Ta Da!!!!

Yes, it's been 19 days since I wrote a blog. I do this mainly for me and I got to where I did not want to write down one more time just how frustrated I was about not having a house.

But today I have good news :D

We have an appointment tomorrow, at 4pm, to close on our home.

I'm doing cartwheels on the inside!!!!

At this point, after hearing we'd close on a certain day and then having that yanked away from us, twice, I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll update as soon as I can. That may be a while, as I plan on immediately leaving the title company, driving straight to storage, packing up our first load, and moving it into my new home.

Okay, I'm prolly a little beyond cautiously optimistic now. Oh, well!

For Friend Sissy...

And all others who are waiting on pins & needles with me: still no phone call!

As for my appointment with Brian last Thursday, it went really well, considering we had to switch to a FHA loan at the end of the process, which he said was basically like starting over and added another week or more till we close.

He was very helpful, though, and explained every single thing in great detail, including how I can set up my own ammorization (sp?) schedule in Excel. And told me I could call him later if I forget how. He was SO nice and smart and articulate...something I forgot existed after dealing with Bobby the Baffoon for 3 weeks. Obviously still working on that patience thing.

But, we got everything switched, most of the work had already been done for the VA loan, which had stricter requirements, which means it should have been a breeze to do a FHA. It's not been a breeze, in my opinion. Apparently Brian's processor is still calling my realtor and asking basic questions that should have been covered by now, so I'm assuming we won't be closing this week.

But, that's okay. Chad has a day off next Wednesday, so that would be the ideal day to close, so he doesn't lose a point for missing work. They like to throw big guilt parties for missing work...even if you are sick as a dog or buying a house.

So, I'm still here. Waiting. Praying. Hoping.

When we get really stressed or bummed, we take a little drive out to the property and stand on the deck and plan the back yard. I regret the day I locked the laundry room door...now I can't go in and plan my furniture and bubble baths! But I was afraid I'd walk in to find some bum in my tub and have to hurt some homeless person. This way, I avoid jail time.

And that's my update. As soon as I find something out, I'll be sure to post asap!

Update Smupdate

I've learned a valuable lesson today. If you choose a business based on the person you speak with on the phone, only to get to the business and be handed over to someone else...you should worry.

If the person you are passed over to seems to be slightly incompetent and sloooooooow...worry!

If, every time you call that person and they bumble around and start 4 different sentences before finally finishing one...RUN!

Seriously.

So, obviously, I do not bear good news. I chose a mortgage company based on speaking with the owner on the phone several times and really liking him. He was older, in his 70's, and he didn't try to sugar coat anything, didn't try to do whatever it took to get my business. He was honest, told me the house I was looking into buying was NOT a good deal and I should hold off and keep looking. I respected that, took his advice, along with others, and moved on.

When it came time to purchase this house, I gave this man a call and set up an appointment to buy the house through them. But, upon arriving, we were handed off to his son, Bobby, who is in his 50's, and things went downhill from there. It seriously seemed like this may have been his 3rd mortgage ever.

But, we stayed. I think I regret that. I should have said, You know what, we need to talk this over some more...we'll get back to you. Then, drove off.

I guess I'm being melodramtic. I should mention that nothing severe is going on. We are still in contract. I'm just mad.

He told us we'd have no problem closing by the 30th. Then, last week I called him to see where we were at in the process. That's when he told me the investor had almost finished our paperwork then realized it was for a manufactured home, which they no longer loan on, and cancelled the deal.

????????????

Shouldn't he have checked that before sending all of our paperwork to him? For those of you not following the market right now, a lot of things changed recently, like in the past 2-3 months, regarding loans. Most importantly, most investors quit loaning on manufactured homes at all. Period.

The first question I asked every bank and mortgage company was, Do you loan on manufactured homes? 9 times out of 10, I was told NO. So, why didn't our mortgage facilitator know to do this?

I should clarify. Bobby & his mortgage company no longer loan money on homes, they just work with other mortgage investors who do. So, basically, all he does is shop around and find me the best loan. Which is what I was doing before I met him. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me now.

Anyway, they switched to another investor last Tuesday and I was told it would take him about 3-4 days, tops. I found out Friday, he didn't even get our paperwork till Thursday. Monday, I called Bobby again (you know they LOVE me there now, right?) and he hem hawed around again and said he'd check on it for me and call me right back.

Still waiting on that phone call, 2 days later.

I did get a call yesterday from the new guy, Brian. Seems they are concerned about our debt to income ratio. We are doing a VA loan and they have strict guidelines. On paper, it looks like we won't have enough money to make our monthly payment, because they can't take into account that we'll be using the Home Buyer Tax Credit to pay our van loan off completely, erasing the $250 monthly payment.

So, as it stands today, I have an appointment with Brian tomorrow to discuss our options. We can switch to a FHA loan, which has less strenuous guidelines. He also suggested we pay off our van loan before closing. Yeah, right, buddy. And maybe I'll win the lottery (without actually playing) too.

