Thursday, August 25, 2011

longest short sale ever.

Six and a half months. That's how long it took from the time we put in our offer until today. This house is officially ours!

Built in: 1979
Square feet: 1436
Neighborhood: quiet and rather park like
Color: sage green with cream trim
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Extras: water feature in the front
Potential development: dog run. (I've already named the dog we don't yet have.)

Let's take a quick tour. Shall we?

Here's the view from under one of the holly trees. As you can see, it's kind of U-shaped.

Entry way and coat closet: I love the little nook. Great bench potential. And that little half wall there is the perfect height for me to stand behind and prop my head up with my hands. I don't know why that would be necessary. It's not like Phil kicks me off the couch when we're watching TV or anything.

Living room. That little cutout window opens to the dining room. So. . . if you've just walked in the front door, the kitchen, dining room, family room, and garage go to the right. Bed/baths go to the left.

Smallest bedroom (aka future scrapbook room in an aloe vera green. Or so says the paint chip.)

Bedroom #2 (aka workout room/guest room).

Main bathroom. 

Master bedroom. The walkin closet is its own little separate area before you enter this part. The master bath is off the closet.

The kitchen. One of the first things that's going to happen is the cabinets and window trim are going to be painted white. I saw a label on one of the doors and it said they were built in 1973, the year of my birth. (If you're smart, you can figure out how old I am.) The finish is really worn and they definitely need some sprucing up. And I've read about 19,000 blogs about people painting their cabinets white, so I figured I'd give it a try too. You can't see it in this picture, but the hood on the stove is very retro. We have big plans to replace it with a built-in microwave. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but someday. You all know how that is, right? The ceiling lights are weird so it makes everything look very yellow. We'd like to change that out too.

Family room: not sure exactly what the original plan was with the fireplace, but it looks like the stone on top was painted to try to match the the stone on the bottom. Envision all that rock gone, a beautiful mantel in its place, and built in bookcases on either side, cause that's what we see when we look at it. This room is also Phil's man cave. He's decided to go for a Seattle Seahawks themed room of manliness. I'm interested to see just exactly how the lime green is going to play into this whole thing. A little bit goes a long way.


Backyard: just outside the sliding door in the family room. We sat out there for a bit tonight and we heard: 1) the wind in the big pine tree, and 2) the neighbor's air conditioner. It's so peaceful.

The previous owners did a fabulous job with the house and they left everything looking so clean and neat. A lot of people finalize on short sales and go back in to see it a total wreck. We were blessed. Our realtor, Diane, is also amazing. She worked so hard to keep us positive in this whole process because there were a lot of days that we weren't. We officially hold her record as being her longest short sale clients. Woo-hoo! We are the winners! And yeah, Diane, for sticking with us and being so awesome!!!


6 comments:

Chad said...

I like the house.The bedroom window has a nice view. The back yard is nice. Is the tree line in place of a fence? Nice deck too. Congratulations!

Unknown said...

There is nothing like a scrapbook room. Great house and congratulations. BTW: I am smart and you are younger than I am. May God bless your home.

Sandra said...

What a great looking house, Schwen! Can't wait to see what you do with it when you get your stuff in and make it "yours" with all your crafty goodness. New house, new job...I've been praying for you, friend! :)

Kellie said...

This is great! So happy for you... I know you have waited so long. God has blessed you in many ways and for that I praise Him! Enjoy making that house YOURS. :) Show pics soon!

Diane Barile, Broker, GRI, CHMS, e-Pro said...

What a fabulous tour you have given all of us of your new home! Yes, it was left in really great condition. . .but what I am eagerly anticipating is the addition of "Bergland love" to it. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to all your dreams about your new home. . .and will thrill, I'm sure, as I walk through each room as it is completed.
Thank you for your kind words, Wendy, but the privilege and honor has been all mine :))

Lynn R. Moses said...

Congratulations, I loved the tour and your descriptions. I am happy for you, but secretly sad that you won't be as close to us now that we moved to Vancouver. Can we still get together with you guys? Oh, and I am older than you too!