It’s official! We just (like two minutes ago + the time it took me to type this) received the call from our agent that said the contract was signed and now the due diligence period will begin.
YAAAAY!
Whew! Last week, when we heard that another agent called in with an offer, typically people go into a highest & best bid situation. Which would have been bad for us…seeing as how we already put our highest & best on the table. There is no doubt that we would have been outbid. But since the listing agent told those people that we were under contract (even though we technically had nothing signed!) it REALLY had Jeremy & I hoping that it would actually happen.
And believe me…we are still in shock that we could be dream-home-owners in a little more than 1 month!
Now comes the hard part. The house is a foreclosure and since we will be doing an FHA loan on this one (vs. a 30 year fixed mortgage) the FHA requirements mean that we have improvements that will be made prior to closing. And let me tell you…it’s what my mother called “a bruised whale”. Basically it is one heck of a house…huge (way bigger than we currently need) but has been through an ordeal. Our real estate agent said that sometimes people who are in foreclosure situations tend to scalp the house of things that they could sell. He said (and I quote)…”it looks like the house was raped”. Which is really one of the most ugly words in the English language. It’s painful and sad.
It’s kind of sad to think that it is a foreclosed home in the first place…I mean, we always think of foreclosures as an abandoned or stolen puppy anyway. Either way…it’s a home that needs a home. And this one was pretty battered. We can see that it is a beautiful house….full of potential but the previous owners took things like the light fixtures, door locks, the water heater, appliances, (probably selling them or trying to get their money back on purchases when they knew the bank would take over) and left this big ole whale of a home feeling a little bit…well…stripped of her former dignity. Of course, being DIYers, we can see right past the lack of ‘stuff’ and the bad paint and the ugly lighting and see our dream. She (this next home) can provide things we love and that money can’t buy for our current home (which by the way is a boy)….acreage in a safe, quiet neighborhood, lots of natural light, and most importantly, privacy.
And since this house was on the market for quite some time and it had some damage done during the Georgia Floods about a year ago, it definitely needs some improvements. AND CLEANING. Man – is it dirty! But the good news is that we have the rest of our lives to clean it up and make it our own. Of course, since this house is sooo different in style, we are going to have to adapt our current style to fit in with the tall ceilings and big moldings. But you know we are up for a challenge 🙂
So what comes next? Well, first thing is that we will have to get the electricity, gas, and water turned on over there. Then Jeremy, our real estate agent Buddy (who specializes in foreclosures), and one of our friends (who does home inspections and repairs after disasters) will go to the house and assess EVERY SINGLE thing to see what needs repaired, replaced or installed. After that the FHA inspector goes to the house and performs his own separate inspection. Then the report that the FHA guy creates will be contracted out to be repaired…so the house will get a new water heater and cheapo lights wherever there is empty electrical boxes. We are praying that the FHA repairs will be MINIMAL because we won’t be in charge of hiring the contractors, finding the best deals, etc….so the cost can add up quick. And that cost is rolled into our loan amount. And the other deal breaker is structural or mold problems…which we don’t foresee popping up…but it is always a possibility.
This stuff is all supposed to happen…and happen quick! So by the end of January the FHA repairs will be made and we will be closing on the new house.
What are we doing with our current house? (**tears**) Well, we will live here until we close on the new house…and then if it doesn’t have any offers or serious interest, we plan on renting it out. Since we currently live in an great school district, the rental market is great. And our real estate agent can prep us for a renter so we feel very blessed to have him on our side. Plus, we might be forced to make this decision that could possibly work out for us in the long run. When the market turns around, we could sell our current home and actually get back what we put into it.
How can we afford two homes? Even though we were approved for both homes, we definitely can’t afford two mortgages. And since Jeremy’s income is partially commission based, we are UBER-frugal about our living expenses…as in, we don’t spend more than his base salary. EVER. In fact, when we move into the next home, we plan on cutting back MAJORLY in our spending. Like no more cable, or eating out, or my cell phone….we even are considering becoming a one-car-family until we figure out how expensive our living costs will be. But anything worth having is worth sacrificing for, right?
So what does our tightened belt mean for home improvements? Well…it means that they will be slow. They will take time. They will be little by little and bit by bit. It’ll happen like it happens for the majority of people reading this.
