House Hunters: Davis Style- Part 5

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Today Chris and I decided to go out for yet another adventure of house-hunting. We knew that if we didn't find our house before he went back to school it would be very difficult to house hunt during the school year. We called the realtor and unfortunately she was going to be out of town but she set us up with her assistant to go look at four more houses. All of these houses were on the southern part of Conroe except for one which was in Willis.

The first two houses we looked at were in Legend's Run in Spring but was still in the Conroe school district. We looked at houses in this neighborhood before and we liked the subdivision as well as its location but we just still were not sold yet. The first house we went into was a very good size of 3000 ft.² but the layout was very odd with a private room above the master in it needed massive repairs. Were not talking about basic fixer-upper type of repairs...we are talking about hole in the wall type of damage. The paint on the wall was of terrible colors every room had a different color and they were on bright red or bright orange or hot pink. They were not only hideous colors but they were so loud it would've taken 2 to 3 coats of paint to paint over them. I immediately knew this was not the house I told the realtor "let's leave".

The second house was in the same housing edition but it too had major problems. In fact only walked into the house we saw that there were two stairs missing and the stairs themselves did not have carpet on them. We then walked into the kitchen and noticed that there were Granite counter tops except for they were not firmly attached to the actual counters. We went towards the master bedroom and found that it was locked and we couldn't even look into it. I told the realtor "I have seen enough". Chris said he wanted to make the most of it so he went upstairs to look at the remaining parts of the house but I knew this wasn't it.

The third house we looked at was actually in the same housing edition that my in-laws live in right now so it's only four blocks away from where we're currently living. This was a house that was built in 2009 and is approximately 3200 ft.². We looked at this particular floor plan with the builder of this housing edition earlier in the month when we thought we were going to build from scratch. We really liked the floor plan and we were just going to look at this house basically to see if it the floor plan would be functional for us. It's really hard to envision living in a home that's empty so we wanted to see what this particular floor plan looks like when somebody lived in it. We had no idea walking in that this was going to be the future "Casa de Davis".

The owners were there mowing the lawn and after walking through the entire house we both knew that we really wanted it so we stopped to ask the owners a few questions. The owners answered most of our questions about square-footage, approximate cost of electricity every month and other things that we wanted to know but they also said that they were willing to leave the high-end furniture with the house if the price was right. Chris and I both looked at each other with excitement because we knew that not only did we not have a lot of furniture but our current couch is broken. Now this furniture is not just basic furniture... this is high -end, high-quality furniture. We're talking leather, nail head trim matching ottoman style. This stuff in all reality is way too nice to own with two kids but at the same time so beautiful and luxurious that we both got excited at the possibility of owning the style of furniture. When we got into the car after leaving the house we both stopped and said a prayer because we both knew that this was a house that we wanted. We immediately started talking about how much we wanted to offer and what the next step was. Of course we still had one more house to go and see,even though both of us knew that it was pretty much going to be a waste of time, we decided to go ahead and look at it since the realtor had made an appointment.

When we got to this last house we were in for a total shock. This house is a 2400 ft.² home that had five bedrooms but it too was very under kept. It had what they call the real estate business "stained concrete floors". These were absolutely hideous. It looked like the owners had pulled up all the carpet and all the hardwood and basically threw a bunch of paint on their floor. The realtor informed us that in the high-end homes these were very popular and very classy but in all reality it was just tacky. We then went upstairs to see the very small five bedrooms all of which had numerous pet stains. Now don't get me wrong...my two dogs have had their share of accidents in the houses we have lived in but this my friends was disgusting. Some of stains looked as if their dog had gone and peed on the carpet and they never even took the time to clean it up. There were feces and urine every where. infected Natalie came up the stairs and said "mommy it stinks up here ". Again I knew this wasn't it ... especially since we pretty much determined house number three was going to be our future home.