I'm mad and extremely frustrated. Shouldn't Bobby, our mortgage guy, have recognized all of this when he ran our credit that first day? Shouldn't this have been brought up before NOW, a few days from closing?

My real estate agent, Demetra, said yes, he should have been the one to bring this up, weeks ago.

I just prayed two days ago that, if this house is the one God has for us, let the process go quick. If we're going to end up there anyway, why not sooner rather than later?

The only answer I can come up with is this: God is more interested in developing my character than making sure I get what I want, when I want. And by character (Mom!), I mean HIS character. I do believe we are on this earth for a purpose that has nothing to do with material things. Off of the top of my head, we were made to worship Him. To glorify Him. To be His chosen people, His sons & daughters. And to show His character, His nature, to the world. So...He's allowing things to push my buttons and show me the areas I need to work on. Obviously, patience is a biggie ;)

So, please pray for me. I'm failing this test miserably, cause I really want to call up old Bobby and call him an drooling idiot for wasting so much time for us. But, I haven't yet, so maybe there's hope for me yet ;)

I feel better already, just getting all this frustration out. I'll try to come up with something fun & uplifting to post next time!

Still waiting...

ANY DAY NOW!!!!! That's what the mortgage lady, Shrimp (a nickmame, I hope!), said to me when I called her last Thursday. I'm trying not to blow up her phone and pull a Micah:

"Is it ready?"

"No."

"How about now. Is it ready now?"

"No, it's not ready now."

Silence.

"Now?"

"NO. NOT NOW. It is NOT ready NOW."

Silence.

"Ready NOW?"

"NO! NO, NO, NO....IT IS NOT READY NOW. OR NOW. AND NOT NOW, EITHER!"

Silence.

Giggle.

"NOW???????????"

At least, that's how it went when he pulled that on Daddy two nights ago. It was awesome!
And I have no idea where he learned that trick :D

So, no, I haven't heard anything from the mortgage company, but as soon as I do, you'll be, like, the 5th person I tell! Promise.

House update

We had been searching like maniacs for Chad's DD214 (the military loves to number their paperwork) for the past week. Seems it's a V.I.D. (very important document - they love their acronyms just as much) (but I made that one up!), which of course means Chad "misplaced" it, probably as soon as he opened it.

Basically, it's the form from the military that shows his time in and out of active duty and proves he is entitled to all the benefits of VA. Meaning, no DD214, no VA loan.

After digging through boxes and boxes of stuff that just makes me cry at seeing, and not finding it, I began to search our crammed bedroom for the 3rd time. Guess where I found it? In a glass (aka see through) candle holder on TOP of our dresser. Where Chad put it so he wouldn't forget it.

Then, we drive 30 minutes one way to the mortgage company's office yesterday to deliver all the final paperwork, and guess what we forget? Yep, DD214!!!

That was a fun ride home.

But, regardless, they finally have everything they needed to turn our paperwork over to the approval department of the THDA loan program. Our lady did say, after I forced her to give me a potential time frame, that we could be closing on the house as early as next Friday!

Can you say, THANK YOU JESUS!!!!

We are waiting on Chad's W2's to arrive in the mail from the past two years. We couldn't find those in storage. They sent off our paperwork without the real copies (oxy moron), but we should have them before time to close. Please pray everything continues to go smoothly. We are very excited and it almost feels like we may really be about to move out of my parents' house. Almost.

A few more pics

I had to go out to the house (I LOVE writing that!) Monday and I took a few more pictures, to try & show just how large this house is:

A better picture of the kitchen, from the den

Oh, look! I found a Beth! Who apparently thinks she's in a gang...

Left side - all those cabinets have me itching to unpack!

Right side - see the desk? Gonna have to get some bar stools, too :)

The dining room

To be honest, I kind of prefer an eat in kitchen to a separate, formal dining room. Especially not loving the carpet. Who puts carpet in the dining room?! So, going to play around with ideas on how to make it more adaptable for my family and our needs. Ideas are appreciated!

Already planning my mantle decor ;)

Plenty of windows & light, perfect for keeping certain monkeys in view

The door out of the utility room - for easy grocery unloading :)

A driveway made for our "Smith" family parties :)

Oh, and the PERFECT tree for a tree swing...two, in fact!

Can ya'll tell I'm happy?! It's a great deal with lots of square footage, a great backyard, a safe, quiet neighborhood (until we move in LOL)....I'm content.

We have a winner!!!

A week ago Demetra, my really cool real estate agent, sent me an email with two new home listings. One was almost in the next county, about 25 minutes away and on more than an acre. It was a double wide on a permanent foundation. It was older, a little outdated in appearance, but for the land & location, I was okay with it. The other one had just one picture of the outside, which looked great, but had just over half an acre and was at the top of our price range, at $79,800.

