Real Home, Real Debt, and a Reel Mower

Greetings! I apologize for not posting in the last few months, but our lives have been absolutely crazy!! We hit the house hunt hard and heavy beginning in April, and we are finally happy to announce that we found our perfect home! But that doesn't go without saying that the hunt itself was brutal, often causing fits of rage and buckets of tears.

We started the search in Kansas City's most charming of neighborhoods, Brookside. While I was excited, I was also anxious because the price range for first-time home buyers and the price point in Brookside don't necessarily match up perfectly. However, we quickly learned that quite a few bungalows were being purchased, flipped, and sold at affordable prices. It didn't take long before a cute-as-a-button bungalow came along in our price range. We viewed the property at the same time as a cute little yuppie couple. Needless to say, my competitive streak was raging :) We decided to go the responsible route and get insurance quotes and crime reports for the area before making an offer. Well, responsibility decided to bite us in the behind because while we were researching, that cute little yuppie couple put a contract on the house...less than 24 hours after it was listed! We were floored...confused...and sad.

After Shane dried my tears, we decided to turn the hunt on it's head and went perusing the quaint and quiet streets of outlying Johnson County, specifically Gardner, KS. Growing up in a small town, we appreciated the old-style barber shops and five-and-dimes in Gardner. As luck would have it, we found a terrific Victorian that had been restored with modern amentities. We had that feeling...this was it! We were meant to be urbanites no longer. Then we got the call...their agent informed us that there were two other offers and the sellers were making a decision that evening. We panicked and made an offer. What happened to that buyer's market we had heard so much about? I guess every other buyer in the KC metropolitan area had heard about it as well. We lost the bidding war. Stupid gorgeous restored Victorian...here's to hoping you're haunted.

Fast forward three days after the Victorian heartbreak. Rehabbed bungalow in our old fave, Brookside. Three bedrooms, two baths, fenced yard, corner lot...and a finished basement! Could it be? Room to expand, a brand new kitchen for Shane to invent his culinary creations, and a man cave for him to escape to while I'm cleaning up his creations. We had hit the jackpot, and we knew it. We jumped and jumped fast. Two viewings in one night, contract by 11:00 p.m., negotiations by 9:00 a.m., acceptance by 11:00 a.m. We had done it. Taking note from the cute little yuppies, we offered, bargained, and bought a house in 24 hours. Match, point.

Ahhh...no more late nights searching the online listings...no more pointless viewings...no more negotiations. It feels good...really, really good.

We'll be moving in throughout the month of July, and we've started a list of must-haves. At the top of the list, a lawnmower. I'm pushing for a reel mower...the engine-less antiques that are making a comeback with the Green movement. However, Shane wants the convenience of a gas-powered mower. Looks like we're back to the negotiations :)