A lot! Today for the first time me and my beloved looked at houses with our Realtor!
It was a truly wonderful learning experience. Our Fab Realtor (FR) came by this morning to share some important information with us, in addition to going through a mock offer with us so that we can truly understand the ins and outs. This was also a great time to ask questions and get an even better feel for the amount of money that we need to have on hand to make this house buying thing actually happen.
Afterwards, we set out to look at a few houses around town. FR didn't want to overwhelm us on our first time out, so we stuck to one city and looked at about 5 houses. First major important lesson learned, even if a homeowner says they will be out of the home at a certain time, it doesn't mean they will be. The first three houses we looked at all had their owners there and well, at first, it made for an awkward situation. However, one house we decided to come back to later and that really helped. It's not that it's awful to have them there, but I felt like the creeper checking out their house and stating loudly everything that I
DID NOT like about it.
But luckily the day went on swimmingly. The weather was gorgeous and we learned some practical lessons like if the kitchen looks a bit small in the pictures, it's gonna be real small in person and if there are no clear pictures of a mater bedroom that's because one doesn't exist in the true concept of the word! We also learned something about our selves, like Jon is more willing to find the good in any house and well I'll nix it quicker than you can get the lock box open. But learning and seeing this makes me realize even more how perfectly fit for each we are. Not that I am saying that he's always Mr. Optimist and Mrs. Pessimist but it's more like I Mrs. Practical and Jon's Mr. Potential which creates a perfect balance when it comes to finding a house that will truly fit our needs.
Also after spending the day with our FR, we are beyond thrilled with our choice in her. She tells it like it is, is sarcastic to boot and is one sharp shootin', smart lady. We feel so fortunate to have found a Realtor who feels like a partner in this and not just someone who's looking to gain a profit based on our desire to own a home. We love, love, love our FR!
So out of the houses we saw today only 1 remains on the possibilities list...everything else got chucked out the door for some other lovely family to make their home. Although we are ready, willing and eager to find a house now...we are not going to stop looking until we find the perfect house that will become our first HOME together.
