Tension and Paperwork

Just got back from filling out the paperwork necessary to put in an offer on THE HOUSE! I'm completely jazzed and over-caffeinated (probably could have foregone my morning coffee - I was up at 5:00 this morning, just pacing) and I can just feel the tension! According to Suzy, one other buyer has put in an offer on the house, and of course we don't know how much it was for, so we had to talk strategy over lunch today. I finally decided I felt comfortable with adding 5% closing costs, plus $10,000 to the asking price. That still works out to $15,000 under my maximum budget, so I feel good about that. Now, its just a waiting game. Supposedly I'll know by close of business tomorrow!

So, in the meantime, let me tell you all about this house! Its a 1940 bungalow foreclosure that's in a small post-war housing development just on the outskirts of the downtown area. It has 3 full bedrooms and a "den" which could totally be another bedroom, but it doesn't have a closet, so legally it can't be listed as a bedroom. Whoever owned it previously obviously poured some serious money into updating important things, like appliances, electric, roof, etc. but also left all the original trims, doors, cabinetry, hardwood floors, etc. completely alone - so its the perfect combo! It also has a working fireplace and a sunroom addition on the back - obviously those will become Bailey and Pepper's domain. I think I knew it was the house for me when I discovered that there was already a cat-door cut into the door leading down to the full basement (with washer and dryer)! The house also sits on half an acre of yard, which is somewhat of a drawback - that's a whole lotta mowing and raking! But on the other hand, it means space for a great patio and garden. The only real issue I could find with the house is that its not actually downtown, which was my target locale. Its in a very quiet, somewhat rural, neighborhood that looks like its mostly populated with retirees and young families - not the greatest social scene, but I'm only 3.7 miles outside of the action, so I can live with it!

So, that's the deal. If you all could keep your fingers crossed, I would appreciate it!