Weekend Warriors to the Rescue!

Here are some "before" pictures of my Garden of Despair:

Pretty much, it's former owners didn't put down landscape cloth + current owner's neglect = a mess.

Then, the Weekend Warriors arrive:

And they do what they do best.  Here are the "after" pics of the Garden of No More Despair:

Amazing, right?  What can I say.  The Weekend Warriors (aka Mom & Dad), are hard workers, perfectionists and love to garden.  We were out at a time on Saturday and Monday mornings that I usually sleep right through, but we had to start early to avoid the heat.  I pulled so many weeds Saturday that every part of me ached by Saturday night.  But now, I'm not depressed every time I come and go from the house to the carport!

After removing the problems.  Here is what we added:

Rain gauge (so I know when I can take off watering) + 2 plants + [very] little tree

Three plants, at least one had/will have purple flowers:

Add the little plant "starts" Mom and Dad brought from their plants at home.  I have affectionately named them The Stick Family.  Supposedly they have great potential.  I'm not sure they are going to survive 105* for a week and the afternoon sun every day, though.  I will do my best to keep them alive but I'm not too hopeful!

Here are some other things my parents helped me with this past weekend, in addition to the yard transformation:
Hanging of towel bars/rings.  Double towel bar took (no exaggeration) 2 hours to hang.  What can I say?  My Dad is thorough and exact. :)

Knobs on all the kitchen cabinets (brushed nickel to match curtain rod):

Hung up some pictures:

These are souveniers from my May 2011 trip to Ukraine to see the Yellow Hats:

This is an addition to my bathroom.  Love me some Anne Geddes babies!

So thankful for Mom & Dad's help with all this stuff!  Hope you had a great Labor Day!

The first holes

Please look past the clutter, but I am proud of myself for hanging my new curtains by myself. This pic is from my phone so it's a bit grainy. The colors are blue, rust and dark chocolate brown. I only made one extra hole and that was because the first one there was something like steel preventing the drill/screw going all the way in - so not my fault! It took my a long time...lots of measuring and I am very happy with the results. Now as I have had time to stare at them more I see a section that is higher than the others, but I am NOT taking them down to do anything about it!!!

Next comes more cleaning (I've moved back into the kitchen and found the cleaning products I need for the floors) and then hopefully next week beginning to think about pictures on the walls. I was disappointed that when I ran into the wall by mistake with a (I shouldn't have been trying to lift it by myself 'cuz it was too heavy) box, the smooth finish scraped off! So I'll have to figure out what I need to do to fix it-was hoping the walls would be a bit more resilient to wear and tear by not so much. :(

But at least I'm not staring at painters' paper that says "please do not remove paper from windows" hung up by Scotch blue tape anymore!!

A Work in Progress - Day 9 Pic

Houston, we have white cabinets! And blue walls! No more faux-finished-with-orange-and-black-paint-cabinets and dirty yellow walls! Hooray! :)

A Work in Progress - Day 7 pics

[I cannot for the life of me get blogger to put spaces between the paragraphs. Sorry.]

So when I first saw the "wet paint" sign, I figured, "eh, I'll just be careful" - I didn't want to 1) walk all the way up the alley and then all the way back down the street to get to the front of the house or 2) get back in the car and drive around to the front. However, as you can see, they partitioned off the kitchen with the plastic and gave me no choice. OK, so I guess I could have waded through the most toxic smell known to mankind and wet paint just to park in the carport and go through the back door but...yeah, I didn't.

I just keep reminding myself just how ugly those kitchen cabinets were and how much I've depised them ever since I saw them in July 2011. Faux finished/antiqued - look like someone took orange and black paint to make wood-like. WHY?!? It will be (and is from what I can see) sooooo much better white to match appliances.

So since I didn't know before I got home that I had no access to my kitchen, my gourmet meal of cereal was eaten without milk. I know you're jealous. Breakfast tomorrow will be surprisely similar since I can't get to the bread in the frig to make the typical PB&J toast.

On the plus side, the rest of the house that they painted I like and except for a few places they need to touch up, it looks pretty good. They made scratches in one of the tubs that irks me a bit, but what are you going to do. I hope I can scrub them away.

It will be a week tomorrow that they've been here. I don't know how people do major remodels. I am so ready to have my house back! :)

A Work in Progress: Day 3 Pics

I'm sorry I can't figure out how to turn these pics. You can't tell, but the walls are now perfectly smooth. Paint is "practical beige" as I selected for everywhere but kitchen, where it will be "bluebell". They are painting the kitchen cabinets white but only primed one or two. I guess they were waiting for me to empty them because they'll be painting the inside of them as well, but no one told me so I hadn't emptied them! My painter's ESP must be malfunctioning! :)

The first pic is the guest (bigger) bath where they stashed all their stuff for the weekend. I told them no working this weekend as I wanted the house to myself. They finished the living room/dining room and as you can see, unwrapped the furniture and put it (roughly) back in place. There are some imperfections that I can see that I will need to point out to the head guy, but the good news is that I am happy with the color and I have my sofa and comfy chair back to enjoy for the weekend.