We drove away from this last house and immediately called our actual realtor who was on a business trip and told her that we wanted to make an offer on the house in Montgomery Creek Ranch subdivision. During the short 15 minute drive from Willis to our house we learned that there was also another offer on the house that we wanted to own. This is very discouraging to us and in fact I almost cried because I really knew in my heart of hearts that this was the house that we were supposed to live in.

The rest of the afternoon was very stressful for both Chris and I and we felt like we are walking on eggshells all day just waiting for somebody to call us back and tell us "yay or nay" on the house. Around 8:45 PM that night our realtor called and said that the sellers sent us a counter offer. After reviewing their counter we decided to go ahead and give them a second offer for the asking price so we could secure that house. It was a steal of a house considering the owners had put approximately $20,000 worth of upgrades into it from the original builder's price in 2009. It was well worth the asking price and Chris and I would've paid up to $15,000 more for this house because it was in such great condition with tons of upgrades. About an hour later we discovered that they had accepted our second offer for the asking price and the paperwork had already begun. Around 10 PM Chris and I went ahead and signed the documents that were needed to put the contract on our home.

It was an amazing day full of ups and downs but through it all Chris and I remembered that God is in control. Anytime I would get nervous thinking about losing the house Chris would tell me "God is in control". Chris really was my rock and support through this day and without him I would never have made it. Thank you honey for being so practical and so supportive through this very stressful day. I love you!

God has given us so many blessings since we've moved to Houston but this house is at the very peak of these blessings and we cannot wait to move into it as a family of four. It is been a long 15 months since we've moved to Houston and been living with the in-laws but in just 45 short days we will be able to live in our own home. We didn't know when we moved here in June 2011 that we would have to wait 15 months to get into our house but we also didn't know that we would be a family of four when we did!

As I sit here typing this blog all I can think about is the amazing him "Count your blessings".

Count your blessings

name them one by one

Count your blessings

see what God has done

Count your blessings

name them one by one

Count your many blessings

see what God has done

Thank you Lord for this and the many blessings you have given me and my family. You are an amazing God and I am forever amazed at how much You love me. Thank you, Lord!

God is good… All the time!

House Hunters: Davis Style – Part 4

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

"Stewart's Forest"

Today Chris and I went out with the realtor again to one subdivision in the middle of Conroe called "Stewart's Forest". This is off of Loop 336 and very central to all of our needs including work, church and grandparents.

We started off by looking at two houses that were on the upper end of our budget. Each of these had special amenities that we haven't seen in other houses including a formal dining room, hardwood floors and large laundry rooms. In one of the houses they had a designated media room on the second floor which the sellers had painted black and had installed little ledges and steps for theater seating. This was really cool and Chris immediately saw an amazing football season but I kind of wondered if we would really use it for that. Of course, if we DIDN'T use it for a media room, we would have to paint over the entire room (Ceiling included) full of black paint and take out the ledges.

We then went to two houses that were a little bit smaller and a little bit lower-priced. These two were almost identical in floor plans and square footage with 2300 ft.². Both of them had four bedrooms but they did not have a study. Instead each of them had a formal dining but there wasn't a breakfast nook It was an eat in kitchen. I like the formal dining however neither of them had a breakfast bar either so you would be forced to eat at the formal dining every day which is a little discouraging to me. The master bedroom was very large in both of these floor-plans however the secondary bedrooms were very small ranging in size from 10 x 10 to 9 x 9. It made it hard to envision a full-size bed for the kids and a king-sized bed for the guest in any of these rooms.

Want to be smaller floor plans was very updated and had everything increasing our looking for as far as amenities. We both left that house with our heads held high and even discussed on the way home making a offer on this home. We went home and thought and prayed about it and even though this would be a smaller house than what we wanted with smaller bedrooms and without a study we decided we liked it the best of all the houses we had looked at began to envision our family living there. The next morning our realtor called and said it had been sold. This was very frustrating and discouraging to us. Chris a great attitude and said "it's just not the house for us". I knew that and I knew that God would show us the house for us but I was still discouraged since I had gotten my hopes all up for that one house.

