Bought and Sold

Where to start?! Once we accepted the offer on our home, Thad felt pretty strongly that I should fly out to Indiana to look for a house as soon as possible. We prayed about it, and we both felt good about it. So I flew to Indiana, and after much prayer, searching, stressing, discussing, and fasting, we found a home, put in an offer, and got it. But oh, it was so much more than that! All the little tender mercies that Heavenly Father has given us, and me.

My faith has been stretched and strengthened in so many ways over the last 2 months. I can say without a doubt in my mind, that Heavenly Father knows me and all of my fears and desires. He knows when to let me struggle and probe my way in the dark, and when to send me sweet angels, in the form of family and friends, to give me just what I need, when I need it most. Specifically on this trip, a few things stand out in my mind, and I have no doubt that they were blessings from Heavenly Father and not just mere coincidences.

1. I have always loved the idea of an old house. I love to watch other people find and fix up old houses. They have "character" and all of that stuff. But I have never wanted to buy an old house myself. I don't like the thought of old, moldy layers of paint, musty corners in dark basements, inheriting a list of other people's problems. Who knows how long the furnace will last, or the roof, or the A/C? They scare me. HOWEVER, the Friday before my big trip to Indiana, a college friend who recently moved to Idaho Falls, Heather Williams, invited the kids and I over to play. She and her husband Ryan, another college friend, recently bought her late Grandma's old home. Built in 1950 or something. It's not much to look at on the outside (yet), but the inside just blew me away. I was COMPLETELY smitten with it. She has such cute style, my kind of style, and every room just screamed classy and adorable. And to add to that, the home had such fun character. Different levels on the main floor, a cool hallway that ran adjacent to the front room, kitchen, and family room, and connected them all, a galley kitchen, some funky cabinets, so fun! The kids were in love. They told me several times that Heather's house was cooler then our house, and they wanted a house like that. The yard was so fun. Big, not perfect edges or landscaping. Not a plain square. Lots of places to explore, big trees. And a bin full of balls and toys. Suddenly I wanted an older house, just like Heather's. I wanted a home that we could fix and paint, with funky characteristics, and different levels, and little quirks that we could fall in love with. And a big yard, for the kids to explore and play in. Before we left, I asked Ana, "Should we look for a house like this in Indiana?" "Yeah!!!" She excitedly replied. And I was excited too.

Looking back, Heavenly Father was preparing me. When we got to Pendleton, there were nothing but older homes. There were literally no "new build" neighborhoods. With one exception, and we didn't like it at all: overgrown, weed-filled yards, tiny lots, cookie cutter houses VERY close together, no character or space. And if we wanted to spend $300,000 or more, we could have gotten nice, newer homes. But besides that, OLD HOMES was the option. If I hadn't gone to Heather's and had my perspective broadened, and been inspired, I would have been in for a big shock, and I'm pretty sure there would have been much more disappointment, denial, and tears (more than there already were, at least;) Instead, I looked at the homes with a more open mind, and I appreciated their "character" a little more. The home that we finally settled on has lots of little quirks, and they are why I fell in love with it. I was thinking of Heather the whole time.

2. I flew to Indiana with one goal in mind: buy a home in Pendleton. That's it. No other options. Everyone at Thad's work and in the ward there said that Pendleton was the best place to live. Best schools, best community, best resale value, etc. Our realtor said the same. So I didn't want to waste any time looking at homes anywhere else. And when Thad drove me through Pendleton the first time, I fell in love. Big, beautiful green trees, rolling (though small) green hills and fields of corn, little rivers. It was small, quaint, and adorable. It is half an hour from where the new temple will be built, and 15 minutes from big cities with nice, outdoor shopping areas. The only problem was, there were not many homes on the market there. Not many at all. And what they did have, left much to desire. I didn't like the homes we looked at. At all. And then there was Yorktown. Thad liked Yorktown, and we looked at a few homes there, on the morning after I arrived. I instantly liked one home in particular. It had a big, fun yard with a shed, an awesome bonus/play room unlike any room I've ever seen, and a cool family room with a fire place, exposed wooden beams in the ceiling, and it's a step down from the kitchen, just like in Heather's house. It really had everything we've ever wanted in a home, aside from being old.

There was just one problem: it wasn't in Pendleton. And not just that, but it was close to Muncie, which is a good-sized city, but which took a big hit when the auto industry fell apart because it's auto factories were major revenue and employment sources for the city. Muncie doesn't have good schools, and isn't small and quaint, and doesn't have as good of resale value. It' further from the temple, and from the big shopping centers. Like an hour away. Further from Dave and Megan. I sill really liked the house, enough to ask the realtor to take us back the following night when Thad could come. But in my heart I knew it wasn't an option, because it wasn't in Pendleton. But as the week drew on, and no new homes popped up, I started really stressing out. What made it worse was that I was stuck in Thad's apartment all day, with no furniture, no food, no computer, and no TV. My phone was the only access I had to the internet, except for the couple of times that I met Thad at his work to look on his computer. I prayed all day, pleading with Heavenly Father to help us to know what to do. Why did we feel like I should come to Indiana now, and not wait? If we felt like I should come, then where was our house? Why spend all this money on a ticket only to fail! Were we going to have to bite the bullet, and rent a home for an insane price tag for a few months after all? Slowly, painfully, as the weekend neared, I realized I may not find a home in Pendleton. And that terrified me. I went through all of my reasons for wanting a home in Pendleton, and for not wanting a home near Muncie. Then I made a list of the good/bad things about the home in Yorktown.

