House Hunting In Portland: The Final Countdown

It looks like after 4 and a half months of waiting we may actually be a week away from getting the keys to our new condo.  We first saw it Thanksgiving weekend and have had our fingers crossed ever since.  I have to admit that in the last month or so the waiting has become challenging.  We both seem to be feeling very restless which has not translated into saving money or losing weight.

I know this is the same problem I always seem to have, but now it' supposed to be temporary.  After we move we keep talking about how we'll cook at home and hang out on the deck etc.  What it we're just as restless as always?  What if we get bored cooking in and hanging out right away?  I admit I'm starting to feel nervous.  This is a big life change so I guess it's actually normal to be having all kinds of feelings and emotions.  Frankly I'm tired of it and also just plain tired.  I can't wait to stop thinking about everything and start doing things!

On HGTV people always say cliche things about buying a home like "start living our lives" or "put down roots" I always roll my eyes, but the fact is living in limbo is annoying.  This whole year has been about getting a place and we are so close.  This will all be so worth it if I can just make it to the finish line.

Stress Eating Stresses Me Out

Basically I have tried everything to save money and lose weight the last two months, except diet and exercise and staying in.  I can't roll my eyes enough at myself!  I have a list of reasons that are really just excuses for why I "should" treat myself.  Bottom line is I have put on two pounds.

Most people are probably thinking that isn't much, and in the grand scheme it isn't.  However, my goal was to lose two pounds on the way to my larger goal of losing 7+ pounds.  Plus my face is all broken out and I feel crappy.  Now to add to the whole mess I have stress at work.  Ugh!

I can't quite figure out why this house buying thing is so stressful.  Yes there is a lot of money involved, but we signed on for that in the beginning.  If I had to name one thing it would have to be the uncertainty of whether or not it will happen at all or get called off completely. At some point we had to go all in and give notice at our apartment all without any guarantee that we will have somewhere to live after all of this.  When you rent an apartment they are able to tell you exactly when you will move in a month ahead of time and you're able to plan accordingly.  This is not like that at all, and it makes me question everything I do.

I feel restless and anxious and all I want to do is either move into my new place or run away. Everything and everyone is on my nerves and I would just like to have some quiet time.  Not going to happen, so instead I'm going to pull myself together and carry on.

House Hunting In Portland: Nothing Short About A Short Sale

I know, it's a total cliche to enter into a short sale and then lament on how long it takes, but sheesh. It's not the normal short sale part, it's the random stuff that pops up.  In our case there is a second lien on the property that the estate has to settle before the bank can approve our offer.  If we get to purchase this place at all it may not be until April or May.  We need to save money so the longer it takes the better it is for us financially.
In the mean time I plan to keep looking at places as they come on the market.  On the one hand I feel great that we chose the place we did because I haven't seen anything that even comes close.  On the other hand, if we don't get this place I will be so devastated!!!!  To wait all that time and grow attached while making plans will be a really hard pill to swallow.
I have been shocked at the lack of properties in my price range that I'm interested in.  None of the buildings I've looked at in the past have had a single unit come up since I started looking in ernest. That has been a real eye opener, and it's not helping me feel relaxed about the waiting process.  If I wasn't sure this was the place I wanted before, now I'm committed and the lack of control is so annoying!  Fingers crossed!

House Hunting In Portland: Things Move Fast

Wow!  The Portland housing market is as crazy as people said it was.  My initial instincts were correct and the places I like are popular and sell fast.  It has only been a month and a half since I made my first observations on the speed that is required in this sellers market, in that time we found a place we wanted the day it hit the market and have entered a bidding war with four other people.

It came on the market a few days before Thanksgiving and was not available to view until the Monday after that.  We were the first to be allowed to tour the property and by then there were already four sight unseen offers!  We also discovered that day that it had changed from a conventional sale to a short sale.  This is actually great news for us because we are in a lease until March and can't really afford to pay double housing.  Offers were due the Friday after Thanksgiving and we still haven't heard the official word on the outcome.

I really want this place because it feels like it could actually be our forever place.  We had downgraded our expectations but this place has everything.  The only catch is it needs to be updated, but there isn't anything that needs to be fixed immediately.  Fingers crossed!!

House Hunting In Portland: Game On

It's official, my husband has made a solid case for buying a condo sooner rather than later.  With interest rates threatening to rise and home and rent prices rising daily, it's time to get it together and take the plunge.  Several articles came out recently listing the Portland rental market as some of the fastest rising rents in the country including this story by a local artist in the Willamette Week.
Last spring we downsized our rent around $400 per month by moving to a slightly less trendy section of downtown and parking our car for free at my in-laws.  I felt very lucky to to find an apartment in a great spot that I found livable at that price and I am so thankful we made the decision to go for it.  I do worry that if we don't buy soon we will get boxed out by the other people like us that do jump out of the rental market and into ownership.  One thing is for sure, the rent is going to keep rising.
With that in mind I am going all in on the house hunt like I tend to do with any sort of fun project.  I saw my wedding binder recently and it was truly something impressive!  Haha!!  Hopefully I can execute this project flawlessly in half the time it takes most people like I did with the wedding.  I planned my ideal wedding and honeymoon in 4 months and I couldn't imagine doing that for a whole year.
We started looking about three weeks ago and I have already learned many things.  The first and most important thing is, every place I have looked at and wanted has sold in approximately one week. That tells me that there will be no sleeping on decisions, it's yes or no then proceed.  Our mortgage lender is a friend of ours and is on vacation until next week so we will get that together shortly.  After that we just have to wait for something to hit the market.  I hate waiting!!!  I have three apps cued up to alert me of anything that comes on the market in my zip codes and budget.  I feel so sad when I get up and there aren't any new places and so happy when I get an alert.  This should keep me busy or drive me crazy, at the very least I'm in the game.  The other thing that I have learned over and over again while looking is that you must stay true to the top three rules of real estate; location, location, location.  I am constantly tempted by multiple bathrooms in less desirable areas!  We already did that once and I refuse to let myself do it again!