The Road To Homeownership... Not Easy... Not for Me Anyway...

A few years ago I never thought I'd actually be a homeowner. I used to toss and turn sometimes at night and wonder when my big break would come, when my other half would finally have an acceptable credit score in order to get financing... when, when, when....

And with each attempt, came another setback.

The first set back happened in 2007. This set back however was probably the best one we ever had, as it took place. 2007 was when banks were literally giving loans to dogs. We encountered out very first predatory lender, and being so young an naive, we almost fell for the 8% interest rate, and the $230,000 asking price on a home that was so grossly overpriced in compassion to 2013's pricing. It was a sellers market, and the predators were everywhere.

Like a wounded bloody fish, the shark of course circled... that was until he asked us for $15,000 for a deposit. $15,000 in which we did not have.

So that ended that, and thankfully things ended the way they did. Had I taken on that loan, I would have been like the thousands of others in foreclosure just a few years later.

The next set back came in 2010, when we finally had a good amount of money saved amongst ourselves.

The big kicker here though was that even though we financially could afford to purchase, and home prices were way down in comparison to what it was during the heat wave in the market that took place in 2007.

Everything looked kosher, all was fantastic. We found a house, we had a big stack of money saved up, and enough left over to make any home repairs as necessary. But the set back this time was not a lack of funds, it was bad credit.

The lender literally told us we were over qualified for the loan, but due to my other halfs poor decisions in the past, and unpaid debts, his score was too low to be given a loan.

Fast forward to 2012. He pays off all of his debts, and figures he is in the clear.

Only when we went to get a loan this third time, he was told he had no credit now due to lacking revolving accounts. I couldn't get the loan on my own due to my yearly income not meeting the quota they were looking for.

Now by this time, he was ready to give up and go out and rent something. I however knew how close he was to becoming a homeowner, and I refused to give up... no matter how long we waited for this dream....what was one more year to establish credit?

He applied to 4 credit card companies, and out of the 4, only 1 allowed him a max credit limit of $200. Hey, it was a start, considering the fact that the other 3 wanted nothing to do with him, and the letters poured in about why they decided to not issue him credit. Capital One, as much as I hated them issued him the ticket he needed to start establishing a credit score, since at this point he had none!

A few months later his $200 limit was increased to a staggering $1,500. He was then able to take out another credit line with Target, and oddly enough the letters from the credit lenders who previously declined him, suddenly wanted his business.

I figured this would be the time to start looking at homes again. But not before attempting a 4th time to get a pre-approval for a loan on a home. I definitely did not want to find ANOTHER dream home, only to be told by a lender that it was tough titty, and I walk away feeling shitty.

So skip on down to Chase bank, and wallah, 20 minutes later I am finally told after a 4th attempt, and 6 years under my belt of waiting and wishing.. that we can finally get a loan.

Hence the title of my blog... This Old Home.

The very first house we looked at was a little out of our budget, but for the hell of it, I figured why not... it is now a buyers market in my area, and maybe, just maybe- I could low ball.

From the outside I looked up at the beautiful stained glass window on the second level of this massive colonial, and already could see myself there, cleaning it up, bringing it back to life.

It would never be mine though....
Not ever.

The yard looked like it had not been touched in years. Debris from Sandy still remained all over the yard, but I could see myself there. Picking up the garbage, mowing the lawn... taking out the garbage...

It could never be mine though.

Not ever.

Inside, I was surprised at how clean it was kept. Granted the carpets could be replaced, and the popcorn ceilings and walls needed a total sanding. Slap it with new paint, renovate a little here and there, but other than that the home did not demand much. Just some TLC. The home was built in 1968, and used to be a small one level 2 bedroom Ranch.

On the first level we had a kitchen, a living room, a full bathroom, and 2 very impressively sized bedrooms.

The kitchen was old, as if it had not been re-done since it was originally built in 1968. Of of the kitchen a small dining area sat, which house a sliding door that met up with a sprawling deck.

The living room was nice, but the popcorn walls and ceilings made you want to gag.

The second level of the home was a 2004 addition, so cosmetically it needed far less work than the original structure on the lower level. The carpets were newer, but stained badly. On this level, you could clearly see that the home was being set up to be used as a mother/daughter.

