Well they countered my offer right as I was leaving to go out of town. I told my realtor I would consider it while I was out of town, but everything was moving so fast I didn't want to jump at their counter. I needed to get-away with everything else going on and I couldn't have this hanging over my head. I'm glad because I would have just been out of town and freaking out. So I was able to get away and while there thought more and many of my hesitations I had about the house seemed to clear.

I didn't have cell reception or any phone access where I was. When I got into Austin my realtor called and asked what I wanted to do. I told her some things that I was going to stand firm on with my offer and some things I'd go with on their counter. So she called their realtor. Not 2 minutes later my realtor calls back and they are working with another offer now. :( I waited too long.

That's how it goes. I'm disappointed, but I specifically prayed and turned this over to God. I had MANY hesitations about the house. So if this was not meant to be it would have come to this. So now I've gotta get out and look again. :) Yes I'm sure I'll find something. But here we go again....

Made an Offer

I only got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep last night! On Monday I went out and looked at houses again. I walked into one of them and LOVED It! The entire inside fits ME! I could move in and just live, very little I'd want to change. It is on the smaller side at 1579 sq ft. But the floor plan is very open. The entire back of the house has windows and makes it feel so open. The people that live there have done a GREAT job at updating the house. The front and backyards are landscaped nicely, and there's a little pond in the back. :) The house is kind of nestled back between houses making it cozy and private.

The house has only been on the market maybe a week. My realtor felt if I liked the house I better jump on it and make an offer, because we feel this one could go. So I went in today and drew up an offer. I am nautious, sick, nervous, can barely eat and sleep. Part of me is so ready to move forward and buy a house and another part of me is so hesitant, and I think ultimately afraid of the commitment!

This whole house hunting/buying process is like relationships! GEEZ! I go in and out of these houses and like aspects of them, but want to change portions. Now I find one and immediately think this is the one, but now I'm hesitant on that COMMITMENT factor! :) I think I've been there in a few relationships...geez if only this guy was this way, or wow this could be the ONE, but how do I know for SURE, and will it be Perfect?! :)

Yeah I've managed to make myself sick over the whole process! There's alot that could happen and I'm prepared that my offer may be declined, countered, or worse I'd end up in a bidding war. I'm prepared to walk away from that last one! :) I've decided, I've begun and now I'm turning it over to God...if this is THE ONE, things will fall into place and move forward. If not something better awaits! :)

Here's a few pics of the house...

This or That...Give or Take

Well since I last posted I have decided the area I want to buy in. I was initially looking in both Grapevine and the Valley Ranch/Las Colinas areas. I have decided to look in Valley Ranch only. I took a run along the canals in Valley Ranch and got a good feel for the neighborhoods. Most of the homes are garden/patio homes built in the 80s and 90s. Valley Ranch is basically an "area" in North Irving. It's where the Dallas Cowboys Practice/Training Facilities are. The area has held steady in growth and sales and the area is pretty strict on building. So I feel that the area should maintain it's "nice" area status and established neighborhoods.

So yesterday I went to look at homes again. I'm really having difficulty figuring out how I'm supposed to know if I've found "the" home. Everyone tells me you will just know when you walk in. The problem is that there are aspects to each home I like and aspects I don't. We saw 6 houses yesterday, 2 of them I can say FOR sure were no's. It was clear, that I just did NOT like the homes. That leaves 4 homes that had good potential...

This house actually has a cute porch area, the shrubs to the right just need to be trimmed down. The entire house has had upgrades done, and I like the layout. Nice larger kitchen with granite counters and slate floors. The master bathroom has been COMPLETELY redone and they did a Beautiful job! :) The backyard has a HUGE deck with a spa. The yard surrounding the deck needs some landscaping work, and the deck is nice, but I almost feel it is too big for the yard. The other negative is the back fence backs up to apartments. Otherwise I like the house and feel I could do some great stuff with it, with little changes. It is 2 story with 1600 sq ft. 3/2.5/2 and they've already dropped the price $8,000.

This house was pretty nice. Actually quite large. The house is empty and I had a little trouble figuring out what some rooms could be used for. The way the kitchen was set up was open to a den area, and kinda looked odd. My thought was to turn the counters in the kitchen and expand out the kitchen in the den with a dining area. Hard to explain. The idea is that it would take remodeling. There was a HUGE master bedroom with a seperate sitting area and just an average master bath. It was nice, just basic. My realtor said it had good bones with lots of potential. Upstairs was quite large with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The bathroom upstairs could almost be made into a master bath again. I didn't like the backyard at all. I guess it has potential, just needs work. Overall the house is in good condition with nice qualitites, but I can see where work would need to be done for it to be "ideal." They've come down $50,000 on the price!!!! It's 22oo sq ft. with 3/2.5/2

The next 2 houses I liked are actually on the same street and have the EXACT same floor plan. My first concern was that on this circular street just about EVERY house is for sale. Kinda puts up a red flag. The first house is on the canal. The backyard is nice with a pool overlooking the canal, and I have direct access to the jogging trail along the canal. Okay the inside...well it's just kinda average. The living room and master bedroom overlooks the pool and canal. The kitchen is a little small and the dining room had mirrored walls! YUCK! :( There were 2 nice sized bedrooms upstairs with HUGE closets. I go into the upstairs bathroom and think I have stumbled upon yet another closet, I'm excited! MUCH to my disappointment it is the Washer and Dryer! :( YUCK the W/D is UPstairs and IN the bathroom. :( So for this house the inside needs some work done and I don't like that there is not a utility room. But I Love the pool and backyard.

The second house is on the same street with same floorplan. They have redone the inside of the house which is nice. Upstairs they took the wall for the 3rd bedroom down and made a big loft area. Which is a nice idea, but now I'm down to 2 bedrooms, and I'm not sure on the resale with that. And the W/D is STILL Upstairs. The backyard does not have a canal view or a pool, just a regular backyard. The house with the pool and canal view is $10,000 more than the one without.

Everything is just give and take. I like aspects of each of them, but they don't have it ALL. So I'm not sure if I sacrifice and put work into a house or what. My realtor thinks I need to keep looking at houses. She thinks I just haven't found "it." I think part of my problem is I'd like something that I can move into and immediately be happy instead of having to do remodeling...because then I don't know how much EXTRA I wind up having to pay into the house and then when is it something that I'm "happy" with? And I still tend to think into the future of knowing I won't be in this house Forever, so I'm trying to estimate what would have good resale later.

Ugh it's just so confusing! :)