We set an appointment for the next day to visit both. I was kind of discouraged and had a laid back, we'll see attitude. We started with the 2nd one, on .63 of an acre. I walked in the door and fell in love. Well, actually, I walked into the master bathroom and fell in love! But more about that later ;)

It's a 2006 doublewide on a permanent foundation (a REAL permenant foundation - we made sure this time!), 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a living room, dining room, AND den. It has one of the nicest layouts I've seen so far. Plus, and one of the coolest factors, it has 2234 square feet!!!

It looks brand new due to the owner, a retired bank president, buying it as a repo in June and installing new appliances & new carpet, among other things.

So, long story short, we looked at it, loved it, and put an offer on it the following Friday. Saturday he came back with a counter offer, we countered back, he came back with the same offer, but with a twist. Basically, he had a bottom dollar he was willing to accept, but he offered us three different ways to pay for it:

Option A: We agree to a sales price of $76k and he pays $2200+ towards closing costs (estimated at $2700). We only have to come up with approximately $500 cash at closing. Monthly payment will be approximately $485

Option B: A sales price of $74,800 and he pays $1,000 toward closing costs, meaning we have to be ready to pay around $1700 at closing. Monthy payment approximately $460

Option C: $73,750, he pays no closing costs, and we have to have approximately $2700 at closing. Monthly payment approximately $430.

Now, we also have to pay for a couple of things up front: the home inspection (not required but a good idea) which runs between $150-$400, and the appraisal. We don't get to pick the appraiser, since we are getting a VA loan and they use their own guys. This will cost about $200-$400 as well. That's $800, worse case scenario, we need to have in our pocket before we even put an offer on a home.

So, with option A, we need to have about $1300 (more if you're smart) in cash on hand. Option B would require about $2500 in cash, and Option C means $3500 comes out of our pocket by the time we close.

The owner had a certain amount in mind that he wanted to make on the deal and he was willing to let the property sit until he got it. But he was pretty flexible as to how we paid for it. Obviously, he became president of a bank for good reason!

He is also throwing in a home warranty good for a year, worth about $500. Sounds cheap but that would be the price to replace the water heater, for instance, if something goes wrong. Totally worth the $500.

We decided to go with Option B. We will have no problem meeting the cash on hand requirements, without putting ourselves in a financial bind, and the monthly payment will be well within our desired range. All in all, it is a great deal.

We did make it all contingent on the appraisal, home inspection, and surveyor's report (the tax records were a little messed up on the lines).

By the way, by the time we got to this first house to tour it, the 2nd one was already in contract...another door slammed shut by my Heavenly Father!

Here are the pictures of my soon-to-be first, fanTABulous home:

Doesn't look like a manufactured home, does it?!

Okay...this is where they got me - master bath :) Right side:

Those who know me really well, know that one of my pet peeves is having your potty next to the area you brush your teeth. Or take a relaxing bath. I mean, WHY?! I have always wanted one of those bathrooms where the toilet was in it's own little room. You do your business, close the door, bam! No smell, no spashage on your tooth brush (think about it! Or, maybe not...). So, it's like God said, Here you go, daughter...your own sanitary friendly bathroom. Enjoy! Yes, that's how my God works ;)

But wait - that's just the right side of the master bathroom. The entire bathroom is as big as my last bedroom! Here's the middle:

Yes, that's a long, walk in closet in the back! And yes, that mirror will be the FIRST thing to go :) But, pretty much, that moment is when I said, I'll take it! The rest of the house was just the cherry on top.

Left side of the master bath. Cute hubby not included ;)

Yep, that's a stone gas fireplace. In my den. :)
Check out this massive kitchen! I love it! That's the living room to the right...

New appliances, including flat top stove :) Pantry to the right.
That's the utility room straight ahead, with a door on the left to the back yard, a door on the right into the kids' bathroom.

A deck already set up for grilling out - God loves me!


The back yard, straight off the back deck. Behind those leaves is a spectacular view of the mountains. Does God not know me inside and out and care so much about the details??? Yes, yes He does!

View from the kitchen sink. I can watch the kids and gaze at the mountain scenery while doing the dishes.

I'm not gonna lie: it's not the setup I had in mind when I started this home search. I'd prefer a smaller house with more land. I'd LOVE to not have such close neighbors. But, we are one mile from the elementary school the kids would be attending. That's big to me. Less time they will be on the bus, if they ride it at all. Plus, their cousins, Natalie & Regan, already attend that school, another plus for me. I'm finally living my dream of the kids growing up with their cousins, aunts & uncles, and grandparents.

Also, I'm about 3 miles or less from Louise & Tim's house. Well, we'll see if that's a plus or not :P Just kidding, Weeze!

You know, I could really obssess about find the PERFECT house (I did, it was already sold when I found it LOL), but I've tried to remember a few things:

First, this doesn't have to be our final home. We can always sell & move again, as our finances improve.

