Every morning I wake up, get the kids off to school and hit the treadmill. Then I sit down at the computer, eat breakfast and check my email. Lately, my most-anticipated email is the "AutoHotSheet" from my realtor, which lists the houses that have gone on the market (or adjusted their prices) in the last 24 hours. I eagerly open the files, tour the homes from the comfort of my own desk chair, and either mentally reject them or add them to my ever-growing spreadsheet of homes.
That part isn't so pathological. I mean, I'm excited. We're moving to a new part of the country, buying a new house, starting a new job, and finally finishing the schooling phase of our lives that began when we were five years old. In 23 days we'll be out there, shopping for a new house. I should be excited about that, shouldn't I?
The unhealthy part is that I have a list. Right now it has 22 houses on it. It's ranked in order of how much I love the houses, based both on the pictures I've seen and the extensive scouting and research time my realtor has already invested in us. Every day, as soon as I get the AutoHotSheet email, I check my favorite MLS numbers like they're winning lotto tickets or part of some elaborate religious ritual. When I enter the number and the corresponding house appears, I cheer, but when I enter the number and get nothing, I mourn. I even mourn the houses I only kinda like, because I'm hoarding my options right now.
This week has been a mourning kind of week. There's one house I've been watching ever since the "AutoHotSheet" emails started pouring into my inbox last fall. It was new (but not plagued with the horrible two-story rooms I hate), the right size, the right location, and it had (and still has, I suppose) a totally killer kitchen. I've held it at arm's length for most of the winter, afraid to let myself like it too much, but last week I allowed myself to fall head over heels in love with it. I'd been looking at it for five months, I figured that it would last for four more weeks.
On Monday morning, I entered the number for the little green house and nada, it's gone.
This week I had a short but intense fling with another hot little house. It was fun while it lasted, but I have a feeling that it won't be returning my phone calls.
The planner in me, the one who runs the numbers obsessively, needed to start looking back in October, needed to get a mental picture of the neighborhoods in her mind, needed to have something to fill this endless last year of fellowship. But the romantic inside me who falls hard should have waited until March to start looking.
I keep hearing it's a buyer's market out there, but it doesn't feel like much of one today. When we were looking for a house we knew we'd live in for three or four years and then sell, finding the perfect house wasn't that important-- it was more like finding a summer fling-- to fill a purpose for a set amount of time. But this next house could be the house for eternity, or at least for the next forty years, and I want the available pool of bachelors, um, er, houses, to be as large as possible. This time I want to have the power to reject, and not to let another dream house get away....
16 comments:
I bet it has to be so hard to be house hunting from across the country. Can't wait to hear when you find the perfect house.
That is so funny, I do the exact same thing. I love the parallel to men, so funny.
hopefully you'll find something even better!
they "claim" it's a buyers market. but having just signed a contract on our first home, it sure didn't fee like one. our sellers weren't willing to compromise on price at all or pay our closing costs...
I know how you feel as we're still renting. I imagined hopping into a house post medical training would be a lot easier than it's turned out to be. Good luck!
Hi! I've been reading your blog for awhile now and haven't left a comment. I can totally empathize with your right now. Last year at this time I was doing the same thing every day, all day! The two houses I loved online sold right before we went to look. I was crushed. However, I love the house we ended up buying. You will find a great home. What an exciting time for you guys...it's been a long, long road. Good luck! Jenna (and Matt)
Loved this post. Don't have anything witty to say, but loved it. Good luck in your house hunt.
hugs!
=P
I totally envy the phase you're in. We're still trying to move back to a part of the country we love.
Best of luck!
I'm sorry Shelah. Maybe it willf all through like so many sales do? One can hope.
P.S. - let's plan a GNO. I would totally finagle a way to get out to Houston...
shelah i have totally btdt. only i was doing it for FOUR different locations b/c i didn't even know the exact location (i know you remember me bugging you about YOUR town!) a year ago today i was flying out to TN b/c we found out we were going to NONE of those places and after all that work and dreaming we were on to location #5! LOL! (which btw had much fewer options than the Houston area did!) gl!!
I remember going through that same process. The bright side is that by the time you get out there, there should be even more choices, since peak listing time is coming.
I hope you find the home of your dreams!
Hi! I am the mother of 5 kids and pg with #6. I am a runner too. How do you find time to read all of these books?
Julie--
Glad to hear from another runner! As for finding time to read books-- I read a lot at night after the kids are in bed, and give them lots and lots of opportunities to entertain each other (and destroy the house!). Glad you stopped by!
I was impressed when I saw your famous sheet! Was this the one that was too good of a deal? Sorry again!
When do we get to see pictures of your Harrison Ford?
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