So here we sit two and half weeks into the real estate looking process with nothing. My realtor has reassured me that this is very common and to not get discouraged but I haven't had my own home in over year and that's all I want is just my own place to call home.

This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite verses Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

I do have hope and I know that God knows my future and he will provide for me and my family.

God is good… All the time!

House Hunters: Davis Style – Part 3

Sunday, July 22, 2012

"The Day of Open Houses"

Today Chris and I as well as the kids went out to a neighborhood in south Conroe to look at a few open houses. These were in the subdivision of "Legend's Ranch" which is a 24 hour gated community with a security check point at the entrance. This subdivision was amazing with a junior Olympic size pool, workout room, park and even a small "splash pad" water park for all of its residents. These two houses today were in our price range according to the banker but after being on the insides we quickly realized that they more than likely WERE NOT in our price range. They seemed almost too good to be true. Both of them were approximately 2900 to 3100 ft.² and had four bedrooms plus an office. Each of them had an upgraded kitchen including stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. They were very well-maintained and upgraded throughout including state-of-the-art paint and other amenities. Each of them had a very large backyard including a deck and even a covered patio with ceiling fans and TVs. Again this seems too good to be true for our price range.

We went home and we're both very excited about not only these two houses but the overall subdivision itself. It is at Rayford/ Sawdust Road off of I-45 which is about 6 miles south of where we currently live. This means a shorter commute and less mileage to go to work but it means a much longer commute to get church. From our current house Mims Baptist Church is about a 20 minute commute. If we were to move to this subdivision it would be well over 30 and maybe even 35. Since we take Natalie to AWANAS and stay late for Wednesday night Choir/ Orchestra practice, this seemed almost impossible to do. This location also means that our babysitter, who is currently my mother-in-law Jackie Davis, is also a further distance away and in the opposite direction of work. For these two reasons alone Chris and I crossed off the two houses we looked at today and the subdivision itself.

Today was a little bit frustrating in the fact that we found houses we liked and we found a subdivision we really liked BUT it was in the opposite direction of where we needed to be. We both became a little bit discouraged and frustrated with the whole home buying process.

So we still haven't found that house were going to call home but I know it is out there... I just need to have the patience to find it! Easier said than done right?

Here's a lesson I thought I already learned…
Patience is a virtue!

God is GOOD… All the time

House Hunters: Davis Style-Part 2

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Last weekend Chris and I went to a couple of builders looking at possible floor plans to build a house but this weekend we decided to meet with a realtor to see what was currently on the market. I asked some friends from Sunday school to recommend a realtor and we got a fabulous recommendation with Robyn Scharlach. She's with Keller Williams Realty in Conroe and thus far has been absolutely fantastic. All four of the houses that we went to look at today were in the north Conroe area.

We were only able to look at four today because we had both kids with us which in and of itself was a chore. Actually Natalie was very well behaved at all four of the houses and enjoyed going into the houses and running all over which she's not allowed to do at our house right now. At the very first house we went into there was a kitty cat and she just love it. She would chase that poor cat all over the house. Of course you also found a "Scentsy" wall plug-in full of wax and put her hand in it and dumped the wax all over the tile floor. I didn't notice until we were about to leave the house and our poor realtor had to get on her hands and knees and scrape it up. Another reason why she's fantastic. At all four houses Luke did pretty well and stayed asleep in his car seat for the most part. Whenever he would wake up or start to get fussy the realtor would pick up the car seat and swing him around. Even though she's a "texas ex" ut alumni I've forgiven her. She really is amazing.

Our first house we went to was on the very far north side of Conroe and in the Willis School District. It was about 2600 ft.² and had four bedrooms plus an office. It was very well updated and maintained throughout the home. Each bedroom was painted a different color including a pink room and a blue room, which would work out perfect for our family. It had a two-story living room and a game room upstairs. The backyard was a very large and included a wraparound deck plus a play set. The kitchen did not have an island and was kind of small but that was really the only drawback in my opinion. When we left the house I was pleasantly surprised and began to think "could I live here?" Chris was not overly impressed with this house but he liked it.

