Our First Home

A lot has happened this past week!  And NO it wasn’t an April Fools Joke!I can’t believe we were able to go house hunting, find a home, get an offer accepted and a contract drawn up, AND purchase a second vehicle all within a week.  That is not to mention all of the research/prayers that went into making these major purchases! 

 

With Neal starting a job so soon and with two more months of rent left on our current residence, the plan of action is that Neal will be living in temporary housing while he works and writes (he is going to be finishing his PhD work in the evenings and weekends) and the kids and I will stay here to pack.  We are looking at about 3 hours of drive time separating us for about a month and a half.  As you can imagine it is a less-than-ideal situation but it is manageable and we can see him on the weekends if he isn’t too busy.  

The company is offering Neal the chance to get a business degree by taking evening classes while working and so most likely he will begin that this Fall.  The job is at least a 2 yr commitment, probably 3 for the business degree and who knows what will happen after that.  With that in mind, we were looking to start out in a smaller home with the idea that we may not be here longer than your average postdoc.  

We saw several homes and our very last home we saw was the one we got.  It is a HUD home (read this to know what I’m talking about) however it is in very good condition.  There are a lot of things we need/want to do to it prior to moving in but overall this seemed like the smartest investment for us, especially if we have to turn around and sell it in a few years.  But who knows, we could be there for a lot longer.

It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with an unfinished basement so we have room to grow.  It has plenty of yard and it is on the end of a culdesac and, yes, is right next to train tracks which for those who know our current status, it is nothing new although it is much quieter than here. It is in a little growing town called Davis Junction just south of Rockford.  The nearest LDS chapel is about 10 miles away and we will be in a branch (yes we knew about that beforehand) and we had a chance to meet some people in the branch this last Sunday.  The branch president made sure to collect our callings history and was very adamant that, “the Lord needs you here!” and I guess he was right because we got the home.  

Being a HUD home means we will have a little bit of work to do before we move in.  It is stressful but kind of fun to be able to pick out carpet and flooring and light fixtures and appliances…. I know that sounds like a lot but even with all of that we believe we will be coming out ahead when it comes time to resell.  What an adventure! I am excited to be able to pic out the things that we want (or is it I want?)

We have big plans for the basement and Neal is a handy guy so we will get to it as soon as time permits. If you looked carefully at the aerial view you would notice a pool which is no longer there so we have to help the grass grow back.  Well for the few readers who need more pics (hi mom!) here they are.  Just think of them as “before” pics with the “after” pics yet to come:

Aedan chose his room.  Thank goodness it was the one we were going to put him in.  He spent Easter weekend at his Grandma and Grandpa K’s house while we house hunted.

Lily was perfect for us!  What a trooper!

All those trees are ours.  There are many more trees.

 

Tax Credits and Rebates here we come!  Be sure to check back to see vehicle #2!!