Home Sweet Home

When hubs and I made the decision it was finally time to sell my family home, our search for a new environment was quite specific.

We had completed the Dave Ramsey plan earlier that year and paid off every single cent of debt we had accumulated.  Somewhere in the $58,000 range.  HUGE elephant left the room!  That coupled with our income gave us the opportunity to almost triple the cost of a new home over what we were paying at that time.  In short - we were living way below our actual income "means".

We knew a couple of things we wanted.  

A true neighborhood, with families and kids at or around Coop's age.  A place where kids went outside after school and in the summer to play.  Parents around our age (not retired like our old 'hood).  

A school that would be diverse in every way.

A 'hood that had a pool (yes, I'm selfish).

A lot on a cul-de-sac, if at all possible.

LAND around us somewhere - if not our own lot, then very close by.  Didn't want to be on top of our neighbs and have some privacy.

About 6 years before we moved, we had seen a new 'hood open up on the west side of our town.  Prices were out of range at that specific time but the houses were cute.  Looked like a real neighborhood.  And it had a pool.

We jumped in the car and came out to the place.  Wow, it had grown immensely in 6 years.  The houses were bigger that were being erected and we weren't sure we could afford it.  It was definitely a possibility.

The next week, hubs called me from that 'hood.  He told me he had just went through a model house with the Realtor and I had to get over there - I was going to fall in LOVE with it.  I got off work and headed that way.  I liked the house he pointed out, it was nice.  The house next door to it though - I fell in LOVE.  I walked in the door and that was it.  I just knew I would be living in that house.  The Realtor and I practically had a contract drawn up before I even left her that day.

That was February, 2008.  We had a contract signed by March and our home broke ground in April.  We moved in September.

I hear people talk about looking for their dream homes, taking sometimes years to find exactly what they want.  I think hubs and I are so lucky that we really do have a lot in common - many of our ideas fall right into step with one another.  We literally looked at 2 houses in one 'hood and made the choice.

We were invited to a party at our neighbs across the street from our build before we even moved in.  Meeting our new neighbs was intimidating, but they were very welcoming and fun.  We knew by the time we left we had made the exact right decision.

I love our home.  It's way more than we need and once little guy graduates, we will sell it.  But living in the moment, I love every nook and cranny of it.  Sometimes I have moments where I wish we could have filled it with children, but alas... another blog.

Oh, and as a footnote... with exception of 3 (including me but I really don't count us - 1 has grown steps, my son has his original mom and dad and my other friend is navigating the steps), ALL of our neighbs extending well beyond our 'sac are non-divorced families.   Originals.  One mom, one dad (or two moms, which is fine by me!) and original kids.  It's Mayberry.  See, the old normal does still exist in certain places!