The second house we went to was also in North Conroe in a neighborhood of some of our Sunday school friends. It was also in the Willis School District. It was 2800 ft.² and had five bedrooms. It did not have a formal dining and only a breakfast area off of the kitchen. The kitchen did have an island and was very open. The bedrooms however we're incredibly small each ranging in size from 9 x 10 to 10 x 10. These were about the same size as our bedrooms in Shawnee which were very small and made it hard for guests to come and stay with us especially for extended periods of time. Another thing we did not like about this house was that all of the bedrooms were on the first floor with a large game room being a "bonus" style upstairs. We decided we really wanted the master downstairs and the kids bedrooms upstairs. This house was fine but the bedrooms were the real kicker and so we decided to cross it off the list of hopefuls.

House number three turned out to be a complete bust. It was in the city of Willis in the highly acclaimed "Seven Coves" subdivision which is approximately 7 miles west of I 45 on a small 2 lane Hwy. That alone was a little discouraging to Chris and I since Willis is already pretty far north plus the 7 miles to the west would make for very long commute. This house was about 2300 ft.² and was a little bit older than the houses we previously looked at. They too had cats which made for a very entertaining visit for Natalie; however I noticed that the cats in this house had scratched a lot of the walls, landings and the baseboards as well as other areas of the house. This screams maintenance to me and I immediately was disappointed. The backyard was also very large but it was almost a complete garden which also means maintenance for me. Those of you who know me well know that I cannot grow plants...in fact I actually kill plants so a garden is not a good idea. When we walked out I told the realtor "this ain't it!"

House number four was in the middle of Conroe off of Loop 336. This is a lot more central for Chris and I since our jobs are in Aldine ISD and Spring ISD. This house had never been lived in and was built in late 2011. It had four bedrooms with the study and was 3100 ft.². It was a "base model" of a home without anything special or any amenities. The kitchen was large and did have an island plus Formica countertops which made it look very pretty but the rest of the house was very "PLAIN"! It also had 3 1/2 baths which would be nice when company comes to stay so they don't have to share with the kids. Chris and I both thought this house had potential but we were not sure about the elementary school that our children would go to if we lived in this part of Conroe. That is a big concern of mine ANYWHERE we live but I just want to make sure my kids are going to a great school distric and schools.

Overall the day was a success! Sure we didnt find "THE HOUSE" but we were able look at four houses and compare each of them with what we liked and didn't like. Again I liked house number one but Chris was not enamored with it. Chris didn't have a great feeling about any of the four houses but enjoyed going and looking to see what we like. We spent the rest of the weekend just talking about the four houses and the things we liked in each.

So from this weekend I have learned a big lesson: "It takes two to tango" AND TWO to buy a house. There were things I liked about houses and things Chris liked about houses BUT we are going to have to agree! We're going to continue to look on the market as well as other builders before we plant our feet down.

This is going to be an adventure...

But nevertheless

God is good… All the time!

House Hunters- Davis Style: Part 1

Saturday, July 14, 2012

"Location, Location, Location"

Now that Luke has made his appearance and we are now settled in as the FOUR of us, Chris and I thought it was time to start the long process of finding a home and getting out of his parents house. Our house in Shawnee sold in late April and we closed on May 22. Of course, with me being 9 months pregnant at that time and just weeks away from giving birth, it was not a great time to go and look at houses. Then Mr. Luke arrived and we needed to take a month or so to get used to him being around and adapting to a family of FOUR! But, without any further hesitation, Chris and I have started to look at houses this past week.

I have been looking at real estate online for about 4 months. But my husband is quick to remind me that all houses have 2 stories... One on the Internet and One in real life. I have kept this in mind as I look at all of the real estate websites and homes online. I have found several that I like but again, we have yet to go and look at any houses physically. This is because we are waiting on the bank to get us a rate quote and a pre-qualified letter. We started this in late June and still do have an answer or figure from them. Chris and i have mathematically come up with our own price range to look within. Hopefully, the bank will agree with us!

