liked, and I was surprised to see a smile cross his face over one or two of them. I was encouraged by this little display of enthusiasm, so I made sure to show Ryan which ones Benjie liked and make a big fuss over them. The one Benjie seemed to like best was the one with the huge fenced-in, deeply shaded back yard. It would be perfect for running and playing, something Benjie didn’t have access to at our third floor urban apartment.
We toured a few homes that looked good on paper, but we didn’t really like any of them. I felt like we’d landed smack in the middle of a fairy tale. We were acting like the three bears, rejecting houses in need of too many repairs, or homes way too big or small or out of our estimated price range. We were all exhausted the time we’d toured four, but I wanted to look at one more.
“Let’s go look at this one, ok?” I asked Ryan, catching his eye and holding up the listing Benjie seemed to like best. He nodded in understanding and we set out with Mom, Benjie and the realtor in tow.
We all loved it immediately. Mom and I wandered through the open floor plan downstairs, admiring the lovely hardwood flooring, the granite countertops in the kitchen, the custom walnut cabinets and stainless appliances. There was an adorable little breakfast nook off the kitchen, and we sat down in there together, admiring the view of the backyard. There was even a tree worthy of a swing or a tree house, something Benjie would love. It was amazing, and even though I’d never considered owning a home, I was hit by an intense feeling of wistful longing. Simply put, this house felt like home.
Ryan and Benjie and Joshua clumped up the wide wooden stairs to check out the bedrooms, all on the same floor, which we also liked. It was perfect, if slightly more than we wanted to spend.
Mom and I toured the upstairs next, exclaiming over the generous size of each of the four bedrooms, the little study and the master bedroom with an en suite bath. The house was perfect, and Benjie liked it, which made it even better. His enthusiasm was heartwarming and healing, and I had an idea that might seal the deal on his happiness.
“Well, what do you think?” I asked Ryan when he cornered me in one of the bedrooms for a quick kiss.
“I think it’s exactly what we need, but I’m a bit worried. It’s an awful big commitment.”
“Yeah, but a necessary one. We have a new addition on the way and our apartment just isn’t going to work.” I patted my stomach and looked at him impishly.
“You’re right. I know it. It’s just a huge step. Well, let’s go find the realtor before I think about this too much.”
He was in the kitchen with Mom, animatedly discussing taxes, square footage and decorators who could ‘turn the house into a showplace.’
Ryan and I grinned at each other and took a deep breath. “Josh, we really like it,” Ryan said. “What do we do now?”
“You’ll want to call your bank as soon as possible to see about getting a loan. As soon as you have a commitment letter from the bank, we can place an offer.”
Joshua informed us that there was another offer on the house, and we’d have to move fast if we wanted a chance on it. We put our heads together, mumbling about bank accounts and cutting down on coffee and Thai dinners out and ditching as many non-essential bills as we could. It would be the only way we’d even have a chance at getting the house. We were sadly unprepared for buying a home, and I wondered if we’d actually be able to do it. I glanced around worriedly. It seemed my dream would be over before it even began.
Mom walked over to our little huddle and gave me a thoughtful smile. “Kids, I’d like to help you. I realize you weren’t planning on making such a big decision so quickly, and I know you guys probably don’t have a lot saved toward a down-payment.”
She was right. After all, our savings account was a good start, but not nearly enough to fund something of this
We toured a few homes that looked good on paper, but we didn’t really like any of them. I felt like we’d landed smack in the middle of a fairy tale. We were acting like the three bears, rejecting houses in need of too many repairs, or homes way too big or small or out of our estimated price range. We were all exhausted the time we’d toured four, but I wanted to look at one more.
“Let’s go look at this one, ok?” I asked Ryan, catching his eye and holding up the listing Benjie seemed to like best. He nodded in understanding and we set out with Mom, Benjie and the realtor in tow.
We all loved it immediately. Mom and I wandered through the open floor plan downstairs, admiring the lovely hardwood flooring, the granite countertops in the kitchen, the custom walnut cabinets and stainless appliances. There was an adorable little breakfast nook off the kitchen, and we sat down in there together, admiring the view of the backyard. There was even a tree worthy of a swing or a tree house, something Benjie would love. It was amazing, and even though I’d never considered owning a home, I was hit by an intense feeling of wistful longing. Simply put, this house felt like home.
Ryan and Benjie and Joshua clumped up the wide wooden stairs to check out the bedrooms, all on the same floor, which we also liked. It was perfect, if slightly more than we wanted to spend.
Mom and I toured the upstairs next, exclaiming over the generous size of each of the four bedrooms, the little study and the master bedroom with an en suite bath. The house was perfect, and Benjie liked it, which made it even better. His enthusiasm was heartwarming and healing, and I had an idea that might seal the deal on his happiness.
“Well, what do you think?” I asked Ryan when he cornered me in one of the bedrooms for a quick kiss.
“I think it’s exactly what we need, but I’m a bit worried. It’s an awful big commitment.”
“Yeah, but a necessary one. We have a new addition on the way and our apartment just isn’t going to work.” I patted my stomach and looked at him impishly.
“You’re right. I know it. It’s just a huge step. Well, let’s go find the realtor before I think about this too much.”
He was in the kitchen with Mom, animatedly discussing taxes, square footage and decorators who could ‘turn the house into a showplace.’
Ryan and I grinned at each other and took a deep breath. “Josh, we really like it,” Ryan said. “What do we do now?”
“You’ll want to call your bank as soon as possible to see about getting a loan. As soon as you have a commitment letter from the bank, we can place an offer.”
Joshua informed us that there was another offer on the house, and we’d have to move fast if we wanted a chance on it. We put our heads together, mumbling about bank accounts and cutting down on coffee and Thai dinners out and ditching as many non-essential bills as we could. It would be the only way we’d even have a chance at getting the house. We were sadly unprepared for buying a home, and I wondered if we’d actually be able to do it. I glanced around worriedly. It seemed my dream would be over before it even began.
Mom walked over to our little huddle and gave me a thoughtful smile. “Kids, I’d like to help you. I realize you weren’t planning on making such a big decision so quickly, and I know you guys probably don’t have a lot saved toward a down-payment.”
She was right. After all, our savings account was a good start, but not nearly enough to fund something of this
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