Second, and most importantly: This world is not my home! I'm a pilgrim and a stranger, in search of a better, a more perfect Home. So, while it's a part of life, I refuse to let it rule my life. I will buy a home, move on with my life, and keep the my focus on the One that rules & reigns for all of eternity!

By the way...

I forgot to update you guys on the house we were looking to bid on, under the subject "2nd Choice". 24 hours before we had to turn in our bid, we found out the foundation is not considered a "permanent" foundation, under the latest government guidelines. Meaning, no loan.

Some mortgage companies will loan on a trailer not on a foundation, but for several different reasons, that didn't seem the best way to go to me. God is so good, because He knows how indecisive I am, and He confirmed through about 3 different people that we should walk away from that deal. Then, and this really IS a God thing, I just felt so strongly all of a sudden that God REALLY does have something great in store for us!

I sound so shocked, right? But that really has concerned me, that I may not like what He has in store for us.

Remember a while back I wrote that I don't believe just because you don't get a certain thing, that necessarily means God has something bigger and better for you? Well, I still think that is true in some cases. Why? Three words: The Apostle Paul.

Paul was beaten, thrown in prison, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, and basically persecuted for most, if not all, of his Christian life. But he was right where God wanted Him. He was in the will of God for his life. That was his bigger and better!

God's will for my life may not be a grand house, lots of land, or the nicest car on the market. In fact, His plan for me may not even include my version of bigger and better...a cute little house out in the country. Why? I have no idea. I do not know what His exact plan for me is, or why. I just know He has one and I want it. Because I know, no matter where I am, I will be content as long at it's HIS will and HIS plan for me.

So, that said, last week God gave me great peace that whatever lies ahead for us, it will be GOOD. I've worried that we'd end up somewhere I couldn't let my kids play outside, or would be too ashamed to bring friends and family to. But for some reason, God let me know that I can rest assured in that department. He has GOOD plans for me.

I know we like to quote that Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11: I know the plans I have for you. A plan to prosper you, to bless you. Plans to give you a hope and future (I'm paraphrasing!). But Job was in the plan of God when his life was blown to smitherines, just as much as he was when God multiplied Job's blessings later.

God sees past, present, and future, so I have a feeling His focus is not just on how He can bless and make me feel good TODAY, but how today will affect my future, and eventually, my eternity. He is making ALL things work together for my good. Past, present, future. There's a wonderful peace in knowing just how big and awesome He is, and that He rules my world!

Again, I don't know exactly what that all means for me, but I'm excited to find out. One day. For now, I'm excited to be exactly where I am right now, because this, too, is obviously His will for my life....today.

2nd Choice

Guess which house just came back on the market?!

Remember this one?

It's the one that is only $49,500. Doublewide on permanent foundation, one acre, off a busy highway. Four bedrooms, two baths, including one of my favorite bathrooms of all the houses I've seen so far:

Love that tub! I am picturing lots of candles, a stack of books, and mirror removal!

It was under contract already when we decided to bid on it about 3 weeks ago, but low & behold, the contract fell through and they relisted it 3 days ago. Bidding closes tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight, so we have till then to decide what to bid. Some of my favorite features on this one, besides the awesome master bath:

Already has a nice sized deck in back. Also, you can't see it, but just on the other side of the deck is a concrete slab they brought in, probably to get rid of a constant mud puddle every time it rained. We can add steps to the other side of the deck down to the slab and have a really great set up in the back for grilling & entertaining. Cause I'm ALL about the entertaining ;)

Feature #3: Gas Fireplace!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm already planning my Autumn & Christmas decorations on my very own mantle. Jesus, PLEASE!!!!! Let me have a fireplace & awesome mantle!!!

Sorry so dark, but love the dining room with doors out to the deck. Wouldn't French doors look even better? hmmmmm....

One of the best features is right behind those trees - an amazing view of the mountains in the fall & winter months! Hello, swing on the front porch, here I come!

One of the cons: living room carpet needs replaced, holes in the wall need patched. Just an excuse to shop!

Out of all of the kitchen set ups I've seen lately, this one is probably my least favorite:

Seems too cut off from the living room. I don't like the skinny style. But, Chad says it's just easier to clean :)
So, we will be bidding on it within the next 24 hours. Pray I have ears to hear what God says about this one. Let Him make it plain for me...I'm dense sometimes!

The one that got away...

Sorry this took so long but I've been crazy busy. I'm just going to summarize the story for you. I found this house around the first week I seriously started looking but it was already in contract. It was really cute, 3/1, 1400+ square feet, and a very nice fenced in back yard on a quiet side street. French doors leading to a really cute deck, a remodeled kitchen & floors from what I coul see through the window. Best of all, only $70,400! I've been looking for almost 3 months now and I could tell right off the bat, this was an EXCELLENT deal.