On this level we had 3 massive bedrooms, a beautiful tiled bathroom, and another massive living room area, with a small nook for a kitchen set up, and lastly a small room with washer and dry hook ups. The thing that sold me however was the second story balcony deck that sat in the living area. It overlooked the back yard, and this suicide rail as I like to call it became my obsession. I wanted this home. I wanted it badly, but sighed in the back of my mind. I k new it was a dream, not obtainable. Not by me anyway.

I was beyond impressed. The size... the massive size was all I ever wanted, and more than I ever needed.

It would never be mine though. Not ever.

It did not end there though, a stairwell in the first floor led to the basement, which was also finished. Another full sized bathroom which demanded help was hidden in the corner, a large living area, and another empty room which could be used as a 3rd...yes a 3rd living room. 

After deciding that I wanted this home, but couldn't have it... we ventured on to look at 4 more homes that day. I was already in love with the first home though, and we both decided to just give it a try and put an offer in on it to see if the owner would bite. If not, no loss... we were used to loss anyway. It would hurt for a few moments, and we would carry on and continue our search.

The home was listed at $185,000. I did not want to go over a $150,000 even though we were qualified to go up to $250,000. I wanted to be smart, pay low, and be able to afford to eat at the end of the day. Basically I needed to somehow get this home for $35,000 less than what they were asking.

I knew the home had sat on the market for 3 years. I work as an agent and have access to public records, so I was able to see that the home originally listed for $249,999 back in 2010. I knew the market, and knew with some renovations, this home could be brought back to that price range... just not the way she sat at the present time.

That same year the home had a few price reductions, and a few more- until 3 years later she sat at $185,000.

I went for it. The following day, I called the listing agent and submitted a verbal offer of $140,000, which is almost laughable. I was told that the home already had an offer in that was accepted,  but the deal was so shaky. My heart sank. Normally first accepted offers make a home a done deal, but sometimes the deal will die- and at that point all I could do was pray that the deal would die.

The next day, I was informed by the agent that the owner would close the deal at $155,000.

I smiled... told him I had to think about it, and that I would call him back.

That evening we went into the home one more time to make our final decision. We fell in love a little harder at this point.

I called the agent within 5 minutes of my second showing, and agreed on the $155,000 price.

As if the house wanted me... the deal that was still pending on the home died the very same day that I placed my $140,000 offer, literally hours after I made my first call to place an offer. Had that deal not died that very same day, the owner likely would have never counter offered.

It died because the person who was purchasing it, could not get a mortgage commitment. I felt bad for them for 1.2 seconds...., but I had been there, and done that... knew how it felt... but knew you walked away defeated... and in the end you were still alive, so all was well in the universe.


So.... nah, nah, nah, nah... poo....poo... yeah let me gloat for once.

WOW! WE GOT AN ACCEPTED OFFER OF $155,000!!!!

Now on to the fun stuff.

Lawyer!!! I needed one, so I used the same attorney I have used for years when people in my business request one. The same one I was going to be using myself, 6 years ago....

Everything at first was going fast... too fast for me to even fathom. Was this home I never thought I could have about to be mine?

----------

Yes... but of course Chase caused a lot of hiccups.

We had a heat wave run rampant throughout town for about a week. My appraisal was scheduled, and low and behold during the heat wave, the entire basement decided to spore out with mold. And I mean everywhere.

The bank now requested a mold remediation just 20 days before we were due to close. 1 $500 test later it revealed the mold was bad, and needed to be professionally cleaned. $4000, and a $2000 split between us and the owner... which still aggravates me because it should have been the sellers total bill- not mine!

So now that the remediation is done, we now wait for the bank to tell us if a new test will be required. They waited 2 weeks to tell us no... but they want a new survey. Event though the owner HAD one, Chase is requesting a certified new one, even though the title closer did not need it?!

We have 7 days now till our commitment expires, and 12 days till out 4.5% interest rate lock expires! Sooo... I now have to pay an additional $800 for an expedited survey! Uhg!!!

So... while I do that, and get it all done in 3 days to make the cut, Chase Bank once again takes forever to let me know a closing day, and low and behold the commitment expires as well as the interest lock.

