Thursday, August 15th | 3:25pm
Well, followers, we're finally here. We finally made it. House shopping!! We got our pre-approval yesterday! To be honest, I almost didn't believe my husband when he told me we got pre-approved. (Although it was in my email inbox, too.) It's just been a VERY long journey of trying to get to this point. Sometimes just paying debt and saving money felt suffocating.
But, it's time to believe it's true because we're going to look at a house tonight. One that is in our price range, too. Don't get me started on the housing market.
10:10pm
Okay, we not only saw one house, we saw three houses!! They just got better and better as we went down the line. From not enough space but a great location, to cramped and a nice yard to absolutely perfect! The 3rd house we looked at has the right size of yard. It's on a quiet street. It has a beachy feel, new appliances and it's completely redone with the right amount of space to make it our own.
I'm head over heels. I'm freaking out. I'm jumping up and down while also trying to keep my cool. Can you tell keeping my cool is not working?
The very small percentage of my brain that is logical knows there can be bumps in the road in the next steps of the process but the rest of the part of my brain (all emotional) is freaking out! It's just gorgeous! I have to believe it's true because this week my mantra is 'believe in yourself.' I have to believe we are finally here.
We both agreed that it feels right. I prayed God would let it be if this was in his plans for us. I will continue to pray and have patience with a little excitement but I have a deep feeling this is it, people!
August 16th 1:00PM
We met with our realtor and reviewed possible hiccups and put in an offer. Fingers crossed, people!
August 17th 4:00PM
What a let down. Our offer wasn't accepted. I'm sad and annoyed. And that's all I have to say about that.
A few days later
The house we wanted went pending. I guess that's officially official that it's not our future home. It would've been perfect.
August 21st 8:00PM
We caught the sunset on our way back from seeing a house, another cute house, that feels just out of reach. Is it my fear to repeat the past? Is it the truth?...
Sept 7th 9:00PM
Well, it's been about a month long rollercoaster of back and forth debates between living in the same town or moving towards work, buying a fixer upper or not. We toured a few more houses and made an offer on one that got shot down. I probably would've cried if we weren't surrounded by friends playing board games together when we received the news.
It's been an emotional and exhausting ride. Currently I feel like throwing in the towel and renting for another year. I don't know what the right thing to do is. I don't know if we can handle another tour, another house we can picture as our home, another denied offer.
Friday, Sept 13th, 5:00pm (Yes, Friday the 13th)
Our offer got ACCEPTED!!! I'm not lying! Even if it is Friday the 13th.
Okay, pause. Back track.
The 3rd house we fell in love with that we saw on the first day of house hunting went back on the market. We jumped on it!
Ryan did some researching, okay a lot of researching, on things we thought were keeping us from getting this house: remember those hiccups I mentioned above?
He also spent so much time on the phone with our lender and realtor. Thank God for him. Thank God for them.
Sept 17th, 9:20PM - Home Inspection Day
Today, we took our lunch break and met the inspector. He was pretty cool. I just really wanted to see the house again but we learned a lot as he went through his review.
And the inspection was positive! There were 2 minor things and that was it.
I texted Ryan a few hours after our inspection and said, "do we really get this house?"
Yes, we really get this house! Belief is a beautiful thing.
October 10th, 2023 5:45pm
We got our last approval! And we found out our interest rate lowered as well! We got the call from our lender while at a work function in Grand Rapids. We were already having a fun evening and this news quickly added to the joy of the evening. We're so EXCITED!!!
High fives and hugs and congrats all around. We finally made it! We close on the 18th, just 8 days away we get the keys to our new home.
October 14, 2024 6:30pm
We got the Clear to Close! On Friday we sign the paperwork and get the keys to our new house!
Ryan is ready to move right in. I thought it would be a slow transition. He said, "it's been a 6 year transition, let's go!" He's right!
I've been methodically packing 6 years of our lives into totes and boxes. Thank God a friend let us borrow totes so I'm using those temporarily for the things that will get unpacked right away: dishes, food, bedding. I'm rather proud of my process so far. My brother was right when he said packing happens pretty fast once you start.
What a wild ride, though! We're finally getting a house! Leaving our apartment will be bittersweet. We've had great neighbors and have made so many memories here. We have family and friends that live in the complex too. It's been a really good apartment for us but we're ready!
October 18th, 2024
We closed today! The house is officially ours! We did it! I have so many emotions right now but the biggest thing I feel is grateful. Grateful for our patience, perseverance, and hard work. Grateful for answered prayers, our realtor and lender and their assistants. Grateful for our team at work and our friends and family! The home shopping and buying journey wouldn't be the same without all the love and support we've received. We're so grateful!
XOXO,
Karlee