A house update

Now we’ve gone and done it. We’re in contract for a house and I can’t lie—it’s freaking me out. I hear this is normal but OH MAN a commitment like this is making me nervous. However, a bizarre set of “coincidences” have accompanied this house that makes me think that it’s something God must really want us to have (or at least teach us a valuable lesson).

Coincidence #1: I left my purse in it last week, sparking a rescue mission by our gentleman of an agent who saved our night by returning the purse, containing tickets to a show we were to see that night, within the hour. Assumption: the house must want me and I must want the house!

Coincidence #2: We were going to buy our vacation tickets (mid-April through May) the night we saw the house but kept waffling on where we wanted to go. There were multiple chances to buy tickets before that night but we kept hesitating and waiting. If we’d bought those tickets, we probably wouldn’t be in this situation.

Coincidence #2: Mark’s parents were in town the same weekend the owners of the house decided to put on an open house. That they even decided to stop by was a coincidence itself.

Coincidence #3: Mark’s mom happened to be wearing an SPU sweatshirt at the open house, leading to a conversation that ended up helping us.

Coincidence #4: Mark’s dad didn’t see until later a text message from Mark asking them not to mention anything at the open house about us or our offer on the house (we didn’t know whether it was kosher to let out too much information). So they mentioned us and our offer to the agent.

Our offer on the house went head to head with a “more attractive” and all-cash offer that left me thinking that this was where it was to end, since the other offer made more financial sense to the owners. Our agent told us the only way we’d get the house was if we played the emotional card, appealing to the family who was moving out by painting us as a young couple who wanted to start a family in the house and would care for it just as they’d cared for it. I forgot to mention that the other offer was made by a super rich couple who wanted to buy the house for their nanny. Their NANNY. So we revised our offer to make it a little more attractive (read: higher) but at that point I’d lost faith.

So you can imagine my surprise when our agent called back with an “odd question.” The owners had found out we’d gone to SPU (per Mark’s parents) and wanted to know what we did now and if we went to a church in the area; we answered their questions and hoped for the best. Then our agent called back to let us know that even though the other offer made more sense financially, they had decided to sell to us!  Crazy, no?

Even though it’s been a bizarre story up to now, it’s still far from over. Closing isn’t scheduled until April 15 and a lot of things can happen between then and now. So we’ll see! But who knows, we could be moving in a month.