Then to top that off, days before we were supposed to close, Chase discovers (2 weeks later) that the neighbors fence is encroaching on my land. I now must get a letter from the neighbors stating that they are aware of this.

What a nightmare. The seller was able to get this ridiculous letter... which was beyond ridiculous because I did not plan on moving the fence anyway, nor did I care. At this point I just wanted my F'in house!

In the end, they closing date happened 3 months later instead of 30 days as most conventional loan closings take. Word to the wise... steer clear of Chase bank when getting a home loan... so clear!

My offer in July that was accepted finally closed on October 3rd, and I have been enjoying home-ownership, and the nightmares that come along with it since. Haha!

So here it was, the big day... the massive home....the home I never ever thought I would own finally became mine. Finally. 

Life lesson... I refused to give up. As many restless nights as I may have had in the past... I refused to keep trying... and finally I found my diamond... or maybe she found me. Whatever the case... there is no pride greater than this. I earned this... I worked my ass off for this. Years of patience... and an I WILL do this attitude got me to where I needed to be. Finally.

At any rate, the very same day we signed to close, I went straight to work, not wasting any time! I am such a busybody!

That is me, sanding the heck out of the ugly popcorn walls!

 My little niece came over a few days later and begged to try our the sander. I should probably review that sander sometime soon!

How to Create a Peaceful Sanctuary in Your Bathroom

I cannot get enough of baths - not just ordinary baths where you toss in some cheap liquid bubbles and watch them go flat in seconds - I'm talking a full blown peaceful bath that when you emerge from the water you will feel completely cleansed of the mind, the soul, and of course your body.

Creating a peaceful atmosphere in the bathroom does not mean you have to tear up the bathroom and completely renovate it. You can create a peaceful ambiance in the bathroom especially for bath time, that way you don't have to go messing up floors, walls, or colors.

When I think of peace, I think of dewy colors such as lilac, and baby blue. Whenever I am looking to put my mind at ease, I will place a light colored blue light into the bathrooms wall fixture. It takes about 10 seconds, and once on will give off a nice cooling and peaceful blue hue to the room. It also allows my eyes to rest easier, where bright light would just be annoying.

If you don't have a blue light on hand, then leave the lights off, and light 5 to 6 candles for a relaxing dim lighting in the room.

Before flicking off the lights though, you are going to want some peaceful essentials. Lavender scented bathing products always put my mind at ease, as does a light fragrance of rose mint. Mint for some awakens the senses, but if the mint scent has a very light floral tough to it, it actually puts me in a very relaxed state of mind.

Bath salts, and soaps you use can also alter your mood, which will create a very relaxing aura in the entire room. Cooling salts, or lilac scented salts always do the trick for me.

Lush's Bubble Bars will do wonders for those of you whom would like to soak in silky smooth clouds of bubbles. I highly recommend Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds bubble bar for a nice relaxing, long lasting, bubble bath.

Another must have is an eye pillow. Once in your tub, place the eye pillow lightly dampened over your eyes. I will sometimes place actual slices of cucumbers on my eyes before adding the pillow. This does wonders for a nice soothing fix to puffy eyes. Yes, even your eyes get to relax.

If you really, really want to go the extra mile for the ultimate relaxing bathroom sanctuary, then I would suggest getting yourself a sound machine. Most sound machines have 5-10 different peaceful sounds for you to listen to in the background. Ocean waves breaking at the shore, with the bellowing of a seagull can really amp up your relaxation session, not only while bathing, but while using the bathroom in general.

For me the bathroom is the most important room in the house. I love my bathroom, and constantly look for new elements to create a relaxing mood. Beach themed bathrooms with light colors are sure to relax not only you, but your guests as well. A simple replica of the ocean on a sound machine is sure to impress the senses, and those who actually use your bathroom.

You want your bathroom to be comfortable, and inviting, yet relaxing and soothing.

While not bathing, you want your bathroom to give off a relaxing vibe, by not only surrounding it in a relaxing theme, but also by the scents that dwell within. For my ultimate relaxing pleasure, I like to plug in Bath & Body Works Wall Flowers in the lime and coconut scent. This tropical scent is smooth, misty, and puts you in such a warm and calm mood. With the relaxing beach theme, the tropical fragrance adds to the feel of being on a tropical beach. It's relaxing, it's calm, and it's a sanctuary.

