Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day and I have everything that I could want. What more can I ask for than to have the keys to our first house together.

You heard me correctly, we got the house. Signed the papers and got the keys on Saturday. Which house you ask? Neither of the ones that we were contemplating to get...lol. Instead we went with another one all together. My best friend says "you are predictably unpredictable." Turns out the one with the large deck was for straight up sale and they wouldn't do a rent to own on that one. And since there were others to see, we did just that.

We ended up going with a sideways facing one, which is a small price to pay for what we got instead. We are at the end of a cul-de-sac and it's quiet and private. We have nobody behind us and our yard is larger because we are on the curve of the cul-de-sac. So our yard widens as it goes out. We are right next door to a cop too so it's added security when he brings his car home. As promised I have pictures !

Here is the front of the house in all it's glory. I can't wait to add my touches to it so that I can make it ours and not like everyone else. You can sort of start to see the land we have considering the kind of development it is.

And here is the back porch and back of the house. As you can tell, the porch is not that big but we do plan on adding a deck onto the back next year sometime after we have had some time to settle in.

and the back yard that needs some needed help and a much needed shed !


Now let's go inside ! This is my favorite...the kitchen ! I absolutely love this kitchen and the huge window above the sink. The door at the end of the kitchen goes to our laundry room and then to the back door.

Our dining area. I can't wait to get that wallpaper down and make it so much brighter. I can't wait to see my dining table in there too with the chairs that Jose got. Talk about a punch of color...lol.

Our living room that just looks like a box with windows. You can't really tell but the living room is a good size. I can't wait to move our furniture in a show you all what it looks like.

This is in our living room looking into the kitchen/dining room area. I wanted you guys to see how open it is. That is one of the things that I love most about it.

Our master bedroom...what horrible curtains these are. They will be one of the first things taken down...lol.

Our master bathroom with the great garden tub that I can't wait to suround with candles. And that horrible wallpaper again ! You can't see but we also have a shower with seats too...lol. Talk about luxury.

Our guest bathroom, not quite as glorious but it will do.


I have pictures of the kids bedrooms too but seriously, they are just empty rooms that would bore you so I will wait to get them decorated and set up before posting pics of them. Same with the master. Wow, it's a box with two windows, you have no idea what it really looks like or the size...lol. So that wraps up our tour for now. I will try to take pictures of the process. Our official move in date is March 5th but we are slowly moving things now to make the whole process easier. We can't wait to get in there and get started making it ours though.

Appointment

We got a call today that the houses will be ready for viewing on Friday. So we made an appointment to see the two houses asap. I guess we are a little anxious but things usually take time so we are trying to keep up with each step so that once we hit a snag, it won't hold us back too much.

I am super excited and the nervousness has def settled in now. I fear that something will go wrong. I guess when great things happen, you can help but be nervous that something will stop you dead in your tracks. I have nothing but possitive thoughts right now though.

We also started the application process so that we wouldn't get help up by that once we find the house we want. The application process is what scares me the most since our credit is less than perfect, to say the least. On the flip side, it is a rent to own so they should be all too familiar with these situations. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to go through this exciting but stressful process.

New Chairs

It is rare that Jose puts his input when it comes to decorating. So when he does, I try to go with it and make it work no matter how strange it is.I mean our house needs to represent us both, not just me.

Saturday he came to me with a picture of these funky looking chairs. He asked if I like them. Of course I like them, they were really cool, but I wasn't so sure that he was serious. Anyone who knows Jose, knows that he jokes at least 75% of the time about stuff so I always have to be a little skeptical. Turns out he wasn't kidding and he really loves the chairs. We went and got them last night. They are def different and I have to say that they def make a statement...lol.

Here is a sneak peak at the new chairs that are going to make you think we are crazy...because we are ! Now I just have to figure out how to decorate around them !

More Info

So after going to see the outside of the first house again and the outside of the second one better, we are super excited. The second one has a wheelchair ramp that you can see in the pick. I am not really feeling that but then the boys got all excited that they can skateboard and ride their bikes and well I warmed up to it a bit...lol. The first house has a small porch on the back just like the one on the front. The second one has a good side deck on the back. The first one has a two car driveway and the second one has a three car driveway. The first we would have to pay to put in a shed and the second one already has a shed. Both houses are on corner lots so they have a good amt of land/yard but the second one has more.

I would have to say that without seeing the insides, we are leaning towards the second house. The inside could be a deal breaker. I have no idea if it has any updates or if they are going to do any or if things were kept up so I am looking forward to seeing them both on the inside. The second one is also closer to the playground and the pool.

I will keep you all updated as we know more. Keep us in your prayers.

sneak peak

So as promised here are the pictures of the two houses that we are looking at. Please excuse the poor quality but they are taken from my cell phone and not very well I might add...lol. Once we decided on one, we will get way better pics but this will give you an idea.

House #1:


And House #2:

A Step Closer

We went to look at some houses in Glen Laurel today. We made a choice about the layout that we liked best. Once we picked out the layout it was all about picking the actual house that we liked best based on land, porch, trees, and whatever else makes that one property different. We saw one we loved and we decided that was the one we would take. That one is currently occupied so we will be called back to see it once it's cleaned and had all it's updates they do once someone moves out. It will be available next month and I since it was the only one that we saw that REALLY stood out to Jose and I, we aren't willing to chance waiting on it and having it taken by someone else. So whenever it becomes available we are jumping on it...which could be really soon !

