House hunt update

So, B and I put an offer in on a house in south Minneapolis (Standish-Ericsson neighborhood) and the sellers accepted it! Yay! The house also passed the inspection, though it does need a new water heater and a few other tweaks that we can do over time. Now all that is left is the appraisal and wrapping up the mortgage. Hopefully those will both go smoothly, as the closing is scheduled for April 30. We are very excited, and I think we would be heartbroken if we didn't get the house at this point. Here are some pics I took (I was in a hurry so I didn't get a chance to take pics of the backyard and garage). Hope you enjoy!

House Hunt Update

So far, I'm finding house hunting to be incredibly frustrating. I feel like we've seen 100s of houses online, and out of those, maybe 25 are worth seeing. I do not understand what people are doing to their houses, honestly. Scary stuff out there. Plus, tons of houses we like are on short sale status, which makes everything way more complicated. In fact, we actually made an offer on a house, but it's on short sale status. This means that we may wait for months and months before we even hear from the bank that they've even looked at our offer. Also, it means there is very little room for negotiation, as we are dealing with the bank rather than the seller. Yikes! Clearly, B and I can't wait forever, as our leases end early this summer. So, while we wait for an answer (or mere acknowledgment) on that house, we must continue to shop.

Unfortunately, none of the other houses we find really compare to the one on which we made an offer. Most of the other houses are smaller or have major flaws (lack of bedrooms, need a ton of work, etc.). Plus, for some reason, our realtor doesn't always seem to listen to us. I feel like we've sent her tons of homes we want to see, yet we've barely seen any houses. And then yesterday, she told us we've now seen enough houses to know what we like. We've only seen 9 houses in person...pretty sure that's not enough. She also showed us homes that didn't meet some of our requirements...another odd move. Further, we've now sent her at least 2 homes that have sold before we even had a chance to see them. That's sort of frustrating, but I'm not sure how to push things along either. I think B is going to send her another list of houses with specific instructions to set up appointments for all of them. Hopefully that will work. We haven't even looked in SLP yet, which seems weird to me. Idk what to think about all that.

Ultimately, I think B and I are going to wind up compromising on a lot of things we want, which is sort of a bummer. I already feel like I've compromised a lot by giving up on Saint Paul (I really don't like Mpls all that much), and now I don't know if we will be able to afford a house that we like either. That's frustrating and hard.

Anyway, I don't know why I thought buying a house would be easier than this, but I was clearly wrong. It's tiring, consuming, and stressful. Plus, I keep worrying about the economy and whether I will be laid off. If that happens, we would be in major trouble. A tiny part of me thinks maybe it's better to just keep renting for a while until things settle down. However, the other part of me knows that we need a place to live whether I'm working or not. And we could always get a renter if I lost my job. Still scary, but I think we would manage. I just wish the house hunting and moving (and the recession) could be over now. A girl can dream, right? :)

Family Fun (or Insanity)

This weekend has been filled with family fun and craziness. By some odd stroke of fate, B's entire family and my entire family were all in town this weekend, so we were crazy busy. B's family arrived Friday night, so she and I headed over to my apartment in Saint Paul for the night. I can't remember the last time I had slept there, but I do know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bed. So much so that I actually miss my bed. B's bed just can't compare. I can't wait until we finally combine our households permanently, as I will get to sleep on my bed all the time (if B will let us).

Anyway, we woke up early on Saturday morning to go see a few houses in NE Mpls (none that we want to buy), and then it was off to Chaska to visit with my family. It was great to be there with both my sisters present - that doesn't happen often. I really miss both of them. I actually miss my parents too, as I don't see them all that often. Sad, since they only live 45 minutes away. I should work on that I guess, but life has been crazy.

After lunch and some time hanging out (and meeting my mom's new cat), we went back to Mpls to have dinner with B's family. We went to Taste of India, which I really love. After that, we went back to the Mpls apartment (where we normally live) and hung out for a bit. We left there by 9, and I think I was sound asleep by 11 pm (in my awesome bed!).

Sunday, we had to wake up relatively early again, this time for Charlie's birthday party. I wasn't sure I would make it, as I was feeling really sick this morning, but I sucked it up and got ready (it didn't seem right to blow off a three year old's birthday party). The party was quite fun, and I'm glad I went. Charlie loved the Little Einsteins card we gave him - maybe more than some of the presents he received! Good stuff.

After the party, B, her sister Rachel, and I headed back to Saint Paul. Rachel's flight home isn't until 10:30 or so. My sister Samantha also joined us at the apartment for an hour or so before she had to catch her flight back to Seattle. We all played a little guitar hero (Rachel had never played before - a GH virgin! who knew such folks still existed?), and then it was time for Samantha to head out. I was sad to see her go. I wish she hadn't moved, but there's not much I can do about that. It sucks that both of my sisters live out of town. :(

Right now, I'm trying to do a few loads of laundry (we have about 3 million after a weekend of visitors) and B and Rachel are sitting on the couch watching The Holiday. Actually, it seems that Rachel has fallen asleep, and now B just told me she is going to take a nap too. I'm incredibly exhausted (and slightly crabby too), and I should probably nap as well. Probably won't happen though, as I want to finish this laundry before we head out for another dinner. I might wind up skipping the dinner altogether, as it's going to be at Benihana and I've already had a disastrous WW day. Sigh. I thought I might lose this week, but today probably killed that dream. No self control at Charlie's bday party. Oh well. Tomorrow is a new day!

Anyway, despite the craziness, it was a good weekend. If only I could take tomorrow off to recover from it...alas, I have WAY too much to accomplish at work this week. Sleep when you're dead, right? :)

A real life example of GLBT discrimination :(

As I've mentioned previously, B and I are buying a house this spring. Lately, people have been encouraging us to take advantage of the recently adopted tax credit for new home buyers. Unfortunately, the tax credits impose income limitations, and I earn too much to qualify for the credit. However, if B and I could get married, we could file our taxes jointly, and then we would qualify for the credit, as our income doesn't exceed the joint limit. When I discovered this, I felt truly sad and angry. The love B and I share is just as valid as the love shared between heterosexual couples...a lack of a penis doesn't diminish that. I can't understand why people think we deserve less. B and I will lose out on a lot of money simply because of who we love. I know life isn't fair, but this is something that can be changed; this discrimination doesn't need to exist.

This is just one of the many unfair situations that B and I will encounter in the future. We have to hire an attorney to draft a domestic partnership agreement, we have to hire an attorney to complete a second parent adoption, we have to draft wills and health care directives, etc. All because of who we love. We are no different than any other couple - we go to work, maintain a home, care for pets, love our friends and families, go shopping, travel, etc. Yet, we can't obtain the protection that heterosexuals get just by saying I do. Thousands of extra dollars lost because we have to hire an attorney to take care of everything, and even then, we aren't completely protected. It's just not right.

So, if you are on the fence even a tiny bit re: gay rights and gay marriage, think about me and B. Think about all the extra challenges we face on a daily basis because of who we love, and ask yourself if that's fair. I hope you will reach the same conclusion as me - there is no valid reason for treating people differently based on whom they love. Discrimination hurts, a lot. Think about it. Thanks.

Nothing says love like a ...vacuum?

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I hope the day is filled with fun and love (of any kind). B has to work today, and we are house hunting later, so we celebrated with a "date" last night. Really, our date consisted of grocery shopping, dinner at Taste of India (if you have never eaten there, check it out - it's fantastic), and more shopping at Sears, where we made our first major purchase together - a vacuum (after research and much appreciated advice, we went with a Dyson Animal, which was on sale - thanks all)!

That's right, I took B to Sears for Valentine's Day - obviously I know how to woo the ladies. I mean, nothing says love like some powerful suction...oh wait, that's a post for a different kind of blog! :) Anyway, while we were at Sears, we also looked at tons of other appliances, trying to price out what things might cost if we need to replace/upgrade when we buy the new house. We also purchased some cute outfits for B's nephews. Really, despite what it sounds like, it was a really fun night, and it made me excited for the future. Ten years ago, I think I would have laughed if someone told me I would be happy about looking at stoves, freezers, grills and refrigerators, but I was. Good times for sure!

Do you know where your college transcript is?

