Wiffle Ball

Poking around the outside of the house, we noticed a few objects nestled in the foliage, a soccer ball, a wiffle ball and bat, a shoe, some old slides, a few gift tags. Not uncommon in New England, when odd things get buried in snow banks and then left behind after the thaw, like glacial debris. 

Later, as we decended the stairs with the inspector, the homeowner called after me. 

"One thing you HAVE to know about this house is the Wiffle Ball. We used to play out in the street. All the neighborhood kids would come out of their houses to play. And people from other parts of town would drive over and drop their kids off to join in the fun. It was really something special."

I could feel the nostalgia and the aftertaste of joy and community that was left with him as he told this memory. "That does sound really wonderful. What great memories. Thanks for telling me that story!"

"You're welcome! There sure are a lot of memories. It's a great house. You'll love it here."

And so it is. 

Home Inspection Complete

Well, that was overwhelming! We just finished the home inspection which consisted of us walking through the house with Tony, an older Italian guy with a bag of fancy tools and a great Boston accent, hearing about everything that is not right with the house. The Nest is 100 years old! And it hasn't been touched much over the years. Really it's amazing that it's still standing so proudly. As they say, they don't make 'em like they used to. 

Tony arrived first. Then Bill and I showed up and introduced ourselves. When Todd arrived we were ready to start. The group of us snaked through the house, Tony with his flashlight, me with a notebook. We went bottom to top peering into every crack and crevice, poking at the walls, noteing ungrounded electrical outlets and broken railings. This will be a LOT of work. But Bill knows all about the renovations and updates Tony described. I'm grateful to have him by my side in this process!! 

So next we wait for the inspection report, expected to be sent to me in a day or two. Then Todd and I will tak again in preparation for a second round of negotiations. We have an opportunity to ask the seller to reduce the price or make some repairs before the sale. This would come in the form of cash back at closing. Since there is quite a bit to be done, I'm hoping for at least a little budge on the price! 

We also learned about a number of programs that could help with cost of repairs. For example, in Massachusetts there is a push for making homes more energy efficient, and we will have access to free service on things like weather stripping doors and maybe replacing windows. 

So, one more step complete. It's very exciting! Although there is a lot to be done before the sale is secure. And even more to do before the home is all dressed up and updated (not to mention safely up to code!), standing in the corridors and running my hand along the banisters was a truly special feeling. 

Bill had a client once tell him "this house has been here before I was born and it will be here after I'm gone. I consider myself a steward of this house." I get it. Standing in the basement, looking up her skirt, I got the sense of this building as a living breathing being. She has a life of her own, and I'm thrilled to join paths with her at this moment in time. 

Deep, humble breaths. 

Looking forward to learning more and moving forward!

How it All Began

Here's a story about how living from a heart centered place wins the day.

I've been house shopping for months and it's been terrifically discouraging. Here in the MetroBoston Area in 2015 it's the epitome of a seller's market. Homes in Arlington MA have been going for an average of 107% of asking price. Even the most dishevelled fixer upper will go up on public listing for only a few days before being at the center of a bidding war and then being snapped up, often by a developer who plans to flip it and turn charming multifamilies into "state-of-the-art" condos. It's been tough to swallow: even though I have a great career, a stable financial foundation, gracious support (both financial and logistical) from my father and uncle, and I've been slowly saving and prepping to buy for years, it was starting to seem like actually purchasing a house in the place I love to call home would be impossible.

My father taught me something really valuable as a young child. Any time I started to throw a little tantrum, when I wanted to stay up late, when I couldn't convince my brother to stop pestering me, when, as a teenager, I thought I would just explode if I didn't have my own phone line in the house, any time I was banging my head against a wall in a frustrated fit; my father told me "find a way to get what you want." He taught me that there is always a way, but you need to discover it in your mind and then do it.

These past few years I have been spending much time and energy learning to live from my heart. My head has gotten me far, and it will always be involved in some way in my life choices. But I have found that making decisions and leading with my heart is the way to feel most free, alive, and empowered.... but it was hard for me to see how my heart would be very helpful when it comes to mortgage pre approvals, contracts, and the like.

Then, one Thursday, I checked the MLS Listings that my Real Estate Agent Todd sends me. There it was. My home. It was truly love at first sight. Everything about this place just drew me in. The location was great. The rentability was excellent. The beautiful old woodwork and early 20th century charm was on point. I knew.

