First Time Home Buyers

Dustin and I weren't really thinking about buying a house this year...until we heard that our rent was going up and that water wouldn't be included in rent anymore. We also found out that we'd be able to buy a house in our price range with monthly payments that are equal to what we're paying now for an apartment. So we decided to give it a shot!

Our first day of house hunting

My dad put us in touch with THE PERFECT real estate agent--Pam Files with Keller Williams. She has been very helpful and willing to answer all of my questions (if you know me then you know I like to ask A LOT of questions!). Our hunt for the perfect first house started at the beginning of July. Overall, we looked at maybe 16 or 18 houses. About halfway through our search, we found one that we loved in Hoover. Long story short, the seller decided to increase the price from the original listing and make it a short sale. We learned a very important lesson from this experience--don't email everyone you know telling them all about your new house, look up how much certain appliances that need to be replaced cost, and pin Pinterest projects for that house specifically before you've even heard back from the seller! We also learned that House Hunters is not real life. Sadly, your real estate agent doesn't pick out three houses and one ends up being your dream home. House huntin' ain't easy!

Fast forward to a few weeks later. Pam set up six houses for us to look at after work one day. The house that we're currently under contract for was one of those houses. Initially, I ruled it out because it looked like a mix between Grandma's house and a hunting lodge. I couldn't see past all of the wallpaper, dark floor boards, and woods/deer mural in the basement (pictures coming soon but here's a sneak peek).

Our soon to be beautiful basement mural--it's ok to be jealous!

In the end, we chose it for the location and the upgrades. It's convenient to work for both of us. Out of all the houses that we looked at, this one has the best kitchen and bathrooms. Yes, most rooms need a little updating but it's all cosmetic. Give us a few months and things will look totally different. It also has a nice yard and is in a great neighborhood. We are excited to make it feel like home!

So where are we now? Our home inspection is on Saturday morning...fingers crossed that everything goes well! If we can make it through that and the appraisal then we will hopefully close on September 21. It is so crazy to think that we might be homeowners soon. Are we old enough for that?! Stayed tuned for more details. Let's hope it's all good news!!