house hunting woes

we have been looking on and off to buy our first home since november 2010. we had no idea what we were doing then (we still are learning so much), so we didn't even know how to budget appropriately and determine what we could afford. a mortgage consultant told us we are qualified for much more house than we think we can afford (that doesn't mean we can actually afford what we're qualified for). 

but it's been a really frustrating process. we decided to hold back in mid-2011, i was looking for a bit of additional commitment from andy in the form of a promise with shiny jewelry. when we started wedding planning, we began looking again. we've found places that we really like, and have tried to cut our budget and save up as much as possible to afford a place. 

we live in a really pricey area (one of the most expensive areas in pennsylvania), and we both work in the public sector (e.g., we don't make a lot of money). so we're not looking for anything too extravagant, just a home that we can start our family in.

there is someone i know, who i talk about this to, who is just trying to help. this person has a family with kids (also has a husband with a good high paying job), owns a home, and tries to tell me all about the great deals she's getting on refinancing and how i should buy now! i know i should buy now, but she gets a better rate by doing a 5 year adjustable mortgage vs. a 30 year fixed mortgage. we don't have the flexibility to take on fluctuations in the market. and if we can't afford it, we can't afford it. end of story. 

i just don't like being pushed, and it just makes me feel even worse about our situation. we're planning for a wedding, a honeymoon, and just getting started. we are doing better than barely making ends meet in our renting situation, but the jump to purchasing is more than our extra money allows. 

[and i do admit, part of the issue is that i drive about an hour to work NOW. there are some homes we can afford that are 20 minutes in the opposite direction. i'm not willing to spend nearly 3 hours on the road every day to get to and from work. we're pidgeon-holed into a certain area between our jobs. and it's not exactly the best time for job searching, and we both love our jobs.]

one of the townhomes that we REALLY liked just went under contract. it's hard to see the places we like go to someone else. perhaps a second job is in order for me.

life as a happy person

although upsetting thoughts occasionally creep into my mind, i try to push them back. although i would love a house of our own (and a potential dream house--in a reasonable price range, but still out of ours--is on the market), i just have to be thankful that we both have good, stable, full-time jobs, a roof over our head, and enough money to pay our bills. i thought about getting a second job for a while, just to bring in a little extra income, that could go to savings to help pay for a house someday.

but, i've put that idea on hold for the time being, especially since we're coming up to the season where i get to spend a lot of time with Andy (late Oct-mid January is his 'slower' season). 

but i've done some form of exercise for the past 4 days, and the next few days won't be any different. i'm trying to get back on my stability ball when i'm watching TV. that's something i did all through college and grad school, and it was awesome. its tough though when your nice comfy, warm bed and/or couch is right there waiting for you...

and after all this, i feel awesome. maybe it's just in my head, but i feel like my jeans fit better after just a couple of days. and i got a compliment at the gym on monday about the way i look from a fellow bodypumper. 

and on other fronts, things are good. i miss my parents, even when they're up in this neck of the woods. during their last visit a few weeks ago, my 92 year-old grandfather stumbled getting up the stairs to my sister's 2nd floor condo and broke his hip. so my mom spent time with him in the hospital for his hip replacement surgery and then through his first week of rehab. 

needless to say, i'm excited to spend some time with them in our vacation-land, even though my dad can only be there for a few days of it.

it seems weird to me that i'm just trying to switch off being unhappy after it seemed to paralyze me for about 2 months. but as i kept being told, it's all about attitude.

or maybe it is the sunny, warm weather we're having :)

welcome to the 21st century.

i know i'm a little behind on getting with the times. (well, i was on facebook when it was only about a month old and was only open to about 7 colleges... but that's about all i got.)


i'm still using a voice & text only phone (flips open, no full keyboard, etc)... and my 90+ year old grandpa was using skype years before i was.

but i'm making my way into the 21st century. i'm always on the lookout nowadays for good deals. so i joined both groupon and living social. and i purchased my first groupon today.


well, i actually didn't purchase it, because they gave me $10 to spend on my first groupon. i bought TWO $10 (paid $5) groupons for ICE CREAM at a local shop (that i haven't tried yet, but they have some DELICIOUS peanut butter ice cream creations, so i'm sure i'll be fine). so i have $20 worth of ice cream to eat, that i paid NOTHING for. how awesome is that?


i mean, they've got a lot of cool things on there, but although i would love to go on a hot air balloon ride, i don't really want to spend that money right now. but ice cream is something i can take care of.


have you purchased any groupon/living social/etc deals before? what deal did you get?