I told Todd immediately. We planned to go to the only open house (Sunday 2-3:30) a few days later. There was one small problem though, I was to be spending the weekend in New Hampshire for a friends Bachelorette Party. I called Becky and told her the scoop. "Ok, here's the deal. I HAVE to be back by 3pm on Sunday. If there is ANY chance I won't be, I will drive myself up solo and leave early on Sunday morning. This is extremely important!!" She assured me it would be no problem. We went on to have a fantastic weekend. And I checked the photos online about 5,002 times. Drooling over it. Imagining myself there.

You can guess how this part of the story goes. We were running late. We left on time, but it was the last day of Bike Week in NH, it was also pouring rain. There was a ton of unexpected traffic. My friends in the car teamed up to find the best route by GPS and we huslted our way back south. Becky dropped me off in front of the house at 3:24, six minutes before the end of the open house. As I jumped out of the car, Becky wisely said "just remember, everything happens for a reason." I nodded in agreement, hugged her, and went on my way. I tore through the house as quickly as I could, half blinded by my excitement. It just confirmed my feeling that this was RIGHT.

Standing on the sidewalk with my boyfriend Bill (who is also, conveniently, my general contractor) and Todd, we talked excitedly. It's a fixer upper for sure. It will be a very long term, expensive project to update the house and dress it up. The roof needs to be done. The widows too. In addition it needs paint and fixtures and on and on. But this is what we wanted, a place we could make our own.

I noticed a young woman chasing after a small Calico Cat. We started chatting about her cat and how confused he must be having people tromping through his home. I assumed she was one of the renters from the downstairs unit. But then she asked if we had any questions and I realized that she was part of the homeowner family. We talked more about parking, repairs, the neighborhood, and then I asked "So what's the story? Are y'all moving away?" I saw the tears well up. She said, "Well, my mother just passed away." I felt it deeply. I was humbled. I stood there excitedly dreaming while she grieved the loss of her mother. She went on "She grew up in this house. She raised me here too. My grandparents bought the house for $13,000 dollars when they were young. They looked at a place around the corned but that was $15,000. Too expensive for them. So they chose this one." Wow. So many memories, people's lives, real history here. I thanked her, and as she walked away I called out "by the way, I'm Brenda! This is Bill. What's your name?" She said "nice to meet you, I'm Kelly."

The next few days were a flurry of phone calls, number crunching, rubbing pennies together, and generally trying to make this happen! I was buzzing with excitement! But also firmly with the knowledge that this really might not work out. My pockets are not the deepest. And I know that the chances were good that I would be outbid. But I had to give it a try. It was difficult to sit with the fact that this was going to be out of my control. But I know, from my work, that control is an illusion anyway. Oddly reassuring. The one thing that was in my control is to show this family my whole self, try to let them peer into my dream. So I wrote a letter to accompany the paperwork. Todd sent in my offer right on time.

Then I waited. But I didn't just twiddle my thumbs. I took deep breaths. I visioned myself pulling my car into the driveway, waking up and cuddling Bill in the bedroom on a Sunday morning, tearing wallpaper down, painting the walls, cooking in the kitchen. I even tucked crystals into my bra. I asked dear friends to send me good vibes. I knelt on the floor of my office in child's pose. I prayed. I prayed and prayed. In my prayers I told the Universe that I trusted that the outcome would be for the highest good of all concerned. I prayed to Kelly's mother, letting her know how I would care for her home with all my heart.

FINALLY, hours later, after I thought I would spontaneously combust from the anticipation, I got the call. It was Todd.

"They accepted your offer!"

"WHAT?? YOU ARE %$&*# KIDDING ME!"

"Nope, they accepted it. There was one other offer. A developer. And the seller said that the conversation you had outside the home, and the letter you wrote, were the reason they chose your offer"

I was so moved. So humbled and grateful. I'm sure the other offer was tens of thousands more than mine. I had only offered 101.4% of asking price, all I could possibly afford, and much less than the current standard. But at the end of the day, it didn't come down to dollars and cents. It was about a human connection. About love and commitment.

So, the story is just beginning. There are some logistics to take care of. Lots to learn still. A lot to make sure happens by the books. Something could go wrong, it could fall through! But I feel strongly that it will be smooth sailing. Because it feels right. And because love wins the day. And if not, I am reminded that everything really does happen for a reason. If I hadn't had the stress and heartbreak of the past few months of house shopping, I may not have appreciated the urgency of the process. If we had been on time to the open house, I probably wouldn't have met Kelly. The divine plan unfolding before my eyes. 

We go to the inspection today and I am excited to get back inside and see it with new eyes. My home.