House Hunting

I have a friend who hates to house hunt. She hates shopping too, and house hunting is major shopping. Adam has gotten a permanent position here in Richland, so we have begun the house hunt.

I swear we have looked at more than 30 houses. Old houses, new houses, houses that don't have all the walls up yet and houses that have too many walls. I mean, why take 2000 square feet and then divide it up into a bunch of little boxy rooms? It's been like any other house hunt. You love the yard, but don't care for the house. You love the house, but the schools leave something to be desired. You love the school, but can't afford the house. You walk into the house and wonder if they are serious about selling it. One of the last houses I looked at had growling animals in cages in dark rooms and a basement where the only light came from an aquarium holding a large snake. Yikes!

Then you think you've found it: a house in your price range with (almost) everything. This one has the square footage we want, a large yard on a cul de sac with a pool and a park right across the street. However, no storage, it's a split entry and the driveway goes down from the street so you have to get a running start up the hill and there's the chance for flooding if it rains too much. Little things, I know, but enough to delay a decision and someone else snatches it up. The housing slump has not hit Richland. Most houses are sold within 60 days. That puts a lot of pressure on a buyer. I'm not sure I can make a life decision in 60 days, but I guess I'll have to.

It's such a huge decision, you know. I mean, our children will grow up in this house. These will be the schools that will teach all of them. This neighborhood will be ours. I'll have to navigate stairs for the next 20 years. What will the ward be like?

So the search continues. One thing I do know. The Lord knows what an important decision this is, and the home that we are supposed to have will be there when we need it and we will know that it's ours.