At the end of the day, it's just a house

After losing 2 houses to aggressive bidding, I must say it's discouraging. 

We absolutely LOVE being home. Our families are close by, the weather is gorgeous almost all year long and it's just a gorgeous place. So, when we decided to become homeowners it was frustrating to realize how aggressive the market is. 

The first house was in an area we weren't thrilled about but the house was so pretty. So, it was depressing when we found out we didn't get it. 

The second house had the perfect location and was the perfect house. It was everything we wanted but the top of our budget. We knew the other offers were low so we went into higher. Still.. someone went over list price and got it. We LOVED this house. I could've cried. 

I was done house searching. I didn't want to see another house. We just lost our "Dream home," so to speak. Then, I realized what every first time homebuyer needs to realize. It's just a home. 

If you're like Vincent and I, you've lived in many different apartments. Some you loved, some you hated. However, it is different when you're making monthly payments on something you own. You want to, at the very least, like it. The good news is, everything is changeable. Yes, that costs money but there are many different options a traditional bank probably won't tell you. 

Look into rehab loans, both government and conventional. Sometimes you'll find a foreclosure or short sale that you'll be able to get below budget and add value too! Just keep in mind if you go the FHA route, you'll have to use a contractor and you can't do the work yourself. 

Your first home may not be your dream home but you'll be able to get some equity out of it, hopefully. 

Keep an open mind when house shopping! What can you change and what can't you? It's expensive to change the layout. Paint and wallpaper are on the cheaper side, if you do it yourself. Flooring can also be easy to DIY. 

Kitchens are going to be where the most money is usually spent. Pinterest some ways to do it cheap! 

House Hunting Tip #1

Know your market. 

We moved to Clearwater, Florida from Huntsville, Alabama. We were initially looking at houses in Huntsville, thinking we were going to be there a few years. Yep.. we were wrong. But, Huntsville is a great place to live with a housing market that is great for a buyer.. and probably a seller too. So, we were a little, umm... shocked.. when we moved to Clearwater and saw the prices houses were going for. 

We knew what we wanted and we really didn't want to give up much. We are willing to do some work.. and for the right price, maybe a full renovation. But, how were we going to pay for it?

We started at our bank. Everything seemed great until we started talking to family members about the possibility of some other options. For example, bundling closing costs or renovations. Our bank lender really didn't offer much help in this area so we went elsewhere. We found a great guy at a local mortgage company who explained things in depth with us. We had more options then we thought and that was a good thing!

We probably looked at close to 50 houses. I didn't think we were that picky but there were definitely things we each liked at one house and hated at the other. It wasn't easy. But, I'll get to that later. 

If you're really set in one location, at least know what you can get outside of it. If we lived about 20 minutes North, we could get a lot more house for our money. But, is it worth it? For us, no it wasn't. 

If you're specific about a location, know that you may wait a while. AND houses are going to go fast. So be prepared to act fast. Be critical but not overly critical. 

Searching for our first home

Maybe it's just us. But, buying a house isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm really just referring to the process of finding "the one."

When we decided we were moving back to Florida it was pretty much known we were going to buy our first house. We were excited. I mean, I watch even House Hunters and Property Virgins that I thought this would be a piece of cake. 

Must haves:
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 bathrooms
- Pool with lanai
- Big Kitchen (preferably upgraded)
- Open Floor Plan
- Entertainment space outside
- 2 car garage
- Indoor laundry room

Seems simple enough, right? 

Wrong. 

A couple of weeks into house hunting we realized this process wasn't going to be fun. It's a seller's market and the options in our budget are slim, which means homes go fast. 

We put an offer on a house and then a bidding war happened. We lost the house. In the end, it really wasn't the location we wanted so it was a blessing in disguise. 

Hundreds more pages on Zillow (and Realtor and Trulia), dozens of Open Houses, dozens more showings with our Realtor.. (and on, and on, and on) we found a house we LOVED. Prime location, great outdoor space, no rear neighbors.. There wasn't much to complain about. We were confident we were going to get this house and bid aggressively. A few hours later.. another buyer went over list price and got the house. I could've cried. I always told myself I wasn't going to get attached to a house but I did. It was a let down. I couldn't look at another house the same. 

There's so many things I wish people would've told us about buying a house. What to look for, what you can easily change, yada, yada, yada. 

So, I decided to blog a little about our journey. It hasn't been easy. We've argued, we've been frustrated, depressed, happy, excited. But, in the end, I hope our advice can help someone else!

Stay tuned!

A year of changes.. A year full of things to be thankful for

Wow.. How things have changed. 

Thinking back to Thanksgiving 2014: We were newlyweds, celebrating another holiday without our families, perfecting that turkey on my own, enjoying our jobs.. the list goes on. 

