The Abundant Abode: Sunday in Suburbia: The Search is Over

Well my dears - looks like we have ourselves a house. A true suburban abode right in the midst of northern Atlanta's neighborhoodacropolis.

Backyard

About two days after our heartbreaker (Loosing a Bidding War) we went to the other side of suburbia to check out a new listing. The price was the same as the heartbreaker as was most of the finishes and square footage. The yard of the new one was nicer, but it felt a lot more like a typical neighborhood kind of house - Mr. Suburbia. Less character than the one we loved. So...we decided to keep on a-lookin'. Then an interesting prospect out near the heartbreaker came on the market. A four side brick ranch with a partial unfinished basement, a pool and a 1 acre fairly private lot. We went, we saw, we liked, we offered. I barely slept that night. I woke up wondering if we made a horrible mistake. We loved everything about the house, but it was rather tiny. At about 1800 square feet and only 3 bedroom and 2 bathrooms we wondered how we were going to have two kids + my home office + room for in-laws to come stay. The unfortunate reality was - we wouldn't. Sure people do it all the time. The kids have to bunk together a few days while the grandparents squeeze into a full size bed in the other kid room. But where does my office go? I need space for all the drawing storage...However, this house was the exact same price as Mr. Suburbia on the other side of town. And Mr. Suburbia had 6 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms and no pool or septic tank to have to maintain. Crap...now what do we do?

Luckily the ranch people counter offered, and while it was a very good counter, we said see-ya and at 2pm on a Sunday put in the offer on Mr. Suburbia. By 8pm we were under contract. Gee that was super fast. Again, I barely slept that night. Again, I woke up wondering if we made a horrible mistake. Well, kinda. I re-ran the budget, and started to rethink our numbers. Luckily after a complete break down and a talk with my super cool-calm-and-collected husband we figured out that it wasn't as bad as I thought {you mean I over-reacted? Never!}. We could still meet the "Dave Ramsey" qualifications for what the mortgage should be, so basically I needed to chill out and stop being such an over achiever. {I may have a slight commitment issue, so the idea of committing to this house...especially after I just did the committing to a husband thing a few years ago...may have blurred my usually precise analytical vision.}

After the pretty clean inspection {a few minor electrical and typical plumbing issues - gotta get that expansion tank on those water heaters people!}, we definitely feel even better. Upon seeing the house again we know it's the right long-term decision. Plus, it's just down the road from that foreclosure we passed on (The House that Never Was), so we are in the same general area we initially planned on being, and all the same schools. Not to mention a less than 10 minute drive to my hubby's work, and he gets his man cave.

The thing that really made me sure was the yard. There are a few essentials for my yard: Japanese Maple and either dogwood or cherry tree in the front yard, Magnolia anywhere, hardwoods in the backyard, none-to-minimal pine trees {those are the ones that come crashing into your home...stupid pine trees I loathe you!}, azalea bushes, salvia {I like purple}, and crape myrtles {or crapy myrtles as I used to think there were called - think about reading the tag "crape" when you are 7...}. Well...this house has everything except the crapy myrtles, and there is the perfect place for one or two in the back yard. Which is just weird - am I related to the current owners? How did they know to plant those trees 15-20 years ago for me? And how about that porch swing and dog house?!