Dream your dreams with open eyes and
make them come true.......
You all will never believe what I have to share this time! I am as mystified at the sudden events as any of you will be after you read this. You all know how much I like to decorate and re-do and change my space, right? Well here is a serious re-do endeavor....I am buying a house!
Many of my single girlfriends were either in a house or on the hunt. One of them in particular felt it was time for me to become a homeowner too. I knew what I wanted. I felt like being around a lake was my calling which also kept me near my work. But I felt inclined to look where they lived. Most of them had come back to the city where I grew up and the prospect of living there was pretty enticing. Believe me, when I decided to make this move I had every intention of giving the different cities equal consideration. However my hometown is in a hot market, overpriced and in a situation where I do not see the maintenance of the city being on the upside. And, too, the inspiration for my decision came from a chance call from a realtor that I had spoken to about a year ago who called me on a whim to tell me about a cute cottage size house that had just hit the market. That call was about all the things I wanted in my next house...near a body of water, small town but with the comforts of the big city nearby. And above all...it must be charming!
So while I was perusing online ads for homes I really was just looking at the market to see what the possibilities were. This realtor had been contacted by me months ago when I took a chance to ask a couple questions about a home at that time that was on the market. I told her I was only browsing but had to know the specifics on this one occasion. She remembered me and called me right around the month that my lease was about to expire. She told me about a home that was a "cottage" type and she remembered that is exactly what I was interested in. After we hung up the phone I decided to take the short drive to the house she was talking about and instantly...I fell! I surveyed the neighborhood, drove around the block to the city park with the pond and walking trail, and took note that a lake was within a mile distance away with privileges. I actually held my heart as I pulled into the parking lot of the park, exited my vehicle and took a comfortable seat on a bench within it. I noticed the tennis court busy with youngsters taking lessons, the basketball court abuzz with two teams of men in their thirties, moms with strollers walking the paved trail around the perimeter and the sounds coming from the nearby pond..you know...frogs, crickets...and the like. The sun was high and the sky was blue and the grass was green. This was a beautiful place and I felt connected to it. Suddenly I decided I wanted this.
A few days before someone from FHA contacted me to remind me of a program that would assist me in being a homeowner. I scoffed at the plan originally as the woman reiterated the ease of utilizing the program she described. But now as I sat in that park I was in a thought frenzy...how could I make this work? Am I really a candidate to buy right now? How much would a house payment on a home that costs X amount of dollars really be?
Next day I was doing some serious math. I calculated every home I found online that interested me using their mortgage calculator. I contacted the agent about the house I had seen that day I decided to pursue my dream. She informed me that the house was already sold ..in a record 4 hours! This only excited me more and before I knew it I was out the next weekend looking at 5 homes all within my price range. If I wanted to make this a dream come true...I would have to act quickly on anything that came up that I was interested in and fit my price range.
Fast forward to today in September and I am in the middle of the mortgage process. All the documents I needed to prove my worth were already accepted. My realtor and I are waiting on a waiver to allow the lender to sign off on some things that required attention at the house I am buying. The appraiser had pointed out some places where paint was peeling and a map had to be drawn pointing out the location of the well and septic on the property. Once that document is logged in we are good to go and within a few weeks I will be a proud new homeowner.
I am over the moon for my little piece of heaven. Its a 990 square foot 2 story bungalow/cape cod style. It has two bedrooms and a large bathroom, extra large kitchen and a mudroom. The living room is wide and short, kind of interesting floor plan and features vintage touches that show it's history. There is a basement which suits me great because there is no garage and I need a place to store the things I love that in the past I have been forced to get rid of.
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| This is one of two house on the blocks..that's the way this neighborhood rolls. The neighbor keeps their yard beautiful and since I have only one neighbor I do not feel crowded. I think the porch could use a swing and the windows some colorful planter boxes. Don't you? |
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I love the layout. Some may see the dining room being an obvious place for eating but
I would like to put my contemporary sitting area on one end and my vintage sofa and
other furniture pieces on the other end. One day I will enlarge the window on the right to a picture
size. for now..I am happy with the vintage flair of the crown molding and the wainscoting.
And some day...I will look into getting real wood floors back in here.
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| The bathroom is a bit too contemporary for my taste but it is sound in its electrical and plumbing for now. Someday a claw foot tub, vintage floor tiles, a dresser re-purposed as a vanity and perhaps a nice window over the space there would be something to look into. The big closet across from the tub provides lots of storage space....more than at my townhouse. This room has great bones! |
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| This kitchen was updated by painting the cabinets this warm cherry color and granite counter tops were added. A great start. I intend to change the color of the cabinets to a warm cream color and build a fancy island/storage out of an old dresser. A nice chandelier over it and add some pretty pendant lights over the peninsula/snack bar would do wonders for this room. |
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| Notice all the wonderful light steaming in from outside? This attracted me immediately to the kitchen/mudroom area. I think I would like to place my china cabinet, as seen in previous installments of my blog, on that right wall. If I could change one thing..it would be to add a door perhaps a dutch door, to the opening between kitchen and mudroom to sort of seal off the basement entrance that is right there by the window in the mudroom. It may be needed to retain warmth in the winter, even with the upgraded vinyl windows throughout the house. |
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| I did not know how much I wanted a mudroom until I saw the one at this house. Someone was smart about the floor treatment choice and installing the organizer! Finally I will be able to empty out my car trunk of all the picnic items and beach equipment! Fate read my mind! And, yes that is granite on the sill there. Notice how clean and fresh the entire first floor looks and it is so bright with all the windows! |
I had been visualizing this event for the past two years. I had even shared with my best friend that I had made up a visual board with pictures and writings glued to it that encompassed what I wanted, what I wanted it to look like and what my plan was to make it happen. I heard brides did this prior to getting engaged and then in wedding planning. I knew it felt right for me to do because I had also read the Book of Secrets that says that if you want something badly enough you have to visualize it to make it come true. I guess that book was right.
So now as I prepare for the day I will actually close on my mortgage and take possession of the keys to my kingdom I am beaming with joy! I felt an emotional attachment to this place as soon as I entered the front door. From the big comfy porch to the cute and quaint living room, to the extra large kitchen which will allow me, for the first time in 5 years to keep and store all the things a good cook really needs, to the back yard with its cute tool shed...and all for the same price
per month I am paying to rent!
I am not saying home ownership is for everyone but it will certainly agree with me. And even though the house is just fine the way it is I can see the potential to put my mark on every room in this place and not have to give it up as I would with an apartment or other lease agreement. Being able to put to use all the years of planning and dreaming and doing will now make a difference in my surroundings and in my life. I cannot express the depth of my contentment with the future I am beginning to build and will continue to build over the rest of my lifetime.
Every decorating decision I make will be worthy of this blog and I look forward to sharing with you the little changes I will be making to each room.
Stand by...this dream is about to be mine. I am so glad you are here to witness it and I hope you will share your comments.
With kind regards,
Kimber