Perfect Interior Trim Paint Colors for Small Rooms

Many of us are already well aware that you have to be very careful when choosing colors of paint for smaller rooms. If you use dark colors, you could end up tuning that small room into a room that looks micro sized. Although it is nothing more than a mere illusion to the eye, making a room look tiny when it already is small is just not a wise choice, especially if you are looking to sell the home in the near future.

So what is one to do if they do not like plain white walls?
 
Personally I can relate, although white is the more obvious choice, you can actually use color on the walls that are very, very light, yet not too light, or too dark as to where it would shrink the appearance of the room.

Very light colored mint walls look fantastic when paired with white trim. You could even make the trim a darker green, but do not go too dark. You want the trim to stick out only slightly, not pop out causing the trim to be the first thing that catches the eye.

For little girls rooms, you could paint walls a very nice light colored pink, as seen here. For trim the obvious choice would be white. It's girly, it's cute, and it will not cause the room to look smaller than it is.

For boys room, the same would apply. You could use a very, very light blue color, and pair it up with a bright white trim, or even a mellow creamy yellow would work, especially for baby boys rooms.

For smaller rooms, you really want to avoid dark reds, browns, greens and blues. Although some of these bold colors may appear gorgeous in the store samples, on smaller room walls, it will simply look too compacted, and tight.

One must always remember that if the room is small, then go light. Trim can be darker, but not too dark. For a fool proof look, go white on trim.

The same thing applies for half panels in smaller rooms. Half panels are very flattering in any room, at just about any size, but for those of you with smaller rooms, you really want light colored paneling, and your best color option would be white, as seen here.
 
Now if you have a smaller room, and you do want to paint the walls all white, then you can color the trim just about any color you want; again though you want to avoid dark, dark colors. Browns however look really flattering if you are looking for a nice earthy look in the room.

For paneling, you can go with half wood panels for a very beautiful, and glamorous finish to the room.

Beautiful Interior Paint Combinations

When one thinks of painting the interior of their home, they always tend to lean toward boring and safe colors, such as white, or very, very light browns and tans. Bold colors like deep red or blue have primarily been ignored for years, due to the fact that people think that bold colors on the walls would overtake the room, or make the room look smaller. This is true for tiny rooms, but for larger rooms such as dens, master bedrooms, dining rooms, or living rooms, bold colors can be used. In fact, they look stunning.
One bold color that is always appealing is moss green. You can pair this with either white trim, or brown trim. If thin trim is not your ideal, you can pair green walls up with wood paneling, and the results are spectacular. Take a look at some lovely examples here.

Deep rich colors of red have also been taking major notice lately. Red walls when paired with deep mahogany colored panels make a dull room look like an elegant room fit for a Noble king. Just look at how elegant this bathroom looks with rich blood red colored walls.

Dark blue walls when paired with white paneling or white trim are also very trendy, and bring a nice calming cool vibe to the room. Look at the example in this photo, it goes to show that bold colored blues when paired with tan colors are also very, very, flattering to the room.

Brown colored walls when paired with dark trim or dark brown wood paneling is another eye catching look you can add to just about any room. It gives the room a very warm, and inviting natural look.

Wallpaper is another nice way to add a stunning and unique element to a wall, and looks best when placed in a dining room. There are so many different patterns to choose from. You can go plain with a subtle floral look, or you can go bold with unique swirls, colors, and patterns. To complete the look add paneling.

Here is a fine example of what one can do with wallpaper. As you can see, wallpaper is not just for Grandma's house any more.

The next step is figuring out what carpet colors would look best when paired with these bold wall colors.

Plain wood looks best no matter what color choice you have made. With a throw rug placed in the middle of the room, that matches up slightly with the walls, will really pull a room together and make it look cozy.

For blue walls you can go with light gray carpeting, light blue carpeting, or all wood floors.

With reds, brown colored carpeting, with a slight mix of red to it will match the walls, and pull the room together, as seen here. You could also pair red walls with a beautiful Persian rug for a very elegant finish to the room. This looks especially inviting and rich in dining rooms.