We do know what we want and hopefully our perfect house is out there waiting for us right now. I have a list of things that I really want and cant live without but Chris just says the house "will speak to him". That is sorta annoying to me because I like to have a plan of action at all times... I have been told I am a control freak (That's not true is it... WINK WINK)! But none-the-less, we have created a list of must haves:

4+ Bedrooms (We want our kids to have their own, plus a guest)

An office or study (Could be listed as 5 bedrooms I guess)

Master Bedroom on the 1st Floor

Large/ Open Kitchen (I REALLY, REALLY WANT AN ISLAND... Chris does not care! I will be the one in the kitchen 95% of the time so... the Island made the list!)

Game Room upstairs ( I really don't want all the kids toys lying ALL OVER THE LIVING ROOM)

At least 2500 Square Feet (I want to be a "Host Home" for church and family events so the bigger the better)

2 1/2 Baths (We would like 3 full but that seems uncommon around here)

Large Back yard for our doggies!

There are several other minor things we would like but these are the basics and must haves for us. From looking at real estate online for several months, this is a pretty common floor plan and I have seen many houses that have most or ALL of this!

However, this week while feeding Luke, I was playing with my smart phone and looking at real estate through a new Realtor ap (There REALLY IS an ap for that!) and I saw a house for sale in the housing edition Chris' parents live in (Where we currently live). I looked through all of the information for this house and FELL IN LOVE. It literally had EVERYTHING we wanted. It featured a HUGE Island kitchen, 6 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, large open floor plan PLUS a FORMAL DINING ROOM! Again, I really want to be a "Host Home" so this seemed just right. I showed it to Chris and he too really liked it... ON THE INTERNET!

We went down to the sales center at the front of our housing edition to get more information. Come to find out the model home in our edition was that exact floor plan. We walked into the model and almost immediately fell in love. After taking a tour of the model home we decided to talk to a sales agent to get more info. They gave us a booklet that had all the floor plans they build. It was here that we saw ON PAPER a house that seemed even better. This would mean we would have to build but we were OK with that. However, we wanted to get inside this EVEN bigger house so we had to drive out to Cypress to look at it.

Wow... This 4065 Square foot home had it all. It was 99% PERFECT! We both really liked it and decided to get information on the cost of building it. We got the printout of all of the upgrades and we began a crazy building frenzy. It was so much fun to think and dream about the perfect house. All of this came at a cost though... It was in Cypress which is at least 45 minutes from where we live now. It would not be any closer to either of our works and since it is right off of Highway 290, it was in one of the greatest and busiest traffic areas in all of Houston. Not to mention, we would have to "pick up and move" AGAIN! I was not thrilled about that at all since over the last year we have settled down and met friends through church and work.

All of this got me to thinking about the LOCATION of our home. The schools down here are SO SCARY to me and I can hardly imagine putting my kids in some of the larger districts around here. There is no way I would put them in Aldine ISD where Chris works and really don't want them in Spring ISD where I teach either. Conroe ISD is highly acclaimed but it too is very large and has some of the same issues that our 2 district face. Alot of our friends from church live and teach in the Willis district which is smaller but again, I just don't know where to live. This is our biggest issue and scare right now. Where we currently live is a more central location for both of our jobs and I really like its overall location but the schools, while being in Conroe ISD, are not the best in the district.

So in our 1st encounter of this crazy adventure, we have found that while the perfect house might in fact be PERFECT... it has to be in the right location to TRULY BE PERFECT!

We are still looking at trying to build within our current housing edition as well as getting together with a realtor to look at houses in the Conroe and north Montgomery County area. This is yet another time where my dad would say "This is a FAITH ISSUE! Give it to God!" Again, this is EASIER SAID THAN DONE! I am working on giving this issue to God and I am continuously praying for the right house, in the right location, to be shown to us! We covet your prayers!

Even in an adventure like this...

GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!