Have I found a Home?

I went looking at houses again today. It was more fun because my sister who is in town this weekend for her birthday came with me. So, I was able to have someone who knows my taste and what I like and don't like with me to offer opinions. We saw 4 more houses today and there was one that I fell in LOVE with. Its on Rogers Drive in Macon for those familiar with the area (kinda in Ingleside neighborhood). Its a 3 bedroom/1.5 bath that is MOVE IN READY!!!! I think all I would do is paint the dining room a different color. The thing that sold me on this one was the deck. While the backyard is steep, there is a great deck off the back of the house that is covered and would be so easy to make into a screened porch. Its like your looking off in the mountains if you did not know better. There is a side yard for Barney to play in, I would just have to figure a fence situation out. I am going to try and see it tomorrow and will post pictures of it if I can. Right now, this is my front runner. Its kinda exciting.

Day One of the Great House Hunt

Well, I did not find my dream house today, so we will keep looking. In fact, Gina, my Realtor has already sent me some new houses to look at. The first one we looked at this morning was "bank owned" and it showed. It would take ten thousand just to repair the holes in the walls and ceilings left behind by the previous owners. The second house needed a total kitchen renovation and I am just not into spending that much money. House three was one where I knew the owners and it would be too much updating for me. It screams 1970s. The fourth house we skipped because it had NO backyard. Barney would have hated it. The last house has potential. Its the smallest from today, but the least expensive. It needs some updating outside, but the inside it totally redone. I loved the kitchen!!! I am still looking though, so more to come once I have seen more houses.

House Hunter Update

I really feel like I am on the show "House Hunters" on HGTV. This process has really become exciting. I talked to a Realtor on Monday and she got started right away. Monday night when I got home from class, she had e-mailed me 5 properties to look at. I liked all 5 enough to go see them in person, so Monday, I will begin the search officially as I look at houses in person. Right now, they are all in my price range, or I think I can talk them down. Many have been on the market for quite a while and will be hopefully easy to get under asking price.

The houses are kinda spread out all over the area of town that I am looking. Two of them are super close to my school, I mean like it would take 2 minutes to get there. EXTRA SLEEP FOR ME!!!! Of course, one has pink rooms. Melissa, I don't mean pretty pink, I am talking PEPTO BISMAL PINK!!!! That would be the first thing to go. I would have to paint those before I moved in. Of course, it helps that I have some friends who would help as long as I feed them!!!

On to school. This semester is shaping up to be ok. Dare I say, easy. Both of my professors are laid back people and realize that we teach all day and do not want to be in class all night. In my research class, I think my Senior Thesis in undergraduate was more work than this research class will be. In the Exceptional Child class, I have done half of the work already because of what my job entails. We have to write observations of SST meetings, and I have those all the time, so I just have to write my notes up. Now, the challenge is finding something to take for summer. They are not offering ANY graduate level history classes during the summer. I e mailed a professor who is teaching History of Christianity and asked her to add some work and make it a grad level class. All she can say is no, so we shall see.

American Dream

I have taken the first step of fulfilling the "American Dream" of home ownership. I went to the bank today and found out that I can be approved for a mortgage. To keep my payments under what I want, I am looking at around $105,000 price range. There is a good inventory in Macon of houses for sale, so I just have to start looking. It is too cost prohibitive to break my apartment lease, so I can't close on a house until May. Hopefully mortgage rates will drop some more by then!!! That gives me plenty of time to find exactly what I am looking for. Now, I just have to find it...

On another note, my students continue to surprise me. I am in charge of Prom this year at the school that I teach at. We have another private school in the area that is in financial trouble. They did not even know if the school would open after Christmas. That junior class donated the money for their prom to the school to keep it open. Our junior and senior class officers decided that it would be a nice gesture to invite that schools junior and senior classes to our prom. They met with me this morning and then with their classmates this afternoon. It was an overwhelming "yes" to do this. Now, we are figuring out all of the details. We don't know if this school will accept the invitation, but it was nice to see our students being so open and caring about other kids. They realize that these students may not have a school next year and want them to have something memorable to remember. I was really impressed with my students today!! They made me proud.

Back at School

I had forgotten how hard teaching is. Its tough to get back into the game when you have been out for two weeks. But, alas school has started again. I do have a few more days of freedom before I start my classes again, so I am enjoying not having to do anything at night for a few more days. Maybe the real reason I am having such a hard time is the weather. It has been cloudy and HOT here for the past several days. Not really weather that you want to get out of bed in much less go to work in. A major storm is brewing. I wish it would come on and get it over with because my dog and kids are driving me crazy with the weather and barometric pressure changes.

If anyone out there is reading this, :) please pray for a clear answer from God for me. I am beginning to look at houses because I am tired of apartment living and Barney needs a backyard. My lease is up at the end of May, so I want a decision made by then. I need to figure out what I can afford and if this is what God wants me to do or if this is the devil telling me what I want to hear.

The next few weeks at school should be interesting. We are getting a new head of school for the upcoming school year and the final candidates will be on campus next week to meet with the students, parents, and faculty. It could be quite an interesting week as none of the candidates are from Georgia.

Barney is barking at something, I must go see what it is....

Happy New Year

Here is hoping that everyone out there in Blogger land has a happy, healthy New Year.

I have not made Resolutions, cause I can never keep them. I am however trying to eat right, thanks Mom and Dad for the new pots and pans for Christmas and am trying to save as much as I can to buy a house. I am tired or renting and if I can get a great deal and my mortgage payment be about the same as rent, I want a house. Also, it would be better for Barney to have a yard to play in.

So, those are my goals for the new year. Hope you have a great 2009!!