This article/photo about what to do with the eyesore next door gave me a chuckle. Admittedly, the house on the right (which I assume, is what they consider the eyesore) is a little worse for the wear... But honestly, I actually think its less of an eyesore than the other two homes. At least it has decent bones and could be fixed up into a great home with a bit of work. The other homes are destined to be terrible forever, with no real hope for any aesthetic improvement. Obviously the people over at msn just don't share my opinions about design...Today we started moving into our new house... Its likely going to take us an entire month to move in, partly because we need to downsize our belongings and I'm hoping Craigslist will help us out. Still, today we were able to move all of the kitchen items (except a few dishes to last us) and most of our books. And of course, this being Seattle, we did it all in the rain.
Tomorrow is another move day... and hopefully a drier one!
Tomorrow is another move day... and hopefully a drier one!
Well, its officially official. C and I just signed all of the loan documents tonight!! We get the keys on Thursday and I can not wait to start measuring.... This tiny mid-century modern gem is absolutely livable as is, but I really can't wait to start remodeling. I've been running through a few things in my head, and will be sure to post some of them once I've got them on paper. Even though I'm really excited to start re-designing and remodeling, I'm sure it will be quite some time before everything gets done (or even started). In the meantime... it will be fun to bbq in the backyard!
A few images of some of the houses C & I have encountered while house hunting. I feel like Goldilocks because there is something wrong with every house... One house is too expensive, another is too dilapidated, another is in a bad neighborhood. We've been using a lot of gas checking out all of these homes!
Some things really are too good to be true. This house came on the market on Sunday and we had an offer in by 4pm. The house is in a great neighborhood and was very cute inside (but still in need of work), with an unfinished basement and a garage... everything we are looking for, and in our price range. We presented a good offer (significantly more than asking), but were rejected in part because we wanted to get an inspection. Apparently the owners decided that they would rather wait around for an even higher offer, and one that would waive an inspection. The sad thing is... they'll get it. I guess its back to the house hunt for us!
Even though we haven't bought a house yet, I'm still keeping an eye out for some stylish doorbells and house numbers. I've specified this Spore doorbell before... its a fun and very affordable solution!
Today, C & I were going to visit this (see above) home with our realtor. We've looked at a few homes on our own, but this would be the first with the realtor. Unfortunately, she called last night to tell us that the house had already been sold! It was so frustrating to know that we wouldn't even have a chance to look at it! The Seattle housing market is still so hot, unlike so many parts of the country... But, its a little scary that we could be buying just before the bubble bursts. Homes are still selling in 1-2 days and even more scary, they are still selling for 50K more than asking! That seems a little ridiculous, especially when you consider what you get for the price. Experts and locals don't seem to think the bubble will burst here in Seattle for at least another year, if at all. I'm just nervous that we could buy a tiny house for a huge price only for it to be worth half the selling price in a year.... But frankly, I'm sick of renting and know that we need to buy something soon.
Any thoughts on Seattle real estate?
Any thoughts on Seattle real estate?
Redfin (our go-to website for house hunting) has an interesting blog. I think it might be a bit biased, but its still a good read about Seattle Real Estate.
Well, the movers came today. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but of course there was still some damage. As I had feared the only damage on any of our belongings was to the only two items worth anything...The coffee table that I made has a huge chunk missing from the corner. When I have some spare time, I'll have to try and repair it.
And of course, just as I had worried... there was damage to the couch. Although surprisingly, the damage wasn't to the fabric or stuffing portion. The sofa arrived in great condition, and I watched the movers bring it into the apartment. And then just when I thought everything was ok, I watched one of the movers drop a metal leg onto the pavement, where is broke in half. So, now the couch is sitting on the floor until we can figure out a way to buy another leg or have one re-cast. Ugh.
So now, pretty much everything that we had in storage is now in the bedroom (of our one bedroom apartment), while we live in the rest of the apartment as if it were a studio. Its going to be a fun time while we hunt for a house to buy and a more permanent place to live! But, now that we've got everything back I have no excuse to not study! So I guess its back to the books for me...
We just met with our new realtor, and I actually feel excited to look for a new house with her. She's young, hip, and a friend of a friend... so I really feel like we're on the same page and that she's looking out for our best interests. Of course, only time will tell... but we all had dinner tonight, and I had such a good time. Plus, she thought that our expectations were realistic, and we have a good chance of finding just what we want (which made me feel better).
I definitely have a good feeling. Here's hoping!
I definitely have a good feeling. Here's hoping!
We looked at this house today after work... Its only been on the market for 3 days and they are reviewing all offers tomorrow.... I really wish that we had everything ready to make an offer, because we both agreed that this house is just what we are looking for... A two bedroom, one bath with an attached garage and an unfinished basement. On top of that, it had a fireplace, dining nook, and a kitchen that could use some cosmetic work. Perfect.
It was pretty much the perfect house, except for the price. There are already multiple bids on it, and the house is already at the top of our price range. In the half hour we spent looking around, 2 other couples also came to look.
We'll be spending the next 6 months looking for a very similar house, although it will probably have to be a more reasonably priced area. Here's hoping there is another house out there just like this. And next time, hopefully we'll be ready to pull the trigger.
So, today is the day we are supposed to be moving into our new apartment (the temporary apartment we stay at while we are looking for a house). Big surprise... its raining today.
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