I read this on a few blogs, so thought I would share 8 random things about me that you may or may not know.
1 - I have my credit card number memorized, including expiration date. I guess I buy too much online. Or else I have a hereto unknown ability to remember number sequences.
2 - I have 2 birthmarks. I used to think that made me special, that somehow I was born twice.
3 - I like to make lists, and I will even write things on the list that have already happened so that I can mark them off.
4 - Things I wanted to be when I grew up in order: teacher (I was waaaay young, that has changed), a nurse, a vet, a cartographer (until I figured all the land had been discovered and everything would be done on computers anyway), and then an architect . Then just someone working in an office, but I didn't know what. I guess that part came true.
5 - I think my bellybutton looks like an eyeball - therefore my stomach looks like Cyclops.
6 - I watch shows on the Disney channel when nothing else good is on. Currently, I'm trying to figure out what The Naked Brothers Band is about. (Please don't tell anyone)
7 - I like Dr. Pepper that has been sitting in a hot garage.
8 - I don't really like tomotoes, but I love tomato juice, tomato sauce, and I like ketchup.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
I saw the sign
SOLD! In big, bold letters. Ok, not so big letters in this picture. But they were really big in my mind. They were referring to my land.The ditches for the plumbing have been dug, and passed the first inspection. The slab should be poured very shortly. Once that is up, the framing can be done, and then apparently, the rest is a piece of cake.
Who would have thought I am such a decisive person? In less than 2 hours, I picked out brick, stone, trim and mortar for the outside, as well as carpet, paint, vinyl, and counter tops throughout the inside. It wasn't quite as over-whelming as I thought it would be. It felt good to know what I didn't like, so I could eliminate half of the little swatches to go through. And once you pick one thing, like the counter tops, you have to pick things that match - which eliminates many more things. I am glad I brought my friend with me, but I felt like I made almost all of the decisions. It helped that we had similar tastes on most everything. It was nice to hear reassurance that the things went well together.
It felt good, and it's starting to feel like my house. Finally.
(This is what my house will look like when finished. Well, at least the brick and stone combo. Please ignore the exquisite architectural detail in this at least half-million dollar home. It is for reference purposes only. Actual results will vary.)
(And here is a close-up of the brick. Let's hope it is in stock!)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
I have a really messy signature.
And it will be witnessed for all to see in triplicate in so many forms, if today is any indication of the near future.
I made the decision and bought the lot! Things are starting to happen. I met with the mortgage lady today, and had to sign mucho stuffo and this isn't even the real paperwork. I don't have a fixed interest rate yet, and they can't do the appraisal until the house is built, so this is just preliminary stuff.
I drove by my lot, yes MY lot, this morning too. Not much progress has been made this week, except for big piles of dirt have been shifted. I really think the builder was overly optimistic when he said a closing date of Aug. 15th. Especially with no end in sight to this rain.
Now the beginning of the real decisions start now. I'm meeting with the builder on Saturday morning to at least pick out the brick and stonework. If we have time, we will start on the carpet, paint, vinyl, cabinets, counters, and all else. Is it bad that I already don't really care about all this? Maybe it's just not real yet until I see the samples. Or maybe it is just too overwhelming for me. I'm bringing an opinionated friend with me on Saturday. I'm not going to let her make the decisions for me, but I want a second opinion, and someone there who can make a decision if it is something that I really do not care about.
A personal distraction is now gone (well not gone, but decisions have been made and some closure has been had, so let the healing begin!), so I hope that I can focus more on the good news of the house.
I made the decision and bought the lot! Things are starting to happen. I met with the mortgage lady today, and had to sign mucho stuffo and this isn't even the real paperwork. I don't have a fixed interest rate yet, and they can't do the appraisal until the house is built, so this is just preliminary stuff.
I drove by my lot, yes MY lot, this morning too. Not much progress has been made this week, except for big piles of dirt have been shifted. I really think the builder was overly optimistic when he said a closing date of Aug. 15th. Especially with no end in sight to this rain.
Now the beginning of the real decisions start now. I'm meeting with the builder on Saturday morning to at least pick out the brick and stonework. If we have time, we will start on the carpet, paint, vinyl, cabinets, counters, and all else. Is it bad that I already don't really care about all this? Maybe it's just not real yet until I see the samples. Or maybe it is just too overwhelming for me. I'm bringing an opinionated friend with me on Saturday. I'm not going to let her make the decisions for me, but I want a second opinion, and someone there who can make a decision if it is something that I really do not care about.
A personal distraction is now gone (well not gone, but decisions have been made and some closure has been had, so let the healing begin!), so I hope that I can focus more on the good news of the house.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Speak now or forever hold your peace
I'm sleeping on it to decide if this is where I want to sleep for the indefinite future.
You will have to use your imagination, cuz I wont' be sleeping on dirt obviously. In 70 days, they can turn this lot into this.
