OMG We Own a House!

We really did it, it's hard to believe!

The closing went really well this morning and was much less painful than we had imagined. Most of that is attributed to the great work from our Realtor and Lender who truly were a blessing through all of this. They made us feel that they really wanted to help us and I don't think we could have had a better team behind us.

We were a little disappointed that we didn't get to meet the sellers as they were able to get in an hour earlier than we could to sign their portion. Much like the rest of the DC area they were insistent on getting back to work asap. While I can understand and appreciate the concept, if I were selling my house I would like to wait (less than an hour in this case) to meet and shake the hand of the buyer. But maybe that's just me.

We became very casual with our Realtor, Erika, who is from MI so naturally the process was less formal with her which carried through to closing. Of course the closing couldn't be complete without Nate explaining to the settlement attorney that he is a "celebrity". So needless to say, if it weren't for signing our lives away it would have been a very fun morning. The poor guy didn't know what to think and you could tell he was torn with trying to figure out if he should join in on the antics or remain professional. At the end of it Nate asked the attorney if this was how normal people behaved at closings and his response was, "Well, no. I would say this was unconventional but not unacceptable." We wouldn't want it any other way :)

Getting handed over the key caused quite the rush of emotions. I wanted to cry and hug the guy but he seemed already overwhelmed by us so I refrained. We were so excited and utterly shocked all at the same time and it was strange to know just a single key was causing all of it. We left, still in shock, and kept repeating "OMG we own a house." We figured we needed some food so we stopped at Jimmy John's before heading to the house. We told the guy at the counter that we just bought a house about 5 minutes ago and even though he looked at us like we had 5 heads, we couldn't stop smiling.

With the rest of the afternoon off, we headed to the house, popped a bottle of champagne and kept walking in circles still in shock. It looked much like the scene from Step Brothers where they're in the bedroom walking in circles saying "we have so much room for so many activities".

The big move of furniture is planned for this upcoming Saturday, but we decided to start bringing over some items. We started with the tv we just purchased and with the help of the Jacksons letting us borrow their SUV we picked up our new grill (priorities, right?). We dropped off the big ticket items in the garage along with a few other valuables in the house and went to run a few errands.

We came back to realize we're horrible homeowners already. We left the garage door wide open, inviting anyone to just come on in and take our stuff. We felt so stupid and a little worried to walk in to see if anything was missing. Nate decided to be silly and pound on the door as a warning to any "possible intruders". We were giggling and laughing at ourselves... until I realized his pounding had dented the door. There we were, homeowners for less than a few hours and we already left the place wide open and dented a door. This should be a fun adventure!

With a new grill we decided to have a cookout with the Jacksons and their girls. I would add pictures now but I honestly have no clue where the camera cord is. I'm quite impressed I could even locate a camera. So we'll add those later. But it was a great time and we were very excited to celebrate with them!

Such an exhausting and exciting day. Now to try to get some sleep so we're ready to move all the way in this weekend :)

Almost There!

Lender paperwork: check
Home inspection: check
More lender paperwork: check
Home insurance: check
Even more lender paperwork: check
Moving date, van & help secured: check, check, check
Yet again more lender paperwork: check
Utilities set up: check
Appraisal: almost checked
When does the lender paperwork end?!: still checking...

It's hard to believe that in less than three weeks from now we will close on our first home! It's funny how the sense of time transitions. When we made the offer on the house, the closing date seemed right around the corner. Then we started to get excited when talking about decorating (and Nate getting his grill) and time seemed to expand and the closing date all of a sudden seemed too far away. The moment that we started the moving "to-do" list time sped back up and panic of how close it was set back in. Are we going to be able to get all of this done in time?! I know the answers is yes, but we sure are feeling the pressure of getting everything done.

Before the chaos of the move sets in, we are lucky enough to have planned a week's vacation with Nate's parents and family starting this weekend. We've rented a lake house in Alabama and plan to spend all of next week relaxing. It couldn't have been planned for a better time! It should give us the energy we need to tackle the move which is of course happening at the busiest time at work for both of us :)

Our soon to be new home!

 

Front entry to the house. We love that it has the brick front as opposed to siding.

 

The living room as you enter from the front steps with a half bathroom to the right. 

 

Kitchen/Dining with brand new appliances and granite counter tops.

 

 

Off the kitchen/dining is a back deck where the house backs up to woods. Nate can't wait to grill!!

 

Staircase coming down from the upstairs. Because this is an end unit, we are lucky enough to have windows on both staircases, making them feel more open.  

 

Master Bathroom (there is another full bathroom on the upstairs level)

 

My favorite - soaking tub!

  

Master Bedroom with a wooded view (two other bedrooms facing the front)
 

Staircase leading to the basement

 

Finished, walkout basement with a gas fireplace. The garage is also off this level along with laundry and another half bathroom.

 

Walkout from the basement to the backyard with a swing! May not be big, but the fact that it's there is enough for us :)

 

View of the back of the house and of deck of kitchen/dining.

Countdown to Close!

Nate and I went a little crazy and bought a town house! As first time home buyers, this is a very exciting and nerve racking experience for us. We decided it would be a fun time to start a blog so we can document and share our experiences as we build a life together :)

We found a town house that has everything we would really like to have, including a little backyard and privacy - both rare items to find in the metro DC area! With 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (2 half, 2 full) we have plenty room for visitors (hint, hint). We are nestled in a community which includes a pool, tennis courts, running trails, etc. It is in Springfield, VA with a rush hour shuttle to the metro for Nate to easily get to work (or the metro is only 0.6 miles if we need to walk) and is only about a 15 minute drive to my office.

We feel very blessed to have found a home that is also in great condition and move-in ready. Our home inspection went very well with only minor items needing repair before we move-in. Now we are tackling the lovely lender's "to-do" list and have secured a closing date of August 17, 2011.

Knowing that date will soon be upon us we have decided to force ourselves out of the shock phase of the purchase and instead focus on the move. Pending the closing on the 17th, we have chosen that next Saturday, August 20, 2011 as our moving date. With the help of some fabulous friends volunteering to help us out, we should be officially in our house by the end of the 20th!

We're so excited and can't wait!