What will we do first? We hope to install a fridge (a dishwasher can wait) and replace the carpets in the four bedrooms and repaint some rooms with the leftover paint we already have. But FIRST, the place needs a cleanup. That first week after closing, I will probably be going over to the new house EVERY DAY to clean…just so that we can move our stuff over there. Then we will be closing up the basement airtight (another cost saver) and working on Jeremy’s office. Jeremy is all business and so our goal is to make the transition for him as seamless as possible. Then I plan on working on Will’s room and then finally the downstairs bathroom. Yup…that is my plan for 2011.
How can you help? Well, first and foremost, you can keep doing what you are doing…encouraging us and praying for us. You guys are awesome at that! Even if this new house doesn’t work out, we want to be walking that long and narrow path that The Big Guy has planned for us. And we want to continue being the best parents we can be for Will. That’s it for now. I’ll let you know if we need money for food 🙂
Congratulations! I remember so many overwhelming moments as we purchased our house, worked out a renovation plan, and dove in… but as I’m sure you know, it’s worth it. Good luck!
Congratulations!!! What an exciting time for y’all!!!
Congrats Katie! Great post. I really appreciate how honest you are. I know you and your family will have a wonderful life in that new house of yours!
WOOOOO TO THE HOOO!!!!!
As an owner of 2 homes, not by choice, it’ll work out. We planned on having 2 mortgages for a bit, but not for 3 years. I think God is teaching me to be patient and to budget! After finding our dream home in the mountains with room for the kids to run, we had to rent out our house in the city after it didn’t sell. Renting is a bummer because renters don’t always care for the house. Our renters were pretty good, but we still had to work on the place for nearly a month before putting it on the market again. It’s been up since April, but I just want to encourage you that God does watch out for you. Even though our city house hasn’t sold yet, I’m amazed each month when I have money to pay 2 mortgages and feed the kiddos. He does provide. And boy…you learn to find the deals! And it’s so worth it when the kids get to play in the snow outside for 2 hours!
Hi Katie,
Is you offer at least contingent upon inspection? I urge you to get radon and mold testing done before you go to closing. You could be out tens of thousands if find out these issues later. Especially with the past flooding damage.
I think it’s great you are ready to take on the challenge of fixing the home up but it worries me a bit for you the way you are talking about how stripped the house is. I would hate for you to find out something down the road that is fundamentally wrong with the house, even if you do get it for a good deal up front. I’m not trying to be the gloom and doom person, but you might wonder why the selling agent is so unethical (not showing it to the other couple, which I know you think is good for you but is actaully illegal). You might wonder if they are just rushing to get a contract through because something is being hidden. Just please do your due diligence! I wish you the best.
Wow! Congratulations! Sounds awesome and scary all at the same time. Best of luck in the due diligence and here’s to hoping that the FHA inspection goes smooth and easy. And that they find cheap (but good) contractors!
I wanted to send some encouragement your way about cutting back on expenses. We have been through some hard times in the past 2 years since we decided for me to stay home with our son. And that means making hard choices. We only have 1 car, we have regular TV, and we have a text only cell phone plan so that we can keep in touch with each other while my hubby is at work. Of course, I still have a house phone and it’s much cheaper than a cell phone plan. People think we are crazy because we have cut back so much but it has honestly been worth it. All of that other stuff doesn’t mean a thing to us. What is important to us is our family. And it works for us. So as long as you set your minds to it, and remember what is most important to you…you can do it. Congratulations on your new house. I’m so excited for y’all!
Yayyy!!! So exciting 🙂 I can’t wait to see REAL pictures of this house!
Hey Katie,
I work in the foreclosure department at a bank and I want to give you a small piece of advice. I’m sure that the bank that owns your dream house wants to sale it as bad as you want to buy it. When the FHA guy goes in there to see what needs to be done his report will be assigned to that house for 6 months. So, anyone that attempts to buy it with an FHA loan will have the same problems that you may have. If the bank is really eager to sale the house then they may really work with you on the repairs. What I’m trying to say is that all of the repairs are not your responsibility. There is plenty of negotiating room. FHA will require those repairs to be done in order for the house to sale. So, if the bank is motivated then they will help with those repairs as much as possible. We are often presented with an amendment to a contract asking us to do repairs, and we usually do them so that the property will close. It is more worth it to us to finally sale the house then to continue to have carrying costs. I know this is rambling. I’m sorry. Please email me if you have any questions! I’m really excited for y’all!!
