oh my goodness
I put an offer on a house this afternoon. Oh my goodness.
This is a crazy big step for me, the queen of status quo. It may not pan out, so I’m not getting myself too worked up yet, but I’m hopeful.
On the way home tonight, I had to slow down for three deer that were standing at the side of the road, and it made me a little sad. That’s the thing about change – you often have to give up as much as you gain.
I’m ready to make this change, even excited, but I’m fully aware of all I’m giving up.
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steadily skipping stones 
Don’t think of it as giving up. Think of it as only having two hands and you have to put something old down to pick up something new.
Good luck!
Thanks, that’s a good way to look at it. And it does feel rather like I’ve got my hands full right now. I’m just going to enjoy what time I have left here in this house – for all I know it won’t work out and I’ll be here much much longer, anyway. And that’s okay too.
Exciting! You’re going to love having your own house.
It is exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I’m nervous that I’ll get it and nervous that I won’t :). If it works out, I think you’re right, though. I will enjoy knowing that I’m making payments on something that’s mine, and I will feel a sense of accomplishment for that.
And after that you will become addicted to HGTV!
I love to watch HGTV at my parents’ house or when I house sit for my sister. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I won’t be able to afford cable if I buy this house. The house needs a little love, of the patch and paint variety, but HGTV won’t be able to help me :(. Or should I say, tempt me into doing all kinds of things I don’t need to do. (Like the grass wall I saw them do on one of those shows once.)
Hahhaha!!!! Grass wall? Don’t you LOVE that channel? I am excited for you as you embark on this adventure. It is hard to let go of things you love, and scary not yet knowing what new things to love you’ll find. Luckily, you are good at seeing.
Yes, I saw them put living grass on a wall once – it was one of those switching houses make-over shows. I don’t remember what the people who lived there thought when they saw it, but I thought it was nuts. How do you mow that?
I went out this evening with Louis and took some pictures, all the while thinking that I wouldn’t have these surroundings if I move. I know there will be other things to take pictures of, but not this patch of sky or these trees… But it will be okay. I wonder what the neighbors will think? Right now I don’t have neighbors to wonder what I’m doing wandering around out there with my camera in the near dark. :p
I’ve been following your quest….so, I am happy for your change! :0)
Thank you! Change is hard for me, but it always ends up to be a good thing when it happens. Even if it’s hard in the beginning.
I’ve been meaning to come over and visit you on your site for some time, but with all that’s going on with house hunting and all, I’ve barely been able to keep up on my regular blog reading. I will get over there before much longer, though!
I know how you are feeling–I am sure many of us do. When I bought my condo I was almost sick thinking about the “bigness”of it all. But it has been a wonderful change. Looking forward to the post that says you have a closing date.
Almost sick is about how I feel right now. It’s all of it, especially the money. I’ll be pretty much maxing out my budget – there’s not much wiggle room there to begin with.
Such an exciting step. I bought my first home a year or 2 ago. Since I am kind of new to your blog, I haven’t really seen the full premise up to this point, so I just wanted to ask… this is the first house you have bought? It is such a wonderful feeling to be a homeowner, while looking at the work that it entails and thinking, do I think that I am ready for it..
Hope you it works out as you would like it to!
🙂
Hi Jennifer! Yes, this would be my first home purchase. I’m excited adout the prospect of home ownership, but really nervous about the money. Worst case scenario is I walk away, right? I’ve got a good place to live, so I’m not desperate or necessarily rushed. But I would like this to work out.
Thank you for stopping by! I hope to see you around again.
Congratulations on taking the step, even if it doesn’t reach a mile. It is a liberating, empowering thing. Embrace it!
I will try to embrace it. Mostly it feels educational and it’s really making me aware of where I stand financially. I love the house, warts and all, but if it doesn’t work out, I’m thinking that I need to step back and do some more thinking about this. When buying a house, it’s definitely to your advantage to have some money saved up. Which I don’t have. What was I thinking?
Good luck, however it plays out. I bought for the first time when the DC market just started to explode and I put offers in on five places before one “stuck.” It got to the point where I was writing offers blindly. I had a momentary panic of “what the hell!” but it ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. That said, if you’re feeling like you’d leave yourself house-poor by buying, there’s no harm in renting a while longer and building up a nest egg. It’s not like the market is going to explode over night and leave you priced out. Take some deep breaths and listen to your heart – and your bank account!
Thank you, I can use some luck right about now. I have my maximum “comfortable” limit and I’m thinking that if I can’t get this one for that price, then I need to wait 6 more months before I start looking again. And I can use that time to practice working within my stricter budget. My heart is getting more and more attached to this house, and I can truly see myself living there. But my bank account is saying if I don’t get it, then breath a single sigh of regret and start saving money like you should have been doing all along. My main budget problem is that it doesn’t really leave ample room for emergencies. I would be in better shape within about a year and a half, but what if something happens in the mean time. Decisions, decisions.