I told Chad, if we had to live in town, this is how I'd want to do it.

I called about every two weeks to see if the contract had closed and the answer was always, "Soon!" So, last Monday morning I logged onto foreclosure.com and it was the newest listed home. I called a new agent immediately, recommended to me by my sister Louise, and we met for the first time at this house.

The first walk through was not disappointing - the entire house had been remodeled about 1.5 years ago, and Louise's agent, Cheree, had been the buyer's agent for it last February. She found out the couple divorced and neither could afford the payment, so it was listed $18,000 below it's appraisal - instant equity!

We already had Josh give us an estimate on enclosing the carpet to add on another bedroom, and we put in a bid. The max amount we can afford for a loan is $63,000, so we bid $70,400 and no closing costs, meaning that we could put our $8,000 down and get a loan for right at $62,000. My bank is the one that owns it and would be loaning us the money as well, so my agent recommended they eat their own paperwork costs ;) I liked her immediately!

On a side note, handing over $1,000 as earnest money on buying a home made me feel like such a Big Girl! You'd think birthing 4 kids would have done that, but, no, I still felt like such an adult when we did that :D

Second note: we ended up with a third agent - my sister's agent had to have surgery and a coworker took our case, but I actually REALLY her. After we lost the bid she told me that God has a house for us, we'll keep looking. She had me at "God" :) Plus, she lowered her commission by $40 or $50 because another agent had just lost a bid for her client because she didn't. Loved her even more!

So, anyway, we found out the next day around noon that our bid was not accepted. I should explain that this was a foreclosure on a HUD, so no offers, just bids. No negotiating. The winning bid was $72,000, plus payed closing costs.

But, I had peace when she told me. We did our best, we bid our top dollar, and then we prayed. Mom & Dad, my mother in law, all my friends and family, my Grandma, who - hello - the Holy Ghost lives at her house! We all were praying for God's will. It just so happens His answer was, "Not this house."

I was fine with that. I did have a mini meltdown when Demetra, our new agent, sent me all she had in our county for $80,000 and under, including 2 bedrooms, and only two of them were options. Today I saw both of those and now none of them are options. But, God is in control of this situation and He has a plan. I know it includes a house for my family. One day.

But, here are the pictures. It was plain on the outside, but clean & cute on the inside. Definite potential. And now we know what we are willing to make that monthly payment for:

Check out this green kitchen! It's a little different, but we all loved it:

Love the white trim against the green. They had some really nice extra touches, like the fan in every room was brushed silver, and the crown molding (sp).

So there you have it, guys. We saw, we bid, we lost. But I already got back up on that horse and saw two today, with a couple of FSBOs to look at this week. Keep me in your prayers, please! My agent reminded me today that we have a deadline of Nov. 30th to be eligible for that tax incentive. Like I forgot that somehow LOL.

UGH!!!

Check out the email I got from my realtor, post break-up:


I have given some thought to your situation. Timing, as they say, is everything. I hate for you to miss the $8K tax credit, but that alone is not a good reason to buy a house. I, too, have felt that you haven't found "it." I will keep looking out for you.

Would you feel comfortable to sign a buyer's agreement for me? It just says that when you buy, you will use me as your realtor. I can e-mail it to you for you and Chad to sign, if o.k.

My best to you and your family.



Ugh! She also went on to offer to look at rentals for us (um, NO!) and then sent me a listing for a home in our price range...FINALLY! Seriously, that is the 2nd listing she has sent me in the past month or two. After our first email back meeting, she sent me a few to look at. After that, I would have to email her listings and she'd email me back the info. Until this week, she wasn't looking for me a house at all!

Anyway, I did email her back the following, today:


No, a rental is not really an option, but thank you anyway. As for the buyer agreement, no, we aren't comfortable signing that yet. I do appreciate all of your help. I'm still looking a little, but right now I just feel burnt out. Thank you.



If she's smart and can read between the lines just a tad, she'll back off graciously. Regardless of what my mom says (hi, Mom!), I do not love confrontation. But I don't back away when it becomes necessary, either. Just ask those pesky telemarkers from Citi Group :D Threatened to sue the pants off of them just this past weekend!



Anyway, here's some zen for ya:

Regan/Natalie found a butterfly on the porch - I love her little chubby hands!

The Break Up

"...cause breaking up is hard to do-oo!"

I did it. I broke up with my real estate agent. I emailed her today and just said we were thinking about putting the search on hold for now and thanks for all her help. Which is totally true - we are thinking about stopping for a while. We've talked about it and I know we shouldn't give up, but I'm so uninspired to look right now. I've definitely lost some spark since yesterday. We prolly won't give up, but that statement was totally true when I wrote it. Still is.

Does that constitute a lie? I HATE to be lied to. I know I should man up and tell her she stinks at this, but...she could be my grandma, ya'll!

