(Dec 7) Scramble Time

Well, now we've got 2 weeks to get all of this pulled together. We're taking some money out of a retirement account for the down payment. They're supposed to take 2 weeks to get us a check. Kim's checking to see if she can get them to expedite the check to us. We'll figure out something if it doesn't show on time. I took the earnest money to the title company today. They told me the only thing that could hold us up on the deadline is getting the survey completed. They tell me to budget $800-$900 to get it done in a rush! Crap! that's a lot of money for someone to walk around with a GPS and a metal detector. (yes, I know they do a lot more than that. I'm just still in shock) I can't believe there's not a survey on file somewhere at the county considering the property has been sold twice in the past 10 years. I'll go down to the court house and shake a few limbs. Maybe I get lucky.

Fallen tree on back of property. I don't ever remember seeing a tree grow in a spiral pattern like this before.

(Dec 6) Done Deal!

We finally got a counter offer. Not as low as I would have liked but better than I was willing to go. I tell the realtor "let's stop wasting time negotiating and close this deal before something goes wrong." Everyone agrees. Contracts are signed and we move ahead. We tell the seller we want to close in 2 weeks and he agrees. Everyone wants this done by Christmas. I can't wait to spend my first night here! Still in shock that it has all come together after all of the time we spent looking, all of the 1000s of miles we drove to be disappointed. We both agree though, this was worth the wait! All of the other properties that had fatal flaws or just somehow didn't work out were for the best. I'm so glad she talked me out of some of the others! Do you hear this, guys! Trust her instinct and trust that you will find the ONE that's right for you both! This is the best Christmas present ever!

I can't wait 'til Spring. Kinda scary buying property in the dead of winter. Not quite sure what it's all going to look like.

(Dec 4) An offer is made

Well, it took a few days of wrangling with the bank but we finally got a "Pre-Approved" letter signed and an offer turned in on the property. I'm not a patient man once I've made up my mind. I really wanted all of this process to be done in a matter of hours. We find the property. We like the property. We negotiate a price. We sign papers and shake hands. We start clearing a driveway the next morning. Hmmm. Hasn't quite happened that way. Really should have had the approval letter done before hand. Could have shaved some time off of it. Realtors don't seem to sense my urgency. Keep telling me to "Be patient. Sometimes these small deals are the trickiest." I know it seems small to them. There's no 5 bedroom house. We're not dealing with a 1000+ acre ranch. But this is a big deal to me! Now we play the waiting game.

80' oak on the back third of the property. Can't wait to see it in the Spring!

(Nov 30) Time to show it off

Brought Kim out to see the property today. We both were able to get away from work a little early and made it out here about 30 minutes before sunset. She loves the property and more than that, is very happy with the neighborhood. We step a little closer. Mutual agreement. It's rarely happened in the last 4 years we've been looking! We agree to pursue the financing. This is going to be a roller coaster!

View of the front of the property along the road

(Nov 28) Eureka

Wow. I am in love! The drive out to the property was a bit longer than I had wanted but it wasn't as bad as some I've taken lately. About an hour east on a major highway. Then north another 20 minutes through very pretty country. I kept driving along large tracts of wooded land filled with large oak trees. I kept chanting to myself, "Please, let it be at least this pretty!" The roads were all in good shape and some interesting sights along the way. At one point, about 20 minutes away from the destination, there are a couple of ranches with exotics - camels, zebras and American bison. Anyway, it made for an interesting drive. I got to the last leg of the trip, the 1 mile dead end road. Land is still gorgeous. Houses in the neighborhood are average to really nice. I drive the last mile very slowly, anticipating a let down at the end. It never came. The land was everything I had envisioned on the way. I parked the car and just sat there for a while. I finally called the realtor listed on the sign in front to confirm it was still for sale and to get permission to walk the property for a bit. She was very nice and let me know that they had already had several people out to look at it in the week it had been on the market. I spent the next 3 hours browsing and sitting. I would wander out to a new area and find a comfortable place to sit for a while. Listen. Watch. Just soak it all in. No road noise. Just the wind through the trees. The entire property is covered with stunning oaks and elms, 50-80 feet tall, many bigger 'round than I can reach (and that has nothing to do with the girth of my mid-section! Besides, I tell people "I'm not fat. I'm famine resistant." lol).  Also a few scattered cedar to give it some color in the winter. There's a seasonal creek that runs across the middle with a cattle-guard bridge that had been built to cross it. The creek's dry but washed clean of any leaves so I know it's had water running in it over the last month or so. At 450 feet across and about 1500 feet deep, it's a perfect dimension. Wide enough that you can't see any neighbors on either side. Deep enough that you're out of sight of the road and still have 1000' to play with as a back yard. I finally call my better half who wants to know where I've been for most of the day. I inform her that I'm sitting in the middle of the property we're going to buy. This is the one! I stop and take a few pics before I head home. I'm very encouraged. Now to figure out how to pay for it!

View from edge of property back down road

(Nov 28) A GREAT property to look at

Found a property on TexasMLS.com today that looks promising. 12 acres in Point, TX, just east of Lake Tawakoni. Property is heavily wooded according to Google Maps. It's down at the end of a 1 mile long dead end road. The properties in the neighborhood are all 10-20 acres and look very clean per the satellite views. I'm heading out this afternoon to check it out. Really tired of waiting for a week or so to schedule a visit only to find out that the property sold 2 days before I got there. I've got a really good feeling about this one! Lets Keep our fingers crossed.

(Dec 31) End of another year

 Happy New Year, Everyone!

Well, we are no closer to finding our dream property. We've made numerous trips this year with nothing but miles on the car and disappointments. The good news is that we are closing in on what each other will tolerate. Kim is more in-tuned with the neighborhood aspect and I am more driven by the texture and lay of the land. I always cringe when I find a pretty piece of property. Her first instinct is to drive the neighborhood, in all directions, to get a feel for the properties around us.  Then she explains why she wouldn't want to live here and has a list of reasons.  Sometimes she doesn't even bother to get more than 10 feet from the car because she already knows this is not where she wants to live no matter how beautiful the property is.  Usually her instinct proves to be true. Pretty pieces of land for cheap are planted in the middle of BAD neighborhoods. At least she's here to keep me in check! lol I'm much more of the "Grab, Smash and Haul it into the woods" type. This coming year will be about trusting each others instincts and enjoying the road trips, rather than being disappointed when we don't find the perfect match. Happy New Year everyone! I hope you spend the next 12 months with someone you love!  I know I will.