This weekend, we took yet another trip up to Tarrytown to (hopefully) get this show on the road. The present hold-up: basically, when you apply for a loan (we applied for something called an FHA loan, which allows you to make a significantly smaller down payment and is essentially geared towards helping first-time homeowners or those who may not otherwise be able to afford home ownership get into a residence) the bank goes in and takes a look at the property to see whether a) it’s worth what you paid for it (if its not, you have to go straight back to the negotiation process or pull out entirely), or b) you need to fix up any stuff before they feel comfortable giving you the loan. We’re obviously trying to move this whole thing along as quickly as possible, so yesterday we met with a contractor to go over the handful of things that need to be done pre-closing.
Speaking of – I’ve been thinking about putting together a really straightforward play-by-play of what we’ve learned having gone through this process (in other words, how you actually do this thing – buying a home for the very first time – that sounds so completely impossible and complicated when you first embark upon it). Is that something that any of you would find interesting/valuable? I’m obviously not an expert in these matters by any means, but I definitely wish I had had someone to explain the process to me in non-laywer-y, non-broker-y terms (in other words, like an actual person) when we were starting out, so I would have known what to expect.
Anyway, here’s us on our day trip up-river:
Playing in our (hopeful) backyard-to-be.
(The fountain is, sadly, not staying; it belongs to the sellers. Any fun ideas for what to do with that raised area? It’s right smack in the center of the yard, not tucked off into a corner as it may appear in this photo.)
Heading home! (Love main street).
On me: Dress c/o Dress the Population, Jessie Lane stacked beaded bracelets, Foley & Corinna fringe purse.
And! One more thing. I’ve gotten some emails from those of you who are thinking of moving into the area asking, you know…where to start. And where to start is by calling our realtor, Penelope Herbert at Hudson Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, because she’s the best. We’ve been working together for way too many months now, and she’s seen us through some seriously high-stress, emotional situations, and has been absolutely incredible – levelheaded, committed, on-the-ball – every step of the way, to the point where she now feels more like my friend who I’m excited to drive around my new town with than our realtor.