Hey Katie! We’re about to close on a gigante foreclosure of our own come Dec 20th – also in incredibly rough shape (read: no running water, all aluminum electrical and a foundation that takes you through incredible highs and lows… and that’s on the second floor!). So, I’m with you sister. Congrats!
Congrats!
This reminds me of that Diane Keaton movie where she “inherits” a baby and moves into the big fixer-upper house. I think the moral of the story was that it’s a lot of work and adjustment, but worth it in the end. =)
Congratulations! I included the link to our house-blog (it has no pictures of my son and is public, unlike our invite-only blog about him!) where I will soon be chronicling our improvements to our soon-to-be-closed foreclosure home in TN. We also got an FHA loan but didn’t have pre-closing repairs to make. We did have to purchase a washer, dryer, and fridge that will be delivered the day after we close.
My husband and I plan to spend the night in our sleeping bags in the house while SCRUBBING it down. Thankfully the previous owners didn’t damage anything, but it was left D-I-R-T-Y!
We’ve budgeted for all the planned repairs/improvements, and since it is a newer home (8 years old), we hope to not come across too many un-planned ones! We’ll start by painting my son’s room (he’ll be 18 months old when we move in, and this will be his first real, decorated room….white walled apartments are a snooze fest!) with low-VOC so that we can get his crib in after the paint dries and settle him into his new home!
Then we’ll tackle the open-concept Dining/Living room – Entry – hallway, master bedroom, guest room, guest bath, and finally the kitchen (painting walls and cabinets). After all painting, we plan to rip out the (nasty stained, but not damaged) carpet and put in a floating hardwood floor all throughout the first floor. Things that we can wait on but want to do include re-tiling both bathrooms and the kitchen (which all have sheet laminate now…ew!) and re-carpeting the bonus room (the upper floor over the garage).
It is a lot, but almost all DIY, which will help our budget.
We are so excited and are so inspired by your style in your current home and the coloring in the Petersik’s homes that we hope to decorate our own with a pinch of yours and theirs to make our own style!
Congrats on getting the contract, and welcome to the foreclosure journey!
I bet you are thrilled! Please give us real pics ASAP! I can’t wait to see this new girl (house)! I know you said “she” was a different style…I love your current house so will I LOVE this new house? How big is she? How many bed rooms how many bathrooms! What does seal off the basement mean? How many square feet?
~ Ali
That’s so exciting, KB! Congrats, continuing to send good thoughts your way!
Congratulations!!!!!!!!! If anyone can make it beautiful you guys can!! Can’t wait to see pics. 🙂
Congrats! We moved into a foreclosure about a year ago. And much like yours… it was EMPTY. No interior doors, they ripped out the carpet and along with it went the base boards too. There were no appliances – at all… and we are still without a dishwasher. (make sure to get some good moisturizer!) It is slowly but surely becoming the home i want it to be. So good luck- looking forward to seeing your progress!
How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to see the house.
Since you are going frugal- can you post tips to your readers??? We recently had our second child and money is really tight!
Thanks and good luck.
Congrats Katie! I hope all goes well. There are so many great couponing blogs out there… I read dealseekingmom and frugalcouponliving they let us in on great deals.
How does a fha loan work? Do you need to do this kind of mortgage for a foreclosure? Is this a dumb question? lol thanks Katie & best of luck!
That is so great! I was hoping it would work out. Budgeting is so fun. We are on a strict one now. We have made it fun though. I’s a competition between me and the hubster to see how much who saves the most at the grocery store. I’m in the lead. 🙂
Just remember God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Good luck on the grueling details. Can’t wait to see pictures! I have a soft spot for homes that have been battered and bruised.
CONGRATS!!! So happy for you!! Can’t wait to hear all the details in the weeks ahead!
Oh no Jennifer…I don’t think it’s rambling at all. In fact, we went over the way it worked many many times…we were approved for a loan that is a 203-K (for all you non-loan-people a 203-K is a streamlined rehab loan…meaning that they let you borrow up to $35K in repair money to be added to your mortgage amount and then you get to make the repairs) so we want FHA to do the major stuff…but then we want to do the ‘lipstick’ ourselves…like the things that we would have a preference on. I’ll definitely let you know if I have any questions – it helps to have an expert on our side 🙂
xo – kb
Congrats Bower Family! I am very impressed with how dedicated y’all are! Always an inspiration to read your blog! Good things come to those who wait!! Yay!
Yes Lin…it is definitely contingent upon inspection. Which is exactly why Jeremy is doing it with Buddy and our pro friend…vs. a regular home inspector…we are definitely going the above-and-beyond route when it comes to double and triple checking things. We also plan to have my brother (who is a master plumber) come out and check everything that a normal home inspector would miss when it comes to the new water heater and pipes.
As for the selling agent…I know. I think they worded it craftily…basically not saying the words “it’s under contract” but more like “it’s a waste of your time to send in any other offers”. I think that she might be just lazy…but this house has been on the market for a long time and they probably REALLY want to get rid of it.
Also – thanks for the tip about the radon testing…we will definitely add that to our list 🙂
xo – kb
eeek! I’m so excited for you right now Cassi! Good luck!
xo – kb
I’ll have to include that information when I show ya the real pics!
xo – kb
a GIANT congratulations to you! Can’t wait to see what it looks like, warts and all.
sounds exciting!!!!
and just so you know if you have to get rid of a vehicle! it works:) we only have one vehicle and at times it has made me grumpy but also at times it has saved my day:) i love the fact that when hubs is gone. I can’t leave. (if I leave I’ll go spend money:) lol.) but no really. When the pick-ups gone I know that it means – today is spend at home day. get done EVERYTHING that you can! or else its the day I invite a friend over for a coffee:)
CONGRATS BOWERS!!! How exciting 🙂 I can’t wait to read about all the little details and repairs as you go through this process! Plus…how exciting to be able to bring some “love” to a foreclosed upon home. For some reason, homes seem so sad to me when they have been stripped like this…you will be bringing new life!
Such exciting news! I’ve been praying for you guys.
But I have to say… Rape? Seriously?
my family has owned properties and done that whole renting thing and it’s not easy at all. in fact, it downright sucks sometimes. you might be better off selling that baby. it is in a great neighborhood and others will definitely be looking, so don’t give up on selling yet.
yeah. really.
Congrats! I am so excited for you guys and so excited to see what you do with the new house! I bought a foreclosure nearly a year ago and it was much the same way- stripped to almost nothing. It’s been an experience, but a fun one and I don’t have all the DIY experience (and expert helpers) you guys have. Good luck with the inspections!
Congrats!!
Not sure if you know this, but both Home Depot and Lowe’s offer 10% off coupons when you move- just head to their websites and fill out the form… annnnd if you hit up the post office, they have more Home Depot coupons there…
Happy Moving/Shopping/Cleaning/Re-decorating!
Katie, good luck on the house I am looking forward to what I know will be an amazing transformation!
That being said… I am also compelled to also comment on some of the words used in this article – Raped? Battered? Stripped of her former dignity?
My husband and I are also reluctant owners of two homes. Nearly two years ago, we found our dream home, but couldn’t sell our home at the time. We did have a very easy time finding renters (one ad on Craigslist brought in over SIXTY requests for more info!), and the same family has lived in our former home for the past 22 months. For the most part, it’s been a good experience. Although, I will warn you that, come tax time next year, it will be much more complicated since your home now will be considered an “income property.”
Good luck – I’m praying for you!
I was shocked at the word he used too…but I think he meant in the archaic sense…which according to dictionary.com means “the act of seizing and carrying off by force”.
xo – kb
Like I said before…our real estate agent used that word and I believe he meant it in the archaic sense…which fits…as does battered. and stripped. I know they are hard words to hear because of the natural associations but if you saw what the previous owners did to the house, you would want strong words too. This is not to say that anything that can be done to a house is as evil or as harmful as what is done to people though…
xo – kb
You should look into 203K loans — it allows you to finance the repairs into your mortgage, up to $35,000 if you go streamlined. We live in GA, used BofA for ours, but Wells Fargo does them too. Really helped with our Grant Park HUD home renovations.
Woah! that was quick. Buying houses here in the UK takes ages.
I thought it was quick for us to buy our place from start to finish 4 months.. with no chain.
Good luck, and happy frugal living! :o)
xxx
I am excited to see the new house–and to see you guys restore her and love her. As for budgeting….it can be kind of fun. We gave up cable a few months ago in preparation for becoming a one-income family next spring, and it’s kind of nice. We use Netflix (the on demand through the PS3 is kind of freaking awesome) and Hulu for our television viewing, and haven’t missed cable one bit.
oh, whoops! I see you are already doing a 203K loan. Good on you!
