Tuesday, April 29, 2014

House hunt update.

So a lot changed for us in the housing department throughout the month of April. Actually this has been probably more like a 6 month process...starting with deciding we wanted to move. First we were looking at renting...we narrowed down our search to Eastside Costa Mesa, Newport, or Old Town Orange. All fun places for young people! We had applied for a couple places in Eastside CM only to be left with no luck, this area is insanely competitive. Like you better be scouring craigslist hourly and if it has been up for more than a day it's gone, competitive. Want to tour a place on your own? Not gonna happen, better get used to group showings with 4 other couples while everyone is trying to sweet talk the landlord and offer more money under the table. Yeah. It's easy to get burned out quick. Which we did.

During our burn out, my mom proposed the idea of buying instead of renting...which then began the process of getting pre-approved and the actual search. It was fun and exciting for awhile, we started with condos/town homes, then went single family homes, then realized we were too poor and went back to condo/town homes. Earlier in the month we actually found a condo we really liked, we submitted an offer and it got accepted! Both Paul and I were so happy, I still remember getting the phone call when we were in Costco. However, our excitement was quickly crushed with reality when we got the news of what our monthly payment would be. You'd never know how fast everything adds up...mortgage (principle & interest), mortgage insurance, homeowners insurance, HOA, mello-roos, I swear the list goes on. Anyways, it all came in at just under $2,500 per month. For.a.condo. The whole process was putting such a huge stress on Paul and I. I'll never forgot (and we look back laughing about it) one of our biggest fights happened in the midst of it all. Wanna know what it was about?? ...Paul taking the last of the milk. Yep. Curse words were exchanged. Real life here people. Nothing was feeling right so we retracting our offer and walked away. I was pretty bummed about it for a couple days but I also had such a feeling of relief, nothing about it had felt right. 

So we floated for awhile and took a break from it all. And now? Now we are back to our original plan, looking for a cool rental in our desired areas. Many of our friends are older and homeowners and just really encouraged us to not jump straight into homeownership "It's not all that it seems" is what they say, "you guys are still young, live somewhere fun." So we're taking their advice and wanting that "fun place" before having that mortgage. A place where we can ride bikes to the beach, walk to a fun restaurant/coffee shop, have a puppy. Instead of fighting due to stress we now enjoy coming up with ideas for our new place. I've even given Paul the green light to buy a motorcycle to roam around town on when we move. It's something I didn't think I'd ever agree to but when I think about us taking it down the PCH to have dinner in Laguna on a whim this summer, I'm ok with it :) Overall, I'm really loving our plan, so is Paul and that just feels right. 

5 comments:

  1. praying you guys find an awesome place!!

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  2. Good luck! I hope the Lord blesses you with a place ASAP :)

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  3. Searching for your dream house is really a huge challenge. There are a lot of promising property that you may consider, but in the end, some just doesn't fit the bill entirely. It can be disappointing, but I know you will see one that will suit your needs and budget. Speaking of which, have you found one already? If not, you can still search through newspapers or online for more options, or subscribe to a multiple listings service for easy access. Good luck!

    Sean McCrory @ Graham Commercial Real Estate

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  4. It’s good to see that you’re taking your time in finding your dream house. This step is important, because this will assure you that the property you will buy fits perfectly on your needs, budget, and lifestyle. Just make sure to inspect everything before making a deal. Good luck, and enjoy!

    Charles Paul @ Smith Marketing, Inc

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