Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Hello NC!

We brought Kensi with us for our first house hunting trip 2 weeks ago. Aye! That was exhausting! Looking at houses with 1 year old is definitely a challenge, but we had so much fun exploring the area together.

Kensi officially met the Atlantic Ocean and of course loved it. I personally was scared to death because its water and there's waves and she's so little and all I see is a disaster waiting to happen. But all was well.

It was so windy this weekend, but it didn't seem to bother baby girl.

We finished our trip with our first taste of Britt's donuts and it will not be our last :)

House Hunting 101

We have only a few weeks left here in Omaha before we venture to North Carolina and make our home in a beautiful beach town. It's been very bittersweet, but we are so excited to finally be house hunting!!!

Since being married we have been renting or living with my parents, not wanting to be tied down somewhere without knowing we could be there long term. We have decided to house hunt and we know we may be crazy choosing to buy instead of rent, but we are confident with those whom we've met and we are so ready to finally have a place to call our own.

When people warn you that house hunting is overwhelming, that's an understatement. Overwhelming doesn't even begin to fit what the experience is at all. I get exhausted just thinking about house stuff today.

Regardless if you're house hunting in your hometown or brand new city we have 6 tips that we think are helpful to a new homebuyer.

1) Get to know your area. If you're visiting for the first time, make at least two trips just to become familiar with the city. Spend time venturing through the shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods.

2) Don't be afraid to make conversation. The best people to talk to and ask questions about the area are th locals. Ask them where safe areas are located, where do people in their 20's, 30's or 40's spend a lot of time?

3) Research the schools. Especially if you plan to start a family or of you already have one, look for houses in school zones with great ratings. Higher rated schools tend to have very involved parents.

4) Work commute. You may find the house you love but it stretches your commute to work. Just remember, if you're that far from work, you're spending more time driving and less time in your home.

5) Make 2 lists. A need list and a wish list. It's very rare that you'll find your dream house with all your bells and whistles within your price range. Sure there's different items on everyone's wish list, but be realistic and create a need list: what you can't live without. The rest can come in time.

6) Take pictures and notes. You will see several different houses in a very short period of time. Keep a camera, notebook and pen close at hand. Take pictures of each room and jot down things you love and hate about each house. It will be helpful later when you begin to filter what you've seen.

*Great curb appeal and love the double entry doors.