okay, here’s the story.

Yes, I am buying a place.

As I mentioned, it’s happened very quickly, and I still kind of can’t believe it. But this will not be the immediate end of my housing dealings. I’ll explain.

Since my dad passed away, I’ve been helping Mom out with the stuff my dad used to handle (household bills and finances, driving her shopping and to appointments, etc.). I don’t mind being Mom’s roommate, really…she’s very laidback for the most part, we get along fine, and I really don’t mind her cooking for me every now and then. What I do mind, however, is my severe lack of personal space, missing all my stuff (it’s in storage), my commute (it sucks), and feeling like I live out of my car. (Mom’s house is too far away to stop by between work and going out or while running errands in town, so I often end up nesting in my CR-V from morning until night.)

It had gotten so bad that I was in tears before the holidays (which I, of course, hid from Mom). While on vacation with the Canucks, I vowed to sort out my living situation when I got back in town.

I talked to Mom and proposed buying one intown place now and one later. The “now” place would enable me to move all my furniture out of storage (eliminating a $180/month storage bill) and have a place to crash one or two nights a week intown as necessary. The “later” place would be for Mom, near me, after we sell her house. The goal is for us to eventually be neighbors, each with our own place, but close enough that I can continue to help her with the same stuff I’ve been doing since Dad passed away.

On Sunday, January 7, I went back to the loft community Mom and I visited last May. (I can’t believe it was that long ago!) The agent’s face lit up when I walked into the office, and he proceeded to tell me that they only had one or two units left. I knew that they would eventually sell all the new units, but geez…I had sort of been holding out hope that I would have a little more luxury in making a decision. Well, I went back the next day and walked through the exact same 2BR/2BA unit I toured back in May. It was the very last one of that particular floorplan, which I had absolutely fallen in love with when I first saw it months ago. At the time, it was only framed out (no walls), and usually I am horrible at picturing things like that (GE can attest to my inability to envision built-out spaces)…but it just felt right to me. When I went back two Mondays ago, and I walked through the unit with walls, and appliances and cabinets and such, it totally sealed the deal. I signed a contract that day, rushed back to work to a meeting, then drove home to get my checkbook after work and drove my earnest money check all the way back into town that night.

To make a long story shorter, there was a bit of drama that ensued over the next few days regarding the contract and another buyer. Unfortunately, most of that drama fell out during a birthday lunch with TG (we’ll have to do it again!). But in the end, things worked out in my favor…w00t! And I am so proud of myself…I negotiated to get a competitive interest rate and fair closing costs. I think I was channeling my friend WF during that whole process.

I got my loan application today to sign. Fortunately, I qualified for a “fast track” loan which means I don’t have to produce any asset or income verification documents like bank statements and such. I’m all for reducing paperwork so that was exciting. I had an inspector go out to the unit the other day, and I have my official walkthrough this Friday. My closing is tentatively set for next Friday, so I’ve been trying to figure out utilities and (ugh) moving my stuff in. Then, my focus is on selling Mom’s house, and fast. I will be paying for a place I can’t even really live in until I get her intown. I’ll probably have a painting party to paint some of the interior rooms of her house so we can put it on the market, so if you know how to use a roller brush and want some free food and beer, you are more than welcome to join us.

So there you go. I thought I was being spontaneous when I bought my CR-V on the spot, but that doesn’t compare to buying property on the spot!

I’ll be pretty broke for a while. I’ve told myself that the only things I can buy for the first few months are elfa for my closets and window coverings. That’s it. So if I start blogging about my latest shopping spree at Bed Bath & Beyond feel free to call me out.

Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly!