May 3, 2015

Holidays and House Hunting


Throughout this past winter, I became more and more obsessed with the idea of buying a house. It's something we've always hoped and planned for with a deadline of kindergarten enrollment a year from now, but Little Smith is so anxious about change that I really would love a full year to get settled, and maybe launch him into grade school with a few familiar faces. I have been stalking real estate listings as a hobby for years, but my intensity ramped up so much in recent months that James had no choice but to take it seriously and climb on board.

Owning a 'single family house' has been a lifelong dream for both of us house enthusiasts, but as luck would have it, we ended up locating ourselves in an area where that is no small feat. Add an extremely hot market to an already outrageously priced locale, and it's basically stomach turning to attempt to buy anything. Houses are snapped up the moment they list for well over asking. Anything that needs work is grabbed by 'flippers' with all cash deals, anything that doesn't need work is flooded with dozens of offers. It's all fast and competitive and very intimidating for a family like ours, without a small fortune buried under the mattress.


After a few heartbreaking (perhaps a spoiled use of the word when referring to housing, but that's how it felt!) twists and turns, we were starting to lose hope and decided to run away and celebrate Easter weekend on Martha's Vineyard. We took advantage of the off-season rates and splurged on a water view suite and a fancy holiday brunch. We never stay in hotels, and Little Smith kept asking if we were going to sleep in our tent and wandering down to the lobby in his pajamas, as though the whole place was his own personal home away from home. 

We took long walks on the beach, celebrated Easter with a big island egg hunt, strolled into town for dinner and stayed out late, by some miracle the kids even slept in one morning. Everyone was happy and light and everything felt easy. I can see why people do occasionally travel without camping, what a breeze!


We came back refreshed, the way I always want to feel at the end of a vacation, but rarely do. Then predictably, once we relaxed our focus, we got the thrilling news that a house we thought had slipped through our fingers was destined to be ours after all. Or it will be, at the end of this month!

We are so excited and freaked out and overwhelmed that I am finding it hard to visit this blog. As things are looking more and more certain though, I am feeling the urge return. What better a place to voice my deep conflict over levers versus knobs and best methods for stripping copious quantities of wallpaper... this is going to be fun!

18 comments:

  1. Oh yay!!!! Congratulations!!!! How exciting for all of you!!

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  2. Wonderful news! We are in identical shoes and feel that this process has aged us quite a bit. The market is fast and it is exhausting. Congratulations and I hope everything goes smoothly!

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    1. I hope you guys catch a break as well! This market is so intimidating and stressful! Good luck.

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  3. Congratulations!

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  4. Your house news is incredible! Congratulations!! Selfishly, I am hoping this will means lots of reno and design thoughts on the blog in the future :)

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    1. Yes! That's the plan! There is lots and lots to do. Thank you :)

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  5. How wonderful! Congrats to you on getting the home you wanted. :)

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  6. Congratulations, that's so exciting!

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  7. That news arrived at a good time! While it did cut your vacation time short, at least you’re on your way to achieving your goal. Anyway, I hope you’ll be able to share what happened after all the dust have settled. Good luck!

    Benny Daniel @ Finlay Brewer

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  8. We all have plans and expectations for our own dream house, though there are times when it slips from our grasp due to a number of reasons. Good thing everything worked out for you in the end. Anyway, I would love to see what you guys have planned for your new home. Keep us posted!

    Devin Newton @ Indy Market Homes

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  9. You have a consistent sense of ambition; training all your focus on getting a home, and making sure that it's a really good buy. It is something that a lot of us have dreamed since we were young, and still remains as an enduring symbol of agency and independence all over the world. Cheers!

    Naomi Walters @ Chicora

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  10. I really feel for you with your struggles to buy a house in a difficult and competitive market. As a former mortgage broker, I've been on the house buying journey with many families. It's always so good when all's well that ends well, as appears to be the case for you. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you all.

    Vincent West @ Emily Cassolato

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