Thursday, July 21, 2011

House Hunters, small town Texas style!

We went looking at houses today.  I was going to post pictures of them with the direct link, but blogger and realtor.com don't like each other, so instead I'll just show you the pictures.  Too bad!

I don't know that any of the houses are "it", but there are some possibilities.  We had really wanted the next house to be the forever house, but as Doug pointed out,  we are probably putting too much pressure on ourselves and our now looking for a house that fits our family for the next chapter.  Don't really know what that means, but when we see the house we will know.  right? :)

The houses ran the gamut in size and price.  Dream house is 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 living, 2 eating that fits our price range and is move in ready, or is below our maximum and can be updated BEFORE we move in. None of the houses fit the dream description.  Some were closer than others.

House #1

4 bedroom/2.5 bath/2 car garage.
2860 square feet.

I liked this house.  The location with the driveway on a busy street is not ideal.  Lots and lots of updating would have to happen and the kitchen has a weird angled wall, but overall, I really liked the floor plan of the house.  The backyard currently has no yard.  The fence is tight on to the house, but it looks like the fence could be moved to where the rest of the fence lines are on the block.

House #2
3 bedroom/2.5 bath/2 car garage
2777 square feet.

Just 3 bedrooms, but two nice size living rooms.  Small kitchen, but it opens onto an eating area and den space with a fireplace that could be really nice.  The biggest problem with this house was that the electricity was turned off and it is hard to see inside interior rooms without a light. We would have to remodel and turn the dining room into a bedroom, which would work as there is a half bath across the hall.  Two good size bedrooms upstairs. Great street, and feels nice when you walk up to the door.

House #3

3 bedroom/ 2 bath/ 2 car garage
1545 square feet.

Obviously very small, would only work if you could add a master suite.  The yard is probably big enough, but then you end up with a small backyard.  The location is more than ideal, the reason we looked at a smaller house.  In fact, if anyone out there needs a really nice 3/2, this is a nice house.

 House #4

 4 bedroom/ 2 bath/ 2 car garage
2366 square feet

Move in ready. Top of the price point. Only one living area, but it is a good size.  Small backyard, but beautifully landscaped.  I think this was Doug's favorite as it is in perfect condition.  It's hard though, I really want a house with character and trees wouldn't be bad either.

House #5

4 bedroom/2 bath/2 car garage
2827 square feet
2.07 acres

We almost didn't see this house.  The owner wasn't ready for us, but we were kind enough to stand on the porch and wait for ten minutes.... interesting first impression. The house is huge.  It could really be called a 6 bedroom house.  We would have to do a lot of updating and since the house is at the max for us, we wouldn't have the funds to renovate.

House #6

4 bedroom/ 3 bath/2 car garage
2506 square feet

If we had to make a decision today, we would probably go with this one.  Two bedrooms with a shared bathroom are upstairs, which would be perfect for Maddie and Lexi. The house has one living area, but a nice size office that would function as a living space. The only real downside to this house is that the master bath is small and needs to be updated and the master closet is small.  It's funny, the rest of the bathrooms and closets are good, just not the master.  The kitchen is smallish, but not bad.  The backyard is nice.  Overall, the house has a really nice vibe.

House #7

4 bedroom/3.5 bath/3 car garage
3912 square feet
1 acre

This is a statement house.  It is an estate for a local "celebrity" and I really wanted to see it.  I have to say, this is truly a house you have to see to believe!  It is vintage everything!!  It is not a house we will be purchasing.  I can't imagine how much it would cost to renovate it for a family.  This house really is a 3/2.5 with  a 1 bedroom/1 bath guest/maid quarters accessed through the garage.  

I can so see this house made into a restaurant or taken over by the local arts council for office and gallery space. 

So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed the virtual house hunt!  

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