Maybe
Did I find THE house? Testing, one, two, three. Of the 6 candidates I gave to the realtor earlier this week, two were eliminated when she found sales pending on them. Of the four remaining, three simply didn't feel right on the inside tours. The fourth felt good with high marks on the walk score. The "Walk Score" being how comfortable it is to walk the neighborhood. Can I enjoy at least some community activities without driving? I dreamed of the house last night. I woke this morning with the urge to pack up my morning coffee and head over to the house to test its morning feel. I squelched that impulse and went for this journal entry instead.
The test I am performing with this journal entry is to write it out and see how it sits during the parts of my morning wake up ritual I skipped. Will it continue to feel right or will I discover that I am rushing the hunt? For sure, I am feeling rather burned out with the looking. Details of the properties I have been screening are all running together. I am ready to be out of motel rooms. Still. . . It would be a definite mistake to let those factors rule.
Testing, one, two, three.
Replies
My heart goes out to you, having just moved into my new house on 6/21 after a 2 month search. The house I initially wanted fell through due to an issue on the seller's end and I was heartbroken at the time. However, now that I'm in my home, I'm absolutely thrilled that I settled here. I know it is super cliche to say this, but it's true... the right house will find you. (((HUGS)))
We hunted three months, and had to get out b/c of our building being bought and apartments being "condo-ized". ... I checked the zoning, the neighborhood, etc., and all looked great on paper... but we were just not feeling the "feel".
So one day I see a tiny tiny ad privately placed on a house that, after research, was on market for over ea year (oh no, what's wrong?) but met the paperwork requirements...
The owner didn't even clean it to show it. But I walked in and *knew*. OK. I told the realtor people, "Take 25K off the price now, I don't care what's market, we'll have minimum 50K in fixes and I gotta do them on 20K, so tha'ts final," and Hubby freaked. We'd lose the house!....
The owner was so glad to get any offer, she was like, "Fine, sure, get me outta here," and after four months intensive 60 hours a week of labor, 7 days a week.... We moved in right on schedule.
Been here 10 years. Love walking the neighborhood, love my little back yard that I saved from barrenness and now it looks like the woods, love to pick up cones from the pine tree....
BTW, I had to consider Hubby, and he had the "feel" on it, too, for the record. Claimed one room as his home office before we even made an offer, LOL.
Let it sit a day or two. We did. That feel was... yeah, great!... We were fortunate, in that nobody else saw the beautiful bones of this place, only the dirt and stink. No competing offers. We even walked around the neighborhood one evening (fortunately, we knew someone who lived nearby and could have an "excuse" ready).... looked over the cars (never buy in a neighborhood where the cars aren't comparable to yours)... watched the people walking their dogs and saw cats hanging out on fences, and yes, made sure the "feel" didn't just come b/c wow, we needed a place to live.
I ramble all that to say... I've no idea. But supportive pouma power.
I've wondered if the hunt for home is something like childbirth in that the pain of the process quickly falls away after it is done and you learn to cherish the end result.
Just got back from a pre-dawn sampling of the property. Kinda night bright, but no surprise there. These are the Light Ages, after all. Even "Third World" countrysides have industrial bright nights in the 21st century.
Still keeping the steps small, but feeling like I should keep stepping this direction.
Best of Luck Arfie...really like the idea of "sitting" for a bit....when I bought my house it too was a Good Feel....very small neighborhood and only one entrance .... just like where I grew up! A comfort. I too love the water, down the road from me is a boat launch...I can't tell you how many happy hours John and I have spent there....and when he got older....I bought an inflatable kayak...two seats...a bit challenging as we'd never paddled one before....but Fun!!!
I'm excited to read about which house you choose.
The bid is in. We see what grows.