we''ll be in a position where there will most likely be less offers made. (We hope.) Our realtor said this is true for most home buyers, and since the home only went on the market four days before we made our offer, we are likely the first or one of the very first to make an offer. She said if someone corporate was making an offer, the time frame wouldn''t matter to them, and they would likely be purchasing with straight cash. That would be the only downfall.

For now, we will just wait and see what happens. The bank could always choose to respond sooner than they typically do (we are hoping!) and if we find another house along the way that we like and want to make an offer on, then we''ll pull our offer out on this home just before it.

I mean, we''ve been looking since forever, what''s another week or two?

 

[krisvrn]

Date: 2/19/2008 7:21:14 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Okay, there is one more to throw into the mix after all.


(Figures, now doesn''t it?)


This is another one I like that Paul hasn''t seen yet. Tomorrow evening, we go out again.


And, sadly, interest rates seem to be on the rise. But, they could always fall again, too. Here''s hopin!

Hello, just wondering, what happened to this house? Did you all end up looking at it and not liking it?

I hope you get the house you want!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 3/2/2008 5:39:21 AM
Author: krisvrn

Date: 2/19/2008 7:21:14 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Okay, there is one more to throw into the mix after all.


(Figures, now doesn''t it?)


This is another one I like that Paul hasn''t seen yet. Tomorrow evening, we go out again.


And, sadly, interest rates seem to be on the rise. But, they could always fall again, too. Here''s hopin!

Hello, just wondering, what happened to this house? Did you all end up looking at it and not liking it?

I hope you get the house you want!

Oh, that one. It''s GREAT inside, but it backs up to the freeway and when I saw it with the realtor, I didn''t think anything of it. When we went back with Paul, it was right at rush hour and it sounded like aliens were hovering and were about to land on the house. So, that ended up being a no-go.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

One of the houses we''ve been actively looking at just reduced the price and the selling agent called our agent twice over the weekend to tell her about it and to let her know the current owners are considering further reducing it, too. It''s the victorian one, which Paul likes a LOT, but I''ve been hoping the price would drop. Never know!!

 

[robbie3982]

Good luck with the house hunt!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thanks, Robbie. It''s a LONG process. That''s all I know!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

So, still no word from the bank that owns the foreclosure. Two more days and it will have been two weeks since we made our offer. This is some test of patience we''re living right now (in several areas!!).

Our realtor is doing searches steadily and we only found three more houses we like. I guess we''ll see them this weekend.

Back to the house search (in case the bank never does get around to making a flippin decision)...

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, I went by the house today; didn''t see any cards from other realtors showing the home, and there are still no pictures on the FLMS from the realtor. SCORE!

Not having pictures totally causes less people to see the house.

It''s not a big thing, but it boosted my spirits.

Our realtor spoke with the bank''s realtor again today; their realtor assured ours that they have let the bank know that we have consistently asked for response. Still no word, but we''re done with week two now and tomorrow begins the first day into week three.

I''ve not been back to the house in over a week; seeing it again made me all smiley.

Then, on the way home, I drove by the "one that got away," I really do like this one better.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

OH MY GOODNESS!!

Our realtor just got to the office this afternoon for her "duty time" at the office and found that the bank had faxed in an acceptance of our offer on Friday!!! They made one minor change (dropping our request for closing costs tob e paid by them by $140.00. Funny number to reduce, huh?

We''re going to go over to the office this evening and sign and visit the house again. I cannot believe it!!

We are going to have our very first house! My goodness!

God is good!! That''s all I know to say!!

I''m about to pee my pants I''m so excited!!!!!!!!!!! This is what I look like right now:

 

[sk8rjen]

fisher--congratulations!!!! this is absolutely WONDERFUL news!! i know i was on pins and needles until we finished signing everything at the title company and gave us our key, but really, you are on the home stretch now -- i''m super excited for you two!

jen

 

[robbie3982]

YAY!!! Congrats!!! I''m so excited for you!!!

 

[LegacyGirl]

Oh CONGRATS!!!

 

[xapora]

Congratulations!!! You must be ecstatic! Here''s wishing you many happy and healthy years in your new home.