Does 70 days sound reasonable for you experienced new home buyers? Sounds soon to me. That pushes back my ideal moving date by at least a month. But for a new home, I guess it is worth it. One more summer month that I will have my apartment pool available to me.
Anyway, I told the builders that I would think about it over the weekend. And barring any angels coming to me in my sleep tonight predicting 7 years of drought and desolation, I will most likely go forward with this plan. Honestly, there are many appealing things about this house and builder, and location. Of course there are also drawbacks. I keep telling myself that this decision does not have to be for the rest of my life. But it can be if I want it.
Anyway, I told the builders that I would think about it over the weekend. And barring any angels coming to me in my sleep tonight predicting 7 years of drought and desolation, I will most likely go forward with this plan. Honestly, there are many appealing things about this house and builder, and location. Of course there are also drawbacks. I keep telling myself that this decision does not have to be for the rest of my life. But it can be if I want it.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Under Pressure
Sorry for the pathetic lack of blogs lately. It seems that now things have started to move forward in the house department, my desire to discuss them has waned. Maybe its because it is all (well, almost all) I think about these days. And I'm tired of it already, and it is just the beginning! I mean literally tired of it. It is emotionally draining for me.
Let me explain...no, not enough time for that. Let me summarize. The prince is in the castle and is to wed the princess in little less than half an hour. The castle is guarded by... Oh sorry, that is a movie and not my life.
On Friday, I called a mortgage lender to discuss steps for financing. I gave a few pertinent details - name, SSN, 2 previous addresses, how long I have been at my last 2 jobs, the amount of money in my savings, 401k, etc. In less than half an hour, the lady had called back and told me my credit was excellent, and I was pre-approved for a loan. She emailed me a Good Faith Estimate, with an estimated payment that was just what I had figured it would be! I guess researching before hand was smart. So with that information, my agent and I were on our way to looking at houses in my now approved price range, which we did on Saturday, me and my saintly sister.
I met the agent at 1:30, and we proceeded to house #1. It was a small, garden lot, zero property house. Which means next to nothing yard. The neighborhood was immaculate since the HOA fees paid for front yard maintainence. It was built in 1990, and owned by an old lady - who was there when we walked thru her house. It was well kept, but pretty tiny. It was small, and at the higher end of my price range. So it just didnt' seem like the best value. But still an option.
House #2 was built in '82. Very affordable, but not well kept. It would have required a lot of work both inside and out. I liked the front of the house and had a nice yard. But it was out of the question.
House #3 was the same age, but in much better condition. It had a unique floorplan. Great neighborhood with lots of big, established trees. But it was fairly expensive.
House #4 wasn't really a house for sale - but it was a new construction home that has already been sold. We looked at it to see the type of house this builder builds. I liked it. It didnt' really stand out, but it seemed a good size for me, and pretty high quality. The negative was a small lot, and apartments around most of the cul-de-sac. There is one interior lot available that wouldn't back into the apartments. We called it a day, and I got home around 6pm. So exhausting, and that was just 1 day!
Since I showed some interest, the builder has hounded (well, not hounded, but definitely been persistent) my agent to talk to me. It seems they want to pour all the foundations for the remaining lots this week. He said he needs to know soon if I want it. So that is where I am now. He is giving me some prices for some of the upgrades to see if this house would be too expensive for me.
It feels too soon! I didn't want to be rushed in this decision. But I am leaning towards building. Even though I dont' want the hassles of building, and it will be several months before it would be ready. I'm sure this Old Testament amount of rain would not help the process. We'll see. I will see how I feel about it in a few days. But wouldn't it be dreamy to live somewhere where no one else has lived before? And I found out that a friend at work lives .5 miles away, so we could carpool. It would be about 25-30 minutes from work, so more than doubling my gas bill. Maybe I need to draw up a pro/con list. But I think I'm going to do it! So scary. Maybe tomorrow I will change my mind.
Let me explain...no, not enough time for that. Let me summarize. The prince is in the castle and is to wed the princess in little less than half an hour. The castle is guarded by... Oh sorry, that is a movie and not my life.
On Friday, I called a mortgage lender to discuss steps for financing. I gave a few pertinent details - name, SSN, 2 previous addresses, how long I have been at my last 2 jobs, the amount of money in my savings, 401k, etc. In less than half an hour, the lady had called back and told me my credit was excellent, and I was pre-approved for a loan. She emailed me a Good Faith Estimate, with an estimated payment that was just what I had figured it would be! I guess researching before hand was smart. So with that information, my agent and I were on our way to looking at houses in my now approved price range, which we did on Saturday, me and my saintly sister.
I met the agent at 1:30, and we proceeded to house #1. It was a small, garden lot, zero property house. Which means next to nothing yard. The neighborhood was immaculate since the HOA fees paid for front yard maintainence. It was built in 1990, and owned by an old lady - who was there when we walked thru her house. It was well kept, but pretty tiny. It was small, and at the higher end of my price range. So it just didnt' seem like the best value. But still an option.
