Test of Patience
Waiting for this whole house thing to unfold has been the single biggest test of patience of my entire existence. Being patient for something with a clear end in sight is one thing. But waiting around for results with no idea of a timeline for how things will unfold is a whole different beast. When we listed our house, we knew that our neighborhood was not a hot market and that it would take lots and lots of time to find a buyer. So, lots and lots of time has passed, and I've been very patient. But my patience is rapidly being worn thin.
In the meantime, we've looked at probably ten houses, devoted countless hours to searching our MLS portal and Zillow, and have had too many emotions wrapped up in this process to even count. Right now, we have our eye on a secret little gem. It's not so secret...it's just that it's kind of a weird house, so it's been on the market for over a month. It has a basement with the staircase right in the middle of the entryway. Which is not ideal, but we're not seeking perfection here. The house is in my most favorite neighborhood, McCormick Ranch. The finished basement gives us the square footage that we need, which would be impossible to find in any other home in the area. Plus, it has a 3-car garage, which Dylan demands, with good reason.
I've been pushing to buy the house ASAP before ours goes under contract. Dylan, forever the voice of reason, insists that that is not a good idea since we need the cash tied up in our current house to do renovations. He's right...but I'm also watching every day tick by and our chances of getting this house diminishing the longer and longer we wait. It has resulted in just a few emotional explosions. For now, I've resigned to waiting it out, and if it's not meant to be, then it is what it is. I can't fight it. It uses too much energy and causes too much stress, and I'm already maxed out in both departments. Plus, the theme of my adulthood has been "resilience in the face of disappointment." Clearly, nothing terrible has ever happened to me. But I've learned that things don't always come so easily. Just because you want something, doesn't mean you can have it. I'll survive if we don't get this house. We already tried to put in a contingent offer on the sale of our house, and though the sellers thought about it long and hard, they ultimately decided not to take it. (They are not dumb.)
Rewinding a little bit...back in July, I found the ultimate fixer-upper. I mean, the thing was a complete gut job. It needed new A/C, roof, floors, windows, plumbing. Not to mention an entire reconfiguration of the floor plan. We got a renovation bid from an old friend who has his own construction business, and it was not cheap. But we were willing to go for it. Unfortunately, the house went under contract with a buyer who had put in a contingent offer before we were able to get in on a deal. So, that was a good lesson. Not a heartbreaker, but just a hurdle.
The fixer-upper was in a great spot. Just on the west side of Scottsdale Rd, near Thunderbird. It had a guest house and was on an acre lot, so we could keep our camper-trailer there. All along, we'd been focusing on non-HOA fixer uppers with big lots, like that one. But, now I am all-in on this house in McCormick Ranch. Though, location-wise, almost anything in Scottsdale proper will do, I think there's a lot to be said for being steps from the elementary school and the green belt and a five minute drive from almost everything else. Plus, the potential for the kids to go outside and play with neighbors, as well as the sense of community that I crave...well, you cannot beat McCormick Ranch.
By the time this blog goes live, our fate will have been determined. This spot is staying private until the docs have been signed and the keys have been handed to the next party. Right now, I am at the library in McDowell Mountain Ranch because I'm supposed to be working on CE, but obviously my heart is not in it. (My heart is almost never "into" anything pharmacy-related.) I look around here and see the elementary school and the community aquatic center along with a billion homes that are almost completely full of young families. The boys' schools are two seconds away, as is my gym and just about everything else I do in my life. How lovely it would be to leave here and be where I need to be in five minutes instead of 35 minutes. I'm not really into McDowell Mountain Ranch (though if it were my only option, I'd say sign me up), but I AM into belonging to a neighborhood. It might be next month or next year, but it will happen. I have my eye on the prize, and when it comes to achieving a goal, I've never been known to surrender.
In the meantime, we've looked at probably ten houses, devoted countless hours to searching our MLS portal and Zillow, and have had too many emotions wrapped up in this process to even count. Right now, we have our eye on a secret little gem. It's not so secret...it's just that it's kind of a weird house, so it's been on the market for over a month. It has a basement with the staircase right in the middle of the entryway. Which is not ideal, but we're not seeking perfection here. The house is in my most favorite neighborhood, McCormick Ranch. The finished basement gives us the square footage that we need, which would be impossible to find in any other home in the area. Plus, it has a 3-car garage, which Dylan demands, with good reason.
I've been pushing to buy the house ASAP before ours goes under contract. Dylan, forever the voice of reason, insists that that is not a good idea since we need the cash tied up in our current house to do renovations. He's right...but I'm also watching every day tick by and our chances of getting this house diminishing the longer and longer we wait. It has resulted in just a few emotional explosions. For now, I've resigned to waiting it out, and if it's not meant to be, then it is what it is. I can't fight it. It uses too much energy and causes too much stress, and I'm already maxed out in both departments. Plus, the theme of my adulthood has been "resilience in the face of disappointment." Clearly, nothing terrible has ever happened to me. But I've learned that things don't always come so easily. Just because you want something, doesn't mean you can have it. I'll survive if we don't get this house. We already tried to put in a contingent offer on the sale of our house, and though the sellers thought about it long and hard, they ultimately decided not to take it. (They are not dumb.)
Rewinding a little bit...back in July, I found the ultimate fixer-upper. I mean, the thing was a complete gut job. It needed new A/C, roof, floors, windows, plumbing. Not to mention an entire reconfiguration of the floor plan. We got a renovation bid from an old friend who has his own construction business, and it was not cheap. But we were willing to go for it. Unfortunately, the house went under contract with a buyer who had put in a contingent offer before we were able to get in on a deal. So, that was a good lesson. Not a heartbreaker, but just a hurdle.
The fixer-upper was in a great spot. Just on the west side of Scottsdale Rd, near Thunderbird. It had a guest house and was on an acre lot, so we could keep our camper-trailer there. All along, we'd been focusing on non-HOA fixer uppers with big lots, like that one. But, now I am all-in on this house in McCormick Ranch. Though, location-wise, almost anything in Scottsdale proper will do, I think there's a lot to be said for being steps from the elementary school and the green belt and a five minute drive from almost everything else. Plus, the potential for the kids to go outside and play with neighbors, as well as the sense of community that I crave...well, you cannot beat McCormick Ranch.
By the time this blog goes live, our fate will have been determined. This spot is staying private until the docs have been signed and the keys have been handed to the next party. Right now, I am at the library in McDowell Mountain Ranch because I'm supposed to be working on CE, but obviously my heart is not in it. (My heart is almost never "into" anything pharmacy-related.) I look around here and see the elementary school and the community aquatic center along with a billion homes that are almost completely full of young families. The boys' schools are two seconds away, as is my gym and just about everything else I do in my life. How lovely it would be to leave here and be where I need to be in five minutes instead of 35 minutes. I'm not really into McDowell Mountain Ranch (though if it were my only option, I'd say sign me up), but I AM into belonging to a neighborhood. It might be next month or next year, but it will happen. I have my eye on the prize, and when it comes to achieving a goal, I've never been known to surrender.
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