The Right Timing

So we first started house hunting back in mid February of this year. Then we switched realtors. Then we switched lenders. And then we saw this wonderful yellow house with terracotta tiled roof in March. Immediately Lee and I both loved it. It was "us" or our family or something. And almost immediately we were both pretty sure we wouldn't get it.

At the time, house competition was fierce. Things were moving fast and people were offering more than what seller's were asking. At the time, the house was just barely in our price range and the competition was offering well over the asking price. We were out bid before we really got started.

And the house went off the market.

We looked some more, made some more offers and got out-bid again. We decided to take a break from house hunting.

Two months passed.

Then we heard on the news that the housing market was stagnate. There weren't any more buyers. Well, we still wanted to buy so we hopped back into the playing field.

We saw a couple other houses, but they were all short sales, which take forever to process. We entered the short sales, but we refused to sit on our fannies and wait around for some bank to tell us yay or nay. So we kept looking. More and more "normal" sale houses were hitting the market. And the houses were looking good - and they were lowering into our price range. So we only looked at the normal sells rather than the short sells.

And then, one day in late August, nearly 6 months after we had first seen it, I was house shopping online when I saw the yellow house with the terracotta tile pop up as a normal sale. I called Lee. He called the realtor in less than 30 minutes, and we devised a plan of attack.

With barely any competition, and our own overwhelming need to get this house - any freaking house - we managed to just barely squeak by as the highest bidder!!

Whew!

I still can't believe that it took about 6 months for us and the right house to finally have the right timing. Insane. Our realtor had claimed upon first starting this hunt that things will happen if they're meant to happen. Lee and I had rolled our eyes and excused her statement as philosophical BS. If she was a good realtor than she'd get us the house we wanted. Well, I guess both seems true now. We got the house we wanted even though 6 months ago it went off the market. INSANE!

And that's the story of our first home.

Who wants to see more pictures??

The pool, which takes up pretty much the entire back yard:


The other side of the back yard:


The kitchen:


The dining room:


The bedrooms' hallway:


The front door from the inside:


And I still have an upset stomach...