Then one morning while I was reading my scriptures, I came across the story of Alma the Younger. He had given up the judgment seat to go and preach to the Nephites and to bring order back to the church. My mind perked up when I read that he was totally rejected in Ammonihah. They threw him out of the city. So Alma pretty much turned his back on them, and didn't really have a desire to go back. He set his sights on the city of Aaron instead. That's where he was going, and he wasn't turning back. But then the angel came to him and told him that the Lord wanted him and needed him in Ammonihah. Here he is, having been rejected from that city, the people kicked him out. Why would he want to go back? The people were wicked and they hated him. They wanted to kill him. Wouldn't a new city be so much more promising? But his reaction is amazing. He turned around immediately and headed back to Ammonihah without a second thought. Without a murmer. Complete obedience. As I read this, I couldn't help but notice the small similarity between our situations. He had turned his back on Ammonihah, and was heading to Aaron. Not much could have persuaded him to go back. I had, in a sense, turned my back on Yorktown (and every other town nearby, for that matter) and had set my sights on Pendleton. Nothing was going to make me change my mind. But after reading about this account in Alma, I thought to myself that maybe the Lord didn't want me to be in Pendleton. Maybe I was needed somewhere else. I thought about that over the next few days. I'd complain to Thad (I'm not as disciplined as Alma) about why we shouldn't live in Yorktown, and he would come up with a solution to each complaint.

One by one, each of my cons about the home in York town disappeared or became insignificant. Yorktown itself is beautiful, and small. But the schools are great. Some even argue that they are better than Pendleton. We'd still find time to go to the temple. Maybe even trade babysitting with friends. I wasn't close to the big shopping centers, but I had most of what I needed right there in Muncie: Target, Walmart, the mall, TJ Maxx, etc. Finally I was out of excuses. We went to see the Yorktown house one more time Saturday evening. We walked around the house, pointing out things we could change and beautify. We love the neighborhood. Tall, mature trees, established homes, nicely kept lawns (for the most part) a few kids outside playing. We could see ourselves living there. We fasted Saturday evening (along with my mom), and by Sunday evening we felt good about putting an offer on the home.

I will spare you the details about the 24 hours after that. My mom and Kath wanted to be sure that I was sure about this home, because of all the reasons that I gave them for not wanting to live anywhere but Pendleton. The points that they brought up once again sent me into a tailspin of doubt and despair. I questioned our decisions, and our peaceful feelings from the night before. All day I wrestled with my mind, and cried, and prayed for help. The points that my mom and sister reminded me of were valid, but then I realized that they didn't see the big picture. They didn't know about all of the little ways that Heavenly Father had led us to this house. They didn't feel the feelings of peace that we received when we prayed and fasted. Finally, once again, I felt peace and assurance that we were making the right choice. I put in our offer first thing the next morning before I left for Idaho. The next day, after some negotiating, the sellers accepted our offer! I have felt good about it ever since.

I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father heard all of my fervent prayers. He sent us to Indiana for a reason, and He helped to relieve all of my concerns about leaving here and starting a new life there. He knew all of my doubts and fears about buying a home, and He helped me relate to Alma's experience in the scriptures. He answered my request that my fears and doubts could go away if I was making the right decision. And they did. I had had some pretty valid fears, but for some reason they just aren't a concern anymore. That prayer was answered. I feel so blessed. Far more so than I deserve!

3. I remember back at the beginning of May, when Thad and I were making our pros and cons list about moving to Indiana to start this new job. Selling our home here and buying a new one was a con, and a potentially big issue. But we both felt like if the Lord wanted us to go to Indiana, that it would work out somehow, so we didn't count those as our greatest cons.

And here we are. We SOLD our home in 4.5 weeks, in a market where the average number of weeks on the market is 15. I was able to fly out to Indiana, and in ONE WEEK find and BUY a new home! And choose a closing date on the same day (or within a few days) of our closing date here! If all goes well, we will be able to pack up our stuff here, drive to Indiana, and move straight into our new home, without having to stay in a hotel or put our stuff in storage. Blessing after blessing. Things have worked out. The Lord is in charge.

Here are some pics. They aren't the greatest quality; they are all from my cell phone

 

Family Room. I love love love the exposed beams! and brick, and fireplace, and built-ins, this is one of the rooms that sold me on the house. I'm not sure if we'll paint the paneling or remove it altogether, but this room has so much potential!

 



 

 

 

 

 

French Doors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Is this not the coolest play room you've ever seen? Its the other room that sold me. Built-in bookshelves, a room within a room, and a tunnel built into the wall. With a fresh coat of paint, this room is going to be awesome.