As we begin this house buying process, I'm figuring out it's a huge pain in the ass! At least the mortgage part anyway. Example: I have to produce copies of both my college and law school transcripts. Law school is not a problem, but I graduated from college TEN years ago! Obviously, I don't have a transcript handy, so I had to order one. Another example: I have to call all of my utility providers and ask them to write letters detailing how long my account has been open, how much I pay, and if I've ever paid late. That doesn't seem like an easy thing to do - what incentive do those companies have to write such letters? Third example: I have to write a letter explaining the gaps in my recent employment history. Why the law school transcript isn't good enough is beyond me - doesn't that prove what I was doing for the last 3 years? Bizarre. Anyway, those are just a FEW of the things I have to produce - wow!

My favorite suggestion from the banker so far? Go out and USE my unused credit cards to prove that the accounts are active. WTF?? You want me to go shopping with credit cards to prove I have good credit? I already have an active account that has a balance - an account I've used for years. Plus, I have a car loan and student loan payments that I've been working on for years. None of that is good enough - I might have to go out and SPEND more money to prove I'm worthy of a loan for a house. Sigh.

Clearly I didn't do enough research into what this process entails before I started. We've barely started and I already feel tired. Plus, I'm worried that we won't be able to afford a decent house, and the current state of the economy scares the crap out of me. Every day brings more layoffs, more businesses closing, etc. It's starting to catch up to the firm, and I'm worried this is just the beginning. If I get laid off, we would be screwed! Scary, scary times out there, and things aren't supposed to get better until after 2009!

Despite all these worries, I'm still excited about the idea of home ownership. It is a great investment, and houses are basically on sale right now. Plus, interest rates on mortgage loans are currently low as well. Most signs point to moving forward, but the fear bubbles up every once in a while too. One day at a time, right? :)

B and I are buying a house!

Big news - B and I are buying a house together this summer! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it, and I think she feels the same way. It's such a big step, but I feel completely confident that it's the right choice. She and I have been solid for a long time, and she's the real deal. Wedding bells might be ringing in the near future, but I can't give too much away online, as she is one of my 3 readers! Anyway, I can't wait to begin the next stage of our lives together, and that will involve moving in together for real (we live together now, but I'm still on the lease for the Saint Paul apartment too - most of my stuff is still there).

We started the process by looking at houses online, and then today we drove around and checked out some places too. We want to buy in Saint Louis Park or Minneapolis, and we spent most of today in SLP. We saw tons of places, many in our price range, but we only went to two open houses (both not the houses for us). We don't want to close until mid-June, so it's probably a little too early to be looking really seriously, but we wanted to get an idea of what kind of house we can afford, where we want to live, etc. My mom, a former realtor, said many more houses should be coming on the market next month, so that's also great news! I'm super excited for the whole process, and I can't wait to get started!

As I noted above, we are looking at SLP. That's right, we are considering a suburb. I never thought that would happen, and I will be SAD to leave the city if we decide to do so. However, there are good reasons to choose SLP - proximity to B's family and job, proximity to downtown, the schools, the JCC (I love, love, love belonging there - so much so that B says I should be in their next promotional piece), the nicer houses, etc. Still, I've been a city girl for a long time now, and it will be hard to leave that behind. Plus, I have to leave my beloved LRT as well...I guess I will have to bus it if we move out there. Definitely doable, but not ideal. Anyway, we haven't decided for sure where we will wind up, but there is definitely a chance I'll be going back to my suburban roots. Gasp! Let the mocking begin!

As we begin this process, B and I are open to your tips, advice, suggestions, etc. Specifically, we need a good exclusive buyer's agent, so if you have any recommendations for someone, please pass them on. We also need an attorney who does GLBT partnership work, so if you know someone for that, please share as well (unfortunately, my law degree will not help me in that area, and it's too important to screw up). Also, please know that we will be talking about houses, realtors, and everything related for the next six months. I apologize in advance, but that's just how it will be. :) Thanks for your support and patience as we begin this amazing journey together. Woo hoo - that's the best I can capture how excited we truly are, at least for tonight, as I'm quite tired. WOO HOOOOOO! :)

PS - thank you to my parents for all their support and help through this process! I am truly blessed.