The amount of Hurdles we have had to jump over is insane. Yes, buying a house isn't easy. Especially with one spouse in Afghanistan . Especially while taking care of two VERY busy toddler boys. Especially across the state. I get it. But I NEVER imagined some of the craziness we've gone through. I will try to explain but no promises that it will make sense.
So we get pre-qualified. Our realtor gives me his MLS list that is updated hourly ( and yes in the Tucson market it has to be) and we make lists of houses we like. GREAT. Awesome.
Instead of having to make the 2 hour trip for each house, our agents go and facetime with me so I can see the properties without the hassle. Needless to say these two were A-mazing. < Jeff Leblanc and Chrissy Martinez if anyone in Tucson is interested > We are talking daily for weeks they would show me house after house. Finally we put our first offer in- feeling hopeful. It was on the market 1 day and we offered nearly asking price only to find out 5 other offers were submitted at the same time, and the cash offer that was WELL over asking price walked away with it. No sweat. Move on to the next. We went through this same pony show well over 15 times- making offers DAY of listing and getting no where. Keep in mind not being there, each offer is 13 pages at minimum I have to print/sign-with power of attorney too/ scan/email to agent AND get a specific letter from our bank EACH time.
A house comes up in Oro valley in Copper Creek ( a nice area of Tucson) that looks perfect so without a tour we just throw an offer out there. OFFER ACCEPTED! AWESOME. So we go and see it and the backyard was nothing but a small patio and a wall backing up to a major road. There is no way our family could do without a backyard. So we back out. Next day our agent shows me a perfect two story newly flipped house that is by far the best one we had seen. Offer is accepted that day! This is it. I go down take measurements, leave checks for the inspections/ appraisal/COE.
So we begin the actual loan process- only to find out the department of education incorrectly sent my husband's student loans to collections. AFTER an entire day of phone calls we realize it is a mistake but the process to FIX this mistake was only the beginning. I was on the phone for at least 20 minutes every single day speaking to new people each time trying to get this removed from our record- a mistake that we had no control over and it is their position to fix. A mistake that was literally going to cost us getting into a home or not. It took an entire MONTH faxing paperwork to them, making phone calls, demanding supervisors- but finally I got a letter in my hand stating that it is being removed from his credit. UNbelievable.
In the meantime, our appraisal comes back that the house is worth significantly less than we had offered. If you've never worked with a VA loan ( you are lucky) but they will not give you a loan on a home that you would be over paying on. The flippers that own the home won't budge on price, so goodbye contract.
Back to new listings. One of the first homes we loved was an older foreclosure that was fixed up a bit but had amazing bones and was just screaming for us to live in. Well this home dropped significantly in price and would leave enough left over for every remodel we wanted to do! Offer- accepted. WOO HOO! Now we are getting excited. THIS is our house, it is going to be perfect. Our inspector decides to take a look around the outside of the house just to see what he is working with the day before inspections. Just one look around the outside and he tells us there is NO way that the VA will approve this property because there are too many major red flags. Sigh. OK here we go again...
The day of those inspections I had planned to drive down , so our agent says come down anyways lets look at every house possible. We do. Nothing. I'm not picky but there was nothing we could even live with. I'm reminded of this house that is really nice but on the same street we used to live on. The last place I want to live is that street. It was fine when we didn't have kids but there are no parks nearby, no sidewalks anywhere near, etc. But we took a look anyways. Last chance of the day. Our agent swears I will love it. Sure enough I walk in and just breath happily. It has gorgeous wood floors ( laminate wood , whatever ) with perfect white trim and nicely painted walls. Updated kitchen with a doggy door, some grass in the yard, 3 perfect bedrooms. Someone else had a contract on it but it fell through that day. I'm sold!
Well you guessed it, the house wasn't going to be worth NEAR what they were asking. VA again pulls us out of yet another house.
After some tear filled, and probably pretty high tempered, phone calls we got it extended but only to June 15. So that's it. We have no where to live after June 15. I call our agent in Tucson and said look, if we don't find a house TOMORROW we have to find a place to rent in June instead. He claims there is one full proof plan for VA approval. New build. But obviously we have NO TIME left to build a home. SO Both our agent and his assistant spend an entire day searching the newer communities in North Tucson looking for a move in ready home for us ( HAVE I said yet how amazing they are?) They kept calling it "Brittany Day" lol .
Now I had been praying daily for this process, obviously. I never once prayed about a specific house but I asked God to put us where we need to be, to show us his plans for us. That day I had become too impatient and I asked for prayers via Facebook- which I truly believe helped. The more you have praying the stronger the prayers.
Well that day was well worth the work. They found a move-in-ready new home in Gladden Farms ( a wonderful family friendly community in Marana , which is very close the the Army Airfield) Two story 4 bedrooms with a loft upstairs AKA playroom. The lot backs up to a common grass area, across the street from a brand new park, plenty of jogging paths , corner lot, will finish construction MAY 30!!!!
Prayers answered. Even typing this makes me tear up.
Now a new home in Arizona is the last thing I ever thought I wanted, but I honestly think its the perfect home for us in so many ways. I can see it now. Someone else had already picked out the designs for the inside so we have no choices but luckily they picked well. If only they had picked my favorite white cabinets we would be set ;) The house comes with landscaping in front and back, all brand new energy efficient appliances, all window treatments, Nice tile and Eco friendly carpet, Granite counters, and to top it all off the house is a Meritage home which specializes in making very " green " houses. It is specifically designed to be happy on the environment which is not only perfect for my Lorax ( My husband DOES speak for the trees after all...) but it makes utilities significantly less each month. I think this house is more than I could have imagined.
God ALWAYS has bigger plans for us than we know.
THe house is being saved for us, sent off our paperwork this morning, we don't have to worry about the dreaded inspections and appraisal problems VA gives us. I'm not saying it's final until we have the keys in hand June 5, but unless a natural disaster occurs in Tucson and the house falls through the earth.. I think we have a home!
No we just have to get Daddy home IN that home :D And find him a post deployment job. Anyone have connections or ideas for a soon to be part-time National Guard Apache pilot LET US KNOW !
Thank you everyone for the prayers along this journey. Especially the handful of you that have been on my text speed-dial being dragged along this roller coaster with me every day.
There are no pictures of the house because it's just drywall but everything is going in soon-
Here is what we CAN share ..
Cabinets. Steve claims they are "classy as S***"- husbands words not mine- but I still wish I had white.
Tile, Carpet, and counters
Outside and floor plan
Oh and in the meantime both of our real estate agents decide that I've become SO good at all of this that I should get licensed and come work with them at Sotheby's. That I have the "perfect" personality for it. HA. They claim buying other peoples' houses is a lot more fun. I mean, I did eventually start filling out my own offers at the end so It couldn't be THAT hard. But I do have a career that is on hold that I am dying to get back to, so who knows.
Hopefully things calm down now and I can get back to focusing on what matters- these boys. They are both doing really well actually. Steven is super excited to move to Tucson and talks about it everyday. Mommy, is the... FAN coming to Tucson? Yes Steven. Is... Pooh bear coming to tTucson? Yesss Steven. It's all we talk about. Kaners is still not walking , inching up on his brothers record of a 16 month super crawler. But he is standing by himself and will take a couple steps before dropping and aggressively crawling instead. Talking up a storm lately too ! Go figure.
Speaking of, sounds like nap time is over. Just in time. Hopefully that updated everyone a little bit as I know it has been hard to keep track of.
Less than 4 months to go! We're ALMOST THERE :D
