HUGE news

I have been biting my tongue for weeks. I didn't want to jinx the process but I feel relatively safe now (knock on wood) in telling you that John and I are on our way to being homeowners. That's right. After 5 long years of renting, we are buying a house and bidding adieu to shared walls and communal living. We're pleased as punch! We are supposed to close on October 1st and we are looking very forward to that date. No, we don't have enough furniture to fill the house. No, we don't agree on all paint colors. No, we have no clue how to do anything home improvement related. But, we'll buy, we'll paint and we'll learn. We really feel like we're heading to adulthood now. A piece of something that will be ours and hopefully (knock on wood again) eventually it'll be worth more than we paid for it. In the weeks to come, I'll share more details and pictures. But again, I'm trying not to jinx anything. The negotiations went well (I think -- I have nothing to compare it to.) The inspections came back clean. So now we just wait for all the financing to be processed. Wait and pack, that is.

In our house hunting process, John and I looked at nearly 20 houses. I feel this makes me a medium expert to give tips about having potential buyers come through your home.

1) Leaving a litter box full of poo in the front entry is a BAD idea. Likewise, is warning the realtor not to touch the "angry cat".

2) You should notify all members of the household that your home is being shown. Most notably, your teenage son who is asleep on the couch and cannot find his shoes.

3) Vacuum and pick up your trash, folks. See #2 above. Same house, not surprising.

4) If your house has an acrid odor to it, open a window and light some candles. No one wants to be bowled over by unpleasant aromas when walking in the door. If the odor is unrecognizable, that's even worse.

5) This one is for you buyers. Take along sustenance. House hunting is draining.

Wish us luck as we embark on this exciting endeavor!