Frankly, I’m also surprised your agent used the word “raped” to describe the house, for a few reasons:
1. It implies that if something (a woman, land, a house) is raped, then that woman, land, or house is in awful condition, and difficult to rehabilitate. If that’s not offensive/upsetting, I don’t know what is.
2. He assumed that you were not a rape survivor, or that if you were, you would not be upset by that usage. I don’t know if you’ve been raped or not (I certainly hope NOT!), but I have been. And if my real estate said that to me, there’s a good chance that I would a) be very triggered at that moment, possibly resulting in a PSTD flashback, or b) have negative associations with that house forever after.
You’re right. It’s a strong word. It’s a painful word. It’s a sad word. And there are better ones to use.
Congratulations!!!! We are desperately hoping to find a home just like this!
IN YOUR FACE HATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “Bahahahahahaha”!!!!! Katie, hows that for karma? My mantra is (and always has been) good things happen to GOOD people!!!! You are a great person who is putting your personal life out there for the world to see-daily!!! And trust me, your REAL readers appreciate it! I love your blog and anyone who doesn’t can simply “SUCK IT!!!” You have an awesome personality and you constantly have me cracking up!!! Trust me, there are blogs out there who are commercially popular and they are sooooooooooo freakin’ boring! But you, your writing tugs on the heartstrings of so many people – me being one!
Congrats darlin’!
xo – Noelle
Hurray! SO excited for you all. It sounds like it’s going to be a crazy project, but like you said, you’ve got forever. 🙂
Hi Cate,
I am soo sorry you went through that. And I don’t believe he was trying to imply anything…he’s just very old and probably was saying it like the word “plundered”.
xo – kb
I know everyones entitled to their own opinion, but really the way the house was described as ‘raped’ is not that bad, its a complete different context and some people are old school in the way they describe things, take it as a pinch of salt people, open your mind :o) xxx
Congrats katie 🙂
Congratulations! That’s so exciting 🙂
I have been reading your blog for a little while now and just wanted to say how much I enjoy it! I actually live in Australia and look forward to reading your posts each morning.
Your recent post on blogging made me realise how much the positive comments mean to the writer/bloggers day. I guess I knew that anyway but you saying it reminded me that we need to put our positive comments and thoughts out there rather than just thinking it.
So keep being brave, thank you for sharing part of your life with us and keep taking awesome photos! (I’m a photographer myself and I think you are REALLY talented :D)
Congrats again on the house. I look forward to seeing you transform her!
xo – Paula
A home is like a family member so I can understand the feeling of leaving one place for another, but hopefully this new house will be yours after all things have been done and set. Eventually this house will become your home and your new family member in a soon future.
Good luck with everything it looks wonderful on the picture!
You guys are smart cookies. I am very jealous of you getting a new house and going on this new adventure. Good luck!
katie! how exciting for you, the boyfriend, and the little man! many prayers for this new transitioning time for you (sometimes it seems like life’s one big “season” of transition, huh?) :o)
and, i don’t think i’ve ever commented on your blog before, but i just feel prompted to say a couple things in light of your exciting (!!) home news and your recent post about the not-so-nice aspects of blog writing.
first, you are just lovely! i love how you wear your heart on your sleeve and put everything out there: good, bad, or ugly. you’re honest, unguarded, and genuine and its SO refreshing. i know that everyone isn’t totally themselves on the internet, but you seem like you’re trying and i so respect and admire that about you and this blog!
second, us gals can be a little quick to speak here in the blog world. we would never dream of walking into your home and saying to your sweet, hospitable face some of the snappy comments or knee-jerk responses we so easily type out here on your blog. and there’s no friendly body language or gentle tone to soften the blows and the words aren’t gone in a moment, they’re here for you to come back to and dwell on. that’s pretty unpleasant ladies.
anyway, i just want to say thanks for being who your are, doing what you do and how you do it here at bower power. please don’t change a thing! i wish you all the best with your home-buying/selling/renting/ renovating (plus keeping up the wife-ing and mommy-ing!) time ahead. you’re a gem!
ps: the world will not cease spinning just because your real estate agent is old and uses some less than choice words. please keep on telling it like it is. :o)
🙂 Hey, you must be so happy!
