Here she is!

Our new home!! Isn't she pretty?!

Apologies for the iPhone photos - our closing day was full of drama (ironically enough, not at the closing table) so I didn't think to grab my DSLR. Oh well.

Regarding the "drama", it turns out Owen's daycare is a cesspool of germs, and we all got sick. Again. And not just really bad colds this time....nope, it was the stomach flu. Which, you know, was just delightful.

Okay, I'll shut up now. Here are a few more photos to whet your whistles:

Screened-in porch, which is screaming for a couple of chairs and a couple of beers.

 

The living room

 

Part of the dining room, with a cameo by Brian. :)
 

 

This will likely become our bedroom.

 

Bathroom
 

 

What will likely become Owen's bedroom (doors or a curtain will be added to the closet - not sure which yet...)
 

 

Unfinished attic, which will be finished....eventually. :)
 

 

Kitchen, which will eventually be gutted and completely redone. But, for now we'll add a dishwasher and some cabinetry on the other side (the side you can't see well from this angle).

 

 

This room is...interesting. It's an addition that was added in the 90's because the people who owned it at the time were an older couple who were tired of going up and down the stairs to do laundry. So, it's kind of an all-purpose room which will end up being the laundry room/office.
 

 

Stairs to the basement - gotta love that wood paneling! Sexy stuff.
 

 

Part of the basement, which will likely become a play area for Owen.

 

 

 



Storage area in the basement - we were surprised that the former owners left their shelving!

 

 

We'll be moving in officially within the next couple of weeks - in the meantime, we'll be busy packing stuff away, cursing how many material possessions we have, and praying to God that we don't get sick....again...

The Final Weeks

Welps, we're cleared to close.

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In less than two weeks, I will officially be a homeowner.

Wow.

For years, my husband and I have talked about our eventual home and what it would be like. I have to say that I'm pretty emotional about it - I'm totally going to be one of those people that cries after closing (after reattaching my hand after signing so many damn papers). Also, I will totally be one of those people who takes the house keys, drive to my new house, give it a hug, and whisper "I'm so glad you're mine; we're going to get along swimmingly."

It's been a long and stressful process, of which I'll share some details on later when life is a bit calmer (because, buying a house + full time job + todder +keeping our current residence show-ready = crazytown, which is why I've been MIA lately), but we have a few people to thank for making it loads easier than the last time we went through it:

• Our wonderful real estate agent, who has helped us through every step of the process and is, quite possibly, the most responsive person I've ever met in my life. I mean, I sent her an email the weekend before Christmas (not expecting a reply - believe me, I'm not a fan of making people work during the holidays, which is why I refuse to shop on Thanksgiving!) and she replied within an hour. She's super smart and knowledgeable, which is why we wanted her in the first place. She also was the first agent we had that didn't try to do a hard sell; in fact, she warned us against buying the first property she showed us, which won a TON of brownie points in my book as I'm not at all a fan of the hard sell. Which is probably why I hate shopping for cars.
• Our loan officer, who was referred to us by our real estate agent. We started off with the bank we worked with last time, thinking it was just the loan officer we worked with that was the problem; nope, it was actually the entire mortgage department that sucked, which was unfortunate. The new loan officer we've been working with has been tirelessly helping us through the loan process and is so proactive, which was HUGE as the last time we went through the process the bank was not at all responsive and we had no clue what was going on until the last minute - basically things got moving only after we were forced to play bad cop because the bank wasn't communicative at all. The loan process was a lot smoother this time around, and it's in huge part due to our loan officer.
• Our attorney, who was the first one to respond to our query asking for one when our offer was accepted on the house. He's been super responsive and helpful, as neither of us have ever retained an attorney before (we never had a reason to; plus, to be honest, I just don't like lawyers on principle). I've been impressed by his experience and knowledge, and how great he's been at communicating with all parties regarding the purchase.

One key theme you'll see from these pros is that they are experienced, responsive, and proactive - for first time homebuyers like ourselves, this was HUGE. Granted, we kind of went through the process previously, but part of the reason we freaked last time was because we didn't really have help. This time around, I was adamant that we have professionals on our side that could help us without us having to do all of the work (because we're busy people, ya know!). Like any home purchase, it wasn't without its hiccups, but overall this time around went a LOT smoother thanks to those three pros helping us out.

I'll try to get in a post next week, but the more likely scenario is that I'll too busy packing/toddler wrangling to get one done. Next post will likely include some variation of me hugging our new house.

:)

The Secret Project

Not to be confused with the Secret Garden.  Which for me would be a garden full of weeds and other dead vegetation. So, you wouldn't want to visit anyway.

Anyway...remember when I mentioned I was working on a secret project I couldn't say anything about at the time? Well, I'm finally ready to reveal it.



We're buying a house. Like, for real this time.

Oh my gosh. This house. You guys....I'm head over heels, and I never expected to be over this one. Heck, I'm tearing up and getting all emotional just typing about it....I guess that's how I know it's the right one, because I've never felt that way about the house we're currently living in.

So, the lowdown on our probable new home (granted no huge snafus come up in the meantime):

It's a 1920's bungalow (built in 1926) located in another Chicago suburb, which is much closer to a train line (about a mile away from the train station, actually!), is right around the corner from a highly-rated elementary school, and close to one of the best bike trails in the area (we both LOVE to bike, but our current suburb isn't exactly the most bike-friendly unless you enjoy biking through subdivisions). Three bedrooms, one bath, along with a basement and detached garage. Hardwood floors, except in the kitchen and bathroom, and the house itself is in really freaking good condition for its age.

When we all went to look at it right before Christmas, I knew as soon as I walked through the front door that this was It. This was THE HOUSE. I kept my poker face on throughout the showing, and apparently so did Brian (he's much better at it than I am). When we got into the car after the showing, Brian and I looked at each other and were like "OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS HOUSE". Guys, this is the first time that has happened....EVER. Usually one of us falls in love with a property, while the other is like "Meh....I don't know....it was okay...." The house is a little small, but honestly there are so many possibilities (like an unfinished attic!) with this house that it's worth it. Plus, smaller house = less time cleaning. And we all know how much I hate cleaning.

We put in our offer last week, and after a lightning round of counteroffers, we accepted a final offer 24 hours after we put in our initial one. Crazy, huh?! We had no idea that would happen so fast. Shortly after the offer was accepted, it was a mad dash to secure an attorney and home inspector (we had some people in mind, so at least we were somewhat prepared). Long story short - it's moving forward. I'll share more details over the coming weeks as things progress.

Okay, I feel like I've blabbed enough. Here's a picture of the outside; more photos to come soon, I promise!

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