Could this be The One?

Despite it being cold and cloudy this past Sunday, we found a house that we both truly love. But then the questions slowly rolled in…

It's slightly out of our budget, so can we make the jump? Does it really matter that there's a giant power line tower on the property? Does the fact that it's the perfect house, in the perfect school district negate that we can't add space onto it? Will this be enough room if my mom moves in? Will anything have enough room if my mom moves in RIGHT NOW?! Will the perfect house for right now, be the perfect house in 5 years? 10 years? 

I'm all for compromising, but I've also all but convinced myself that this house is The One. Funny how one conversation with my mother, turned into something I desperately want to take back. 

Next weekend's adventure will probably consist of homes that have even more square footage, but probably a little further out from the Atlanta perimeter. Five bedrooms is still a bit daunting, and a far cry from the three-bedroom Kit House I originally pictured. 

Might be the only way to fit people in...

On a brighter note, we made an informal call to our bank for a mortgage screening. Together, we were tentatively pre-approved for a home in our budget. It is a relief to know that we have been looking in the right price range, and that we have a bit of breathing room with what we want and what we can afford. 

Knocking Down Walls

This Saturday was our first outing looking at potential future homes. I decided to be open on this excursion, since my partner said that I might be too rigid in what I want. Well, to my surprise…

We looked at five homes  in the Brookhaven/Chamblee area. They 1950/60's ranch style homes, and three of them had additions and major renovations done to prep for sale. Upon walking in, I could see us moving into four of the five houses. Troy however rejected ALL of them. Who's rigid now?

Of the renovated homes, one was much more well done than the others. It felt cozy and I got excited thinking about landscaping and painting. However, that was when I created my first home-seeker rule. 

Rule #1: When you walk into a house, and immediately want to knock down more than two walls, it's probably not for you. 

I found myself wanting to tear down a multitude of walls to create a more open living room or bedroom or basement. That's a lot of wasted drywall. So maybe the goal is not to find "the perfect house", but the house with the least amount of major changes.

The one house Troy could've approved was more along my preferences: two story, big main floor and basement. However, I'd much rather have four nice-sized bedrooms (with full closets), than five tiny ones without. 

After this first field trip, we decided to broaden our search areas, adding in properties in Smyrna and Vinings, in addition to Dunwoody, and Sandy Springs. Although if a nice abode in Chastain Park opens up, call me first! 


Our new additional criteria are: 
Solid four bedrooms, 2,000+ square feet. 
If there has been additional construction, it must be quality construction. 
No crazy basement graffiti, or abandoned dirty cottages on the property.
The house must not be in a gully (water damage). 

First Meeting with our Realtor

One rainy afternoon, two people drove to their realtor's office, starting their official search for a home. 

Prepared, they had a list of 10 features that they wanted for their perfect future house. Then, sadly, the realtor said, "So you basically wanted what everyone else wants."

Crushed! This was going to be a bumpy ride. 

We looked at listings of homes that had been recently sold in our preferred areas, to get a better idea of what our budget could actually get us. The truth: some scary sh*t….

Sitting in the office, I started thinking that whatever house we purchase will need to be 50-75% repainted and remodeled, and that's just cosmetic. We didn't even discuss structural repairs (HVAC/plumbing/insulation/ landscaping). I'm praying we don't have to replace a roof or water heater anytime soon. Although, that would free us up to install a tankless water heater….

Another big factor that we included in our search was that the ouse had to be in a excellent elementary school district. I openly admit I have no clue what to look for in this realm, besides parent reviews. An elementary school-aged kid probably won't be in the picture for another 10 years. Can you project which schools would be acceptable that far in the future?

The moral of this story is to go in with realistic expectations. When your agent is openly saying that there are some junky properties that are being sold above your budget, then maybe I should be buying that DIY manual sooner rather than later. 

Mine and Yours Forever

I don't like the idea of a "Forever House." It might just be HGTV jargon, but the idea of living in one house for 30+ years is a bit far fetched. At the rate that cities are growing, and the rate that people are switching jobs, people are more likely to have a house as an investment and not for forever.

Bringing me to our latest development, the possibility of purchasing a home versus renting for the next 5 years. This info graphic is cool, but may be a bit off. They definitely need to update their rental rates by area...

For the most part, all of our friends are home owners. We've been told that if we can afford to rent a $1,400+ month-to-month, we can certainly afford a house. With the housing market as it is, and the easier qualifications for first-time home buyers, buying should not be as daunting as I'm taking it. Even if we are a little behind the curve when it comes to a realistic timeline.

Do we have the salaries? Yes. 
Do we have a good down payment? Kinda.
We originally promised that we wouldn't buy a house until we were both out of student loan debt; a goal that is about 7 years away. At that point, we would look for a home that had ample space, in a good school district and we would have accumulated enough assets and credit that we wouldn't have to worry about loan approval.

I'm hoping the reality and some deserved optimism will find a balance in the coming month. I just created a list of must-haves for our "potential future home." Things we were looking for in a rental are now placed in the category of either "must have" or "can be added/remodeled later." 

Could this really be our "forever" home? 

A Million-Dollar Fantasy

Last night was the season finale of Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators. Yes, interior designers in LA are probably more extravagant that my little Atlanta apartment allows; but the show is a fount of ideas. In between Craigslist listings and internet trolling for an available/acceptable house, I've picked up some elements that I am excited to bring to our new home, in some form or another…

1) Oversized Mirror
This mirror is only half for vanity. Using oversized mirrors makes small spaces bigger, not only by bringing in dimension, but also by reflecting light. 

2) Gallery Wall
From all the different art festivals around Atlanta, Troy and I have picked up a number of small sized prints that would be great in heavy frames. I love that it brings together interesting odds and ends, and have them looked polished and intentional. 

3) A Deep, Dark Color
I like things clean and polished, but this dark navy blue wall is so great. It adds a deep richness to a room, and can be lightened by white/modern elements and also antique/rustic elements.

4) A Relaxing Neutral
Our bedroom is room where I'd like to spend more time. Now, our bedroom is very dark because we only have a sliding glass door that's always covered, no windows. A little more storage and a cozier feel is what I'd like to accomplish with this space. 

I think these are good starting points to incorporate. Of course with a rental, we'll most likely run into limitations on changing the property. But, these four points will be easier to swing that any type of remodel.