Growing up, I moved every few years. Between birth and graduating high school, I lived in 8 different houses in 5 different cities. In college, I lived in a dorm, and two different apartments during my 4 years there. After getting married, I moved 6 times in 10 years. The longest I ever stayed in one place was the apartment we lived in overseas…a whopping 6 years and 8 months. Since coming back to the states in 2008, I’ve moved 3 times. Moving…it’s what I do.
Candied Jansen and I are in the process of house hunting. After almost a year and a half of dating, we are ready to combine our homes, but moving isn’t coming easy this time. We’ve looked at so many places, but none have worked out for us. The first house we acted on was technically a 3 bedroom house, but they listed it as a 4 bedroom house. We were willing to make do because it had a pool in the backyard. When the landlord came back with a ridiculous amount of money per pet for a pet deposit, we decided it wasn’t worth it. The next house was almost perfect. It had enough room on the inside and a huge yard with a pool outside. The only issue was that it was for sale and not for rent. We knew that we would be moving again when my kids got out of school, so we planned to rent for the next two years. We decided to splurge and made an offer on the house for sale, and it was accepted! We were so excited!! During the inspection report, our excitement quickly turned to disappointment because the house was full of mold. The roof also needed replacing as well. We decided it was a sign that we weren’t supposed to buy a house right now. The next several houses we looked at had issues. In one, smokers were living there and it smelled horrible. Another was great, but it wasn’t really centrally located. Finally, we found a house that would do. It was kind of a blah house, but it was big enough and centrally located. We put an application in and then waited. The realtor seemed sure, but she was horrible about getting back to us. Every communication with her was initiated by Candied Jansen. We had no idea what was going on. She said it was ours, but we had questions. When the realtor did respond to text messages or emails, her responses were vague. We kept looking at houses and found another one we liked. It reeked of dogs even though the carpets had been cleaned. Finally, we found another house that seemed perfect for us. There was plenty of room and it just felt right. The only downside was the small backyard, but it would only be a two year house so we could deal with it. We applied and got word that it was ours if we wanted it. But wait…there is a teeny, tiny issue. The owner is going through a divorce. She wants to give us a two year lease, but she is concerned that when her divorce is final, she will be forced to sell the house since she and her husband own it together. She is currently waiting on a call back from her lawyer about the legality of a two year lease. And so we wait. And now we have an appointment this afternoon to see another house.
When I told my mom that I was planning to sell my house and that Candied Jansen and I were moving in together, she told me that she was going to pray that it didn’t work out. I wasn’t surprised. I don’t blame my mom for my house hunting woes though. I am so sure of Candied Jansen that I refuse to give my mom that power. I know the right house will come along. I just have to be patient and keep my frustrations in check. I look forward to sharing a home with the love of my life! It will happen!
Midlife Natalie 