I am currently sitting here with all the doors propped open to air out the paint fumes. I'm glad it's not in the 90's or 100's, good call on my part doing this in January instead of July. What a mess everything is - thick layer of dust (in addition to normal dust that was there before the project) - on top of everything. No sense of cleaning now since they're not done. It will be worth it though to have smooth, freshly repaired and painted walls in my color, not the multi faceted ones of the former owner. It will really feel like home when I can hang pictures on the walls - which I will be able to do soon! :)

A Work in Progress: Day 1 and 2 Pics

Here are some pics of the progress (and mess!) the painters made on day 1. What my cell phone couldn't capture was the eye-stinging, throat-burning fumes of the wall re-finishing stuff. This house was built around 1970 and at the time textured (crow's foot is the term) walls were the "in" thing. Not so much any more. So I'm having them smoothed out. I had no idea what that entailed other than it would help resale value somewhere down the road.

Wednesday and Thursday nights I camped out in my bedroom with the patio door open to breathe some fresh air (my bedroom was not being refinished/painted because my Dad had already painted it). This is what the house looked like both Wed & Thurs nights when I got home from work.

And so it begins...

...this morning Raul, the painter, and his brothers and other various male relatives, arrived to begin refinishing the walls and painting my house. I left a key with him, instructions, paint numbers, and my trust.

I have to admit I'm anxious to get through the next hour to get home and see what they've been up to. I can't say I like the idea of people being in my home when I'm not there, but I can't take time off work and they come highly recommended, so I need to trust them and trust the Lord to take care of me.

Progress pictures as they are available...

A Tale of Two Beiges...

So, now that I have my tax situation figured out for 2011, it's time that I can finally think about having the house painted. My plan is to have this done once, right, and so that when I get ready to sell this place in ten years, the paint will still look good. So except for my bedroom which is BRAVE PURPLE (Sherwin Williams' color name), the rest of the house is going to be a neutral color.

I simply cannot do white because I've lived in apartments the past 10 years and can't stand looking at white walls any more. My brother & sister in law in OH have a dark beige all throughout their house and I really like it. It's neutral yet not boring and with white trim, it looks very classy. So after picking up several paint swatches last week of beiges, I narrowed it down to two shades - "familiar beige" and "practical beige". What boring names! What does it say about me that I'm about to paint my house practical beige!? At least I have brave purple in one room to redeem me! :)

Friday night I went throughout all the rooms that will be painted the beige in question and painted a spot of each color. As you can see, they are nearly indistinguishable. You can't get a good sense from the walls/hall (top) picture due to the current wall (yuck) colors. But the one taken in the bathroom with the pale greyish blue walls you get the best sense of the new paint candidates. And while you can hardly tell them apart, I'm going with the bottom one, which is the practical beige.

Now, probably tomorrow, I'll call the painter and hopefully soon the fun will be started! He and his crew will be refinishing the walls, too (they have an outdated crow's foot texture on them and the painter told me for resale, flat smooth walls would be better), which will be nice. I'm sure it will increase the residue/dust to be cleaned afterwards, but it will be worth it.

Then I'll finally be able to hang things up on the wall and really start to settle in and feel even more at home. It has, after all, been more than 4 months, so I probably should finish unpacking at some point! :)

Moving...

...is not for the weak!

I have NO IDEA how my miliary friends do this so often. I haven't moved in 5 years and I only have my stuff, not a houseful with 3 children and yet it wears me out!

PRAISE THE LORD, though, it is done. I am out of my apartment. I am in my new home. My bedroom, thanks to my Dad, is my favorite shade of my favorite color (Sherwin Williams calls it "brave purple"). There are a TON of boxes to unpack, but they aren't going anywhere, so I will get to them as my body allows. Thankfully there is a spare room and large spare closet to hide them from sight so they don't stress me out!

Now if I could just get AT&T to install the internet they were supposed to last week...

It's Mine (or will be in 30 years...)

Me = homeowner!!!

(though not in Canada; keychain came from owners)

Praise the Lord! :)

Celebrating the "second to the last..."

...time to do laundry going in and outside in the heat! Setting timers so people won't steal my stuff, worrying about whether I'll be able to find machines not being used to get my laundry done when I want to or rearrange my plans to do it later, etc. are only things I'll have to worry about 1 more time after this weekend. Because one of the best things about owning my own home is that it comes with 2 wonderful appliances - a washer and a dryer. Laundry will no longer be such an event--hooray!

Getting more real...