But sometimes things just aren't that simple. Turns out that Nina talked to the lady in the office after we left and there is another house that people were moving out of today that she wants to show us too. She seems to think that it would be even more perfect that the one that I mentioned above. I am open minded. I do remember it slightly, because there was a huge moving truck outside but I didn't think it was an option since she didn't mention it so I didn't really stop to look at all the details. I do remember that it was nice though. I will get a better look at the outside tomorrow when we go to Nina & Rob's for superbowl. And I will be sure to let you know what I think...lol. Maybe I can get a few pics of the outside of the two houses just as a sneak peak for you guys!

It is great to know that we seem to have two options right now though and they are both great options. Jose and I were already talking about furniture placement and how close to the park we will be. Both houses are very close to the park and that will be a great aspect for CJ. We will be really close to the pool too which will be great for all of us. I am looking forward to getting use out of that this summer.

This whole process is very exciting and nerve racking at the same time. The thought of moving again just totally frustrates me but the thought of it being ours is giving me a totally different feeling all together. This is all happening so much faster than even I expected. And for those of you know don't me, I do things pretty fast. I really did have every intention to wait longer but sometimes everything just falls into it's place like that's how it was meant to be and you just have to go with it. So that is what we are doing. We are walking through the doors that are opening for us.

Thanks Nina & Rob for being such great friends and for helping to open this door for us.

No regrets, Just Learning Experiences

There were those of you that thought us moving from where we were to where we are was an insane move, you might have been right. Of course we never would have known unless we did it. So we did it. No regrets. In the past couple of months there have been some things that have made us question staying here. Many to do with crime and questionable activity. After much deliberation, we have finally come to a decision. We will be moving again this year. Urgh! There I said it. I put it out there in the universe. The decision was not made lightly or easily. I really do love this house. Something about it just feels like home to me but that is simply not enough and I have learned in my travels that home is where your family is. This home is special to me because it was the first home that my mother was not part of...ever. It was just mine & Jose's house...well sort of since it is just a rental.

Those of you that know me really well know my thoughts on owning a home. Having owned my own home in RI and then going through a terrible ordeal with it, my thought has been that I am happy just renting. I want to be able to move and not be stuck. I want to know that if the schools my kids are in change drastically that I can move to a better district. I want to know that if the neighborhood that I am in turns out to be not what I expected that I can move to another neighborhood. These thoughts alone have made me not want to own a home. I put so much into my house in RI. When I lost it, I lost everything with it...all the money, all the hardwork...just as if I was renting. So why bother?

So what's changed? Well we have been lucky enough to have met a pretty amazing family that have become really incredible friends of ours. They live in a community that I consider to special...in a good way. The first time that we went to their home we were amazed at how beautiful and spacious it was. That was just the beginning. Slowly, we started finding out more about what their community offers that is different from all the rest. The more I learned, the more I liked it. What has had me stumped for a short time is that they don't have regular rentals there. They have rent to own homes and they have houses for sale. Those are your choices and frankly, I didn't know that I was ready for either. Until I learned more.

Their rent to own is no regular rent to own. Typically with a rent to own, you put a downpayment against the house and you sign the contract for a set amt of years and when the contract is up you have two options. You can either carry that money over to new extended contract or you can leave but you lose that money. That money was for the sole purpose of the house and if you aren't buying the house then you lose the money. So if you put $5000 as a down payment, you lost it. And sometimes the prices of the rent to own can be much higher because a percentage is factored in to go towards the purchase of the home in the end too. All great ways to buy a house if you know you want to buy. Not so appealing for me. This rent to own works differently. This one you put a one month deposit like you would on any rental. Your rent is the same as it would be anywhere else...maybe even better and during your first year 50% of your rent goes into an account for a down payment.

Just so that you understand my logic, I am going to give y'all specifics. We are now renting a three bedroom, one bathroom house with the square footage of a about 1100. We pay $790/month. In a comparison, the other community has a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house with the sqare footage of about 1400 for $799. And there is more. Our current home, being that it is 100 years old, has barely any closet space, no dishwasher, no garbage disposal and not in a community so we don't have the added perks of a swimming pool, play ground, basketball courts or club house. The other community houses have walk in closets in each room, all the new amenities, the community perks of swimming pool, ect. And that is just the side by side comparison. If you go outside that exact comparison, you see more. We are actually looking at the 4 bedroom, two bathroom and it's almost 1600 square feet and its 849.00 so we would be paying $60 more for all that and more. In our current home, when we leave we take our $790 deposit with us if we are lucky and that's it. We have nothing else to show for it but it has been nice. In the other community, $424.50 (if we go with the four bedroom) of our rent each month gets put into an account for our deposit. At the end of the first year, we will have $5094.00 towards a new home with that money alone and we weren't paying any extra. And yes, if we chose to leave and not buy we don't get to keep that money. That money stays because the purpose of that money was for the purchase but you haven't put anything extra than you would put in anywhere else and you aren't losing anything extra. This really has my interest. This is something I can handle.

One more thing that have not mentioned is that it's a modular community. It's not for everyone. It is not for people who want to outdo the Jones'. It is not for people who love big yards. It is not for people who can't live without a garage. It is not for people wanting to make a big profit. It is for people who simply want a home in a nice neighborhood with other hard working families. It is perfect for us. And the cost of the houses you ask? Well it all depends on the age and size of the house but they range from $20k-$60k. Damn ! That is the price of a car ! This is an example of one of their houses...

And just so that you get an idea for the space in these babies...here is an example of their kitchens (it's way bigger than my kitchen now)...


But wait there is more...If you want a bigger home, a smaller home, a newer home or a different home...you can trade it in like you would a car. You are not stuck. You have options and I am all about options...lol !