Before I closed on my current house, which is new, I was going after a foreclosure. I was also going in with an FHA loan – so I had to go through the inspection and repair process. I know every state and every house and every inspector is different, but my two cents –
The inspection lasted less than an hour, the inspector didn’t even go up on the roof – the only thing they were concerned about was visible chipped paint on the exterior siding and/or windows, and they wanted a faucet (that leaked when turned on) replaced. It was so minimal – I was shocked, I thought they would be very, very picky. This house needed all new EVERYTHING, the kitchen sink even had a hole in it!
In the end I decided against the foreclosure, but it was a learning experience. I sure hope everything goes smoothly for ya! Man do I know how stressful it can be! 😛
Congrats on getting to the next step! Thoughts and prayers still coming your way for the next part!
Congratulations! Thank you for being so open and honest about your financial situation. Sometimes I see home blogs and think how on earth do they afford all this?? We’re down to one income while I’m at home with my own ‘baby’ (my fledgling business) so it is hard when I still want to work on our home. It’s really refreshing and inspiring to see someone who is doing it slowly and frugally, just like the rest of it.
Keep keeping it real and I look forward to following your adventures in the new home.
I 2nd that! Waiting to see the house on YHL was torture…now I have to go through it all over again with ya’ll:) Congrats…sending prayers your way. One day at a time…
I’m not sure I could give up cable….or for me satellite. But, I am what you might call an “extreme couponer”! It’s kind of an obsession, but it has literally saved us hundreds of dollars. Have you ever checked out southernsavers.com? It literally changed my life- seriously! Like when I buy windex for $.12 – that’s right I said twelve cents!!!! Or how about brand name cereals for $.40 to $.50 a box?! That site gives you the “how-to” make couponing really work for you!
Good Luck! So happy for you and your cute family 🙂
xo- Carmel
Congrats! We bought a new construction foreclosure in March of this year. It is a great investment! Good Luck! And just wanted to tell ya I have been tearing up your bows from the how-to video you posted last year…and I have been getting compliments right and left! You rock KB!
Congratulations! I hope your FHA financing goes smoothly. We bought our house FHA, but it was just an estate so there weren’t any repairs necessary and our closing was only 45 days. It was a pain but hey, we got our house! Good luck!
CONGRATS!! Hope the rest goes well for you guys!
Katie, My dad is a realtor and I hear all the stories of people tearing apart their house once it goes into foreclosure. Good luck on your new adventure!! If anyone cam make it work I think it’s you. 🙂
Best of luck to you guys! I look forward to see the before and after pics!
Hi Carmel,
Oh yeah baby – I’m totally a Southernsaver 🙂
Isn’t the best?
xo – kb
I diddo that! 😀
I also wanted to send some encouragement your way. . I want you to know that you’re not alone in cutting back on expenses.
We have wanted a house for years, but we just don’t make enough money to buy one. We only make a combined income of just under $2,000 a month which isn’t a lot to live off of, but when my parents gave us thier ‘inheritence’ early (we decided to buy a forclosed home) we discovered it is actually cheaper to own than rent. We bought the house for $50,000 (mortgage) and spent $19,000 on making it livable- there was mold and water damage- BUT our monthly mortgage is only $300! We had been paying $678 in rent.
We still have to watch what we spend, we don’t have cable, we share a prepaid cell phone (we’re always together or at work anyway and it costs us $40/mo), we bought a old clunker for $1,000 instead of financing a nicer one, we shop only at thrift stores, use coupons daily, and we use the old washer that came with the house instead of buying a nicer one (our friends think were ridiculous for keeping it, but it serves it’s purpose. It is picky and I have to watch how much I put in it or I’ll end up wet vac-ing the water out when it refuses to spin out the water..haha).
Some times it hurts to see others doing well and spending thier money on nicer things, but I see it this way.. we don’t own credit cards and never have so we don’t have any debt, we don’t have a lot of stress about money or any arguments, we’re learning valuable life lessons, spending more time together and these memories of our first few years of marriage will be with us forever. We have a lot to be thankful for.
So keep what matters in mind when you start to feel low or pressured. There will always be people with more money than you and there will always be people with less money than you.
