I can't take it anymore.
This home buying, home shopping, home inspecting, home searching...it's wearing me out. On Friday, we had pretty much narrowed down our choices to two homes -- one, a nice new home with tons of updates and a neat little backyard, everything perfect. The second, a friend's mother's home -- she is going into a nursing home and they're needing to sell the home quickly - a perfect "fixer-upper", great floorplan and great potential.
Home number one is near a railroad track. Well, the track is right behind the backyard fence. We went back to look at it yesterday and per the advice of our families, not a good idea, considering that if we had to sell it quickly for any reason we should be prepared for it to sit on the market for a while until someone else who doesn't mind trains comes along and takes it. It's really a great house - the lady who is selling it has done some really neat work on it. But, she can't rip up the train track and make it a great home in a great location.
Home number two. At first glance, perfect. We'd be able to get a great deal on it from our friend and go in and fix it up just how we like it...Until my cousin came to look at it yesterday and found that the stains on the carpet are actually coming up from the floor where there is clearly some major foundation issues. We can't have that, obviously.
So we're back to square one. The clock that's ticking for us is the apartment lease clock. We have to tell them by March 31 if we're going to renew or stay here - it's just not enough time.
Yesterday afternoon we stopped by a new development that is near Todd's parents' house that has "garden homes" (zero lot line) and townhomes. We'd never investigated this because we thought they were out of our price range, but after more research and looking at them, it seems that the townhomes might be an option. We're doing more research this week, but again, it will take some time for them to build the one we want. It'd be a great starter home - not an apartment, not a full-blown house. And it would have great re-sell value. Jack wouldn't get the yard we've been promising him, but he would have his own little patch of grass to go potty on.
So then there's the realtor dilemma. She's been helping us for a year, she's driven us around the metroplex searching for just the right home. If we go the townhome route, she won't get paid and won't be involved. I emailed her last night to let her know that we were looking into the townhomes and she responded asking if we'd still let her handle the transactions. We won't be able to, and this is really making my moral compass spin off the charts. I know that it's "just business" and that we have to do what's right for us. But I hate that she's worked so hard for us and is getting nothing. As a matter of fact, it makes me a little sick to my stomach.
Quite simply, I'm tired of throwing money away in rent. But I know that we've got to keep looking, that right now just isn't the right time. I am so preoccupied with all of it that I can barely sleep at night. If I fall asleep on the couch in the evenings, Todd just leaves me there, because waking me up means that I get in bed and stare at the ceiling all night. Last night was one of those nights, and this morning I woke up fully clothed under a blanket on the couch that he put on top of me. Poor guy, he's probably wondering what made him think it was a good idea to marry such a basketcase.
Home number one is near a railroad track. Well, the track is right behind the backyard fence. We went back to look at it yesterday and per the advice of our families, not a good idea, considering that if we had to sell it quickly for any reason we should be prepared for it to sit on the market for a while until someone else who doesn't mind trains comes along and takes it. It's really a great house - the lady who is selling it has done some really neat work on it. But, she can't rip up the train track and make it a great home in a great location.
Home number two. At first glance, perfect. We'd be able to get a great deal on it from our friend and go in and fix it up just how we like it...Until my cousin came to look at it yesterday and found that the stains on the carpet are actually coming up from the floor where there is clearly some major foundation issues. We can't have that, obviously.
So we're back to square one. The clock that's ticking for us is the apartment lease clock. We have to tell them by March 31 if we're going to renew or stay here - it's just not enough time.
Yesterday afternoon we stopped by a new development that is near Todd's parents' house that has "garden homes" (zero lot line) and townhomes. We'd never investigated this because we thought they were out of our price range, but after more research and looking at them, it seems that the townhomes might be an option. We're doing more research this week, but again, it will take some time for them to build the one we want. It'd be a great starter home - not an apartment, not a full-blown house. And it would have great re-sell value. Jack wouldn't get the yard we've been promising him, but he would have his own little patch of grass to go potty on.
So then there's the realtor dilemma. She's been helping us for a year, she's driven us around the metroplex searching for just the right home. If we go the townhome route, she won't get paid and won't be involved. I emailed her last night to let her know that we were looking into the townhomes and she responded asking if we'd still let her handle the transactions. We won't be able to, and this is really making my moral compass spin off the charts. I know that it's "just business" and that we have to do what's right for us. But I hate that she's worked so hard for us and is getting nothing. As a matter of fact, it makes me a little sick to my stomach.
Quite simply, I'm tired of throwing money away in rent. But I know that we've got to keep looking, that right now just isn't the right time. I am so preoccupied with all of it that I can barely sleep at night. If I fall asleep on the couch in the evenings, Todd just leaves me there, because waking me up means that I get in bed and stare at the ceiling all night. Last night was one of those nights, and this morning I woke up fully clothed under a blanket on the couch that he put on top of me. Poor guy, he's probably wondering what made him think it was a good idea to marry such a basketcase.
posted by Lauri at 6:01 AM
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