WE GOT IT!

We got the house, my new little patch of paradise. It will take a while to close because HUD only has one approved closing agnecy in Michigan and they're understandably slammed with all the foreclosures here, but the offer is accepted and the contract is signed. It is OURS!

So, what does 20K buy in new-depression suburban Detroit? This lovely house, in a quaint little town on the fringe of the Detroit metro area:





I can't wait to get moved in and start on the renovations!

Spring Fever

This is, I think, the toughest time to live in Michigan. At the very least it is the toughest time to be a gardener in Michigan. One day it is 70 degrees and sunny; the next we're back to sub-freezing lows. The beautiful days we've had lately have me chomping at the bit to get everything in order so I can get a quick start on planting, but with more than two months left before our last frost date, there's really no rush.

That doesn't make the wait any easier. Every year around this time, a vague and nagging restlessness sets in, making it hard to focus on the mundane tasks at hand, calling me to dive into new projects and passions. But this year I have to resist, at least for now.

We're still waiting to find out if we got the house, with attractive new prospects on the horizon and a clear fork in the road rapidly approaching. If tomorrow brings news that they have again rejected our offer, do we come back with a better offer or do we sit tight? There is an auction just a little more than a week away that holds some promise, with 4 properties we liked going up for sale with very low starting bids and an expectation that they'll sell for a price we can afford. Two of the four have acreage, but none have the emotional appeal of the house we're currently in negotiations over.

I just wish the whole process was over. I'm getting so frustrated with not knowing! I just want to know which house we are going to buy so that I can start moving forward, past living in a half-packed house playing the waiting game and on to shaping our new home into my family's dream.

Dreams and Reality

After weeks of looking, looking, and looking some more, we decided yesterday to make an offer on a house that we first saw months ago and have kept coming back to time and again.

Built in 1880, it must once have been a stunning Folk Victorian before someone somewhere along the line decided to "update" the exterior with aluminum siding. The house itself is huge, nearly 1800sq ft, with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a bright country kitchen with walk-in pantry, formal dining room, attic space that will make an adorable "tea room" for my girls, and a full basement with plenty of room for a "man cave" for my son and a root cellar for me. Unlike the exterior, most of the interior renovations and updates remained true to the history of the home, and the woodwork is intact, including a beautifully carved pair of pocket doors between the living and dining rooms. Restoring this home would be a long term process but it is in good condition, just in need of a lot of cosmetic TLC.

The lot isn't perfect, but it is good. It is 1/4 acre on a quiet residential corner, and the house is nestled near both streets leaving ample room for gardens. The sun exposure is excellent, with only a small area in from of the house too shady for productive plantings. And the location is wonderful, walking distance to the library, my daughter's dance studio, a cute little downtown shopping district of antique stores, bookstores, and a coffee house, the grocery, and everything else we'd need on a regular basis. The only downside is the 10 minute commute to my kids' school, but I'm willing to deal with that for all the other upsides of this house.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved the "painted lady" Victorians in the small town fringe of the Detroit metro area, so to have a real shot at owning one is truly a dream come true.

Now, for the hard part... Waiting for a response to our offer!

The choices we make...

As my husband and I continue our search for our own little patch of paradise, I find myself thinking more and more about the tradeoffs we make as we build the life we want.

Yesterday we looked at a home that would make an ideal homestead. Nestled on a dirt road out in the country, it is a turn of the century farmhouse with more than enough space and resources to provide for our family. But on the drive home, we realiozed the downside. It is so far from town that allowing my children to continue the sports and activities that they love would be difficult if not impossible. The time and gas spent getting to and from baseball, dance, football, and scouts would be overwhelming, and with no close neighbors they wouldn't be likely to make new friends nearby. So reluctantly I found myself scratching that house off the list. As much as I dream of a little farmhouse on a lot of land, it just doesn't fit into what we want for our family right now.

So we move on with a clearer idea of exactly what we want in a house and of where our limits lie.