the one where I bought a house!

Why didn’t anyone tell me how much of an emotional rollercoaster buying a house would be? I was NOT prepared.

My home buying journey:

I started thinking about buying a home and downloaded Zillow, Trulia, and all the other apps about a year ago. For those wondering why I want to buy a house at 24 and not yet married- I have felt like an adult for most of my life (really) and it seemed like the right thing to do next. I wanted to make an investment and stop paying rent with nothing to claim for it. It isn’t impossible to make that huge step with the right people in your corner helping you along the way, even as a young, single female. More to come about having the right people, back to the story. I looked at one place I didn’t love last summer and got connected to a lender and pre-approved. Soon after, a rock flew into the front of my car and I had to pay a hefty repair fee, put house hunting to the side, signed another year on my current lease, and kept saving. Around April of this year, in the middle of working from home because of COVID-19, I decided to start looking seriously again and called my realtor. I didn’t know the rollercoaster ride I was stepping into or how badly I needed to buckle up.

1. The first townhome I saw in person on April 22^nd, I had an emotional experience, shed a tear or two, and placed a full price offer that day. I had no idea that at least five others would be doing the same and offering above asking price and two days later I found out they went with another offer and I had to mentally and emotionally move myself out of that home. Honestly, devastating. I was so naïve to the process and felt like my offer was great, but it was not good enough and it felt like total rejection.
2. The second one I saw about a week later and placed an offer on. Someone offered $12,000 above asking price. LOL, all I have to say about that one. The next day I found out and mentally moved out again.
3. The third one I saw a week after that and put a great offer on. I thought this was the one. There were not as many opposing offers, there were connections to my realtor/lender that seemed extremely promising, all the dots lined up. Then I received the news and mentally moved out of that one. 3 strikes, yikes.
4. On May 27^th, I was back working in the office and my realtor called me in the middle of a meeting. When the meeting was over, she had texted me a listing of a townhome and seemed confident it was the one. About an hour later, we showed up to the house, looked around, and I made an offer on the first home I had looked at yet that had literally every single thing I wanted. Screened-in porch, two full bathrooms, updated kitchen, all in my price range- there is no wish I had for my home that this one did not have and it needed zero updates. I placed an offer and started trying to talk myself out of getting too attached even though I knew it seemed perfect because I was afraid of the rejection and having to mentally move out of yet another home. The next morning, I received the best call from my realtor and cried tears of joy. My offer was accepted! 3 weeks and a day later, I was cleared to close the day before closing and closed on my new home on June 19^th, 2020.

Every house I did not get, I was making a huge compromise on. In MY home, there were no compromises. I learned how to write a better offer each time, added a letter to the homebuyers, covered everything I could, but one of the main reasons they took my offer instead of the others is because they have family with my last name. Something I had literally no control over. I knew (and everyone kept telling me) that I did not get the other townhomes because God had something better for me, but I did not know it could be this much better. It wasn’t the offer, the letter, or anything I could do that sealed the deal, it was my name. I am convinced that I did not get the others because God was saving this one for me. I felt rejected and cried so many tears over the first three homes, but only happy tears for this one. He is faithful and has good things for his children, I am convinced.

I started praying these verses over my house hunt specifically in the midst of the first three disappointments:

Through the process, one phrase I feel the Holy Spirit has shown me to be true: what seemed like rejection was actually protection. The first three homes felt like rejection, but not getting those houses was protection from getting the wrong one. I am confident in that. I am encouraged that God has the best in mind for me (and for you) and he gives favor when we ask for it. He is faithful to his promises and he protects us from what isn’t best.

I am eternally grateful for the people who encouraged me along the way and helped me make the biggest purchase I will ever make.

I am convinced this entire process was more enjoyable because of the people that buckled into the rollercoaster and took the journey with me. Not just these three, but so many others as well who continued to encourage me and support me along the way, give me good advice, and help me move and build all the furniture I've been stocking up on from Dirt Cheap. Without the support I had, I feel confident I would have given in to the easy option and signed another year on my lease and let the dream of buying a house be diminished by the disappointment of rejection. Instead, I am sitting in my new home right now being reminded of how faithful God is and how great my people are.