March Goals

Marchin' in to March (so cheesy!) here are my goals for the month

1. Read 3 books
2. Get my passport done
3. eBay 4 items
4. See 10 Houses (house hunting)
5. Make 4 new recipes
6. Organize my bedroom closet and dresser
7. Donate unwanted clothing
8. Practice my baking and cookie making

Happy Hunters

Greg and I saw 7 more homes this past Saturday, and some of them were a wreck! I am know that we are not looking at high end homes, but we are not looking at low end either. With the cost of living on LI being so expensive, we are trying hard to find something decent, that with work we can turn into something we love. Our total count for homes / townhouses looked at is 22, plus hours and hours of online research and driving through different neighborhoods.
That being said; we have placed a bid on a home! Amazing, but scary. I am trying very hard not to get my hopes up, or to mentally move myself in already because I know how tricky and unpredictable the housing market is on LI. This is a long process, I am happy that we have time to navigate it!

House Hunting & HGTV

As I mentioned January 20, Greg and I decided to look into buying a house instead of a condo. We thought that the town we saw was right for us, then after more researching decided that it in fact was not right for us at all. We received a pre-approval from our bank for a mortgage and viewed six homes this past weekend. Four of those homes were in that town we were origionally looking in. The other two were on the same block in a town a few miles away. One home had some one squatting in it! The other I really liked, it is just a bit more than what we can spend and it looks like the price was set by the bank. We are going to keep looking and saving. We are not in a rush to move out of our current rental place and luckily don't have a lease being that it belongs to my Father in Law. I just don't want the right home to pass us by, so I am keeping both eyes open and stalking the internet sites daily.

When I was wedding planning (feels like ages ago!), I was stuck on all the wedding shows. Bridezilla, Rich Bride - Poor Bride, My Fair Wedding etc... were my life! Now I am all about HGTV and their home buying and renovating shows. It does also make me want to pick up and leave Long Island. As much as I love it here and our families are here- we would get so much more for our money in other states! I love Property Virgins on HGTV it makes me feel good to know that we are in the same boat as many other people. We are ready and would like to make that next step, but a little scared. I have fallen in love with being a wife and working and getting things done while Greg is at his second job. I always thought I would be working and not really doing the house work, cooking, cleaning and planning, but I love it! I would rather not get a second job, but if it means we can afford a great home, I am not opposed.

There is still part of me that thinks..... what if we moved?

Nervous Nell

I am a bundle of nerves right now!
Greg and I have seen about 10 condo's at this point and are thinking that we are going to go in the opposite direction and get a House instead! Saturday we took some time and drove down to a neighborhood where I have seen a lot of homes online that are in our price range. We have heard mixed reviews of the neighborhood and were not sure what we were going to see. As we drove into the neighborhood, we saw charm, families and lots of opportunity! Of course just like any other town or village, there is good and bad parts, but the homes that we saw were located in the good. It was like a sigh of relief! So after almost an hour and a half of driving block by block and looking at homes we decided that, YES we are going to keep looking in this area and see what we can do with our money.
Today I am calling the bank to see about getting a pre-approval letter for a mortgage. Hopefully we will be approved for an amount that will meet our needs for these homes. We don't want to get in over our heads, but this could be just what we are looking for. Fingers Crossed!

On the Hunt

The hunt has begun.
My husband and I have started to browse for a home. We have been renting together for over 3 years and we are looking to make that next step. I have been searching Real Estate listings and sites, and trying to see what our dollar is going to get us on Long Island. We love it here and do not want to leave it, but it is so tempting to move out of state where we could get more for less, (or at least about the same).
We went to 3 homes this weekend for a viewing. If I could have run out screaming from one of them I would have. There are A LOT of great things to be said about someone who rescues Greyhounds, but not for the home they were showing. 3 Dogs, 2 adults and numerous cats in this small location did not go over well on my senses, especially my sense of smell.
We encountered another home where they rented out each individual room to 4 different college students, and let me tell you, they are NOT a clean bunch. The last home was fairly nice, however the asking price exceeded what you were actually getting.
I will continue to look and hunt and send links to my husband. We will find something that is right for us. I just have a feeling it is going to take some time.

I have an itch...

And it is not for a baby!
It is the house owning itch. I have been looking at various websites for homes, and scanning the Sunday paper. I know that we are not exactly ready to own our first home... However I have a huge ITCH!!
It seems like we would be better off owning a condo. That is fine with me. I loved living in my mom's condo. I saw a regular home that I loved (online) last night. The price is right for the house that it is. We could do the morgage, but the other expenses that come with a home, is what is killing us right now.
I am just going to keep on saving. We would like to stay on Long Island. That is tough for a first time home buyer. The market isn't bad for now, but it is expensive compared to the rest of the country.