A New Place to Call Home?

Okay, so I have been reluctant to put anything out here about the house we are trying to buy. I keep telling myself not to talk about it or go into any detail because I might jinx it. Well that is just stupid. We are big believers of what is meant to happen will happen, so whether I talk about it or not, God will decide if we really get to buy this house or not.

So the house we found is in a town called Lake in the Hills. Kinda' funny actually when there really are no "hills". This is the Midwest, and if there is a hill, it is more of a slight elevation in the road. There are small lakes, or big ponds, depending on how you see your glass. So here is a front view of the house. This was pulled off a website, and was taken when it was snowing, so not the best picture. I will get a better one up sometime.

It was quite the whirlwind to get this into contract. We were first going to go with a down payment assistance program so that we could keep cash in our bank. Everything was agreed to by everyone. Then we decided to switch gears and go with a 3% down conventional loan. We originally thought we could not do this, and then found someone who would do it. Everything was agreed to, again, and it was going fine. Then I got a call on Monday evening (Apr 21) and found out that the house was in a "Declining Market" which meant we had to come in with another 5% down, or go some other route.

So, we decided to switch to an FHA loan. Still only 3% down, but we did not have to deal with a declining market. Also, we did not have to deal with a higher sales price for the down payment assistance program. Well, everyone agreed to the third change, and we are now heading down the perverbial road. Home inspection has been completed and we have asked for them to fix a few things, but not everything on the report. I can do some of them, plus we want to look reasonable. We also asked for a change in our closing date from May 29 to June 2. The request was sent off yesterday afternoon, and hopefully we will hear something by tomorrow afternoon. We will give more details on the house in another blog.

Hurry up and wait. Wish us luck!

The 4th Biggest Decision of My Life

So who titles something the 4th? Wouldn't you talk about the #1 biggest decision? Well, that was not why I decided to start this blog. The set the record straight, the biggest decision of my life was choosing to marry my wonderful wife. The 2nd and 3rd was the decision to have kids. Those of you who know about Josiah might wonder why there is only 2nd and 3rd. Well, I lump "having kids" into one big decision. The 3rd biggest was choosing to try again after losing Josiah. Before you ask, another blog in the future will shed some light on those who need it.

So, the 4th biggest decision (and the reason for starting up this blog site) was to accept a new job with the company I work for. That in itself is not that big of a deal. But, it is when the acceptance comes with relocating to the Chicago area. Yes, moving your family 2000 miles from your "support staff" can be the biggest decision for some, but I still think it was easier than the other three. In any case, I began my new position on Feb 18, 2008, and there is no looking back! This is a crazy time for us, but exciting as well. Amy was able to land a transfer (we work for the same company) and she started her new position this past Monday, April 14.

This is the short version of what has transpired over the last few months, but hopefully we will be able to stay on top of things and keep this updated. So, for now, happy reading!