So...Shutterfly does more than just pictures...who knew??? Got these fun moving announcements just now for good price! Get $10 off for showing you them, too! :) I made a book from my Ukraine trip on Shutterfly and was soooo happy with how it turned out - was very easy and sooooo much quicker than making a scrapbook by hand! I have also ordered lots of prints from them over the years and have been very happy! Highly recommend them!

A Clear "Yes"

So the house...well, after the first appraisal came back for x, my realtor filed a rebuttal showing why it should come back for x+$2500 (sales price). Earlier this week, we got revised appraisal for just that - great news! BUT, underwriting at lender had to agree...more waiting...won't know till this next week...except...I just got a call...

Revised appraisal approved for sales price = Sarah shells out less of her savings for this house = a clear "yes" from the Lord = answers to many prayers!

How gracious the Father is!

So, barring anything else sprouting up, the closing is set for August 30. I'm allowing myself to be officially excited now...praise the Lord!

House Update

The appraisal came back yesterday. If it came back at x or x+2500, then I knew it was going to be the one the Lord wanted for me. It can back for x...which is not the best news since it means I have to take the other $2500 out of savings to pay the difference between sales price and appraisal...but it's also not the worst news. It could have appraised for x-2500 or something. My realtor disagrees with some of the adjustments the appraiser made and I guess there is a rebuttal process. She was also going to go back to the sellers because clearly we don't want the sellers to know that I am still planning on buying the house even though it didn't quite appraise for the selling price.


So, it would be great if the sellers would lower their price some more, but based on the fact that they wouldn't even give me $200 credit for A/C maintenance, I'm not holding my breath! Speaking of A/C, I'm secretly hoping maybe it will poop out this week that it's supposed to be 105+ everyday (including some days 109) and then they would HAVE to replace it for me...we'll see. The Lord is in control and not surprised by any of these details.


I'm continuing to have daily migraines and am just trying to make it through the days at work until hopefully the preventative meds we've started get to a therapeutic level in my system and kick in...the Lord is faithful. :)

Update on House

Even though there were several little things from the inspection Monday that I could have asked the sellers for credit for, I only asked for $200 for an A/C service call because it is not working well (and for any of you reading this that aren't in Dallas, it's 100+ here for the past month with no foreseeable break in sight). They wouldn't agree to it! Basically, they say they can't afford anything else. They have come down $10K from their original asking price, but it's because they put more money and owe more $$ on the house than what it's worth. So now the big issue is the the appraisal, which has been officially ordered and will come back next week. If it comes back favorably, then I think this will be my house. If it doen't come back favorably, I'll know this isn't the one for me. If it is my house, then be assured the A/C is going to be fixed or replaced soon!

The sellers do have a home warranty and supposedly they had it serviced, even though the inspector said it hasn't been - so my realtor is personally paying for the warranty call for them to come out and see about the "you say you serviced it and it's working fine, we have an independent inspection to prove otherwise" discrepancy - we're not horribly hopeful because typically the warranty companies wiggle their way out of responsibility but it's worth a shot. I'm praying that if this is the Lord's house for me He'll make it abundantly clear with how the appraisal comes back - either at or close to the sales price so I can afford it or way under so I can't...so I'll know for sure whether He wants me to have this house or not.


In other news, Dad is doing OK, recovering from the biopsy, and has an appt. with the doctor on Friday to learn pathology results. He will need to figure out what kind of doctor to see for the sarcoidoisis.

House Update

Yesterday was the house inspection. I wasn't too overly worried about it because the inspector had, at his suggestion, done a "drive-by" to check the major issues like roof and foundation prior to me entering into a contract. He told me this house is a castle compared to the other 2 I've had contracts on. The only major issue is the A/C. It's old and hasn't been serviced so it's not cooling efficiently and that means, in our 100*+ heat, is running non-stop. So I'm going to ask for $200 credit from sellers for a service call on it. I know they cannot afford to credit me $5000 for new A/C and I'm hoping the cleaning will help me get through September and October and then I can buy new A/C next year.


There are some minor plumbing issues but mostly just old fixtures that have been there from the beginning (70's) which I would want to replace, so I will probably just get a handy-man out there and have him replace them for me at some point.


It was nice to get a good report but the biggest relief of the day was Dad's biopsy going well and getting the likely prognosis of no cancer.


The next steps on the house were getting the closing costs amounts from the lender and then moving forward with ordering the appraisal, which I just did. That's where things could get tricky. There are no comparables in the immediate neighborhood other than foreclosures and you can't use foreclosures to base appraisals off of. We had a spot appraisal done and the counter offer from the sellers came in Friday at $2500 over that so my realtor felt that was close enough to go for it. I'm hoping the real appraisal will come in at purchase price. If it doesn't, I have the opportunity to pay the other $2500 without penalty. I'll just have to see how all the numbers work out.


