Fast forward 5 years then, I am contently making my way along the highway and see a home, slightly set back into the hillside at the base of this enormous beautiful bluff. I had actually gone through that house 5 years prior, it had been for sale for $127,000. I don't know why I glanced over, why it crossed my mind, but as in the past, just like with odd thoughts that led me to finding my sister, or turning a different corner on just the right day, I have learned to roll with it when it happens. A week or so later, we are closing on our refinance for our current home of 12 years. We had paid off enough and decided it was time to get some new windows, siding, and some other things done to update our home. When we were done, $27,774 was deposited into our account. I usually have no issue spending money, but this sat for a week or two before I even began looking at things like a vacation, or maybe a new car, or a camper. I was on Craigslist looking at campers, and lo and behold, there is this house.
Under....campers?? Under....Apple Valley (Appleton) Real Estate...hmm, curiously, it had just been reduced from $91,000 to 67,100. It had gone into foreclosure, turned over to HUD and been empty for quite some time. I emailed to inquire. The next thing I knew, somehow, this realtor mailed me the keys...and I was walking into a home that has everything I was looking for and more...
There are many levels, and additions...there is a little bit of land, but no real neighbors, and mounds of uninhabited acres behind it, forest and hills, and a giant golf course-all one mile from the school I work at and my Girls attend. There is a peaceful church across the street. A mile from grocery stores, a couple from stores and McDonald's, yet so much in the country cell coverage is a bit iffy at best. There's grapes on trees and a old fashioned stone walls. There a newly constructed section and the charm of the very home I grew up in. There's bright white walls and golden-same color oak as my longaberger baskets-trim and cabinetry. There's a wing for my teen, a sunken living room, an upstairs for 2 sisters, a family room waiting to be fniished, a master suite with it's own private balcony. For $67,100....it's a heck of a deal...
The basement wins over Dave, there's a wood working Sauna lined with cedar and a workshop space. There's a 2 car garage and a burning barrel. The kitchen cabinets are solid dovetailed maple. The window are all new vinyl and the entire house is aluminum sided. There's deer in the back yard. It's completely and totally....us??!!
We make an offer on the low end per the salemans request-$30,000...CASH..they counter at $50,000...which is shocking...do we keep trying?? He seems to have more faith in us then we do...we run some numbers and suggest we pull out after several more bids....HUD asks where we went-so we rebid at $22,500. They counter at $30...we still can't...we try one more week-now our 4th of this game-at $25,000...now we are told there are other bidders with higher offers, but not with cash....they counter on July 14 at $27,000...the exact amount we had received for remodeling our home. I never mailed back the keys.
On August 12, 2011, amid some Buffalo Wild Wings and a nice lady from a title company, we bought the home for cash. 2 homes, one payment. Are we doing this? I looked at my Husband....yes, yes we are!
While most everyone has been estatic for us, and has loved hearing how we got our home for about that of a new mid sized car (not even an import), a couple have remained indifferent and judgemental-and they of course being my ever brainwashed brother and sister in law, who appearently think it best to live in a concrete jungle in a Mong neighborhood while vacationing beyond their means all over the country working themselves to death. Yes, I have no business since I filed bankruptcy having this kind of luck. For neither believe in God, so it can't be that divnie intervention either. *sigh*.
So we have begun moving items in and some slight decorating. We have enjoyed exploring and finding items to make the house a continual treasure chest find-door lock sets for $2.99 at Meanrds, curtain rods and battenburg lace at St Vinny's....I could and will go on...
But you wonder about the story of this home-I know about the people who were last there a smidge-but the rest, like the additions, the history, the warmness it exumes. Our current home is for sale and school about to start-my oldest has viral mono and I myself have come under the weather so much so, I missed this week of work...yet, I am trusting the process...I am compelled to...I mean who buys a home for $27,000 they just happened to take out a loan for on craigslist? I guess....me...
