We finally came to an agreement on the house yesterday. The owners finally settled for 10K over our asking price and 20K under their original asking price. Compared to other homes in the area, it was way overpriced when we looked at price per square foot. Either way, we got it for less than I thought we could, so we're pretty happy. Our realtor is very agressive so it worked out in our favor. When we purchased our current house with him, he actually ended up making an offer to the sellers for less than we had decided on, but they accepted, so it really worked in our favor.
Anyway, the sellers won't be able to sign the offer until Sunday, so our option period will start Monday. We will have to do all the normal house buying stuff like getting the inspector and appraiser, but we are going to have to really forge ahead on getting some remodel plans in the works.
I am pretty sure everyone thinks we are crazy, including our realtor! But, this idea is just so crazy that it's going to work. The lot is so gorgeous - I will post some pics when I get a chance - that no matter what we will make it work. We want to add up to 1500 sq. ft. or as much as we can afford. In order to figure that out we really need to have some plans made up and some contractors look at them. So, this brings us to our next major hurdle. Finding an architect to draw up some official plans. We have spoken with one who we had mixed feelings about, and so now we are on the hunt for more. We just have to call them and set up some meetings, and I really think this is going to be quite the process. Thankfully they have their portfolios online so we can see right away if we like their style.
We have a meeting this morning with another contractor and his architect so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Paul really wants to make sure we are able to put the plans out for bids by contractors, so it may be best to find an architect who is not directly associated with a contractor.
This really is going to be an experience. I told Paul that if we make it through this without getting a divorce that we're in it for the long haul for sure! Just so you know, we both laughed!
I'll keep updating as we progress along!
1.30.2009
1.26.2009
Our Next Adventure!
I've been hesitant to write anything about this in case we changed our mind or things didn't work out, but I guess it's time to tell everyone what we've been scheming about behind the scenes.
For a long time I've wanted a bigger yard and we are entertaining the idea of having one more child. If we do have another baby we'd like to have a 5 bedroom house (need a spare bedroom for all our out of town guests), and I still want that yard! So, I started looking around for houses and found a nice little house with a beautiful yard that is about 2/3 of an acre, but it's too small - only 3 bedrooms. So we looked at it and really loved it and started thinking that we might be able to get it and remodel to make what we want for the same price we could get or build a new 5 bedroom home. And none of the new builds have anything close to the yard this one has. We researched, talked to contractors, read online and looked at the house again.
We decided to make an offer on the house yesterday and we are still anxiously waiting to hear from the sellers. They've already turned down one offer and had one offer fall through, so I'm hoping 3rd time's a charm! From what we understand they are a retired couple with a ranch somewhere in Texas and a home in Costa Rica so I'm hoping they are ready to get rid of the house!!
The house is great and we'd love to add a second story if we can. It has a nice layout, but it's really the yard that is so great. It's got big trees and backs up to some heavily wooded property owned by other neighbors who got together to purchase it so nothing would be developed on it. It would be so perfect for the kids to be able to play out there all the time.
So, as I write this I hope I'm not jinxing the situation and I hope we hear some good news today - I'm sort of expecting a counter offer and that if they were going to say 'no' we would have heard last night. If we come to an agreement I'll post some pictures, but I don't want to get too excited yet.
For a long time I've wanted a bigger yard and we are entertaining the idea of having one more child. If we do have another baby we'd like to have a 5 bedroom house (need a spare bedroom for all our out of town guests), and I still want that yard! So, I started looking around for houses and found a nice little house with a beautiful yard that is about 2/3 of an acre, but it's too small - only 3 bedrooms. So we looked at it and really loved it and started thinking that we might be able to get it and remodel to make what we want for the same price we could get or build a new 5 bedroom home. And none of the new builds have anything close to the yard this one has. We researched, talked to contractors, read online and looked at the house again.
We decided to make an offer on the house yesterday and we are still anxiously waiting to hear from the sellers. They've already turned down one offer and had one offer fall through, so I'm hoping 3rd time's a charm! From what we understand they are a retired couple with a ranch somewhere in Texas and a home in Costa Rica so I'm hoping they are ready to get rid of the house!!
The house is great and we'd love to add a second story if we can. It has a nice layout, but it's really the yard that is so great. It's got big trees and backs up to some heavily wooded property owned by other neighbors who got together to purchase it so nothing would be developed on it. It would be so perfect for the kids to be able to play out there all the time.
So, as I write this I hope I'm not jinxing the situation and I hope we hear some good news today - I'm sort of expecting a counter offer and that if they were going to say 'no' we would have heard last night. If we come to an agreement I'll post some pictures, but I don't want to get too excited yet.
1.13.2009
Only a week left . . .
From slate.com:
Being able to laugh at yourself is a rare quality in a leader. It's one thing George W. Bush can do that Bill Clinton couldn't. Unfortunately, as we bid farewell to Bushisms, we must conclude that the joke was mainly on us.
1. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004
2. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."—Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000
3. "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"—Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000
4. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."—Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
5. "Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican."—declining to answer reporters' questions at the Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001
6. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''—Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001
7. "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense."—Washington, D.C., April 18, 2006
8. "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."—Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005
9. "I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."—discussing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as quoted by the Sun newspaper, June 27, 2007
10. "And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq."—meeting with Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008
11. "We ought to make the pie higher."—South Carolina Republican debate, Feb. 15, 2000
12. "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
13. "And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it."—speaking on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
14. "We'll let our friends be the peacekeepers and the great country called America will be the pacemakers."—Houston, Sept. 6, 2000
15. "It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."—Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000
16. "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."—U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 3, 2000
17. "People say, 'How can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil?' You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
18. "Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness."—CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000
19. "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend."—on the prospect of visiting Denmark, Washington, D.C., June 29, 2005
20. "I think it's really important for this great state of baseball to reach out to people of all walks of life to make sure that the sport is inclusive. The best way to do it is to convince little kids how to—the beauty of playing baseball."—Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2006
21. "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."—LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
Share this article on DiggBuzz up!Share this article on Buzz22. "You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war president. No president wants to be a war president, but I am one."—Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006
23. "There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, 'I don't want you to let me down again.' "—Boston, Oct. 3, 2000
24. "They misunderestimated me."—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000
25. "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."—Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
Being able to laugh at yourself is a rare quality in a leader. It's one thing George W. Bush can do that Bill Clinton couldn't. Unfortunately, as we bid farewell to Bushisms, we must conclude that the joke was mainly on us.
1. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004
2. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."—Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000
3. "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"—Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000
4. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."—Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
5. "Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican."—declining to answer reporters' questions at the Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001
6. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''—Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001
7. "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense."—Washington, D.C., April 18, 2006
8. "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."—Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005
9. "I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."—discussing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as quoted by the Sun newspaper, June 27, 2007
10. "And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq."—meeting with Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008
11. "We ought to make the pie higher."—South Carolina Republican debate, Feb. 15, 2000
12. "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
13. "And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it."—speaking on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
14. "We'll let our friends be the peacekeepers and the great country called America will be the pacemakers."—Houston, Sept. 6, 2000
15. "It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."—Arlington Heights, Ill., Oct. 24, 2000
16. "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures."—U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 3, 2000
17. "People say, 'How can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil?' You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
18. "Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness."—CNN online chat, Aug. 30, 2000
19. "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend."—on the prospect of visiting Denmark, Washington, D.C., June 29, 2005
20. "I think it's really important for this great state of baseball to reach out to people of all walks of life to make sure that the sport is inclusive. The best way to do it is to convince little kids how to—the beauty of playing baseball."—Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2006
21. "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."—LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
Share this article on DiggBuzz up!Share this article on Buzz22. "You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war president. No president wants to be a war president, but I am one."—Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006
23. "There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, 'I don't want you to let me down again.' "—Boston, Oct. 3, 2000
24. "They misunderestimated me."—Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000
25. "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."—Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
1.09.2009
Christmas 2008
Christmas is a wonderful holiday, but I think my husband put it best - 'Christmas morning is like giving your kids a drug overdose'. It is so true. The toys, the excitement, the toys, the wrapping paper, the music, and the toys. There is so much new and wonderful stuff that they don't even know what to do with it all. There is no sharing of any kind and letting another child even touch or look at their new toy creates a meltdown that the neighbors can hear 2 doors down.
We had a very generous Christmas this year. My parents, brother, sis-in-law and 2 1/2 year old niece were all staying with us to celebrate. With everyone in the house plus gifts sent from relatives who don't live here, we had an absolute drug overdose of 'new stuff'. The 3 kids played together so wonderfully that they lost interest in eating (except Sophia) and sleeping (also except Sophia). They did not want to go to bed, they woke up early, they would only eat if the food was consumable within 2.5 seconds, and they did feel a bit territorial over their toys.
Sophia likes to push stuff around, Thomas likes to put small cars into his new garbage truck and big wheel, and Isabella likes to undress dolls and color. Kids were running everywhere at all times and Isabella was a little overwhelmed by all the action at times. There were fights, a fall down the stairs, crayons smashed all over my kitchen floor, food everywhere and toys even more everywhere. I am still finding odds and ends that I"ll have to send home to respective owners.
Despite the craziness, it was really wonderful to be together. Many people don't have a family or the opportunity to be together at the holidays. In the past year I attended the funeral of a young soldier (son of a teacher friend, also a husband and father) killed in Iraq, had a friend pass away from complications related to skin cancer (his wife died of cancer several years ago and he left behind a son), and 2 other friends died (one unexpectedly in an accident and then his wife died about 6 mos later of pancreatic cancer - they have 2 daughters in college). The experiences of losing all these friends made me realize how lucky I am and how important it is to spend time with the people who matter most, even if it is completely chaotic and crazy. I would rather have that than an empty, lonely house any day of the week! Here's a few pictures of the 'new stuff' overdose.
We had a very generous Christmas this year. My parents, brother, sis-in-law and 2 1/2 year old niece were all staying with us to celebrate. With everyone in the house plus gifts sent from relatives who don't live here, we had an absolute drug overdose of 'new stuff'. The 3 kids played together so wonderfully that they lost interest in eating (except Sophia) and sleeping (also except Sophia). They did not want to go to bed, they woke up early, they would only eat if the food was consumable within 2.5 seconds, and they did feel a bit territorial over their toys.
Sophia likes to push stuff around, Thomas likes to put small cars into his new garbage truck and big wheel, and Isabella likes to undress dolls and color. Kids were running everywhere at all times and Isabella was a little overwhelmed by all the action at times. There were fights, a fall down the stairs, crayons smashed all over my kitchen floor, food everywhere and toys even more everywhere. I am still finding odds and ends that I"ll have to send home to respective owners.
Despite the craziness, it was really wonderful to be together. Many people don't have a family or the opportunity to be together at the holidays. In the past year I attended the funeral of a young soldier (son of a teacher friend, also a husband and father) killed in Iraq, had a friend pass away from complications related to skin cancer (his wife died of cancer several years ago and he left behind a son), and 2 other friends died (one unexpectedly in an accident and then his wife died about 6 mos later of pancreatic cancer - they have 2 daughters in college). The experiences of losing all these friends made me realize how lucky I am and how important it is to spend time with the people who matter most, even if it is completely chaotic and crazy. I would rather have that than an empty, lonely house any day of the week! Here's a few pictures of the 'new stuff' overdose.
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