House

So I think we're going to make an offer on this 3 bedroom/2 bath when Neal gets home next week. Here are some pics....







Here is the deal: This is a brand new little loop/small subdivision in Abita Springs. There are only 3 homes built in the loop so far. Two more lots are under contract. If the house above is still available next week, I think we're going to make an offer. If it's not available, we are going to build one that is similar. The homes are all New Orleans-style cookie cutter houses, but they're super cute. If we build our own, we have to pick out all the colors, etc which I don't really want to do. I would rather just buy the one that is already built b/c I'm perfectly OK with the one that is available.

So the homes are on lots that are going to be pretty close together, and I know that we could get a little more land or a bigger lot size or whatever if we looked in other areas like Folsom or Covington or Mandeville. But I've looked at houses in our price range in those areas and they are all BLAH. I seriously haven't seen one other house that I was interested in. And I just really like Abita. It's sort of this hippy dippy, laid back, unique little town. Their public schools have small class sizes and are better than the ones in Covington and Mandeville. The town is small, located on the Tammany Trace (the bike/walking path) and is only about 7 miles away from where we live now. There are all these cute little events and fairs and concerts in the town pavilion area and I just love it. LOVE IT.

I am going to miss our rent house and the 1/2 acre of land that we're on, but I will NOT miss the enormous electric bills that we have to pay all summer b/c the house is so old and full of cracks and windows. I will not miss having to walk outside to get to my laundry room. I will not miss the fact that every time our power goes out we can't flush the toilet because our water comes from an electricity-operated water well. And I will not miss the gecko that I found in my bedroom last night and which I'm pretty sure is still hiding somewhere in my closet.

Side note about the gecko situation; here's my convo on the phone last night with Neal:
N: How was your day?
C: It was fine, but there's a gecko in the bedroom and I don't know where he went.
N: He probably went back outside, don't worry about it.
C: No, I know he's still in here. He's hiding, just waiting for me to go to sleep.
N: Oh yeah? Then what's he going to do to you? Are you worried he's going to try to sell you some insurance?

The thought of having a brand new house is sooooo exciting. I have actually never ever lived in a brand new home so it may come as a shock to live in a house where everything actually works?! So I guess we'll see how this all plays out next week!