I found the newest home magazine today at a gas station. Low and behold, there are at least FOUR new listings in our price range. Did my agent email those listings for me to check out? NO! Negatron! So, I know I've made the right decision. She is overwhelmed with her personal life (mom died 13 days ago, selling her house, going through her mom's belongings) so she cannot give us the level of dedication we need.

But I still feel like a dog. Like I just told her she'd be living off ramen noodles for the next 5 years. Come to think of it, that's what WE live off of sometimes LOL.

Anyway, yay for me. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel better about breaking up with my real estate agent. Thanks for all the great advice and encouragement, everyone. I thought this would be a lot more fun and a lot less stressful!

So, I'm off to sell what stuff I could get Chad to drag out of our packed storage in a yard sale tomorrow - wish me luck!

Here's my zen for today:
Thanks for going with me that morning, Louise!

House Hunting Part Deux

Today was the big day...the day Chad got to see the top three choices for our potential new house, and a couple of new ones.

First off, he did NOT like our real estate agent. Granted, she is older, and cannot drive worth a flip. She is either extremely fast or extremely slow, with periods of off roading, dodging ditches, and she likes to read her housing info as she drives. Plus, she's over 60 years old and it's just not a great experience. Especially if you are the one riding with her, as I was today.

But mainly because, when we noticed some serious foundation issues with one of the houses, she pointed out the window and said, But remember how much you love the yard and neighborhood? Um, yeah....but I won't be sleeping in the yard or cooking at the neighbor's!

And again, at another house, we noticed what seemed to be some heavy smoke damage to the walls and water damage under almost every window, and she said to me, But you DO love this large kitchen and wonderful back yard. Again, I'd like to be able to taste the food, not smoke, and it's all pointless if you fall through a rotted floor!

So, I think she is more worried about her bottom dollar than us being able to actually afford a house that is going to be worth paying for. After our last tour with her, she only emailed me the requested info on the most expensive house we looked at, and as a result, the 2nd choice one was sold by the time I followed up on it myself.

Now, to be fair, her mom died just a week and a half ago. But, I also lost a house that we were seriously looking to bid on because she didn't do what I asked her to do (find out deadline to bid, see if any other offers in yet, and max bid in).

Everyone keeps telling me to ditch her, but I have a hard time breaking up with someone that reminds me of my Grandma! She's just so sweet and she really seems to like me....:) I know, not good criteria for a real estate agent but I'm a sucker for anyone who genuinely likes me LOL.

Anyway, Josh came along to add his opinion and home construction experience to the mix. In fact, Louise ended up tagging along by the 4th house, so we had a caravan of three cars by the end of the day. For some reason, we "Smiths" don't like to do anything alone LOL. All those years of being stuck together like glue in a van for hours and hours at a time, I guess.

So, the first house is one I found just yesterday, and my favorite from today's bunch. 1999 doublewide, 3 bdrm, 2 bath ,with office off master, 1678 square feet, on .83 of an acre, out in country for $73,900. VERY quiet. So peaceful. And less than a mile from Louise! (Not sure if that is a pro or con ;) (Just kidding, Louise! But seriously, CALL FIRST)

Front view - nice front yard

Little stream - not a big issue

View of back yard from the deck - love it!

Nice, big back deck off of the kitchen; notice huge window over the sink, looking out into the back yard :)

It does need a new stove and carpet cleaned or replaced. Just noticed the black microwave above the stone -Score!
Remember the one I loved with the HUGE, open kitchen, in a cul de sac, and power lines in the back yard? This one is the exact same model doublewide, just 5 years older and $7,000 cheaper! Also, it's on .83 an of acre, which is over 3/4 of an acre. In the country, with a tiny, TINY stream at the property line. Not even big enough for me to freak out about my kids playing in. It looks like it dries up in between rains, in fact. The only negative worth mentioning is that it's not on a permanent foundation.

I'm not sure how big of a deal that is now. Before, when we thought we'd be going through a bank for our loan, it was a major factor. No bank (we've been told) will loan on a manufactured home at all if it is not on a permanent foundation. But, apparently a few months ago, banks quit loaning on manufactured homes period, due to the housing market & loan situation. So, either way, to get a double wide, we're going to have to go through a mortgage company, like Vanderbilt Mortgage, who specialize in manufactured home loans. So, maybe the foundation thing isn't such a big deal right now, though it may be by the time we go to resale and upgrade to a better house. Then, it may bite us on the behind. So...something to think about.

You guys have seen the next three houses already:

The first one is the exact same model as the previous one - only difference I can see is the paneling (this one is prettier), white microwave, newer stove, and stone fireplace instead of wood. Must be a little wider, too, as it has about 70 more square feet. Did I mention that already? Hmmm...

