I was all motivated a few weeks ago. I was working on projects, working out (which i am still doing by the way), blogging, working, cooking, cleaning, and a million other things...but at the moment i'm not feeling it. I don't know what the difference is. I think it started last week though, and i'm hoping i'll get back out of it soon.
This last weekend i took a short trip to California. The Sacramento area to be more precise. John and i decided we should buy a house. That's exciting news i think. I never dreamed of owning my own home, especially any time soon. I figured we were doomed to renting till he retired. But we've been thinking and praying, and the way things are going it just seems like the right direction. So, that's why i went down to Cali, i was house shopping. Looking online was frustrating. I would find nice homes and put them on my list of home i was going to see when i went down, but then the next day they were pending. That seemed to be the case when i got down there too. The agent took me around to look at my list, and when i decided that afternoon which ones i wanted to put an offer, the 1st one had 10 offers put on it already, and the 2nd one had a $36k over asking price to be presented on it with almost $50,000 cash as a down payment. WHAT!?!? Who does that? And everything is a short sale, there were about 10 active sales in the price range i was looking in. But the word "short sale" is not what it sounds like it is. It means the seller is selling the home for less then what they owe on it, they're "short" the money, but they're in such a bind with it they can't keep paying the mortgage. They have to get bank approval for this, and sometimes this doesn't happen in a timely manner. I talked to one lady down there that said one of her clients took a whole year to get through the whole process because of the lender, she's just now about to close and get into the home. Short sales were not common a few years ago when i was in real estate. But, the economy changes (not that i'm going to talk politics though).
I've tried to teach myself that i should expect the unexpected and that it will work out in the end, so i tried to picture and plan out what i would do if it didn't go the way i wanted....it didn't even go any like of the alternatives i could think of. The whole trip was a waste it feels like. I didn't find anything to put an offer on. It looks like we will be renting when we get there for a few months and then we will be there so we can run out and look at a listing on a moments notice. But the positive is that i know that know and i have a better understanding for the market there. I'm hoping that things will level out a little better towards the end of the summer to give us time to find the right one though. Just because we didn't find something now doesn't mean it won't happen. There's probably something better out there waiting for when we're ready.
I met some really great people though. One of the guys that John is going to school with has all his family in Sacramento. They're members of the church even, and he set it all up for me to stay with them, they found me a mortgage broker (his father-in-law), and a real estate agent (a member in their ward). All of them were extremely great, and i don't doubt that they will be who we will work with when we find a house there. I'm feeling better about this move, and i know that going there is where we need to be going right now....*knock on wood* (don't want to jinx it). If any good came of the wasted trip, at least i know that. And the family i stayed with was great. Especially the "dad". He kept saying how it didn't even feel like i was a guest, that i was like one of his kids. He actually got a little choked up when it was time for me to go too. They were all good people though and i don't think i'll ever be able to thank them enough for having a stranger stay in their home. They fed me well, took me to their family gatherings, introduced me to people at church, and took me to walk around the temple (which was one of my favorite parts about the whole trip.
Its a beautiful temple. I think it will be great to live so close to a temple again. None of this 3 hour driving stuff like we have to do now.
So, to keep myself from getting too stressed about this moving and house buying stuff, my goal is to stay positive. I tell a certain friend in particular when she gets down to count her blessings and stay positive, and i need to take my own advise. I lost some traction in my motivation last week, but its a new week, and i think its time to get back into things.
Be Positive.
Count the Blessings.
Keep Trying.
Have Faith.
It all works out for the very best in the end. I've learned that many times over. I don't know what the Lord wants for me, i just have to trust that it will be fine. That's one of those things i have to learn and remind myself every time.
This week my goals are to keep looking for houses, keep cleaning my house, keep working out, start and finish a new project (like refinishing the coffee table...), study my scriptures, pray, remind myself that things will be fine while i practice faith, and wait for my husband to come home (less then 3 weeks to go!!).
Wish me luck!
This last weekend i took a short trip to California. The Sacramento area to be more precise. John and i decided we should buy a house. That's exciting news i think. I never dreamed of owning my own home, especially any time soon. I figured we were doomed to renting till he retired. But we've been thinking and praying, and the way things are going it just seems like the right direction. So, that's why i went down to Cali, i was house shopping. Looking online was frustrating. I would find nice homes and put them on my list of home i was going to see when i went down, but then the next day they were pending. That seemed to be the case when i got down there too. The agent took me around to look at my list, and when i decided that afternoon which ones i wanted to put an offer, the 1st one had 10 offers put on it already, and the 2nd one had a $36k over asking price to be presented on it with almost $50,000 cash as a down payment. WHAT!?!? Who does that? And everything is a short sale, there were about 10 active sales in the price range i was looking in. But the word "short sale" is not what it sounds like it is. It means the seller is selling the home for less then what they owe on it, they're "short" the money, but they're in such a bind with it they can't keep paying the mortgage. They have to get bank approval for this, and sometimes this doesn't happen in a timely manner. I talked to one lady down there that said one of her clients took a whole year to get through the whole process because of the lender, she's just now about to close and get into the home. Short sales were not common a few years ago when i was in real estate. But, the economy changes (not that i'm going to talk politics though).
I've tried to teach myself that i should expect the unexpected and that it will work out in the end, so i tried to picture and plan out what i would do if it didn't go the way i wanted....it didn't even go any like of the alternatives i could think of. The whole trip was a waste it feels like. I didn't find anything to put an offer on. It looks like we will be renting when we get there for a few months and then we will be there so we can run out and look at a listing on a moments notice. But the positive is that i know that know and i have a better understanding for the market there. I'm hoping that things will level out a little better towards the end of the summer to give us time to find the right one though. Just because we didn't find something now doesn't mean it won't happen. There's probably something better out there waiting for when we're ready.
I met some really great people though. One of the guys that John is going to school with has all his family in Sacramento. They're members of the church even, and he set it all up for me to stay with them, they found me a mortgage broker (his father-in-law), and a real estate agent (a member in their ward). All of them were extremely great, and i don't doubt that they will be who we will work with when we find a house there. I'm feeling better about this move, and i know that going there is where we need to be going right now....*knock on wood* (don't want to jinx it). If any good came of the wasted trip, at least i know that. And the family i stayed with was great. Especially the "dad". He kept saying how it didn't even feel like i was a guest, that i was like one of his kids. He actually got a little choked up when it was time for me to go too. They were all good people though and i don't think i'll ever be able to thank them enough for having a stranger stay in their home. They fed me well, took me to their family gatherings, introduced me to people at church, and took me to walk around the temple (which was one of my favorite parts about the whole trip.
Its a beautiful temple. I think it will be great to live so close to a temple again. None of this 3 hour driving stuff like we have to do now.So, to keep myself from getting too stressed about this moving and house buying stuff, my goal is to stay positive. I tell a certain friend in particular when she gets down to count her blessings and stay positive, and i need to take my own advise. I lost some traction in my motivation last week, but its a new week, and i think its time to get back into things.
Be Positive.
Count the Blessings.
Keep Trying.
Have Faith.
It all works out for the very best in the end. I've learned that many times over. I don't know what the Lord wants for me, i just have to trust that it will be fine. That's one of those things i have to learn and remind myself every time.
This week my goals are to keep looking for houses, keep cleaning my house, keep working out, start and finish a new project (like refinishing the coffee table...), study my scriptures, pray, remind myself that things will be fine while i practice faith, and wait for my husband to come home (less then 3 weeks to go!!).
Wish me luck!
