Showing posts with label Homebuying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homebuying. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Lenten Saga: Day 21
The march madness is reaching fever pitch! So I went ahead and got my bracket done... For now. I have Pittsburgh winning it all but that might change. I went ahead and place Ohio State and USC in the sweet 16! LOLOL... Now the chances of that happening is slim, but one can dream! Still good on the Lenten promise! and things are coming together for the house! Exciting times, indeed!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Lenten Saga: Day 11
Caterpillar was on POINT today!
We had a very insightful series of conversations based off the chapters in the challenge, as well as the chapters in Job. So we had to make sure that the first 3 chapters (along with the first 3 chapters in Job) were read, or known, to make this a worthy conversation. And we all did. It was interesting in how the devil could not do anything without God's permission, and that God was willing to let the devil do everything short of killing Job. There was a lot of spirit in that room at church today. And I felt it. As my Lenten journey continues, I am really learning more about myself. What I can tolerate, and what I can not. Well, stuff that I need to work on. So far I have not broken my Lenten vows, and I feel really good that I have made it this far. I honestly thought I would have croaked by now.
This is no ordinary Lenten challenge year for me. This was the year that I said to myself that I was going to take it to the extreme! And see what happens. I have been tempted so much since Ash Wednesday, yet somehow, I keep winning. I guess it is because I keep praying whenever I feel tempted to give in. I just close my eyes, pray, silently, and sometimes out loud. I seriously ask myself, if it is worth breaking Lent just to satisfy a selfish indulgence, and everytime I try to find an excuse, I find another reason to to contrary, and I end up not giving in.
But it is hard sometimes... It is hard, because temptation is everywhere... It is out in full force, working in the shadows, in the still of the nights, in the quiet tremors of my sleep. Even in the calmness of the daytime, looking through the glass at work towards the West and towards the North, where a part of me still lies. The urge to break, surge, but it goes away. As long as I resist, it goes away.
I knew it was not going to be easy, but neither is being a Christian. So much challenge. Jesus never said it was going to be a cakewalk! You will be hated on, by the devil, by the world, and you will be tested and tempted to give into your desires. But Jesus also said that if the world hates me, know that the world has hated Jesus first. Just as Jesus carried the cross to take upon him the sins of mankind, so must I challenge myself to resist the temptations that are all around me. It is up to me to take up my cross... and follow Jesus.
On the flipside of things, it looks like I have zoned in on my future home! It is a nice 3 bed 3.5 bath townhome, still in the Containment Area and closer to work!!! Which is the key for me! The subdivision is still developing which means it will be complete and great by the time I finish my mission in this area. I am still bent on my seven year battle plan, and if things happen (marriage), so be it. But if I am still single, the possibilites of my career will be endless, especially for all I want to accomplish!
Time to start making moving plans! Good thing I do not have a lot to move! But it does not hurt being ready for whats to come! These are exciting, alluring, and extremely tempting times for me! Only with patience, time, prayer, the advice of good people, can I ever stand a chance at sorting this all out correctly.
Time for me to sleep now. I have to pick up my niece tomorrow! She will be joining me at church.
We had a very insightful series of conversations based off the chapters in the challenge, as well as the chapters in Job. So we had to make sure that the first 3 chapters (along with the first 3 chapters in Job) were read, or known, to make this a worthy conversation. And we all did. It was interesting in how the devil could not do anything without God's permission, and that God was willing to let the devil do everything short of killing Job. There was a lot of spirit in that room at church today. And I felt it. As my Lenten journey continues, I am really learning more about myself. What I can tolerate, and what I can not. Well, stuff that I need to work on. So far I have not broken my Lenten vows, and I feel really good that I have made it this far. I honestly thought I would have croaked by now.
This is no ordinary Lenten challenge year for me. This was the year that I said to myself that I was going to take it to the extreme! And see what happens. I have been tempted so much since Ash Wednesday, yet somehow, I keep winning. I guess it is because I keep praying whenever I feel tempted to give in. I just close my eyes, pray, silently, and sometimes out loud. I seriously ask myself, if it is worth breaking Lent just to satisfy a selfish indulgence, and everytime I try to find an excuse, I find another reason to to contrary, and I end up not giving in.
