It's the time of year I love but also dread: Christmas shopping. I love shopping and I do have most people, like my family, under control. It's the other people I dread.
The "other people" are Emily's teacher for preschool and dance and my Secret Santa. What do you get the Secret Santa who doesn't really say much on the paper they filled out? A gift card just says I couldn't figure it out.
The teacher part is really hard to figure out. Emily's dance teacher will probably end up with lotion because I don't know her all that well. I know she dances and drinks Coke after classes, but other than that I have no idea!
Emily's preschool teacher is even more difficult! Not only is she Em's teacher, she is also a very good friend of mine. I know some of her likes and dislikes but I also know she is particular. Shopping for a teacher is hard, because even though I am a teacher I know the kinds of typical teacher gifts that "rock" and the kind that just plain old "suck".
I will probably wander around the mall today looking for the perfect gifts. I just hope I don't jump out the nearest high window during my search! HAHA! :)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
An Offer
Yesterday we recieved our first offer for the purchase of our house. While it should have been very exciting, it was not. It was in fact the opposite. It was offensive.
Our house is listed for $139,900. The market is slow because of the time of year so, we knew going into yesterday that the offer coming in was "low". How low we didn't know. I was prepared for a low of $135,000, even $130,000. I was not prepared for the offer of $119,000. That is less than what we paid for the house 7 years ago. I was shocked that someone would even offer that low!
We countered back with $138,500. The replied back with $126,800. Our realtor told their realtor that until they had a realistic offer we would not entertain any further offers. Today they offered $130,00. We countered back with $136,500. They countered back with $136,500 plus our couch downstairs couch and our dining room furniture. We countered back $137,000 and the furniture.
SOLD!
After their trying to get something for nothing, I wonder if it would be appropriate to leave them a house warming gift of a dead plant?
Our house is listed for $139,900. The market is slow because of the time of year so, we knew going into yesterday that the offer coming in was "low". How low we didn't know. I was prepared for a low of $135,000, even $130,000. I was not prepared for the offer of $119,000. That is less than what we paid for the house 7 years ago. I was shocked that someone would even offer that low!
We countered back with $138,500. The replied back with $126,800. Our realtor told their realtor that until they had a realistic offer we would not entertain any further offers. Today they offered $130,00. We countered back with $136,500. They countered back with $136,500 plus our couch downstairs couch and our dining room furniture. We countered back $137,000 and the furniture.
SOLD!
After their trying to get something for nothing, I wonder if it would be appropriate to leave them a house warming gift of a dead plant?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
House Pictures
Last time I wrote about the house, now here are some visuals!
Exterior of the house!
Emily's room
Living room
Living room, kitchen, dining
Exterior of the house! 
Master bedroom
Emily's room
Living roomLiving room, kitchen, diningWe are moving right along and we will have a home before we know it!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
House Update
It has been a busy few weeks. Everything seems to be flying by, so before it's Christmas I thought that I would share a little about the house.
First, it is all framed up; in fact it is drywalled inside, but I have not yet seen it as the weather was not nice last weekend when I could have made the drive and this week has been rather snowy! From what we have heard, the drywallers are a little behind because we are now unable to go out to the house and paint some rooms because the spraying will not be complete.
Everything for the house is ordered. I finally picked out chandeliers and ordered those last week and that was a job! Too many things to pick from - long hanging, semi-flush mount, oil rubbed bronze, what color of glass...and on and on! The wood for the kitchen came in this week and is sitting in the garage, along with all the tile for the bathrooms and entryways. The garage is starting to look like a regular Lowe's!
Our current house is still for sale and the market is very slow moving right now, so we have not had many lookers. Hopefully it will sell before we have to make 2 mortgage payments!
The new house, by the way, is set to close on Dec. 28. It will be here before I know it!
