Expect the Unexpected

I really shouldn't be surprised when God brings things into my life that I've dreamed of. For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of owning a home of my own. That dream might be finally coming true! Last week started as any other week. David was on vacation, but we had no big plans. That is, until his dad called us early in the week. He knew a couple that was getting ready to list their home and said if we liked it, they would sell it to us instead of listing it. And the great part? David's parents are gifting us the money needed for the down payment as an advance on our inheritance, which helps us to get a better interest rate on our loan.

Well, we went to look at it and liked a lot of things about it, so we're working on the buying process right now. We've already signed a sales agreement, and barring anything major on the inspection, it looks like things will go through just fine. The inspection should happen sometime this week, and I'm trying to be patient :).

So, here are some great things about the home:
*It's only about 5 minutes from our current rental home.
*The price is right in our budget. In fact, it's looking like we'll come out $100 a month less than we're paying now, with our money going into our equity instead of somebody else's.
*It's a good size for our family at around 1200 square feet with 3 bedrooms, plus a large, partially finished basement (that we hope to finish in the future).
*Raised flower beds in the front and a huge fenced back yard with 2 small storage sheds, 3 fruit trees, and a great clothesline setup.
*Wood floors that look to be in fairly good shape.
*The bathroom has been updated with tile and a jet tub.
*A wood stove that heats the home well (plus a whole season's worth of wood that they're leaving here). Not only should this save us money on heating, but also on electricity during the cold months since I can easily cook in a dutch oven over the stove.

There are a few things we'll need to work on, but most of them are cosmetic. The kitchen is a bit rough, but we're going to try to do things ourselves. Such as new hardware for the cupboards, replacing the counter top (with something attractive, but not super fancy), and replacing the dishwasher (we saw some good deals on Craigslist). We'll also need to paint throughout the home, as the walls were painted over wallpaper. I'm thinking I'll learn how to apply some texture and then paint over that so we won't be able to see the wallpaper marks any more. I definitely see a lot of potential for a great home.

Also, being that we're going to need a bit of cash for home improvements, I'll be waiting on my hair for a bit. I hope to do it later, but right now we're investing in our family's future. So exciting!