Worth the Frustration

Where do I even begin? This house hunt has me feeling like I need to be admitted to a psych hospital. I feel crazy, sad, upset, angry, and down right frustrated. This is not the first time we have tried house hunting while living in our 922 Ira Ave. house. Just last year or maybe even the year before too (it's all a blur) we started looking for homes in Kalamazoo. Specifically, we started in Portage and Texas Corners, hoping there would be something we could fix up a little and make our next home that we could live in for quite a while. It was easily shot down after all the homes were selling in the 300-350K mark, and still needed brand new kitchens and more than we were willing to pay for updates. So...we started enteraining the idea of building. We found this great neigborhood Thistlewood in Richland, with nice big 2 acre lots. I was so excited about  building that I had a lot picked out and was already bugging Jason about putting the money down on it. It was a close call. It wasn't shortly thereafter that we realized it just wasn't fitting all our needs. We were going to be farther away from friends and not to mention family, and we weren't convinced the schools were just right for us even though we have heard wonderful things.

Another year passed and Jason mentions one night that maybe we just need to move to GR. Every weekend either we go to GR to be with my parents or they come here. We never spend the night at each other's house cause it's not too far away but sometimes far enough. My parents play a HUGE (that's understated) role in our lives. They help with our house projects and LOVE spending every moment they can with Austin. It only makes sense to move closer to family. I asked Jason what it would take for us to move, and he said, you have to find a job. Low and behold, I found a dream job. I am still waiting to start, but it's hard to believe I have found something that seems like it's going to fit me so perfectly.

So what now? I found a job and of course we need a house. Being close to my parents house is an absolute MUST. We need to be close to M-6 or 131 because Jason is going to commute to Battle Creek everyday. Byon Center seems like the happy medium because it's a tad further south and less than 10 minutes from my parents. The house hunt has been less than ideal. We are running into some of the same issues when we were looking in Kalamazoo. Nobody has money to put back into their house since they lost so much with the recession. Houses need more work than I am willing to live in considering I lived in a lot of construction with our current home. I don't mind some easy fixes but when the house needs a new kitchen and all remodeled baths, not to mention changing out every piece of gold, it's just not worth it. Byron Center is filled with lakes and I have often dreamed of that lifestyle of living on the lake with sand in your own backyard. But I am not so sure I am willing to pay the price of that either. Michigan is filled with beautiful beaches and it was always a treat as a child to spend a whole day there as a family. Plus, I'd hate to trade that for a nice big grassy backyard.

I think Jason and I want to have our cake and eat it too. We spent a whole day this weekend looking for lots and places to build. Checking out builders and going outside of our original location plans just to see what was available..... and it feels like a lost cause. I am having a hard time processing why this is so difficult.

We found a house that to me seemed perfect. Then the people took it off the market and asked for more money after recognizing they didn't have the financing to sell it at that price. Stupid, right? Well, the house is worth the price they are asking but we have come completely torn about paying the extra cost. Do we wait and build in the spring when we have more money? Do we rent until then, or do I move in with my parents with Austin? What about our own house, is that even going to sell? Should we just cave and buy the house that seems to hit most everything on my wish list?

What's worth all the frustration, is that when we are running around in GR, my parents are ecstatic to have Austin for the day. It's nice to head back to my parents after a long day and just relax. We get to take moments to take pictures, play in the grass, take walks together, and enjoy the day. I love not only seeing the huge smiles on my parents face as they play with their only grandchild, but the smile on Austin's face when he gets spoiled in every which way by Grandma and Grandpa.