The Hunt is Over
Granted, I haven't written a lot of content lately about my usual topics - web design, Apple, crap television - but in my own defense, buying a house is right up there (at least in my mind) with marriage and having a newborn on the scale of life altering events.
For the first time in your life, you are no longer burning cash paying rent to some other person without building a nickel of equity in your own financial future. You no longer have to get permission to paint a wall, or replace a light fixture. If you want to take a power saw to a wall, or cut some skylights in the roof, you're free to do so. The house, to the fullest extent of the law, is yours to mold.
With that I'm pleased to write that Friday evening we put in an offer on the house we found, and adore, in Oakhurst. Two long days we waited, before receiving a fair, acceptable counter-offer early this morning. We raced over to the realtor's office, and with two quick signatures, the house is now officially "Under Contract."
The next few days will be filled with both mortgage shopping, and spending our evenings digging through stacks of dog-eared interior design / architecture magazines - ones I've been saving for years - to revisit some of the design ideas and inspirations I've had over my many years in renter hell. The long wait, and seemingly endless hunt, should be over within the next few days.
Comments
congrats! should take some before and after photos to keep track on your decorations...more things to blog about! ; )
Posted by: jim at April 21, 2003 2:07 PM
Excellent. Congrats!
Posted by: Bob at April 21, 2003 3:08 PM
Congrats! That is definitely a HUGE step and well worth taking time from your site. ;)
Posted by: ste at April 21, 2003 3:14 PM
Actually, that's not entirely true. To cut holes in your roof or take a power saw to a wall, you'll most likely need to pull a permit - a costly, time consuming affair.
You'll also be liable for the work that's being done meeting local codes, etc.
So much for more freedom.
Posted by: William at April 21, 2003 3:17 PM
Good luck with the new house. I live in the UK and getting on to the housing ladder is incredibly difficult here at the moment, house prices are sky high. My mum's house has doubled in value in the space of six years!
First time buyers like me have not much chance at the moment, its weird because sellers are waiting for a high enough offer to come in and the buyers are wating for the prices to drop! leaving the market in a kind of stalemate, which means the experts are unable to predict which way it is going to go! up or down.
Congrats and I definatly think Jim has the right idea about those before and after photos. :-)
Posted by: Paul at April 21, 2003 4:17 PM
Two days? In Southern California these things take a few hours. Have fun and be sure to get a good pen -- you're going to need it for the pounds of paperwork you and you're wife are about to sign.
Posted by: Greg at April 21, 2003 4:22 PM
congrats! I'm envious. I can only dream of the day where I'll be able to afford the downpayment to get a house.
Posted by: Stv, at April 21, 2003 4:24 PM
Congratulations. As an urban homebuyer, let me tell you there is nothing like being walking distance from your neighborhood stores. Suddenly, errands become a form of entertainment...
In addition to plenty of before pictures, save some written descriptions (whether from journal entries, email to distant family, whatever). Even a year from now you will like looking back at what seemed distinctive and wonderful about the house today, what things you thought you wanted to change immediately, and what you imagined your life in this place would be like. I saved an email describing our first impressions of our house (nine years ago), and every so often I look at it and laugh. We got a lot wrong, but we got more things right. It's a great adventure - enjoy yourselves!
Posted by: Liz at April 21, 2003 6:33 PM
Sorry Todd, I think I'll take a break from your up-til-now very enjoyable blog for a while. I have to put up with enough talk about mortgages and renovations and how-great-it-is-not-to-be-paying-rent even-though-I-now-can't-afford-to-ever-do-anything in property-obsessed Sydney without reading about it on the net too ... congratulations though, enjoy your house!
Posted by: Peter Gifford at April 21, 2003 8:54 PM
Congrats, Todd!
Let's see some pics!
Posted by: Paul at April 21, 2003 9:20 PM
When's the house warming party?
Will there be cocktail weenies?
Posted by: Drew at April 21, 2003 9:36 PM
When's the house warming party?
And, more importantly, will there be cocktail weenies?
Posted by: Drew at April 21, 2003 9:36 PM
woop. sorry,
delete first one.
Posted by: Drew at April 21, 2003 9:37 PM
congrats on the new home!
Posted by: sean at April 21, 2003 11:40 PM
Congratulations, Todd! Here's to home ownership! (from another sad renter dreaming of hacking at walls and throwing paint around)
Posted by: Si at April 22, 2003 2:21 AM
My wife and I recently just bought a home in a new development area - the house is only a year old and every wall is a clean white blank canvas. We are in dire need of some color but I've got a highter priority to put some lawn in my back yard, right now it's 2 feet of tumble weeds and I want to have barbeque partys. Todd, I look forward to hearing about your interior decoration experiments - my wife wants to decoriate like the rooms she sees on trading spaces - ugh! Congrats on the new crib and enjoy.
Posted by: Paul Mayne at April 22, 2003 11:59 AM
Todd, congrats! important homework although I have a feeling you already know.
Posted by: Gordon at April 22, 2003 6:46 PM
Great great great!! Congrats!! Now you really made me jealous. Hope to get there (getting a house) someday ;-)
Posted by: beto at April 22, 2003 6:51 PM
Bravo! And I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving us ("us" being the National Group of Renters For Life)...
Congratulations.
Posted by: mb at April 22, 2003 7:10 PM
Congratulations. I bought my first (only) house 2 years ago, and we're still renovating (it was what you'd call a fixer-upper), but it's great. If you're handy I recommend being brave and doing as much of your own work you can: you'll gain more satisfaction and probably put more care into it than a general contractor. Have fun.
Posted by: marian at April 22, 2003 8:13 PM
Yeah, I've owned 2 homes in wonderful locations. A nightmare, really. I don't recommend it to anyone. Renting seems like throwing money away, but in reality, it's freedom.
Invest in real-estate instead, but rent, don't buy!
Sorry to hear this.
Posted by: jason at April 23, 2003 8:47 AM
Congrats and make sure to secure a fixed interest loan, at least for 10 years ? who knows what's going to happen in this economy. Next thing you know, we might be facing an economic crisis on par with latin american countries.
Posted by: Eric Rolph at April 24, 2003 4:44 AM
Congrats Todd...
Having recently completed the "hunt" myself I can relate.... Closing next Friday. Found a house in a neighborhood I love... now the brainstorming/planning begins... I've got paint chips and flooring samples all over the house riight now.
Keep us posted on your progress.... we'd love to see photos...
FYI: A site that I've come across with tons of great info is the forums at thathomesite.com
Posted by: Wes at April 24, 2003 12:57 PM
I know is a late comment but I couldn't hold it back. I started reading your blog yesterday so I'm catching up with it.
Congrats for your new acquisition, doesn't it feel right? Now remember your home owner's ins. It's a must if you don't have the money to buy everything.
Congrats for your new child... I just had one.
Posted by: amarre at May 2, 2003 11:53 AM