Basically, when you are looking to re-paint the interior of your home, do not fear going bold. Bold colors can sometimes really make a room stand out, it can also create a mood, and the effect lasts as long as you keep the paint up on the walls!

Have fun with it, but do avoid going tacky by painting every room a bold, scream out loud color. I have seen quite a few homes that made some really horrid choices in coloring due to the fact that every room had a near neon colored wall. You want your colors to flow gently between one another, not crash and collide.

How to Brighten Up Dark Basement Rooms

The plus side of the home I live in is that it is large, roomy, and comfortable. The down side is that my bedroom resides in the basement. The basement is finished, and it came out looking fabulous.

However, it is still a basement, and the windows that surround the basement are only half the size of normal bedroom windows, so naturally the rooms were originally dark, scary, and uninviting.

A few quick fixes made the rooms appear as if the windows were full sized windows, and a lot of it had to do with colors, fabric choices in curtains, and of course lighting. Basically you are creating the illusion that the rooms are just as regular as the rooms upstairs. If you are able to do that, most won't even realize they are entering a basement.

First you will want to choose colors that are bright for carpets, and curtains. Choose light colored grays or blues for carpeting, and choose airy light colors for window curtains.

My room in particular has a very light colored gray carpet. The walls are paneled, but not in the standard deep colored panel that most have. I went with very light gray and white paneling. It not only brightened up the room, but it also allowed it to appear larger than it really was.

For the window curtains, I chose a sheer light blue.

Lighting was what really brought the room into full bloom though. I purchased fixture that allowed me to add 4, 3 foot long light tubes. The tubes really added to the brightness of the room, which was usually very dull and dark. The large tube lights however made it very bright, but not to the point where things were blinding. (See example of light tube here)

You will want to add tube lights to every room in the basement to really add to the effect that the room is a room, and not a 'room in a basement'.

Adding wall light fixtures will also add some brightening flair to any room in the basement. However in order to really brighten the room, you are going to need tube lights. You can use other fixtures as well, but tube lights in my opinion are a must.

Light colored walls are also necessary. If you color walls a dark color, expect the room to not only look darker, but it will also make the look seem tighter and smaller than what it really is. To give the illusion of more room, paint walls white, or paint them in very, very light colors.

Some rooms that are finished in our basement do not have windows at all, so we really had to take extra care when adding colors and lighting to the room. The room initially was small, so we painted the walls white, and added white paneling. On the ceiling we placed a 4 bulb light tube fixture which really, really lit the room up. It keeps us from seeking out a window for when we go into the room, and makes it look larger than what it is.

The largest bedroom in the basement has the same 4 tube light fixture attached to the ceiling for a lot of light, but due to the rooms very large size the light is not too bright, and gives the room a very relaxing feel due to the light. What really makes this room fantastic though is the way we designed it.

When adding walls to the basement, we cut a large 4ftX3ft hole right in the middle of the wall where we later on added a gigantic fish tank. My turtle now resides there and the flat look always catches the eyes of guests. A very small nook for the filter, and storage of food was also installed in the wall. It keeps the messy stuff hidden, only displaying the beautiful tank which is seen through both sides of the wall. An example can be seen here. The wall however has to have a little bit of depth to it in order to pull it off. However the look is extremely beautiful, and can be done yourself. You don't have to be a millionaire; but you can look like one!

The soft blue lighting the tank gives off will also light up the room. So it's a win-win.
 
All in all, the best advice I could give for darker rooms in the basement is to light it up with light colors and strong lighting.

How to Spruce Up Old Furniture

I like collecting antique furniture, however, there are times when I come across pieces of furniture that appear to be in some dire need of a little TLC.

Now when it comes to antique pieces there is not much you can really do to the piece if you plan on keeping it to re-sell for a profit. However, if you like the piece, and plan on just keeping it in your own home, there are quite a few things you could do to it to bring it back to life, or at least make it suitable to place in your home.

For those of you looking to restore antique furniture for a profit, I recommend you have it professionally done, to ensure that you don't deplete it of its value.

One of my most recent projects included sprucing up an old rocking chair I picked up at an antique shop. The chair was stripped of all of it's original finish, and what was left was a dead wood frame, and a beat up fabric seat.

