Buying A House

We were VERY blessed to have found an amazing deal on our house in Kansas City- so I have been spoiled.

Now, we are downsizing. Because I want to only work part time for the next decade(ish), we made cuts to other parts of our lives. One of the things we knew we needed was monthly freedom from a mortgage payment. 

I think of it this way- we're just buying in reverse. Our first house was the size of the house we should have ended up with, so now we have to live in a real "starter home".

The hunt for an itty bitty fixer-upper began. The idea is to live in an itty bitty house for about 4 years (and move when we need to start worrying about Eli's school district). 

Kind of like the "buy used and save the difference" method, we will put the money we WOULD have been using for a mortgage payment into savings/investments to use toward the next house.

IF the spreadsheets go as expected, which we have accomplished for the past 5 years of marriage, then we should be able to buy our "forever home" after those 4 years (when we start actually needing the space)

Well, we found the "4 year flipper", we made an offer, and after some back and forth negotiating, we've reached a deal. 

Get ready.

No really…this is going to shock you.

My sister calls it "a $4 house"

Needs: gutters, driveway, garage, SHUTTERS, landscape, metal removal, new windows, new door, and a good powerwash)

It's an HGTV wet dream. We need to re-do every single room. We need to rip out walls. We need to demo cabinets. We need to move plumbing lines. It is just the right amount of demo for us- right on the edge of our comfort level. 

back yard: needs leveled, chain link fence removed, deck refreshed (new door, new windows)
Not pictured: a shed for lawnmowers. tools. paint etc

Thankfully, Rico's brother is AMAZING and loves doing this kind of thing- so his contacts and advice will be a HUGE help.

Main entryway and living room- awesome hardwoods
needs:new door/ windows, sand/re-finish wood floors, paint walls, re-do ceiling, new light fixture

He's flipped 3 similar houses in the area in the past few years and has a contact or tip for every step in the process. 

Dining room and kitchen doorway:
needs new light fixture, possibly a closet door where that wall is, doorway to kitchen opened up

Plus, he loves doing it. I swear, he was more excited to house hunt than we were. 

Kitchen:Where the fridge is meant to go
 need: knock this out to open it up more to the dining/living room and re-use the cabinet somewhere else

He even found this house (which is hard to do because Rico stalks the real estate here like a hawk). The house was on the market 1 day before we were making an offer on it. 

Kitchen
need: floors, counters, appliances, back splash, sink, and re-finish the cabinets

Pantry- back behind it is where we would move the fridge

More kitchen (where the stove/oven and microwave go)

Kitchen:
Desk removed, new windows and door (with dog door for Maximus)

Rico had seen the house posting online, but (just like our last house) didn't show it to me because he thought I was refusing to buy one of these little homes to flip after he took me in one a month ago.

THAT one was SCARRRRY. Mold everywhere, my brother in law didn't even feel comfortable letting me walk in the basement. You could smell the house before you walked in it. No central air. In the middle of a crowded street with chain link fences everywhere and big barking pitbulls (not the ones people raise sweetly) across the street and next door. It basically needed gutted. So, yeah, it freaked me out.

The house we just made the offer on is ALMOST a corner lot. It has neighbors that take care of their homes. 

Rear bedroom: would be playroom/ nursery for 2nd kid if it comes that quickly
(confused about the squares in the corner? Me too. They are framed in wall paper)
needs: new door, windows, carpet, paint, light fixture, and closet doors

bedroom #2: would be Eli's room
needs: new door, window, carpet, remove mickey border (stupid mickey), light fixture, closet door, paint

Mater bedroom
needs:new door, windows, carpet, light fixture, closet door, paint

It has issues, but not NEARLY as major as the last one (and for about the same price). 

main bathroom:
this is shared between all 3 rooms. it is cramped!
needs: knock out wall and expand into hallway (where linen built-ins and closet are currently),  larger vanity, re-finish tub, new tile, window, paint, new built in)

Mud room/ utility room/ 1/2 bath
Needs: remove Winnie the Pooh border (I know you wondered), paint, tile, remove cabinets straight ahead (to widen the room), remove bars over 1/2 wall hiding the toilet, new vanity and cabinets…much smaller, window, properly plumb to washer

And then the kicker. 

The thing that kept me up until 2 am with Rico whispering in bed about the potential of the house….it is going to be literally yards away from a new giant park they are building here.

We can see it from our front yard.

Seriously, watch this and get excited: we're talking walking paths, amphitheatre, a place for FARMER's MARKETS, those fountains that shoot up from the ground for kids to run around in, and obviously, play equipment.

Derby Central Park

I. Love. Parks.

We'll be continuing to live with our in laws until we demo and re-do the house (it goes much faster than trying to live there and do it) Thankfully, they are AWESOME, and have made it super easy for us to live here. 

We basically took over the basement. 

We have our room, and Eli even has a nursery:

Even better- Eli gets to see them everyday….and I won't say that after a long day with him that I'm not more than happy to hand him off to someone who is excited to see him and play with him. It is better for him- AND for us. 

I don't think that grandma and grandpa mind too much either…

yet.