Fast forward to this year. We've been married a year, we're attending 3 separate Thanksgiving dinners, buying a house, job hunting.. this list, too, goes on. 

It may not sound like much of a difference to some, but it is to us. 

I'm usually one to embrace change and welcome new adventures. The past year has been full of adventures. I've been excited, challenged, nervous. I quit my job for many wonderful reasons. But, as Thanksgiving approaches, I find it so odd that I'm actually going to be able to enjoy these holiday dinners. (YUMM) 

I'm a workaholic and I love news. I'm supposed to work on holidays, right?? (Still, the weirdest feeling to have a holiday off). However, I'm learning to embrace these new changes, challenges. 

Last year's list of things I'm thankful for would've been much different. Not a bad different though. Just a different life. 

This year, I'm thankful for so many wonderful things. A loving husband and a supportive family should probably top the list. We've welcomed 2 new babies into our family this year. (Who doesn't love babies?) I'm thankful for nieces and nephews to spoil and love. A year ago, I was just the aunt who got to Skype with them whenever I could. This year, I'm the aunt who comes over just because I want to play dress up. (Princess for a day? Sign me up!) I get to watch hockey with my dad pretty much whenever I want. I get to shop and get mani pedis with my mom. (Who picks out the best clothes ever. ) I get to attend weddings!! I get to do so many things with my family that I've waited 5 years to do. 

I'm thankful for all of our past adventures that got us here today. I often wonder if we would be together if we never would've left. Who would we be? Where would we be? Traveling taught us how to love, care for, and live on our own. It was a struggle. It was scary. But, it made us better people. It was also more fun then I think we realize. Thanks Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama for all you did for us. We can't wait to take our future kids to all the places we've lived.

I'm thankful for my dog, Basil. Every year I count my blessings she's alive. She always listens when I need someone to vent to, she cuddles when I'm feeling down, and she never talks back. Best. Kid. Ever. 

I'm thankful for some pretty great friends. People I can tell anything to and not be judged. Each one of them has taught me something new about myself. 

Lastly, (I could go on but I won't) I'm thankful to have accomplished my dream before turning 30. It was a tough one. To be a full time news anchor. Wow. I really didn't think it would ever happen. But, I have so many people to thank for making that come true. It was one hell of a rollercoaster ride but I did it. I wanted to give up, I wanted to scream, cry, you name it. Most of all,  I wanted to succeed. Now that I know I can do that, I know I can do anything. 

I'm ready for a new adventure and a new year of things to be thankful for. I'm ready for that new door to open with a brand new challenge.. Here's to another year of thanks! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Standing by Roanoke

Trying to find the words to talk about the shooting in Roanoke is proving to be incredibly hard.

I didn't know Alison Parker or Adam Ward. But, I do know that they set out that morning to do things that every reporter or photographer has ever done. It was routine. For once, it was a happy story. A story that you got to smile about and have fun with. It was a rarity.

Journalists everywhere are talking about Roanoke. People everywhere are talking. How could this happen? I'd be lying if I said I was never scared in my job. I've been terrified. Showing up to crime scenes, knocking on doors, standing in the middle of storms. But, I've never thought I would be murdered while on a story. 

That's what happened to Alison and Adam. They went to work to tell the news. That's a right we earned. They thought nothing of it. They died do what they loved. 

Newsrooms across the Country were stunned. Journalists were heartbroken. We lost 2 members of our family this week. It's a highly competitive business but this is a time we need to come together. We need to look out for each other. I know we're all trying to get the story and get the story first, but we have to keep an eye on one another. 

I spent hours crying Wednesday. Crying for my friends, the coworkers of Alison and Adam, their friends and family members. I can't imagine the pain that so many of them are feeling. I'm feeling the pain and I didn't even know them. 

There's a blog written by a journalist that says it better than I ever could. I highly recommend you read it. http://jayewatsononline.com/roanoke/

Because frankly, I couldn't say it any better. I've been searching for the right words and I just can't find them.

To new adventures

After 3 years in Huntsville, it's time for me to say goodbye! This is such a bittersweet moment. 

My time at WAAY has been an adventure, full of surprises and challenges. I've met some amazing people who helped steer my career in the right direction and lifelong friends. 

I just want to say thank you to all of you for supporting and encouraging me. Many of you I've gotten to know on a personal level and it's nice to call you a friend! 

But, alas, I must say goodbye. My last day on air will be this Friday, July 31st. 3 months ago my husband was transferred and it's time for me to join him. It's an exciting time as we're moving back "home." We've been gone for 5 years and we are incredibly excited to be closer to our families. We'll be living in Clearwater, Florida. 

Thank you for all your support and love, again. It makes my day reading all of your messages and emails. Thanks for making the Tennessee Valley feel like home!!