property virgins.

Well guys, I've been keeping a secret from you.
Last Sunday we put in an offer on a house...
...and by Monday evening, lo-and-behold, we had a deal!
We agreed upon a contract, signed, dated. {gulp.}
I was 'the excited one' up until Sunday afternoon, when 'we're really doing this' sunk in.
Now, Aaron & I have reversed roles for a bit.
I'm pumped, don't get me wrong. But the emotions that go along with this process are quite unique.
I've told others that we haven't exactly wanted to tell others {but, apparently we have been. some.} until we were more secure in our financing, until the inspection went well, and really, until we nearly had keys in hand.
{...like an expecting couple, waiting until the second trimester.}
It just feels like something could still go wrong at any minute.

I'd been worried about student loans {good debt. schmood debt.} and Aaron still being in school. But, when our loan officer told Aaron that he had never seen a credit score that high in someone his age, that's when it hit me -- this was going to be our home. sweet home.

It's been all God's timing...the opportunity presented itself to us and just could not be ignored. All of the pieces of the puzzle, the low interest rates {4.75%!?!}, the builder incentives, the "buyers market" right now, the federal first-time-home-buyer tax credit... just made it possible, economy what-it-is, for us to take advantage of these circumstances.

The builder, yes builder, this home is brand spankin' new... {holy cow} threw in lots of upgrades:
tiled backsplash in the kitchen, changing out the countertops, sodded backyard, garage door opener, fence, 2" faux wood blinds, oh...and ALL of the appliances in the kitchen. {major point on the pro's list. for sure}. Not to mention, they're covering $5,000 in closing costs.

Things we love about this home:
- tall 10" ceilings.
- large kitchen with a center island & pantry {unlike any I've seen at our price range. Most of the other places didn't have much more storage than we do now at our apartment.}
- master bath with separate jacuzzi tub + shower
- detailed woodworking on doors {random detail, but I love it.}
- ceramic tile
- gas fireplace
- huge garage
- huge closets
- bay window in the guest bed room
- "mother-in-law" plan
- landscaping
- and lastly, Real estate 101 - location location location. We may not be here for an extremely long time, so resale is definitely a consideration. I have no concerns about that in the future.

...I mean, how could we not put in an offer on this?
You're getting excited along with us, aren't you?!

The only thing we weren't crazy about, and hadn't planned on - our new pad is definitely in a "cookie-cutter" neighborhood. In the end, we realized that this is our first home - and we wouldn't be able to check off every single item on our wishlist. you learn that pretty darn fast.
But we were able to get the things we really wanted. We decided to go with an 'awesome inside' in exchange for maybe not being able to pull up in the driveway of a 1920's bungalow. We'll keep that in mind for our next big move, and maybe even have the time and equity to complete the restoration that we've always wanted to attempt. In the end, we still have major pluses... safe neighborhood, close to shops and restaurants, excellent school system, well-lit 'family-oriented' community, and sidewalks.

Someone once told us that buying your first home was as stressful as planning a wedding.
...They didn't come to our wedding.
I don't mean that to sound pretentious, I mean to say it wasn't as hard and stressful as I'd anticipated. maybe because we've been slowly saving and looking and learning the market fo a while now. {and I'm just a nosy person who likes to peek inside others' houses.} In the end, really, it's a lot of fun!

I'll post more pictures as we get closer. The inside is still "under construction" currently. But, we'll keep you posted on the progress...

love,
- the future homeowners