Dream House

A good friend of mine is a Realtor. In fact, we met five years ago when I started my search for my first house.

My criteria for the house was 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage and a working fireplace. She asked me how flexible I was on those points. I told her the working fireplace was a deal breaker, I could (if I had to) be flexible on everything else.

During the search, we came to this one house that we were having difficulty getting into because the combination on the lock box wasn't working. But the door had windows so I could see in a little. I could see tile on the living room floor and I told her not to try too hard to get in because I could guarantee I would never make an offer on a house that had tile in the living room.

I eventually bought a house that met my criteria. (I made an offer based on the backyard...I LOVE the trees. In fact, I hadn't even seen the bedrooms or bathrooms when I made the offer, I loved the yard that much.)

So, less than two years later I ripped up all my carpet and had tile laid throughout the house. The ONLY carpet I have left in the house is a patch I held back that my dogs lay on sometimes at night. And the only thing in the house that doesn't work is (say it with me) the fireplace. We have three days of winter where I live (and they're not even consecutive days) but I like to have a fire going when we have them.

Anyway, my realtor friend called me today. Said she'd found my dream house. (I've looked off and on over the last few years but never quite found anything that could make me want to leave my trees. I've come close before but I've always passed. BUT, I've since added that I want an inground pool in my next house. And a deck would be nice, but not necessarily a deal breaker.) Said she'd been trying to call me for two days (been online or had my phone turned off - oops) to tell me about it - she sounded very anxious to show me the house. She said it met all my criteria. I said "Oh yeah?" Then she wanted to clarify my criteria.

I started with "No neighbors!" (If you knew the saga of the cat lady, you'd understand.)
Her: Oh, well there are neighbors. But the house is gorgeous. It's got an inground pool, with a hot tub. The rooms are HUGE! The living room is big enough to have your living room and your dining room in it if you wanted to.
Me: Does it have a separate dining room?
Her: Well, no but the living room is huge!
Me: Bigger than the one I have now? (I have a huge living room.)
Her: I don't know. What are the dimensions of your living room. (I give them to her.) I don't remember the dimensions of this room so I don't know. But all the rooms are huge. The kitchen is huge, the laundry room is huge.
Me: Is the kitchen open to the living room?
Her: Well no but the kitchen is huge.
Me: Does it have a fence?
Her: Around the backyard, yes. And the yard is huge. It has a deck and everything. The pool is gorgeous and there is a lot of yard around it.
Me: Is there a place I could put in a doggy door?
Her: I don't know. I didn't look for that but the kitchen has french doors going out onto the deck.
Me: The kitchen is the only room going into the backyard?
Her: Yes.
Me: That's weird, no bedrooms or anything back up to the backyard?
Her: Oh, yeah the bedrooms would, I guess but there's no door to get out there.
Me: I don't need a door, just a wall to put in a doggy door.
Her: Oh then you probably could.
Me: So when can I go see it?
Her: I don't know. I don't have the keys yet. Probably Monday. (pause) There is one drawback though.
Me: What? (there's always a catch)
Her: There are only two bedrooms.
Me: But there's a study, right? An extra room? (I say hopefully)
Her: No, there's no extra room but the rooms are huge! Oh, and it's not tiled. But it's a great house.
Me: What are they asking?
Her: (She tells me and quickly adds) but I think they will work with you.
Me: Fine, I'll take a look.
Her: I'll call you tomorrow when I get the keys.
Me: Okay, bye.
Her: Bye.

We hang up.

Ten seconds later I call her back...

Her: Hello?
Me: Working fireplace?
Her: Yes.
Me: Okay, see you tomorrow.

So, what do we know? It's out of my price range, it doesn't have enough bedrooms for me (my personal preference, not anything else), I'd have to rip up the carpet and relay tile, and it doesn't have a dining room (big issue for me, actually). So, what's the big draw for me tomorrow night? The margaritas we're going to go have afterwards. ;o)

And yes, she knows it. :-D