It took an extra three weeks to close... it took an extra week for the movers to actually deliver our stuff... it's going to take another week and a half to get internet hooked up... but the actual house-hunting trip? Only four days! Here's how...
Beforehand
- Scour house listings on the internet for a month or more, until you've come to terms with exactly what you can afford and exactly what is within an acceptable commute range. Put your favorites into a detailed spreadsheet (because TMC loves spreadsheets).
- Have wise friends tell you what areas to avoid.
- Find a realtor by scanning local church bulletins until you find a parishioner who has used her company to sponsor a church event.
- Have your brilliant and savvy husband look after all the mortgage details.
Day 1
- Wake up at 3:00 am to make your 6:15 flight.
- Meet your realtor and start looking at houses by 10:30. Look at 12-14 homes by suppertime.
- Crash into bed by 8:00.
Day 2
- Look at a few more homes, then go back to check out your favorites.
- Decide on your favorite home and be really excited to make an offer the next morning!
- Remember that a blogger comment recommended you to check the state sex offender registry and casually do that. Be stunned to discover that THERE IS A SEX OFFENDER LIVING IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONE YOU WERE ABOUT TO BUY.
- Remain in shock for the next twelve hours. Clutch your baby fiercely.
Day 3
- Go to church and thank God for making your discovery before you made an offer.
- Get another shock when a layperson reads the Gospel and then she starts to preach about South American dances to the four winds. Wonder if you are really in a Catholic church.
- Inform your husband that if you buy the house that has now been bumped to the top of the list, this would be your parish. Bump house down.
- Get nervous about this whole house-buying thing and decide to go look at still more. Make poor 6 month old go through yet another day of driving around in the car seat, her most hated place in the whole world.
Day 4
- Look at two houses one last time and decide to buy one!
- Have realtor write up the entire offer, only to get cold feet.
- Take a break to freak out and try to figure out what is wrong with this perfect house that you could be getting such an amazing price on it. Beg realtor to find out exactly why they're selling.
- Discover the sellers seem to be nice people who are simply up-sizing. Make the offer!
- Get a call that evening that your offer has been accepted - you just bought a house!