$79,900 doublewide on foundation in the cul de sac of the "trailer park", as Mom referred to it. Upon closer inspection today, and along with Josh's invaluable eye, we discovered smoke discoloration to the walls, water damage under most of the windows, and that I liked the neighborhood thing less this time than last. Oh, and some kind of problem with standing water in the back yard.

Favorite feature - the kitchen

Mom's least favorite part - the close neighbors in a "Manufactured Home Community":

Chad actually wasn't a big fan of the cul de sac/trailer park thing, either. We both prefer a more secluded setting. Like the first one ;)

The most move in ready of them all...2005 double wide, 3/2, $79,000:

Remember the cat bedroom? Yep, Ben was in Kitty Heaven and almost choked them to death with his hugs LOL.

Love this kitchen! Track lighting, corner sink, tile backspash...nice, extra touches.

Chad was pleasantly surprised by this one - the first time we drove by, he said NO WAY. Too many neighbors. But I went without him and fell in love. Great back yard, wonderful inside. But the smallest of them all, only 1200 square feet, which he said was a big minus. Hello...four kids!

Now, the biggest shock of them all. This was Beth's top favorite from the beginning, though I'm not sure why. We were going to knock out that wall, add french doors leading to a nice back deck. Welll...major foundation issues. Apparently the house, another double wide, settled, and now the cabinets are all skewed, the closet doors wouldn't hardly close, the ceiling is cracked & gaping in places...not good. So, officially of the list. Thank You, God!

2003 (I think) doublewide on foundation, 3/2 with office, 1600+ square feet, $69,900:



We looked at one more but I barely got any pictures. Louise walked in and walked back out saying, That's a major negatron!

On paper, it had such great potential! 1985 house, 3/2, 1450 square feet, for $73,500. A short sale (they owe more than the value of the home, or trying to avoid foreclosure), on a cul de sac as well:

We pulled up and are thinking, CUTE! I'm not a fan of yellow, it's actually my least favorite color, but this was doable:

Nice, fenced back yard:

Then, I saw the kichen:

That was the last picture I took. This was par for the course with this house. They had added on a couple of different rooms, and I use the word "room" lightly. They should have completely remodeled the house instead of adding on here & there, and definitely should have paid someone else to do the work!
So, this was a big, fat NEGATRON.

What did we learn today? Always inspect the inside more than once. I have seen the outsides of each of these at least 2-3 times by now, but this was my 2nd time seeing the insides, and I was underwhelmed almost every time. Except the cat house. Still love it.

Second, take an expert. Josh knew his stuff today and on two houses at least, he helped find major issues. They may or may not be deal breakers, but they will definitely affect what we are willing to pay.

Third, it's time to break up with Carolyn :( I feel like I'm about to kick my own Grandma in the stomach and run...not cool!

So, the house hunt continues. God will slam shut the wrong doors, and continue pointing me toward the right one. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Right?

Wednesday

Today is Micah & Ben's first dentist appointment - yay! Seriousy, I cancelled once because, really, do 3 and 4 year olds NEED a dental cleaning yet? But they insisted YES, they do (of course), so we are going.

I heart this dentist office mucho gusto for several reasons:

One, they have an awesome waiting room. The walls are painted with an intricate African safari mural, with a couple of large tvs with movies always playing, even in back. Meaning, while the dentist is drilling a hole through your jaw, you get to watch Madagascar 2 :) (Did I mention I actually hate going to the dentist?!?) Plus, four gaming consoles set up in the waiting room for the video game addicted, such as Ethan.

Second, they have really cool magazines for parents in the waiting room. Unlike the pediatric doctor's waiting room. Ugh. Insurance magazines, health magazines...I want to escape reality while I am waiting to pay you $500 to see if my son has a huge ball of wax in his ear, not get slapped in the face with the reality of my moneyless, unhealthy lifestyle. So, thanks a lot, dentist office, for providing me with mindless crap to read! It's almost enough to make me forget the $300 I'm paying you to brush my 3 year old's teeth :)

On a sadder note (does it get worse than $300 on teeth that will fall out in the next 5 years???), my real estate agent's mom died Sunday, so we had to cancel our visits to the 3 houses we like the most. Also, on an even sadder note...my dream home has been sold and is currently being inhabited as I type.

Chad warned me this weekend that he saw someone mowing the grass. I insisted they were just getting it cleaned up & ready for us. He reminded me that there was also one of those storage pods in the front yard. It was a little much to think maybe they had moved all of our furniture from storage to a pod and then moved it to our house before we had actually bid on it, so I caved to reality and accepted it was probably over.

However, my little mini me, Katie, was not buying it. Honestly, I didn't have the heart to tell her it was sold, so I did the next best thing and drove her by it yesterday after chorus. I have to give her credit...she catches on quick. The car in the driveway, pod next to it, and already a new shed in the back yard gave it all away and she realized immediately that "those mean people that stole our house" were there to stay.