But it is hard sometimes... It is hard, because temptation is everywhere... It is out in full force, working in the shadows, in the still of the nights, in the quiet tremors of my sleep. Even in the calmness of the daytime, looking through the glass at work towards the West and towards the North, where a part of me still lies. The urge to break, surge, but it goes away. As long as I resist, it goes away.
I knew it was not going to be easy, but neither is being a Christian. So much challenge. Jesus never said it was going to be a cakewalk! You will be hated on, by the devil, by the world, and you will be tested and tempted to give into your desires. But Jesus also said that if the world hates me, know that the world has hated Jesus first. Just as Jesus carried the cross to take upon him the sins of mankind, so must I challenge myself to resist the temptations that are all around me. It is up to me to take up my cross... and follow Jesus.
On the flipside of things, it looks like I have zoned in on my future home! It is a nice 3 bed 3.5 bath townhome, still in the Containment Area and closer to work!!! Which is the key for me! The subdivision is still developing which means it will be complete and great by the time I finish my mission in this area. I am still bent on my seven year battle plan, and if things happen (marriage), so be it. But if I am still single, the possibilites of my career will be endless, especially for all I want to accomplish!
Time to start making moving plans! Good thing I do not have a lot to move! But it does not hurt being ready for whats to come! These are exciting, alluring, and extremely tempting times for me! Only with patience, time, prayer, the advice of good people, can I ever stand a chance at sorting this all out correctly.
Time for me to sleep now. I have to pick up my niece tomorrow! She will be joining me at church.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Busy Day, Busy Night!
Wow, what a day! Not only did I get into work very early, I got out... VERY LATE! I just got in the apartment, and I am just starting dinner... Oh, and here is the best part... I AM NOT DONE WORKING YET!!! I just have to do one last (little) thing work-related and then I can enjoy the rest of my evening.
So while I have some chicken (3 separate pieces, one seasoned with lemon and herb, one seasoned with Caribbean Jerk, one seasoned with plain chicken seasoning) baking in the oven, rice cooking, and veggies steaming, I am going to take a very quick break and write this entry.
So I was telling some of my co-workers about yesterday's blog posting, and they were all dying! It was one of those things that you have to hear for yourself to get the full effect of the conversation I had with this client. Personally, I thought it was hilarious. When I look back at my top 10 memories for the year, I think this one will stick out (it will definitely be a top 10).
I have officially started my house hunting adventure, by taking a huge step towards home ownership... I called the mortgage people. And guess what? Yours truly is in there! I was so surprised on how much of a buyers market this is, and the rate I got was, to me, phenomenal! Now I will not divulge personal financial information, but lets just say that, it is looking REALLY good!
I found an area in the Containment Area that I really-really like. For several reasons:
1. It is very close to a major highway! :-D
2. It is very close to work! :-D
3. To get to my church, I literally make one left turn and one right turn... GAME OVER! :-D
4. There is a GREAT grocery store nearby :-D :-D :-D
5. It is in a developing community that will be well established by the time I sell my home several years down the road. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
But of course, I am open to living in other areas outside the Containment Area. As long as it is close to where I work, a major highway, and church. It is going to be difficult for other areas to match this subdivision. But we shall see!
Now I have to go! I have to get back in the kitchen and then get this one last work item done, maybe I can eat... One thing is for certain... Lights out at 9!
Peace!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Uncharted Territory
So this was somewhat of a crazy week, with Jade's surgery and all (and her complications), singing at a funeral, incorporating weight training with my workout regimen and maintaining that, getting up at 5 in the morning everyday, going to prayer sessions, eating right, salsa dancing in the middle of the week, getting my house in order... literally, tutoring, and more tutoring this weekend! And yet, I do not feel burned out. It is as if I am using my time, energy, and gifts wisely with God ordering and pacing my steps.
I should be excited about getting a new home, but I do not feel as exuberant as I thought I would be. I have some jitters and I need to man up and shake it loose. I think a huge part of it is because I am entering uncharted territory, and there is a lot of money (a mortgage) involved.
