After two years in our rental, we were more than ready to change our address. The neighborhood was less than pleasant as was the property management company. We were thankful that the home had met our needs while we needed it, but we were hopeful that we could find a new location to call home. And the hunt was on...
In the beginning, the idea was simply to find another rental for a better rate and in a more appealing neighborhood. We had done some looking on our own and decided to enlist the help of a realtor. The realtor we chose was actually one that we had almost signed a lease with when we originally relocated here. Her name is Jodi and she is well acquainted with the area and the housing market. We explained to Jodi what we were looking for and though she was willing to help us with rentals, she very much encouraged us to consider buying. I will say, we didn't believe we were ready, but Jodi was able to demonstrate to us that we'd actually get more for our money by buying. Not being ones to turn down a good deal, we decided to shift our plan. :-)
We began our house hunt a little early. Last year we had tried to leave the rental, but the market was so hot and competitive that we simply could not act fast enough to secure a property. This year, things were just as competitive so we figured we'd have to look at and lose a few properties before we'd find a suitable location. We toured about a dozen homes, none of which were either able to fit our large family or needed way too much work for us to even consider moving in. We were thankful we had time ahead of us because the search felt like it would take a considerable amount of time. Not many homes on the market would fit our family size as well as our price range and the homes were selling like hot cakes!
About two weeks into the search, a listing popped up in my email. I read it over and immediately called John. I told him that the details weren't super clear, but it seemed like it could work for us and the neighborhood was good. I urged him to call the realtor to set up a viewing--that was Thursday afternoon. Friday morning we were inside the home and trying to decide if we could make the layout work for us. While we were there, another potential buyer showed up and sat on the porch while we finished our tour--steep competition in our price range. We left the home with a few questions, a couple of things to think over, and the knowledge that if we even wanted a chance with this purchase, we'd have to decide fast.
That night was long and frenzied as we were in several conversations with our realtor and loan officer making sure that this was a good fit all the way around. I even ran out to see a new listing at 8:30 that night, just to be sure that we were headed in the right direction. After everything that we could know was known, and prayers were said, we made an offer. And then a counter offer. We made our last call to the realtor at 10:30 pm and we didn't go to sleep until midnight. The night seemed forever long.
The next morning, we awoke, not nearly refreshed and somewhat uneasy. As we worked out way through breakfast, we concluded that time was on our side, we did what we could, and if this was meant to be our home, all would work out. And then the phone rang. Our realtor was calling to check on us. She acknowledged that the previous night was long and wanted to know how we were feeling. She asked if we were still feeling good about having put an offer in on the house. We told her with certainty that if God willed us to have that house, it would happen. To which she responded, "Good because they chose your offer out of the bunch--the house is yours! Congratulations!"
I have to admit, we were a bit shocked. But we were pleased. And God is good. All the time.
We spent the rest of the day pontificating over the changes ahead. It was mid May--about a month earlier than when we had anticipated securing a home. As a matter of fact, it was our anniversary. God gave us a wonderful gift. We needed to plan and prepare for a move but this move was going to be different than any other we had made before. A key factor in our offer being accepted was that we would let the current owners rent back after the close of the deal for one month. So though escrow would close by mid June, we would not move into the home until mid August when our rental lease expired and our "tenants" moved out.
And then the planning began in earnest.
This move was the most challenging move we've had to date. I contend that it is easier to move a long distance while using a moving company and having to have everything ready to go with a hard stop on a particular date than it is to move yourself locally. This move was complicated in planning and execution as we were packing and cleaning in one location while simultaneously cleaning and readying the other location. Talk about burning the candle at both ends!
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| The boys painted their bedroom |
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| Our first "real meal" in our new house :-) |
And while we are still relatively new here and don't have a great social network yet, the people here are amazing! The men in our church small group instantly booked our moving weekend on their calendars so that they could be sure to help. The older boys scheduled time off of work and when news got out that we were moving there was an influx of volunteers from the groups that our boys are involved with. We had more physical help in this move than ever--it was such an unexpected blessing, and so very helpful because moving a large family is
loads of work! And I do mean loads--it took us three and several carloads! We rented the largest U-Haul we could get and for two of the loads we had help, the third we did alone because we had to return the truck on time and there was still that much more at the other house. It was an exhausting 24 hours of sweaty work.
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| Everyone got in on the moving effort |
Even once our things were moved in, much work remained. The house needs work (think sweat equity) and so the process will be long and consuming but we are pacing ourselves as much as we can. Some of our projects have pushed themselves up to the top of the list, which has honestly been stressful, but God is good and all is working out--often in ways we could not have anticipated. We have visions of the end result and those visions keep us motivated. Plus, when something is accomplished there's a thrill and a joy of being able to enjoy the result. We're all pretty excited to be here.
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| This is what breakfast looks like after 24 hours of moving, sweating, heavy lifting, and not nearly enough set up. |
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| When you move on Saturday and don't make it to church on Sunday, but thankfully due to technology today, you can watch church on your deck |
So now, we have a new location, a new address, a new routine--
lots of new! It's a good thing. We really needed it. And though the process will be more of a journey, we are ready to put in the effort. The refining work is worth the trouble. :-)
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| It's a good thing we had a table set up on our deck--it's where we had our first dinner once we moved in. |
Early on in the process, the Lord put a verse on my heart for this house, and it's become a bit of a theme for us. It's a promise and a hope filled message for the days ahead--whatever they hold. Let the new chapter begin!
Isaiah 43:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