First, it is all framed up; in fact it is drywalled inside, but I have not yet seen it as the weather was not nice last weekend when I could have made the drive and this week has been rather snowy! From what we have heard, the drywallers are a little behind because we are now unable to go out to the house and paint some rooms because the spraying will not be complete.
Everything for the house is ordered. I finally picked out chandeliers and ordered those last week and that was a job! Too many things to pick from - long hanging, semi-flush mount, oil rubbed bronze, what color of glass...and on and on! The wood for the kitchen came in this week and is sitting in the garage, along with all the tile for the bathrooms and entryways. The garage is starting to look like a regular Lowe's!
Our current house is still for sale and the market is very slow moving right now, so we have not had many lookers. Hopefully it will sell before we have to make 2 mortgage payments!
The new house, by the way, is set to close on Dec. 28. It will be here before I know it!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Choices
As anyone who has ever built a house knows, there are only about say one gazillion choices to be made!!
We have appointments like crazy with defferent vendors over the next two weeks to make these choices. Our first and probably biggest choice to be made was house color.
When we built our twin home we fell in love with green immediately and we still love it 7 years later. So, that is our new house color as well - sage green. The rest of the colors are as follows: stone: black, roof: black, soffits and facia: black, garage door and pillars: clay. Can you sense a theme of black and sage? Can't wait to see it. I hope it doesn't suck!
Our next choice was the one that I was most looking forward to: APPLIANCES!! I love to bake and cook and I need my appliances to function really well in my kitchen. So we went with all stainless steele upgraded appliances.
Our fridge has French doors on top and a pull out drawer on the bottom. That awesome fridge has a drawer that can be removed on the bottom for large platters or cake. (CAKE!) Bryce's favorite part of the fridge is the pop can holder in the door.
Next is the microwave: nothing too special there. In fact it is the only appliance that isn't upgraded!
The dishwasher too is pretty cool. It has special scouring jets at the back of the dishwasher for the crusty pans and the top rack is adjustable up and down.
Now for my favorite appliance of all the oven! I got the exact one that I wanted. It has four burners on top with a warming spot and the two front burners have the option to be nine or twelve inch burners. And the oven is Accubake and Convection. Can't wait to bake some cakes in that bad boy!!
Our next choices are going to be plumbing fixtures, toilets, and tubs. I just yawned as I typed that!!
We have appointments like crazy with defferent vendors over the next two weeks to make these choices. Our first and probably biggest choice to be made was house color.
When we built our twin home we fell in love with green immediately and we still love it 7 years later. So, that is our new house color as well - sage green. The rest of the colors are as follows: stone: black, roof: black, soffits and facia: black, garage door and pillars: clay. Can you sense a theme of black and sage? Can't wait to see it. I hope it doesn't suck!
Our next choice was the one that I was most looking forward to: APPLIANCES!! I love to bake and cook and I need my appliances to function really well in my kitchen. So we went with all stainless steele upgraded appliances.
Our fridge has French doors on top and a pull out drawer on the bottom. That awesome fridge has a drawer that can be removed on the bottom for large platters or cake. (CAKE!) Bryce's favorite part of the fridge is the pop can holder in the door.
Next is the microwave: nothing too special there. In fact it is the only appliance that isn't upgraded!
The dishwasher too is pretty cool. It has special scouring jets at the back of the dishwasher for the crusty pans and the top rack is adjustable up and down.
Now for my favorite appliance of all the oven! I got the exact one that I wanted. It has four burners on top with a warming spot and the two front burners have the option to be nine or twelve inch burners. And the oven is Accubake and Convection. Can't wait to bake some cakes in that bad boy!!
Our next choices are going to be plumbing fixtures, toilets, and tubs. I just yawned as I typed that!!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Scraped
Today our lot for our new house was scraped. Tomorrow it will be staked. Friday we will have a hole! Things are getting going...now we hope for no rain!
This is the lot before it was scraped, taken about 2 months ago!
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This is the lot after scraping. It's strange to think that a house will go here!
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