Uncharted territory... such is one of the many-many words that I will use to describe my life. College and grad school was uncharted territory, and I will blog about that another time. The Containment Area is uncharted territory, southern living is uncharted territory. I will even go as far as saying that being exposed to a lot of southern raised women is uncharted territory.
I think I am afraid that I will mess something up when it comes to this whole 'house-getting' process. Sometimes I really do feel that I am alone, even with all the help. No one in my immediate family can really give me (relevant) pointers on how to approach this. I read a lot of books at Barnes and Noble in the Real Estate, and Finance sections during the holidays just to get a basic understanding of what I am about to undertake.
I am at the point where I no longer have any real control over this situation, and to continue to dwell is to go insane. I do not have any real control because I do not know what I should expect, and worse, I do not even know what to do. Therefore, I must trust in God. I must trust in his son. I must place my trust in the people around me. People like my relocation advisers: relocation consultant, mortgage lender, real estate broker, lawyers, the list goes on. And trust I shall do.
So begins the home buying process... Another adventure in Uncharted Territory.
I should be excited about getting a new home, but I do not feel as exuberant as I thought I would be. I have some jitters and I need to man up and shake it loose. I think a huge part of it is because I am entering uncharted territory, and there is a lot of money (a mortgage) involved.
I think I am afraid that I will mess something up when it comes to this whole 'house-getting' process. Sometimes I really do feel that I am alone, even with all the help. No one in my immediate family can really give me (relevant) pointers on how to approach this. I read a lot of books at Barnes and Noble in the Real Estate, and Finance sections during the holidays just to get a basic understanding of what I am about to undertake.
I am at the point where I no longer have any real control over this situation, and to continue to dwell is to go insane. I do not have any real control because I do not know what I should expect, and worse, I do not even know what to do. Therefore, I must trust in God. I must trust in his son. I must place my trust in the people around me. People like my relocation advisers: relocation consultant, mortgage lender, real estate broker, lawyers, the list goes on. And trust I shall do.
So begins the home buying process... Another adventure in Uncharted Territory.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Another Monday
I took an unusual way home today and I am so glad that I did, because I drove through a neighborhood, that I would not mind living in. It is in a developing community, and there are town homes available. It is still in the Containment Area, but the commute to work will be a lot shorter than how I am commuting now. Just when you think you got your subdivisions set in stone...
Yea, it is late, I need to sleep. Good night!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wants and Needs for my New Home
Greetings y'all!
Today I began my independent search for a new home. I have an agent and all, but I can not expect my ally to do EVERYTHING for me! A huge part of it definitely involves... well... ME! So I started driving around and looking for some nice town homes. Now some of you might be thinking, "Well yankee, you ballin' and makin' that corporate money... Why not get a house?" Well, simply put, I do not want to deal with yard maintenance. That is a task for "settled and married men." Besides, I do not even have a lawnmower... That is what my homeowners dues are for. Let me find a woman, fall in love, have a knee failure on my strong leg on a romantic getaway first, and THEN I will worry about lawn work. Also, I see myself taking a hiatus from this area in the distant future (about 6-8 years ahead) since I am aiming for a top 10 Business School, so it would not be very beneficial for me to get a single family home at this time.
Do you HONESTLY think by paying a mortgage, this brotha is settling down and getting married? LOLOLOLOLOL!!! No! This young brotha is taking a financially responsible step in the right direction!
Young people fresh out of college, if you get nothing else from this entry, know that you lose more when you rent long term vs renting in the short term (we all know you gotta get your down payment together) saving, and then using the money you supposedly saved since day one of working for your employer as a down payment towards a mortgage!
So then I really thought about what I want vs what I need. Then I started asking some very hard questions... Questions like:
Do I WANT a Garage? HELL YEA!
Do I NEED a Garage right now (starting out)? Uhm, well, no not really. Since it is only going to be me, I can go without a garage. Yea, it will be nice to have a garage for storage space, but I am not even fully utilizing the storage space at my apartment, and the "Containment Area" is pretty safe... No one has mugged Jade, and the areas I am looking to live seem to be pretty safe and alert communities.
Do I WANT assigned parking? YES!
