We moved here April 2017, and the plan was to rent for a year, find neighborhoods that we liked for long-term living, and buy after our lease ended. We looked at a lot of areas and every now and then we found houses that we liked, but the few that we loved were off the market the same day they were listed. We also had a lot of hesitations buying an older home that would likely have problems. And I didn’t want to spend a bajillion dollars on a DC-sized home. Al didn’t care about the size of the house; he is all about city living. Texas broke me though. I want space. lol.
Last year we started looking at having another house built, and eventually started looking outside of DC. We did really want to stay in DC, but if you cross into Maryland just one mile, you get soooo much more for your money. We found these really beautiful homes in Oxon Hill, and we were so close to having one built. But I felt like Al would hate the location and we’d end up regretting it. It was like 20, 25 minutes from DC, but in an area that ALWAYS had traffic. So coming to DC through the week would take us like 50 minutes one-way, and we felt like we’d eventually just switch the things we did to our new neighborhood and we didn’t want to do that.
So we decided that we weren’t going to buy it and would downgrade to a one bedroom apartment for one year, save a bunch of money, and look again when the lease is over. Of course, right after we moved, Al came home from work and was like… hey, I know we’re waiting to buy, but I found something I think you might like. Let’s go for a drive. So we went to look and fell in love. We said we’d give it some thought, and the next day we went back and signed contracts. When you know, you know.
We bought the house September 30th last year, and when we signed contracts we were told we would probably be in around March. Then when we picked the customizations, were told we’d be in around May. Then we met with the project manager and were told we’d be in by late July/August. And now they have finally started building and the new projected date is late October/November. There have been lumber delays, steel delays, window delays, door delays. I’m praying there are no more surprises and that we are in the house by November. Maven will be here December 12 or 13th, and I’d like to be somewhat settled by the time he comes. Definitely don’t want to be moving with an infant after a c-section.
The kids have been wonderful the past year. We downgraded to an apartment half the size of our last. It’s 526 sq feet, and they’ve been troopers. Sometimes they take the bed and we take the couch, sometimes vice versa. The lack of space has only been annoying in that we have too much stuff and keep having to put things in storage, but my family is the best. The kids were just as much in our face in the last apartment as they are now and will be in our house, so nothing new there. lol.
Initially our greatest concern was Zoe starting Kindergarten. In DC, she meets the cut off date to start. But Maryland, which is 5 miles away, the cut off date is earlier (very dumb). In Maryland, you can apply for students to start Kindergarten early, but there is no guarantee. She would have to be evaluated for 60 days to determine if she was mature enough, and pass a test for Kindergarten grade level. And the early entrance test and application had to be taken by early June, so if we moved anytime past June we wouldn’t be able to apply because it’d be too late. And we couldn’t apply before then because we wouldn’t be Maryland residents. So it worked out that the house won’t be done yet because now she can start Kindergarten in DC, and just enroll in MD as a transfer. It would have been really annoying if she finished Pre-K3 and Pre-K4, and then had to take a year long break because her birthday is a few weeks late.
I’m just so excited and so grateful. When we moved here, I didn’t think it would be possible to have a house built again. It costs considerably more to live here than it did in Fort Worth. I’m so grateful for everything the Lord has given us, and so grateful for Al. He is the best in all the ways.
We picked the customizations for our house back in November. Well, I picked the customizations. Lol. Al didn’t care at all. His main contribution was, ‘yeah, I don’t care. Get what you want. I just want to pick the cabling, appliances and my office.’ Smh. lol. Oh, he’s picking the sound system too. Basically anything concerning technology is in his hands, as it should be. I can’t wait to furnish and decorate the house. In a simpler world, I would have my own business as an interior designer and event planner, but alas. I do not. lol. I started packing last week. We still have 2.5 months, but I figure I’ll knock it out little by little so I don’t feel rushed when moving time comes.
Anyway, here is a sneak peak of the house, customizations and colors we chose. Oh, and the kitchen from the model home! We didn’t get the same floor plan, but it will be something similar.
New house, here we come!
