Whoa, what a ride. My house-buying adventure so far.

When summer began, I was adamant that I would be renting a new place come August - whether it be a house or townhouse, I didn't care. But it would be as a rental. Little did I know that God was working things out to catapult me into buying a house almost overnight.

The "how" and "why" is irrelevant now, but suffice it to say that my conversion into the ranks of home-buyer instead of renter was shocking and moved much more quickly than I, a person who does not like to take risks when I do not know the plan, was quite ready for. However, it was unmistakeable that this was what I needed to do, so although it felt like I was jumping off the highest cliff and into the deepest ocean, I made the leap and abandoned the rental process. In a matter of hours, all the plans I'd made for that situation for weeks and weeks were thrown to the side with never a second thought. Wow!

I've no doubt that buying a house is stressful for anyone, but I will admit that I am still fearful about it as a single woman. It's all those things that I know nothing about, that I can't anticipate, and that I can't necessarily plan for. Then, too, it is a matter of always having to wonder if a repairman or whomever is trying to pull one over on me - kind of like taking my car to the shop! Hmmm...wonder if God's push into this direction for me has something to do with my struggle to trust Him - for EVERYTHING?

Here's what the road so far has held for me:

• Found a HUD house I loved. Bid on it. Came in 2nd place by $863 and was devastated.
  
• Found another house I liked - this time a short sale (where the seller is going to have to sell it for less than they owe). Why can't I find and fall in love with NORMAL homes for sale??
• Made an offer on the short sale house. The seller accepted on June 17th. Still waiting to hear from her bank/lender on my offer since they're the ones who really matter in the deal. Suffice it to say that there is nothing "short" about a short sale. This is the long part of the process ... once the bank and I have an executed contract, I should be closing within a month. Please pray with me that this part of the process comes to an end quickly!
• In the meantime, the HUD house offer came back to me as 2nd place bidder - VERY unusual for it to happen so late. Ultimately, after another walk-through, I declined the offer. Even though it would have me moved in by the end of August, there was just so much that needed to be done to that house before moving in. It was a tough decision to make as this was really the first house I fell in love with, but it was the right choice.
• Turned in my 60 days notice at my apartments. My lease is up August 31st, and I am required to notify them in writing 60 days before if I didn't plan to renew (so by July 1). I am taking a leap of faith here, because I have no guarantees that I'll be able to move into my new house by then, but staying here any longer is NOT an option. I am very ready to be out of this management and complex. Love the apartment layout, but everything else has just become a miserable situation. So, I turned in my notice. We'll see what happens!
• Listened to WAY more helpful advice than my brain could possibly hold. Everybody has an opinion, and everybody wants you to hear it - and some want you to agree with every opinion they have!
  
• Began packing, packing, packing. I am NOT a last minute person and have been packing as many boxes as I can ahead of time so I don't feel a crunch in August, especially given that I'll be back to work then.
• Started considering a "contingency plan" for what to do if my lease ends and I have not yet closed on my new house. Scary stuff! But, planning for possibilities tends to make me feel better about it.
• After taking everything off my walls, I spackled and painted all the nail holes in the walls (with some help from my eager niece while she visited). It's amazing how just that one act can make me feel like my time in this place is actually close to an end.
• Cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom, including baseboards and all that grout. Note to self: never, never, never live in a place with carpeting in the bathroom again. Even if you are a fastidious cleaner and organizer like I am, still, it is gross. (Yes, I did go look at the pictures for the house I like. Tile. I'm safe.)
• Finally found the right stove drip pans for my stovetop, because I am NOT going to let the apartment management charge me $20 PER pan (yes, you read that right) for a set that only cost $10. Woo hoo!
• Watched my 2 cats observe all the packing and cleaning with great curiosity, mixed with a little suspicion. Who knew it was so fun to create-your-own chase path through all the boxes and such?

So that's where things stand at the moment. I am truly ready to hear back from the seller's bank/lender about my offer. I know they've finished the broker price opinion, which I can only assume is a good thing.

If you will, please pray for me on the following:

• That I have an executed contract before July 31 so that I can hopefully be closed and moved by August 31.
  
• That I don't have to store all my things and camp out with friends during any "interim" time. Though I know I have some willing friends, it would mean not just storing my things, but also rerouting mail and, most of all, taking my cats up to Amarillo to be with my parents for however long. Not only do I not want to be without them, but it's also two long weekend trips during a time frame that I really can't afford to be gone all weekend.
• That I will remain feeling the same peace I've felt the last two weeks, despite the concerns about the timing and everything.

I'll keep you all updated as things develop!