Q is for Quest...

Danny and I recently started a Quest to find a house.  Our lease is up at our current residence next April and we knew it was time to upgrade from our 725 sq. ft. 1-bedroom apartment.  We got a tip on some great housing prices in a really nice neighborhood nearby so we decided to just check it out and see what was available.  our realtor took us to see 8 or so houses and we quickly narrowed that list down to 3.  I felt like I was on HGTV's House Hunters!  We didn't have a specific home price in mind necessarily but we new that we didn't want to pay more than $700 a month including any mortgage insurance and HOA fees. So.....

House #1:  $113,000, 1-story single family home, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, sunroom, 1418 sq. ft.
                  
House #2:  104,000, single-story Duplex unit, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1400 sq. ft.

House #3:  $74,900, single-story Duplex unit, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1268 sq. ft.

House #1 was great, especially in the fact that it was a separate house and not a Duplex/townhome.  It had a decent sized back yard, a deck, a storage shed and a garage.  This house also had a sunroom that was not included in the square footage! Also the kitchen was a nice size and not a galley kitchen...I really liked that! One con was the master bathroom did not have a separate shower...not a deal breaker for us though.  The main con for house #1 was the price.  It would make our monthly payment close to $800 a month and that would be very tight for us.

House #2 was beautiful inside! I loved the dark hardwood floors and the board and batten walls in the living room.  This house had 3 bathrooms...we didn't really need 3 but still nice.  The 3rd bedroom also had a walkin closet like the master...great for storage space.  Plus this unit also had a garage, though there was no access from in the house, only accessable with a garage door opener, kind of strange.  This house would make our monthly payments a little over $700 a month. 

House #3 was very nice as well.  It was basically the same layout as house #2 except there were only 2 bathrooms and there was no garage.  It also had carpet instead of the beautiful hardwoods, but a major plus was the fact that it was $20,000 less than House #2 and with the money we save on our monthly payments, we can put in our own hardwoods in a year or so!  It would be nice to have a garage for storage, but we are getting 500+ more sq. ft. than what we currently have now and a little bit of attic space for storage as well.  And the best thing of all...our monthly payments will be less than $600 a month!  That's less than what we are paying for our 1-bedroom apartment!

So after deliberating between House #2 and #3 for about an hour (maybe less), we decided to put an offer in on house #3.  Our offer has been accepted and we are expected to close at the end of October. 

Another added bonus is that there is currently a renter in the unit and his lease is up in March, so we are going to honor his lease which will allow us to honor our current rental lease at our apartment which is up in April.  It all works out perfectly and in the end we get a house!  God has truly blessed us!

         

P is for Puppies!

I know most women have a biological clock that ticks for babies....but mine is ticking for puppies...I can't wait until Danny and I can move into a larger place with a yard so we can fulfill our dream of having more Golden Retrievers! I love these adorable faces!

It's what's for dinner...

I tried a new recipe for homemade mac & cheese tonight. I haven't been successful in finding one that I like and is easy....but now I finally had. It was so yummy! I added a can of tuna for a yummy and way less salty version of tuna helper. Mmmm!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

O is also for Oreos!

I love oreos! today I decided to make Oreo balls...I had these at a baby shower a few months ago and they were soooo yummy!            

First I took a package of regular oreos and chopped them up. Them I mixed it with softened cream cheese.

I then rolled the mixture into balls and let them chill in the fridge. While chilling I melted my chocolate. then I dipped the balls and let them set.

YummY!

Words to Live By....

Ephesians 4:22-32

22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”t Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,t guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

O is for occupation...

I am a Medical Transcriptionist and I love it! I love being able to work at home everyday....it's the perfect job for me for so many reasons.  But at the same time, I really wish I didn't have a 40-hour week occupation.  I would love to just be a stay at home wife.  I could spend more time making yummy meals and I could sew and scrapbook as much as I wanted.  I realize that is a fantasy that may never come true.  Many women work because they want to, but I do it because I have to.  With that being said, I'm glad that since I have to work, I have a wonderful job that I love.  And medical transcription is a job that I don't think will ever go away, so I'm set for life :)

N is for Nuptials...

In less than 3 months my twin sister and best friend, Rachel, will be saying her nuptials to the love of her life, Matt Wood. I'm so happy that she has found someone to share her life with and I hope she has a wonderful, happy marriage. Here is a recent picture of Rachel, Matt and his sons Timothy at Adam at Carowinds.