SGTiger and BIAK found a house

[KnottedYet]

Thanks!

(but I'm still bummed that you guys are moving)

[boy in a kilt]

It's gonna suck leaving seattle.

We should have a housewarming party. We are spending almost everything on the house and the move, so the furniture will mostly be folding chairs and a couple of small tables. But we'll have a backyard (with a deck) so we can stay out late and sleep in the grass.

[Trek420]

Thanks!

Pictures please. I am so bummed about the whole mortgage crisis thing ... cheer me up a bit and show us your new house. or maybe it will make me feel worse about real estate in CA

[boy in a kilt]

We were one of those couples watching and waiting. SGTiger has been grooming our finances and credit ratings for about 4 years to make this happen. I have my VA loan from active duty, and SGTiger borrowed some money from her aunt and cousin.

We've moved 5 times in the 11 years we've been together. This should be the last time for a very long, long while.




I think this is what really hooked SGTiger:

[KnottedYet]

Oh, WOW!!!!!!

Party at TigerKilt's house!!!

[boy in a kilt]

That's what I was thinking. Everyone come out around late august. Ride bikes out and bring a tent if you want to sleep in the back yard.

[oxysback]

Welcome to Portland! Looks like you scored a great house!

[boy in a kilt]

Thanks. SGTiger found it. I haven't even seen it yet so I'm trusting SGTiger's judgement. Besides, if she loves it that much, I'm sure it'll suit me just fine.

We both grew up in the Portland area so it's more of a homecoming.

[Trek420]

I think this is what really hooked SGTiger:

]

Kitchens sell houses! At least that's what my realtor says

[NbyNW]

.

We've moved 5 times in the 11 years we've been together. This should be the last time for a very long, long while.

Moving all the time sucks. (My husband and I did the SF-Boston-NYC-Seattle move in three years . . . and we thought each one was the last for a while) I'll drink to staying in one place for a long while!

Congratulations, and may you spend many happy years in your new home. And enjoy many beers on that awesome wooden deck.

[sgtiger]

The kitchen was nice, but there were some other houses that had bigger and nicer ones. I just overall liked this place better than any other. It was nice and bright. The last 3 out of 4 places we lived in were pretty shady which meant they stayed cooler in the summer but just felt gloomy. Also, of all the places I looked at it needs the least amount of work. It also has enough room for us to stretch out. The back yard is wonderful. I don't think the picture of the deck really shows how big it is back there. The deck bisects the space which I think will be nice because the runts have their space, and I will have my veggie/herb garden without having to chase them out of it.

Their side:

It needs a couple trees. Maybe a bean teepee too.

Garden:

Planting us some 'maters next year!

ETA: Thanks for all the good vibes. The inspection went well. Only a few minor issues. Yippee!

[GLC1968]

Wow, you weren't kidding. That backyard is much bigger than it looks in the other photo! I couldn't see the new photos in your post, but copying the url to a new window worked.

Oh, and the moving all the time? I can relate there, too. H and I have been together for 6 years (married for 5). We've moved 6 times since we've known each other including one across-the-country move. Ick. I hope we get to stay put for awhile, too.

[boy in a kilt]

There are plans for that yard already. I'm putting a willow tree in there somewhere because I like trees in general and willows in particular.

One of our goals is to catch and store as much rainwater as we can from the roof and store it in an underground tank for irrigating the garden and maybe the lawn. I'm guessing the footprint of the house is somewhere around 1000-1200 square feet. If my math is right, we could catch upwards of 20,000 gallons of water a year. I don't think we need quite that much.

We are thinking that next year we'll tear up the grass, level the yard a bit, bury a couple of 250 gallon tanks to store water and rig piping, then replace the grass with something that doesn't require much water.