There's a little superstitious piece of me, that is afraid if I post too much info about this house, the deal will fall through....but that's just nonsense, right?
When we found out we had Baby Girl on the way, Mr. Wright and I quickly realized our current 1600-square-foot home would not be adequate. It does have 3 bedrooms, but because there is no basement, and it is a tiny house, our 3rd bedroom is being used for storage.
We have been looking for houses since February, and found a rambler we really liked in the Sugarhouse area. It had amazing details we loved. The original owner was an architect, so there were a lot of built-in shelves, ornate woodwork, and a gorgeous fireplace mantle. It even had a bookshelf in the hallway, that you could open to reveal a secret staircase to the finished attic.
After walking through the home, we immediately went home and put an offer on it. Alas, we were about an hour too late. Someone else had put an offer on it an hour before. We were placed in second position, in case the other offer fell through. Because it was a short-sale, it was a lengthy process getting approval from the bank. We did sort of half-heartedly look at other houses while we waited, but nothing really else really jumped out at us.
At first we heard that it was about a 75% chance that the other offer would go through. Then we heard it was only a 50% chance. We were liking our odds. Then it jumped to a 90% chance. Then it looked like it would fall apart, as the bank wanted more money for the house than the other people could qualify for. Finally, after 3 months of waiting we learned that the other people's loan DID go through, and we lost the house.
Honestly, I wasn't too broken up about it. Perhaps I had emotionally prepared myself for the likelihood of losing it. I DID really like the house, but even though it had 6 bedrooms, they were very, very small. We weren't sure we could actually fit our King-sized bed and our two large dressers into any of them.
For the past two months we have been searching hundreds of available homes. We really wanted to stay in the Salt Lake area, because we absolutely LOVE living downtown. However, most houses downtown are either VERY expensive, or teeny tiny. We knew we didn't want a 45 minute commute like we had living in Tooele/Stansbury, because both Mr. Wright and I work downtown.
There were a lot of very nice houses for our price range in West Jordan, but they were in BFE-West Jordan, as far west as you could go (9000 West, 8000 South). So with no easy freeway access, our commute would be just as long as Tooele. Daybreak, South Jordan, Saratoga Springs, Draper, and Bluffdale were also out. Plus they're a little too rural for my taste.
Mr. Wright and I also disagree on what kinds of houses we like. I like old bungalow or Victorian houses: hardwood-floors, stained-glass windows, crown moldings, antique doorknobs, arched doorways, and porches. However, I crave an updated feel in the kitchen with nice counter-tops and stainless steel appliances.
I hate houses that look like everyone else's, cookie cutters with no character. I hate houses with white walls, white countertops, white bathrooms, cream carpets, and blond-colored cabinets. I realize those are things that can be changed, but I was looking for something a little more move-in ready. I don't like new-construction, because it always needs landscaping....too expensive and too much work!!! I like houses with CHARM and CHARACTER and CREATIVITY.
Mr. Wright on the other hand likes NEW and BIG and GRANDE. He would never admit this, but he has 5 brothers, so he's competitive. To him, the house is an outward show of success, so if he has a bigger, nicer, newer house than any of his older brothers, it makes him feel cool. His requirements in the house hunting process: a garage (which the other house did not have), and at least 2500 square feet.
The past two months of house hunting have been frustrating and exhausting. All the houses start to blend together and look the same after a while. Nothing really stood out about any of them. When we would find a house we were interested in, someone else would put it under contract before we had a chance to see it. It looked as if we would have to compromise on location, or style, and that we would never find a house we all agreed on.
Then, we saw this house:
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| Cue the angels singing. |
Guess what it has that Mr. Wright likes? A garage! And 3435 square feet! It's been updated enough to keep him happy, and is BIG and GRANDE enough to flaunt to his brothers.
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| Huge finished basement |
Take a look at the kitchen! It's been totally updated, with dark cherry-wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and tile countertops!
Did you notice the wrap-around porch?
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| The landscaping is finished too! |
Needless to say, we put an offer on it right then and there. We were the first offer, as the house had just been listed, and our offer has been accepted by the seller! Hooray! It's under contract! But being that it's also a short-sale, it has to be approved by the bank, which could take another 1-3 months.
Can you SEE why I'm nervous about jinxing the deal by talking about this house? It is AMAZING!!! Here's hoping it all goes through!
I'm in love with this house, too!! Nice find -- I'll keep my fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteWow, you are one lucky girl. That house is gorgeous!
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