SOLD!

This is my first time blogging and I really enjoy it. I am not sure if I am going to be able to blog an entry every night but I had to at least do a short one this evening since today was THE day! We are the proud new owners of 1910 Dream Street. Our historic home finally belongs to me and my family. Here are a few pictures of the house. I have a very early morning flight for work so I'll stop here and let you take a peak. I think I am still dreaming...I can't believe it is ours!

This is the front door, up close and personal.

And this is the full view of the front of the house.

More to come soon!  Color me sold!!!

She's making a list and checking it twice...

Whoever coined the term "short sale" had it all wrong.  It should be "long sale" or in our case, "as is" sale.  We placed our offer on the home the first week of February.  For months we've been waiting to hear if our offer had been accepted and/or if we would ever make it to a closing.  Knowing that a short sale really means you are getting a fantastic deal on a home but you may have to sink a lot of money into repairs has been nerve wracking.  Once we finally got the call mid June that we would be going to a closing in a few short weeks, the "as is" pressure started to really weigh on us.  In general, I pray a lot but I do try to listen to God as well.  Both my husband and I are firm believers in our Savior and what he has in store for us.  But praying that a natural disaster wasn't waiting for us to deal with once the water and power was turned back on at the "new" home was a request that God must have been tired of hearing from us.  Thankfully, the laundry list of to do items is not terribly long but I must say that I do have a bunch of questions for the sellers for when we finally see them for the first time tomorrow at closing. 

A c.1910 home doesn't come with a lot of owners manuals.  We were stunned to find the manuals for the oven, dishwasher and microwave in one of the kitchen drawers.  There is even a CD that has the regulations of the historical district on it for us to study.  However, the home is completely vacant with the exception of a few boxes of who-knows-what in the mud room and a box of canned goods in the kitchen.  (I cleaned out the pantry of opened dry goods while the inspector was doing his job.) 

Our inspector had several comments in his final report that said "ask seller before closing" or "confirm with seller before closing."  With a short sale, you don't always have access to the seller until they finally come to sign the paperwork at the closing table. 

Those type of things that leave yourself scratching your head have been added to the list of questions that include things like:

• "did you cap the natural gas and if so, when?"
• "did you replace the roof and if so, how old are those shingles?"
• Or one of my favorites, "by the way, there are several missing cabinet drawer fronts missing. Did you install what is there and if so, may we have the company name so we can order some new ones?" 

Hopefully they will be willing to answer them for us.  Part of me wants to ask them what went wrong and if they are doing ok.  I can't imagine being in their shoes.  I wonder if this was their dream house too? I know I won't ask anything of the sort but as much as I am making my list and trying to make sure I have all the bases covered in my one shot to ask it all, I can't help but ponder the thought. 

Almost 12 hours until we close....I guess I should try to sleep.  In our neighborhood, the sound of construction in the background is distracting me from my writing.  There has been a sewer/water main break under the road and the county has torn our neighbor's front lawn to pieces to dig to the bottom of it.  Hopefully the murmur of the generators will lull me to sleep.  I can triple check the list again in the morning.

Plz call me @ the office ASAP

What do you think when you see that type of text come across your cell phone?  Often the pessimist, I automatically think, "Uh-oh. What has gone wrong now?"  When you are buying a home and the message comes from your realtor (and you have received that message several times during the purchasing process), you can't help but get a big lump in your throat and a nervous feeling as you dial the ten digits separating you from whatever lies behind the ASAP text.

Now don't get me wrong, I love our agent, Jerome Smith.  Nine years ago, he sold us our current home and today he is listing it for us as well.  But two days before closing, Jerome sending that text then answering the phone in a stern voice saying "the closing is on hold" followed by a giddy giggle almost found him dead.  He should be careful with pranks like that...I do know where he lives as he is also a neighbor.  Thankfully, he was only calling with information about wiring funds to the closing attorney and a few last minute items regarding the closing that is thankfully still on. 

June 30th, plz get here ASAP.

Pinch me, I must be dreaming...

It is Sunday night and we are three days out until we close on "the" house.  It is an exciting yet scary time.  Our current home hasn't sold yet and we are just a few short days away from owning the home we have always hoped to have.  Who cares if we are in a recession/depression and the market is flooded with over a years worth of homes for people to buy?  Minor details, right?  So rather than fret about that (trust me, there is plenty else to worry about) I have decided to blog about the journey my husband and I have decided to venture upon with our unsuspecting three year-old.  This oughta be good.

What makes a dream home?  For some I guess it would be a spacious home that lauds a mega basement that allows for a man cave and massive flat screen TV on the wall.  Many of our friends have upgraded to this type of abode and don't get me wrong, we think those are pretty cool.  But what is in the cards for us?  Well, not that.  We have stumbled up on a restored 1910 home in the historic district of Marietta that is within walking distance to the square, our church, the homes of our friends and the home of my grandmother (where I grew up) plus the school where our daughter will be a fourth generation student to attend.  And the icing on the this cake dream?  It's a short sale.  (Remind me to tell you later there is no such thing as "short" in a short sale.)

We've hardly told anyone not because of lack of patience or faith but rather because I think we are afraid we'll wake up and the dream will have been just that....a dream.  After five months of waiting, the day is almost here. The seller's bank has finally agreed and our loan has been approved. Closing on 1910 dream street is just around the corner.