Leaping Lizards, We're.......

HOMEOWNERS!!!!!!

We just heard the news from the bank last night, and I have been dying to tell people for sooooo long, and now I can!

 This picture (of the back) we took last Saturday when we went up to check the house out after the owners moved.  It was nice to see the house without anything in it, and take measurements, and see how lovely the landscaping is in the springtime!

So the house is in Layton (more on this below) and is on about 1/4 acre, 2400 sq. feet.  4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths.  It's on a corner lot, kind of on a hill, so we have a great view of the mountains.  It's a short sale, so we've been waiting about 8 weeks for an answer (which is actually very quick for a short sale!), and not only that, we are getting a *great* deal.  The homeowners have kept the house in pretty good condition, but it does need some updating, new floors, finishing half of the unfinished basement, new paint, eventually new windows, some front yard landscaping.  We have some great potential for this house, and things really seem to have just....fallen into place.

I don't have pictures of all the rooms, and all but the top are the pictures from the listing.  So, I will keep an updated log of our progress once we get into the house.  With short sales, the closing process can sometimes be crazy fast, so things might be get NUTS very very soon!

Kristoffer and I actually hadn't planned on buying a house when we started off the year.  We hadn't talked about it, or planned for it...or saved for it!  So in January, we were on a date and talking about where things were going and whether or not we should look for a new place to rent (all we've ever known!), and both us agreed it just didn't feel right.  I looked at Kristoffer and said, "You, know, I've kind of been thinking that maybe we should start looking to buy a house...".  This thought of mine had been fleeting, but persistent, and experience has taught me (the very VERY hard way) to listen to those promptings!  And Kristoffer looked at me and said, "You know, I've kind of been feeling the same thing.".

And so it began.  We are CRAZY lucky to have Kris's best friend B.J. as a real estate agent...and it's been so fun!  He is such a great friend, we love him!  He has taken us to see sooooo many places and talks with us about likes, dislikes, what we could change, gives his opinion, and it's not at all awkward.  We actually came close to buying a couple of different houses, but I think the Lord knew where we needed to be.  Kris saw the house when I was in NY in March, and I saw the pictures just on the listing.  He put the offer in while I was away and the owners accepted within days, but we had to wait the looong wait for the bank to give their approval.  It's been a long 8 weeks, but everything has just fallen into place.  The location of the house, the lot, the size of the house, the incredible price, instant equity, everything.  And all we had to do was wait.  I've learned my lesson before, that if you listen to the promptings of the spirit, good things will happen, even if it means waiting.

I know that this may sound strange, but I felt such a good vibe in the house, and I think the Lord was telling me something.  I'm grateful that I listened this time.  I'm grateful for a chance to own a home, our first!  To follow the Spirit and see where our family is headed next, it's scary not knowing sometimes, but all I have to do is have faith.

So, wish us luck as we enter the closing process!!