Southern Bound

I thought about calling this blog post, “Buy My House Please!” but decided that might sound a little tacky. And desperate.  Neither of which I am shooting for.

In November of 2009, my husband will start a new journey as the senior minister at Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington, KY.  It is an awesome church and we are very excited to make it our new church home. At the same time, we are very sad to be leaving Community Christian Church in Lincolnshire and all our friends we have made over the past eight years.  It, too, is an awesome church and wonderful congregation, and  it will be very difficult to say goodbye soon. Or rather see-you-later, because saying goodbye for good is not an option.

While we are looking forward to making a new home in Lexington, and I am looking forward to continuing my business there, the whole process of getting there - a.k.a. selling our house - is making my hair fall out.  If you have been there, done that, you know what I’m talking about.  Trying to keep your house presentable at any given moment when you have children is like trying to swim with your arms tied behind your back.

But, it has to be done, and fortunately for buyers, the market is on their side. With the first time home buyer’s tax credit of $8,000 available, it’s even better. (But remember, it’s over Dec. 1st, and you’ll have to purchase a house by mid-October in order to close before Dec. 1st to cash in on the deal.)   If you need more information on the tax credit, go to: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/index.html

So, in an effort to give a little added exposure to our current MLS listing, I’m going to post some pictures of our house here. And I’m going to tell you all the stuff the MLS listing doesn’t tell you, because, let’s face it, there are always things you wish you had known about your house before you bought it. Things you don’t find out until you move in. Important things. Such as:

1. Neighbors. I have awesome neighbors. Like the best.  I can’t tell you how many times my next door neighbors have saved me.  They changed my tire when it was flat and I couldn’t get out of the driveway. They have snowblowed my driveway when the snow was so heavy it would have taken me hours to shovel. They get our mail and feed our fish when we’re out of town.  They run to the store for gatorade when my husband is out of town and my kids are having a puke fest.  When I had a bizarre allergic reaction and woke up at 3 a.m. covered in hives and needed to rush to the hospital, they slept on my sofa so I didn’t have to drag my kids along. They make fun of me on Facebook. In a good way.  They rock. I honestly would take them to Lexington with me if I could.   Pack them right up in a box, poke some holes in the top and go.

2. Neighborhood. Oodles of kids, particularly at the 6-12 year range. My children are never bored. They always have someone to play with. Kids play hockey and soccer in the side streets, skateboard down the sidewalk, ride bikes and play ball everywhere.  I’ve got great teenagers to babysit around the corner.  It’s like Disney World without the amusement park rides.

3.  Dogs:  No loud barking dogs will wake you up at 5 a.m.  This is very important if you’ve ever lived anywhere where loud barking dogs exist.

4.  Safety:  It’s been a very safe neighborhood to live in. The police are on top of things. They are at your door in seconds if you need them, and they patrol all the time.   You can’t be outside for a half hour without seeing an officer driving around to make sure everything is okay.

5.  Schools:  The schools have been awesome.  Really. I’ve been very happy with the elementary school, which is less than two minutes from our house.  It’s a blue ribbon school and I’ve loved all the teachers.  As an added bonus, the bus stop is in front of our house, so the kids don’t have to walk far to get to the bus. And you don’t have to stand outside for 30 minutes in the middle of winter, waiting to get your child off the bus and walk them home.  Score!

6.  Location:  We are 10 minutes from the tollway, within 5 minutes from two commuter train stations, numerous stores and restaurants, and 30 seconds from Starbucks. The latter is by far the most important.   

7.  Snow removal:  If you wave and smile at the snowplow truck guy, he will plow your driveway.  It works for me, it could work for you.

8.   On foot:   It is exactly three miles from my driveway to the other side of the subdivision and back.  If you are a runner or walker, this is good to know.  You can also take the bike path into the next village. Tastee Freez is just a 20 minute walk.  Tastee Freez is awesome.  And with all the walking, you eliminate the guilt from whatever you eat there.

9. Allergy friendly:  Almost the entire first floor has brand spanking new hardwood floors. Just put them in this summer. And they are g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. There is also brand new carpeting in the family room and on the stairs, and newer hardwood laminate (within the past couple years) through the whole upstairs. If you or your kids have allergies, this is your house.  Molly and I are allergic to pretty much the whole planet, so it was important to us to have the right environment. I can’t tell you how much easier I breathe and how much better it’s been for us because of it. And it’s pretty. And easy to clean. And it’s great for pretend ice skating when you wear fuzzy socks.

10.  Longevity:   We’ve taken good care of this house. We had a pre-home inspection done a couple weeks ago and it passed with flying colors. We’ve been here eight years and we’ve made lots of improvements.  It’s been a great home and we’ve been very happy here and it’s going to be hard to leave, but we know it will be a good home for the next family.

If you want more information on the house and a link to the MLS listing, please email me at LeighWPhotos@aol.com or call our realtor, Jeff Mathison of Baird & Warner in Libertyville, IL, at 847.445.0473.