House Hunters

We have looked at a lot of houses since we listed ours. And even more since ours went under contract. We wanted to downsize our mortgage but not give up our quality of living. So, our wish list was long: good schools, 3-4 bedrooms, nice backyard, basement (or space for Tripper’s office), cosmetic updates ok. Here’s a look at a few that caught our eye …

1. “Misty”
Immaculate. Cute curb appeal. In our price range. Great schools. Big back yard. Didn’t totally love the street it was on. Swim/tennis neighborhood. Three bedrooms. Basement.

2. “Wellington”
Cute curb appeal. Low-end of our price range. Great schools. Very dated inside (hello maroon wall-to-wall carpet!). More than just cosmetic upgrades needed, but at that price?

3. “The House on the Hill”
Great curb appeal. Slightly over price range. Great schools. 4 bedrooms. Basement. Backed up to a busy road. Large swim/tennis neighborhood.

4. “New Jack”
Adorable. Slightly over price range. Basement. Finished attic (playroom for boys?). Three bedrooms. Great front yard. Questionable back yard. Country club neighborhood. Did not like the way the house sat on the lot. Good elementary school. OK middle and high schools.

5. “Persimmon”
Adorable curb appeal. Over our price range. Basement. Finished attic. Three bedrooms. Big, fantastic flat back yard. Country club neighborhood. Good elementary school. OK middle and high schools.

6. “That 70s House”
Potential curb appeal. In our price range. Good elementary school. OK middle and high schools. Everything would have to change. Over time. Country club neighborhood. Nice neighbors. Four bedrooms. No basement. Pool!

7. “The House with the View”
On a golf course. Beautiful view. No basement. Large master. Two small spare bedrooms. Lots of mirrors. Lots of windows. Good elementary school. OK middle and high schools. Small yard.

8. “DEEE-kle”
In Athens. The most like our current house. Under budget. Beautiful finishings. No basement. Three bedroom. No yard. Big common-area lawn directly across the street. Private schools a must.

9. “The Other One”
In Athens. Down the street from DEE-kle. Under budget. Lovely interior. No basement. Three bedroom. Small yard. Also near big common-area lawn. Private schools a must.

10. “The One That Got Away”
In Athens. Already sold by the time we got to see it.

11. “Normaltown”
In Athens. Super cute. Super tiny. No basement. Nice yard. Tiny rooms. Good elementary school.

12. “The Falling Down House”
Amazing on the inside, but part of the outside was literally falling down. Huge rooms. Four bedroom. Way under budget. Basement. Large screened porch. Nice neighborhood. OK elementary school.

It’s funny how you nickname houses. I guess you do it to remember it after seeing house after house. We actually liked a few of these, one in particular. Our offer was accepted last night! I don’t want to jinx it, so I’m not going to say which. Care to guess? Closing is set for February 21. Stay tuned!