She turned her face to the window and silently bawled her eyes out. So did I. We held hands as I drove away and cried together over the loss of the house that was just so perfect for us. A few minutes later, after we were cried out, Katie croaked, "Well, I hope those people at least needed it more than we did, cause I have to say, this is HEARTBREAKING!" Then, she added vehemently, "And they better have a dog, too!"

I have a feeling that, just as I had already mentally decorated the inside of the house I'd never even toured yet, hosted my first birthday party/BBQ, and played football with Chad in the front yard, Katie had been planning her upcoming adventures with Bandit. Probably dreaming of the roaming they would do on our 2.4 acres, chasing cows, howling at the moon, and doing God knows what else together.

So yesterday we both heard the sound of pipe dreams bursting. I said I'd accept whatever God's answer was, even if it was a big, fat NO, and I do. Katie asked me last night, does this mean that wasn't our house? And I had to say, even though I don't like it or understand why, that's exactly what that means. God has something else for us. I won't even lie and say I think the something else is better. It's just something else. Hopefully better. But when you pray for God's will, you better be ready to accept it.

Anyway, I'm off to the dentist, thanking God it's not my appointment. My kids have no idea how much I hate going to the dentist. I just act like they are SO lucky to be going, while inside I am ecstatic it's not me :)

Happy Middle of the Week Day!

Updates

I did not get the phone book delivery gig. Apparently the branch planet did not communicate with the home planet and there were several misplaced aliens walking around.

I have no idea where the alien lingo came from LOL. I'm very weary right now. Mind, body, but not soul.

Anyway, the spots were all filled but no one bothered to tell that to the main office. Make more sense now?

In other news, Micah cried again this morning at school when I told him I couldn't stay with him and he couldn't go home. The entire time I kept thinking, but why can't he? If he isn't receiving speech therapy....

But as Beth pointed out, they will eventually have a therapist there but if he misses more than 3 or 5 days of school without being sick, they remove him from Preschool and put someone else in from their waiting list. So, I can't just let him stay home because he wants to snuggle with mommy. Ugh...now my heart hurts again.

Okay, so I'm taking Chad to look at the top three house choices tomorrow, along with Carolyn, the RE agent. For those keeping tract, that is the house with blue walls inside, the one for $49,000, and the one with the to-die-for kitchen. Carolyn emailed me night we saw that one and said the owners are willing to come down, bring an offer. Um, but are they willing to drop $10,000 at least?

What about Lee? Well, the one-I-would-give-it-all-up-for was supposed to close today. However, that doesn't mean it's out of the running for me just yet. I know most would think I'm crazy, but seriously....God loves to do those last minute miracles. For example:

- 3 Hebrew boys,,.He doesn't save them BEFORE the fire, but IN the fire.
- Daniel and some pesky lions...He could have kept Daniel from the lions' den, but instead, He showed off a little bit and just tamed the carnivores. Made them vegans for a day ;)
- Israelites at the Red Sea...He let them get to the point of no return first, then He parted a sea.

I think God waits until there literally is no other way out, no way any man can make something happen, then He moves. Why? Because He doesn't like for some man to get the glory, any more than you would want your kids to brag on the neighbors for providing for them. (Thanks, Dad!) Plus, what a faith builder! When you finally get it into your head that there is NOTHING your God can't do...nothing can defeat you again!

Anyway, my point is, it's not over until God says it's over and He hasn't put that in my heart yet. I have a couple of different reasons that I feel that may still be the house for us. And, if I'm wrong, so be it. But, like some Hebrew boys I remember reading about, I may not know what God will do, but I certainly know what He can do.

The ONE I would give it all up for in a heartbeat....

pending a decent appraisal and home inspection, of course. I wasn't born yesterday!

Ignore the tall grass in the front. It has 2.4 acres, out in the country, with just the horses next door for noise :) Oh, and it's only about 2-3 miles from the kids' school, so no change necessary. It's asking price is $69,400. 4 bedrooms, PLUS, an office and a separate den/family room, besides the living room! I haven't actually been inside, just peeped in the windows about 5 -10 times.

View from the front, left:

Front, right:

Back porch - small door is into laundry room, then kitchen
View from back porch, closest neighbor - love it!

Did I mention it has an awesome master bath, with garden tub, something I've always wanted? And a skylight over it - just a bonus ;) Katie's room has it's own bathroom - how perfect is that for an only daughter?

Seriously, I've decided to pray that God allow the people that had a bid accepted already to find something else. Heck, let them win the lottery and move to Tahiti, for all I care!

We have not because we ask not. I'm not a name it and claim it kind of girl, but I do believe in making my request known unto God. I will accept His answer, even if it's a NO WAY, but at least I'll know I tried, and the rest is up to Him.

Pray with me, please? I would really love to be in the country, on a safe, dead end road, with horses & cows for neighbors, and 2.4 acres of land for my kids to roam. And while we're at it, a drop in price would be wonderful.

My God is able!