Oh, hi! Been a while since I posted, I know. This week has been absolutely crazy and I feel like I’ve just been running nonstop, plus not getting enough sleep, plus not keeping up with emails… plus definitely not keeping up with blogging. Oops 🙁
So, why all the craziness? Well, the usual part is that work is really picking up. But then the other part is something rather new: I am currently in the market for a house, and that is taking up a ton of time. My gosh, the market (or at least the market in the areas where I’m looking) is absolutely insane! Here’s a timeline of my Friday, to give you an idea:
1:00am: House in Louisville goes on the market and is listed in the MLS.
3:00am: I can’t sleep due to stress (ugh) and grab my Kindle to check the MLS for the billionth time and see what’s new. (You have to check it constantly, as you’ll soon seen.) I see the house and shoot off an email to my realtor asking if she can get us in.
9:00am: My (awesome) realtor is able to work with the owner to get us in at 2:30pm, when I have a break in meetings. The owner is going to be working from home and will be there for the showing, so I promise my realtor that I will keep snarky commentary to a minimum. I mean, this house looks like it’s going to be great, but the last time I thought that, I walked in to discover that the MLS pictures had cleverly disguised the fact that the owners had painted the stairway wall with trompe l’oeil murals of windows looking out onto the seaside, and had chosen to replace the master bathroom door with pink and purple swinging saloon doors that don’t really afford any privacy. WHAT?! (Though both of those “features” could be easily fixed.)
2:30pm: I go check out the house, and discover at least a dozen other realtor’s cards on the dining room table when we walk in. (Usually the realtors that show it leave their card there, so it gives you a good idea how many people have already seen it.) Furthermore, while we are there, two other realtors come with their clients to show the place. Sweet.
3:00pm: We leave, and I decide I like it enough to consider putting in an offer… though honestly, I feel like it’s a little bit overpriced for the small size. My realtor calls the listing agent to get the scoop, and finds out that they’ve already received multiple offers (yes, after being on the market for less than 24 hours) so I will need to make my offer in the next few hours, and definitely go above asking price. After a lot of hemming and hawing, I decide to pass… and also cut Louisville from my search areas. It is just really expensive there and it’s more for the location than for the homes itself, plus the style isn’t quite me (even though it’s really charming). I realize it’s actually totally my mom’s taste, which is why I gravitated towards it… but I have to choose what’s right for me, the person living in it.
…and then the game begins again with the new evening’s properties.
It is killing me that I will most likely have to make a decision within hours of seeing (or even learning about) a house… that is a really short time frame to make such a huge decision and financial commitment like that! But the other option is fun times like what I did this morning: where they put a house on the market on Friday, show it all weekend, and everyone has to submit their “best and final offer” and they pretty much just choose the highest one on Monday. No room for negotiation there – just bid high and give great terms to the seller if you really want it! I am currently debating putting an offer in tomorrow for a house I looked at this morning, and am glad that I get to at least sleep on it tonight… but that’s still not the easiest of situations.
To close on a positive note, I’m proud that I’m going after it and “engaging” to find myself a dream home! Home ownership has been one of my biggest dreams in life ever since I was a little kid, and I’m excited to be at a point where I can start making it happen. This is going to take a lot of work, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I’ve narrowed down my search a lot and gotten much more specific about what I want… so that’s progress. It may take some time (and a lot of happy hours with my girlfriends like last night, where I am flagging the waiter down to basically beg for any alcohol he can put into my hands), but I’m trying to remain confident that it will all result in me finding an amazing permanent home 🙂
The housing market in the Denver area is INSANE, but I’m sure you’ll find the right one and it’ll work out. And I think running routes is an important factor — if you live where you have to drive 20 minutes to run, that will get frustrating fast!
One thing I love about Colorado is that EVERYTHING is close to a running route… but I want to be close to a more natural one (i.e., an Open Space), where I can see animals and mountains and views 🙂
We had the exact same experience with a house in Louisville last year. We loved it but thought it was way too pricy for a small house. I am very glad we ended up in Denver, but we did do a LOT of searching before we ended up here. It is a crazy market out there.
I still find myself drawn to a few Louisville houses, but I know that if I saw them in person I’d be disappointed with how small they are. I am liking my chosen area of Superior!
First, congratulations on taking on the few, the proud, the in debt of homeownership! It’s a very exciting time! Second, the market in Denver/Colorado right now is insane! Rob and I probably saw 70 houses, bid on 12 of them, and had to make those decisions within in minutes of seeing the house otherwise we would lose it. Keep your chin up, and keep checking MLS like a crazy person. Best of luck!
Hearing you say that about how many viewings/bids you had makes me feel SO much better! People from other places have acted like I’m doing it wrong so it’s nice to know that it’s just how it is for everyone 🙂
So exciting!!! Can’t wait to keep hearing updates on your search!!
Thanks, Mollie – hopefully will have it by Blend!