Congratulations on your new house. I’m excited for you, I can’t wait to see pictures and I’m looking forward to going thru the renovation process with you on your blog. This means I have another 3 or more years of good stuff to see and watch out for… Yay! 😀
well ……….. CONGRATULATIONS 🙂 , i was just a few days early when i first thought the deal was done , maybe thats coz i live in a different time zone than you 😉
best wishes and happy holidays,
s.g.s
Congratulations!! I’m so excited for you guys!! I can’t wait to see you fix this place up!! Yay!!
Congrats on the house! The picture of your husband and son in front of the tree is really neat. Would you mind sharing how you got the look?
Congratulations, Katie! I’m really happy and excited for you. And, for me, because I know we’re going to see some awesome reno posts in the future.
We’ve never used an FHA loan, but we’ve purchased three foreclosures and I totally relate to a house being stripped. So disappointing. Light fixtures, door knobs… crazy. My sil and bil’s home had all the doors and vanities removed. What in the world?
I could not believe that FHA did not require anything to be fixed on our foreclosed house… In some ways we were grateful but man, it would have been nice to have some of these things taken care of right away since our baby girl was born 2 months later! (In the new and lovely house I might add!)
AWWWW, yeah!! So excited for you, Katie, and the fam! Congrats times 1 million! Can’t wait to see the layout of the new place and see how you get down to business with the cleaning and the makeover. I’m also really curious to see the state of the house right now since you’ve described its sorry state–photos, maybe? 🙂
I just had to tell you that I think it is an awesome undertaking that you are up against but one so worth it for your family. With both of your talent, you will make that foreclosure sadness into a rich home! My niece purchased a poor little foreclosure home and with $1500, we transformed it into something precious for a young girl on her own. Her total payment with insurance and taxes is $250 which is all she can afford. I look forward to watching the transition and hope it all works out!! Here is the link to my blog showing our foreclosure transformation!!
http://creativedecoratingonabudget.blogspot.com/2010/08/foreclosure-rehab-update.html
YOU make your house a home. Congrats!!!!
Hi Heather,
It’s really just a matter of metering your exposure on the tree and keeping the lights in the room off…then after you get the exposure set, focus on the foreground people for a focused profile shot!
xo – kb
So excited for you all!! Way to put it in the Lord’s hands…you all are such an inspiration…setting your eyes on God and doing your best to remain in His will. Blessings to you all as you venture into this new home. I can’t wait to see how y’all remain thrifty in this move and as DIYers. Can’t wait to see how God continues to provide for you all!
Also, my in-laws just bought a foreclosure vacation home recently…they were expecting the worst, and were actually pleasantly surprised with the home. The previous owners had messed up “goofy” things…like knocking off the soap dish in a bathroom, etc. Mainly things that were easy fixes with a little tender love and care.
This home will be happy to have people who will love it as their “forever home”. 🙂
Blessings!
We did FHA too, so I sympathize with how stressful the house inspection process can be. We were nervous that the FHA guy would “find” a lot of stuff that we knew needed eventual repair but that we couldn’t get done prior to closing. Luckily the inspector only found some minor things. He wanted us to fix a step on the back porch, and fix a few electrical things in the basement that weren’t up to code. Whew. I hope you have as good of luck as we did! Also you won’t miss cable or eating out or even a 2nd car once you get in your new house. We cut all that stuff too, and I thought it would be harder than it was. It’s really not so bad.
Sending good vibes your way for the upcoming process!
Hooray and congrats! I’m super happy for you and your family!
Yeah! Congratulations, and I hope it all goes well, the inspection, etc.
I’m “re-inspired” (if that’s word). We are going to move into a small house (rent free…owned by my father) that needs A LOT of work, has no dishwasher, no microwave, no AC (in GA heat) w/o cable etc. and that will greatly increase my hubby’s work commute from 5 minutes to 45 minutes…all so that we can save much faster and hopefully purchase a home next summer. I was beginning to doubt my decision to make all these sacrifices of comfort and convenience, thinking maybe I was being impatient or over zealous to have a home of our own, and then I read your post. Right or wrong, at least someone out there is as determined and creative in their pursuit. 🙂 God bless you (and your soon to be dishpan hands) 😉
i feel as though stuff rolls through blogs in waves unintentionally all the time. you got pregnant, sherry got pregnant, half of the blogs i read got pregnant. sherry sold her house, you’re looking to sell her house and now five other blogs i read are on the same page. crazy :] but totally exciting.