BIG NEWS!

Sadly, it has nothing to do with Missy.  But it is BIG NEWs none-the-less.  What could be such BIG NEWS?  I am moving!  Again?  You ask...that isn't really BIG NEWS you say.  But this time it is because I am IN ESCROW!!  Yes, I am finally, finally, finally buying a house.  That is, assuming everything goes OK in escrow.  We (my agent, myself and my loan guy) have run into some "hurdles" but they are thinking it will work out ok.  But let us start at the beginning...

After the last place I looked at didn't work out (the owners decided not to sell) I had enough.  Prices and interest rates were back up.  Inventory was still down and all cash investors had the upper hand.  It was quiet disheartening and as much as I wanted to be a homeowner, I didn't think it was going to happen for me.  So I told my Realtor I was going to stop actively looking but if she saw something particularly promising to contact me.  I edited my input on the Redfin website to only send me properties I really wanted, rather than something I would be willing to settle for in order to be a homeowner.

A few months went buy and then Redfin sent me an update.  A house just in my price range.  I looked at the pictures and it looked nice.  I contacted my Realtor and she said there was an open house that very weekend.  After Dottie went herding, Missy and I went to check it out.  I walked the neighborhood before the open house and it seemed acceptable.  Then the open house started and in we went.

The house was a flip so it was nice on the inside.  Fresh carpet, paint and a new kitchen and bathroom.  I looked around (including the outside) and didn't see anything obviously wrong with it.  I was happily surprised with the yard.  It was much larger than it looked on the Google map.

I was initially attracted to the home for the price.  There just aren't very many homes available in my price range.  But when I saw the inside I was attracted to the home as well (and not just the price.)  And the bonus was the yard.  I've spent a lot of time looking at houses with tiny yards, but deciding I want them anyway.  The dogs would have to suffer for the good of all.  (Meaning me.)  It was very fortuitous that this house, in my price range, with a nice inside, also has a great yard!

After the open house, I contacted my Realtor and let her know I wanted to make an offer.  It turned out two people had made offers at the open house, at asking price, and the listing agent was asking for "highest and best" by 7pm Monday.  It was already 3pm Monday!  My agent suggested I offer the most I could afford to avoid the bidding war.  So I did.  And the next day, my offer was accepted!  I opened my email the next morning and at first I almost missed the exciting news.  When I read the email I danced around.  FINALLY after so many years of trying and failing to buy, I was on my way!  I found a  VA letter from 2008 saying I am eligible for a VA loan. That is how long I've been trying.

The next step of the process was to get through underwriting, and to get the home inspection done, and the appraisal, and also to get the loan final approval.  All has gone well except the loan final approval.  Because the house was flipped, the bank doesn't want to finance it without 20% down (which I don't have.)  That is one of the "hurdles."  As I said, the "team" thinks we will overcome the problems and all will be ok.  I can only cross my fingers and hope!

More news soon.

The yard!  Needs work, but has lots of room!

The very small kitchen.

Living room and eating area seen from the kitchen.

Looking into the bathroom with the two bedroom on the left and the master on the right.

Linen closet and master bedroom.

A walk in closet!

The third bedroom which is identical to the second bedroom.

A small garage that my car barely fits into.  And an old stove.