When I was in college and even living on my own, in my one bedroom apartment, I never dreamed of buying a house by myself. I figured that would happen once I got married. I thought that would be a first I would do with my husband. However, real life happened completely differently than the picture I had in my head (funny how that's usually the case). I had lived in my apartment for almost 4 years, I was ready to move on. I wanted a change. I needed more, something else. I think the real problem was boredom. I was tired of paying so much in rent and then have nothing to show for it. I also wanted a new project. So......house searching seemed to be the answer.
I looked at townhouses and condos. I quickly decided that a condo was not for me. I don't think Ellie would have done well going in and out of an elevator just to go outside to do her business. So those were out. They were also much smaller than my current apartment, and I was not about to downsize. There were several townhomes that I "liked" but didn't "love," until I found the one with the backyard. It was so cute, so cozy, so ME! It was a cute neighborhood, a cute brick house, not too big, not too small, and had a small fenced in backyard. It was perfect.
At this point, I think I was still deciding if I really wanted to buy a house on my own, but if I was going to, it was going to be this one. My mom loved it. We brought my dad back to look at it and he loved it. We were discussing what and if I was going to put in an offer, then headed to brunch to think it over. Afterwards I got a call from my realtor who gave us the news that there were two other offers on the table. That was the moment everything became a whirlwind. Next thing I knew I was making an offer, signing papers, emailing things back and forth, and having many freak out moments. Tears were involved, second guessing myself was also involved. Could I really afford this? Could I really buy a house all on my own? Did I really want to be that committed to staying in Atlanta? You can't change your mind after something this big! I guess you could say I got a little panicked. I said a lot of prayers, and waited. The following day I found out my offer was the lowest of the three, but my closing date was better for them, so they accepted my offer. The closing date was exactly two days before my lease was up. What were the odds of that? Everything worked out like it was supposed to. I was going to be a homeowner.
That was in January of this year, and I closed on March 17, 2014, St. Patrick's Day. It was a rainy Monday. A day I will never forget! It was a long process, but I am very glad I did it. I extended my lease a few weeks to get some stuff completed at the house before I moved in. It needed new carpet desperately, and I wanted to get some painting done as well. So at the end of March I left my first apartment full of so many wonderful memories, and headed to my very own house to make a million more. I have been here seven months, and they have flown by. They have also been a very exciting seven months. Nothing about my home projects have been dull, that's for sure. I have faced many challenges along the way, but I have learned a lot! I will share pictures soon!
xoxo,
Maggie
