Today we saw three houses. The first used to be a hoarder house and it smelled so bad that I asked to leave before we got beyond the first room.
The second house was phenomenal. Custom woodwork, custom hickory cabinets, huge open spaces, walk in pantry, large laundry room, three decks (albeit two very small), so much cupboard and storage space!! It was beautiful. Unfortunately, it also has a shared driveway that requires you to drive pretty much through your neighbors front yard and they have a little Jack Russell that charges and chases the cars. The basement is unfinished, but is started and already has the studs up for two more bedrooms downstairs. A couple trees need to come out, and the side wall needs more dirt to plane water away from the house, and there isn't a garage. Beside that, it's a decent piece of property (just shy of 5 acres) and the description says it's partially cleared and fenced for horses - but I didn't wander the field/back yard to inspect. Our real estate agent said this one will go fast and high, so if we want it we should put in our bid today - there were already 15 showings booked for today (including ours) which I guess is nearly unheard of. She said it would likely be a bidding war, which means we would have to go back to the bank to see if we could get approved for a higher amount and offer more than the asking price. A lot more than the asking price. She suggested at least $20,000-$30,000 above the asking price if we were to be taken seriously. I fell in love with the house, but I didn't like the property at all.
The third house was an old farmhouse located on a waterfowl refuge. It was on a lake (no public access) on 69 acres. No neighbors, but close to town, lots of space, a couple outbuildings, and walnut trees throughout the property. The house seems very tiny, with almost no kitchen space, only one bathroom, no appliances, a crawl/storage basement, the ceiling is falling in upstairs, some of the floor is tipped in the kitchen and the entryway, but I love it. I love that it's secluded, private, with plenty of space to garden, raise kids, grow fruit trees, raise rabbits, and enjoy nature... but the house is so small, and even with modifications, a kitchen that tiny just won't work for our large family.
If only I could take the second house and put it on the third property... *sigh* Well, I guess we are calling the bank in the morning to see what we can do to put together an offer on the second house. If my anxiety forces me to stay indoors, at least it's beautiful and spacious there. Wish us luck!