House Hunters

I never believed people when they said that buying a house is a lot of work. Maybe I believed them, but I just thought that I wouldn't have to worry about it for a long time. Well, a "long time" is now and I am worrying about it. No one ever told me about all the hidden costs in buying a house, closing costs, attorney fees, inspections etc. Plus, apparently if you buy a foreclosed house there are even more costs, surveys and who knows what else. Then there is the worry about your loan going through, even though you are "pre-approved". Stress, stress, stress, they make it look so easy on HGTV. I want to be on House Hunters where you pick one of three houses and cut to three months later when you have remodeled and moved in. I knew it wasn't going to be that easy, but I never thought it would be this stressful.

Today we put in an offer on a house. If we were in Ohio it would probably be worth $50,000, but since we are in Chicago it is five times that much. It's a cute little place with cute little shutters and a picket fence lining the front walkway. It has three bedrooms, a bathroom, a nice kitchen and a great backyard for Leia. It is a great starter home, and I am really excited beneath my worry.

Why are we moving you ask? Well, less than a month ago we discovered that the house we are renting may be torn down, and the management company is no longer renewing the lease. The lease is turning into a month by month lease, and who wants to live month by month. So, in about a three week time frame we searched for houses online, applied for a loan, looked at about fifteen houses, drove by about six houses and decided we couldn't pass up the deal on this house. It was the cheapest and in the best condition. Now we have a possible closing date of Feb. 29th. That means that in about 2 months we found out we had to move, looked for and bought a house. Talk about stressful.

*** We wouldn't be doing any of this if it weren't for Derek's parent's help. Thank you for all of your emotional and financial support. We are very greatful to have you in our lives, and we look forward to paying it forward in the future.***

To my sister, this house is in Glenview which means it is about 25 minutes from your house. That means you will have to come and visit me :)