I like the house and would really like this to be the one and be done with this process on so many levels and move Labor Day weekend and be done, but I want to be sensitive to the Lord's voice and not just plow ahead because I'm impatient and ready to be done! Another reason I have for wanting to have this be all finalized is that dear friends are going to the mission field and I need to pledge my montly support to them in the next couple weeks. I can do that much more accurately if this house is "the one"...but God is in control and He is not surprised by any of this...or that I continue to have daily migraines...I praise Him for providing the grace to get through the days and for the medication to make some better than others. He is good!

Under contract...again

...this time on house #3....and hopefully, since we've done a lot of the leg work ahead of time, this one will be "it"...if so, I'll be moving Labor Day weekend! Set to close August 30 because the people are still living there, but essentially it should be a "done deal" after the financing comes through in 3 weeks or so...thanks for praying and keep it up - just that the Lord's will be done and I be patient!

House update

This house business is such a roller coaster (I know I keep saying that but I can't think of a better description). So when it looked like a definite "no" yesterday, we got word late in the day that the sellers are going to order their own appraisal of their property. This is good news because it will help everyone establish the appropriate sales price. The issue for me has not been the price they're asking but rather whether my lender would loan me all the money for the property as it's likely not worth the asking price...so more waiting, but it's a positve turn...I'll take it! :)

House #3

***updated 7/20/11 11:30 a.m. CST*** It seems that the house is not going to appraise for what the sellers want/need for the house. So the sellers either have to take $6000 less than what they said their lowest possible offer was, or I have to move on...will update again when I find out more, but at this point, I'm thinking #3 is not going to be the 1. And yesterday, it was the opposite. What a roller coaster, and what a blessing that none of this takes the Lord by surprise and He NEVER changes! :)

This is house #3 that I've placed an offer on. I liked it the day we saw house #2, but house #2 was being sold at a much better value (I now know why!) so I went with that one at the time. Since #2 was a no-go, I put an offer in on #3 on Friday.


The issue with this house is that it is listed at around $82/sq ft compared to the others in the neigborhood that have sold for $70-75/sq ft - a couple by the same listing agent as this one. So my agent suggested I go in at that price (which amounts, in this case, to $14,900 under list!) and ask the sellers to provide substantiation of value of a higher counter offer.


I'm glad my realtor is thinking ahead because she told me that this issue is the appraisal. If the house doesn't appraise for the price we agree on, even if it is under list, then the lending company wouldn't be able to give me the money. So before we go through with a full inspection and everything, we are trying to cover all our bases first.


The nicest inspector in the world offered last week at house inspection #2 to do a "drive-by" the next time I found one I liked. He said he could tell in 15-20 minutes from the outside whether a house was worth pursuing. I was thrilled when he came back and said that house #3 was the best of the 3 so far, becaue house #1 was in great shape. That was very encouraging.


So the next step was that my realtor asked the listing agent for some proof that the house was worth what they were asking for it. She did that Thursday and we heard nothing back until this morning. The couple that owned this house is only able to go down $3000 from list but there is no appraisal anywhere that justifies that price. They admitted they may have to take it off the market. So not sure whether this will work out or not. I can't move forward, even if I am willing to pay the higher price, unless there is an appraisal somewhere to justify the amount I need to borrow.


This house is in the same neighborhood as house #2 so I was pleasantly surprised that the foundation nightmares of that house weren't an issue this time. It is still close to work and in a safe neighborhood. It has things that need updating, like hideously faux-finished kitchen cabinets and shower doors on the tubs, but that's something I can do over time.


I would love if this was the one, but I know the Lord has a plan. I really would like to have this be the one so I know just how much I can pledge to my friends that are going to be missionaries and are raising their support. Without knowing my monthly housing expenses, it's hard to know what to tell them. If you're reading this, please pray that I will have wisdom. If house #3 falls through, I may wait awhile to look further. I don't HAVE to move. I can go month-to-month on my apartment for awhile. The most important thing to me is that I will do what the Lord wants me to...to listen to His voice and not the voice of my selfish desires of wanting a place of my own and wanting this house-hunting to be over with.


Thank you.

House Roller-Coaster

So, the results of the inspection Friday were not good, to make the understatement of the century. You name it and it was wrong with the house - roof, foundation, wiring, water damage/leaks, bad A/C, bad furnace, bad windows. I'm thankful for a good inspector and that I could walk away before it was too late.


I was also disappointed to learn that the other houses on the same street/cul-de-sac that were possibilities for me are likely in similiar situations as far as foundations that are so bad they let water in as well.


What an emotional roller coaster house-hunting is! I'm thankful my Mom was in town over the weekend to help me take my mind off things by going to the Dallas Dog Show. Nothing like some wagging tails to help a saddened heart!


I know the Lord has a house for me. I plan on looking at a few more this coming Saturday.