Do I NEED assigned parking? YES! - Let me explain. This is the one thing that really grinds my gears (thanks Peter Griffin) when it comes to (my) apartment living... Sometimes I come home late at night, from my evening adventures (99.99999% from work ;-) ), and I have no where to park! I would have to go all the way to the OTHER side of the apartment complex just to park, and Lord help me if I have groceries that night (and there were QUITE a few nights of that)! I am not a huge fan of parking behind other cars so I can run groceries in... Most of the time, people who park in our spaces are guests of residents, who leave at like 3-4 in the morning... Either way, I am screwed. So, definitely assigned parking. From the places I have been scouting, most of them if not all of them have two spots allocated per town home, more than enough for me and a guest. AND from the neighborhoods I have scouted, there are parking lots literally within walking distance of my assigned slots, so if I ever decide to host an Ohio State, USC, or a Superbowl party, company will not need to worry about where to park!
Do I want an energy efficient home? YES! AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE! I will entertain all options for gas and electric appliances (even a hybrid mix of the two) as long as my bills are kept low when all the dust settles. You should see the electric bill I have to pay this month.... IT'S ATROCIOUS! And it is not like I am watching TV all the time, I do not even have cable! And I have energy efficient light bulbs everywhere! I think the technician is reading the wrong meter for my apartment, personally. Oh well.
One thing that I definitely do not want is a setup where you can place a TV above the fireplace. I want my fireplace on one side of the living room, and enough room to incorporate my couches, and my future flatscreen somewhere else BESIDES on top of the fireplace. If you guys are already doing that, kiss your warranty on your TV's goodbye! And plus, it is a really dumb thing to do, I do not care how well insulated your fireplace is. You never, ever, EVER place elecronic equipment (all electronic equipement is sensitive to excessive heat) above a fireplace! Take it from a "Double E" (Electrical Engineer) who knows!
Bedrooms... I want at least 2! If I can get 3, I would. I do intend on renting out those rooms once I get them. I remember the kindness of former strangers when they let me rent a room in their homes during my summer internships. Now it is my turn to join in on the fun! And make a little money on the side! Most likely it will be interns I rent to, gotta have reliable sources of prospects!
Bathrooms... At the minimum, 2 Full Baths! If I can get 3, el YAY, but at least 2 full. No compromises there! Especially if I am going to rent it out!
Appliances... I need my appliances. I do not want to move into a home and then see a big hole in the wall where the dishwasher, stove, and fridge used to be. I need all my appliances in the house. So all the above, plus washer/dryer, central air/heating, etc... I do not want to buy any major appliance. The only major things I want to buy (post closing) is my bedroom set, some couches for my living room, a decent sized flat screen TV (and no, Vizio will not do), and an XBox 360.
Flooring... I love hard wood floors! Growing up, my room had hard wood floors, so I guess I'm kind of used to it! But if it is too expensive to have, roll out the carpet! Again, hard wood floors is a want, not necesarilly a need.
That about all I had for now, and I am pretty sure I will amend my wants and needs list in my first home. But for now, I think I will fix my dinner and get ready for another nightly adventure... SALSA NIGHT in the City of Medicine!
Gotta keep these skills up (I did not take Salsa lessons to get my jollies off)!!! Aiight y'all, I am out! Peace!
Today I began my independent search for a new home. I have an agent and all, but I can not expect my ally to do EVERYTHING for me! A huge part of it definitely involves... well... ME! So I started driving around and looking for some nice town homes. Now some of you might be thinking, "Well yankee, you ballin' and makin' that corporate money... Why not get a house?" Well, simply put, I do not want to deal with yard maintenance. That is a task for "settled and married men." Besides, I do not even have a lawnmower... That is what my homeowners dues are for. Let me find a woman, fall in love, have a knee failure on my strong leg on a romantic getaway first, and THEN I will worry about lawn work. Also, I see myself taking a hiatus from this area in the distant future (about 6-8 years ahead) since I am aiming for a top 10 Business School, so it would not be very beneficial for me to get a single family home at this time.
Do you HONESTLY think by paying a mortgage, this brotha is settling down and getting married? LOLOLOLOLOL!!! No! This young brotha is taking a financially responsible step in the right direction!