House #2 was built in '82. Very affordable, but not well kept. It would have required a lot of work both inside and out. I liked the front of the house and had a nice yard. But it was out of the question.
House #3 was the same age, but in much better condition. It had a unique floorplan. Great neighborhood with lots of big, established trees. But it was fairly expensive.
House #4 wasn't really a house for sale - but it was a new construction home that has already been sold. We looked at it to see the type of house this builder builds. I liked it. It didnt' really stand out, but it seemed a good size for me, and pretty high quality. The negative was a small lot, and apartments around most of the cul-de-sac. There is one interior lot available that wouldn't back into the apartments. We called it a day, and I got home around 6pm. So exhausting, and that was just 1 day!
Since I showed some interest, the builder has hounded (well, not hounded, but definitely been persistent) my agent to talk to me. It seems they want to pour all the foundations for the remaining lots this week. He said he needs to know soon if I want it. So that is where I am now. He is giving me some prices for some of the upgrades to see if this house would be too expensive for me.
It feels too soon! I didn't want to be rushed in this decision. But I am leaning towards building. Even though I dont' want the hassles of building, and it will be several months before it would be ready. I'm sure this Old Testament amount of rain would not help the process. We'll see. I will see how I feel about it in a few days. But wouldn't it be dreamy to live somewhere where no one else has lived before? And I found out that a friend at work lives .5 miles away, so we could carpool. It would be about 25-30 minutes from work, so more than doubling my gas bill. Maybe I need to draw up a pro/con list. But I think I'm going to do it! So scary. Maybe tomorrow I will change my mind.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
?
I'm 29 years old, and I still manage to get deoderant on my shirt. Perhaps a house is too much for me.
I'm hoping to go with my agent to look at some houses on Saturday. She hasn't replied yet, so not sure if she works on the weekend.
Step 2 accomplished...my savings is now out of my CDs, and is in a more liquid state in my savings account. So I can write the biggest check of my life.
I'm hoping to go with my agent to look at some houses on Saturday. She hasn't replied yet, so not sure if she works on the weekend.
Step 2 accomplished...my savings is now out of my CDs, and is in a more liquid state in my savings account. So I can write the biggest check of my life.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Alphabet Soup
Let's see, what has happened since my last posting?
I met with an agent a few weeks ago - I'm hesitant to call her "my" agent just yet. But I think she will be. We talked for about an hour...just general things of what I want, where I want it, when I want it, and how much I want to pay for it. It was all about me, me, me! Which is hard for someone who can't make up their mind.
She was nice, an older lady 20+ years of experience. She had the initials ABR,SRES by her name. The first means Accredited Buyer's Representative - which sounds like a good thing. The second is Seniors Real Estate Specialist. That's right. I picked an agent that old people go to! I think I really am an old person stuck inside a young person's firm, fit body :)
Since I do not want to/can't really buy until mid-summer, she said that I do not have to sign with her until probably mid to late May, when she will get busy sending me listings. Until then, I am to surf on the net and drive around neighborhoods to get a feel for what I like, and what is out there. She also gave me the names of 2 mortgage people. I have yet to call them.
On Friday, she sent me my first listings. So Saturday I drove around the area for almost 2 hours trying to find the houses. Don't tell Al Gore on me. I actually surprised myself by liking most the house that is in a HOA and that is a zero-lot property. That means that I would have to pay to live there (beyond the mortgage of course), and would have to live with someone else's rules. AND I would have a yard the size of a postage stamp. But what do I need a yard for? And there is a community pool. So now I think I will not exclude HOA and zero-lots from my short list. Which doesn't help when you can't narrow stuff down.
I met with an agent a few weeks ago - I'm hesitant to call her "my" agent just yet. But I think she will be. We talked for about an hour...just general things of what I want, where I want it, when I want it, and how much I want to pay for it. It was all about me, me, me! Which is hard for someone who can't make up their mind.
She was nice, an older lady 20+ years of experience. She had the initials ABR,SRES by her name. The first means Accredited Buyer's Representative - which sounds like a good thing. The second is Seniors Real Estate Specialist. That's right. I picked an agent that old people go to! I think I really am an old person stuck inside a young person's firm, fit body :)
Since I do not want to/can't really buy until mid-summer, she said that I do not have to sign with her until probably mid to late May, when she will get busy sending me listings. Until then, I am to surf on the net and drive around neighborhoods to get a feel for what I like, and what is out there. She also gave me the names of 2 mortgage people. I have yet to call them.
On Friday, she sent me my first listings. So Saturday I drove around the area for almost 2 hours trying to find the houses. Don't tell Al Gore on me. I actually surprised myself by liking most the house that is in a HOA and that is a zero-lot property. That means that I would have to pay to live there (beyond the mortgage of course), and would have to live with someone else's rules. AND I would have a yard the size of a postage stamp. But what do I need a yard for? And there is a community pool. So now I think I will not exclude HOA and zero-lots from my short list. Which doesn't help when you can't narrow stuff down.
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