Finishing the chair was pretty simple. All I really needed to do was a few things to bring the chair back to life.

I could either keep the dull color as it was by adding a clear varnish, or I could stain it with a stain.
I recommend a stain if the wood looks run down. This chair in particular had a near gray/white appearance to it, so I figured a deeper stain would bring it back to life.

After cleaning off the chair of dust and particles, I simply went ahead and stained the wood a nice dark color. Immediately while applying you can see how the stain brings the wood to life, giving it new color, and new life.

The following day wipe down the chair of any fallen dust or particles, and simply add a coat of clear varnish to it. This will give the chair a protective layer, and will add a nice sheer shine to it.

If you are crafty with a sewing machine, you can literately make your own fabric seat for the chair. You can stuff the fabric with as much, or as little cotton as you would like. Using crushed velvet on older antique pieces really look elegant and rich.

If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, than you could always buy a cushion to pair up with the newly finished chair.

Sprucing up couches can also easily be done by adding new slip covers. You can literately change the entire look of your living room with slip covers, and it will cost a heck of a lot less than buying a brand new living room set.

Slip covers, as seen here are a very lovely option. They come in a nice choice of covers, and they will fit many different shaped couches and chairs.

Here you can purchase custom fit slip covers for a sure fit, in more varieties of color as well. If your couch is looking a little rusty, than spruce it up with slip covers instead of piling out a whole heap of money on a new set.

Sprucing up the look of rooms overall can be done by adding wall panels, or trim for naked walls.
Sprucing up a shabby looking bathroom can be done by removing those old nasty vinyl shower doors, and replacing them with glass doors. Glass doors are beautiful, they are more private, and frankly I find them to be safer.

Beautiful glass and mirror shower doors are a pain i the butt to install, but they are not as expensive as one would imagine. A little man hours, and around $400 or less, and you have yourself an entirely brand new looking bathroom. Home depot is where we purchased ours.

Sometimes we don't need to spend a whole lot of money on fixing up run down things, sometimes a little TLC can turn an old shabby thing into something that looks brand new. If you can't fix it, turn it into something else.

5 Simple and Cheap Ways to Beautify Your Home This Fall

Fall is hands down my all time favorite time of the year. The smell of the leaves, the crisp fresh quality to the newly born air, and the fact that some of my favorite holidays take place during the season.

Most I know will only decorate their home during the Christmas holiday, but my family changes the interior and the exterior to match with each passing season, and these changes are easily done with a few decorations that we managed to collect over the years.

During the fall months we clear every counter and add festive bits such as small pumpkin, colored dried corn stalks, and festive plaques with fall harvest quotes on them.

The kitchen is especially the main focus of the changes, seeing that it is our largest room, and the room that we have parties and holiday events in.

We like to mix the apple and pumpkin theme up during the fall, as the two mesh really well together and create an adorable fall festive look. Simple touches like cookie jars in the shape of apples or pumpkins, candles the give off fall scents like candy corn, pumpkin or apples is always burning. The scent adds to the appeal.

We also tack up fake fall colored leaf vines to hallway doors.

We do no stop just there though, because we also add to the fall theme by decorating the outside of the home with fall themed object such as scarecrow. We will also poke fake fall flowers into empty flower buckets that once held summer flowers. We don't have to throw out the buckets, and we can use them year after year, all through the seasons.

You can find fall themes outdoor touches at Michael's Craft Store, or AC Moore Craft Store. They always carry a large supply of outdoor decorations.

The best time to go into these craft stores are actually after the season has come to an end, that way you can scoop up some really beautiful decorations for half off; in some cases 75% off.

5 simple and easy ways to beautify the home during the fall months include:
1. Adding a fall festive theme to rooms in the home

2. Tacking up fake dried leaves to open hallway doors

3. Adding a fall related scent to each room such as pumpkin, apple, or cinnamon. Candles in particular will give off the best scent, and they manage to create a warm crisp atmosphere.

4. Adding fall objects to the yard such as wheelbarrows, scarecrows, or fake fall flower bunches to empty plant holders

5. Keeping an close eye on sales at craft stores after the season is over