Young people fresh out of college, if you get nothing else from this entry, know that you lose more when you rent long term vs renting in the short term (we all know you gotta get your down payment together) saving, and then using the money you supposedly saved since day one of working for your employer as a down payment towards a mortgage!
So then I really thought about what I want vs what I need. Then I started asking some very hard questions... Questions like:
Do I WANT a Garage? HELL YEA!
Do I NEED a Garage right now (starting out)? Uhm, well, no not really. Since it is only going to be me, I can go without a garage. Yea, it will be nice to have a garage for storage space, but I am not even fully utilizing the storage space at my apartment, and the "Containment Area" is pretty safe... No one has mugged Jade, and the areas I am looking to live seem to be pretty safe and alert communities.
Do I WANT assigned parking? YES!
Do I NEED assigned parking? YES! - Let me explain. This is the one thing that really grinds my gears (thanks Peter Griffin) when it comes to (my) apartment living... Sometimes I come home late at night, from my evening adventures (99.99999% from work ;-) ), and I have no where to park! I would have to go all the way to the OTHER side of the apartment complex just to park, and Lord help me if I have groceries that night (and there were QUITE a few nights of that)! I am not a huge fan of parking behind other cars so I can run groceries in... Most of the time, people who park in our spaces are guests of residents, who leave at like 3-4 in the morning... Either way, I am screwed. So, definitely assigned parking. From the places I have been scouting, most of them if not all of them have two spots allocated per town home, more than enough for me and a guest. AND from the neighborhoods I have scouted, there are parking lots literally within walking distance of my assigned slots, so if I ever decide to host an Ohio State, USC, or a Superbowl party, company will not need to worry about where to park!
Do I want an energy efficient home? YES! AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE! I will entertain all options for gas and electric appliances (even a hybrid mix of the two) as long as my bills are kept low when all the dust settles. You should see the electric bill I have to pay this month.... IT'S ATROCIOUS! And it is not like I am watching TV all the time, I do not even have cable! And I have energy efficient light bulbs everywhere! I think the technician is reading the wrong meter for my apartment, personally. Oh well.
One thing that I definitely do not want is a setup where you can place a TV above the fireplace. I want my fireplace on one side of the living room, and enough room to incorporate my couches, and my future flatscreen somewhere else BESIDES on top of the fireplace. If you guys are already doing that, kiss your warranty on your TV's goodbye! And plus, it is a really dumb thing to do, I do not care how well insulated your fireplace is. You never, ever, EVER place elecronic equipment (all electronic equipement is sensitive to excessive heat) above a fireplace! Take it from a "Double E" (Electrical Engineer) who knows!
Bedrooms... I want at least 2! If I can get 3, I would. I do intend on renting out those rooms once I get them. I remember the kindness of former strangers when they let me rent a room in their homes during my summer internships. Now it is my turn to join in on the fun! And make a little money on the side! Most likely it will be interns I rent to, gotta have reliable sources of prospects!
Bathrooms... At the minimum, 2 Full Baths! If I can get 3, el YAY, but at least 2 full. No compromises there! Especially if I am going to rent it out!
Appliances... I need my appliances. I do not want to move into a home and then see a big hole in the wall where the dishwasher, stove, and fridge used to be. I need all my appliances in the house. So all the above, plus washer/dryer, central air/heating, etc... I do not want to buy any major appliance. The only major things I want to buy (post closing) is my bedroom set, some couches for my living room, a decent sized flat screen TV (and no, Vizio will not do), and an XBox 360.
Flooring... I love hard wood floors! Growing up, my room had hard wood floors, so I guess I'm kind of used to it! But if it is too expensive to have, roll out the carpet! Again, hard wood floors is a want, not necesarilly a need.
That about all I had for now, and I am pretty sure I will amend my wants and needs list in my first home. But for now, I think I will fix my dinner and get ready for another nightly adventure... SALSA NIGHT in the City of Medicine!
Gotta keep these skills up (I did not take Salsa lessons to get my jollies off)!!! Aiight y'all, I am out! Peace!
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