This is a special time for us as the idea of owning a home sinks in with all the right of passage and meaning that comes with this leap. It has also been a confusing & tiresome process at times, especially because the home we bought was a bank owned foreclosure. But I tend to struggle with the concept of ownership in general and in particular with home ownership.
From a bird's eye view it seems pretty ridiculous that human creatures carve up the land and own their little plots...kind of like the Bob Dylan song about the 'little boxes'. We also struggle knowing that abuses exist in the housing industry. While we can navigate this system of home buying and come out on top, I can't imagine some of my immigrant neighbors navigating this process with much understanding of what they are signing, etc...and I wonder about the abuses that come along with that marginalization. The one paper I didn't like signing but did, was the form verifying under federal penalty my social security number. Out of experiencing the massive mess of the SSA verification system through my immigrants' rights work, I have trouble with the discrimination our hyper identity-secure system creates for people...which was again another example of how certain people have access to home ownership and not others. We have also been sad to see the evidences left behind of the previous family in our new home that include a baby shoe, a sticker with a Daddy's picture with his little girl, a pay stub of a hardworking mama at a nursing home who worked over 100 hours in one pay period to make about $500. We are not judging how and why this family got way in over their head with the responsibilities of owning a home and had it taken from them, but we say a little prayer that they are making their way together..safely and family intact, somewhere in the world. We recognize that our new blessing has come out of some other family's loss.
One of the big things during the process that buying a REO foreclosure meant for the two of us and for our wonderful realtor Lindsay, was that we were going it alone when it came to navigating questions/issues about the house. We had no previous owners to consult about the funky sprinkler system or where the pipes that burst were located...we were given no mailbox key, no garage door openers, etc... Basically there are loads of little things we have to take care of. Some of these just come with the territory I guess.
Though we envision that our house will be beautiful...for tax assessor purposes it was recorded as being in 'poor' condition. It wasn't treated very well by the previous owners at least cosmetically. But thank goodness it has good bones and we don't seem to have bought 'the money pit'. We did, after all, tour 31 homes. Once we fix it up, we trust this house will be great for us and our future.
My awareness of the realities I described aside- we are very excited about this time in our lives and the possibilities that await to make our little nest our own! We love to wonder how the house and our lives will grow and change as time goes by. It will be nice to be able to be able to make the space our own.
So how did we celebrate?! Last night, by the time I finished yoga and Nate came home from his tennis match in Ft. Collins, we did not go over to our new house (we are not moving in yet because some fix ups need to happen before it is move-in ready) till after 10 o'clock pm. We bought a Rose of Sharon (a beautiful variety of a hibiscus shrub with lavender flowers and a deep purple eye) to plant in the front yard to commemorate the day. We popped a bottle of champagne and planted away...with a little garden hand spade! Javy broke the neighborhood in with his first barking fit (the nearby neighbors smoking in their garage were a security threat!). We didn't leave the house till after 1:00 in the morning! We drove back to our rented home exhausted and excited!
I started the day out anxious and overwhelmed, had been picky and tough on Nate about church stress and was irritated that between errands and obligations it seemed like we wouldn't be able to celebrate this big step for us. But, by the end of the day, I was reminded through it all to count my blessings. By nightfall, my heart had expanded with much gratitude as I reflected on the treasure mix of luck and blessing we have. We are so fortunate to love each other so dearly, to be in the place and ministry that is the right fit for us, to have the support of family and friends and to make our life in Colorado...now on Bluebells Drive!
p.s- will send pics of the house soon. The camera is in the repair shop...it had an unfortunate collision with a rock along a hike in Rocky Mountain NP last week...ouch!
Congratulations Jenn and Nate!! I'm so happy for the both of you for so many reasons. Good to hear about your wedding, too!!
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