How to Buy a House...

If You're Basically Always Broke,

but believe Heavenly Father has confirmed that you should do it anyway.

Okay, so basically it just amounts to lots of prayer and Faith... but I'm going to expound... just because I'm verbose like that. :)

First

Start saving your pennies almost right after moving away from your parents' home so that you can visit there again some day. The only way to be successful at this, since you're basically always broke, is to round up every time you deduct money from your checkbook. After you fill a register, add up all the change and put that number in the very front of the next register (since you're least likely to be tempted to use it for future bills if you don't see it much). If you do this as long as I have been doing, for around 3 years, you might be able to amass just enough to pay for the round-trip in your gas-hog van. Also, make sure you spend all summer pinching pennies to save enough money for your daughters' dance costumes. Accrue enough for that right before the due date. Now, keep in mind, these are two expenditures you feel strongly about.

Next

You have to know who you're going to look to for help in understanding the whole realestate mumbo-jumbo. In our case, we chose the Real Estate Agent whose wife re-inspired in us the consideration of buying a home.

A friend of mine suggested buying a home in October. Immediately I told her it wasn't going to happen because we had such a sweet deal where we were and we really didn't have any wiggle room in our super tight budget.... But then the seed started sprouting against my own desire. And we started to look. And... WOW... did we find some amazing deals out there. So, then we started to feel excited, but concerned about who we should look for as a Real Estate Agent. Ultimately we decided on my friend's husband after much prayer and pondering (because, don't-cha know, we have at least 2 other realtors in our Ward!).

Next

Look online. Look in real life. Talk to your sweetie. Know the NEEDS and the WOULD BE NICES that you both agree upon in a place you would like to buy. Look some more (online). Get in to view a house to see if it's something you could deal with. Walk the land. Make an offer. Then wait.

And wait.

Start to worry aobut how you'll pay closing costs, good faith money, appraisal fee, inspection fee, and still feed everyone in the family during the whole process. Make sure to argue yourself out of the fear reiterating over and over that fear is the absence of Faith.

Wait until a couple days before the offer expires to learn that it's refused without a counter.

Feel TOTALLY relieved after initial surprise over the refusal. Wonder WHY you feel relieved because you really felt like Heavenly Father confirmed that it would be good for you to make the offer.... **

Next

Look online some more later that same day your offer is refused. Find your dream house/property. Drive out to look at it that evening. Feel frustrated at not being able to drive by it, at least... because it was THAT difficult to find.

Next

Make an appointment to see the property with your realtor. Make sure to find it online via GoogleEarth so that you will actually be able to find it in real life. Feel even more sure that this is where you want to be... then hear your sweetie who doesn't get excited about much of anything tell you that this is where you'll be (and hear/see that he's excited!).

Next

View the property and home in person and feel like you've just entered the place you should be. See your unemotional sweetie actually visibly excited.

Send an offer and pray.

Worry some more about how to pay for everything that goes along with buying a house (mentioned previously), but continue to argue yourself into confidence in Heavenly Father's Will and the fact that it's all His program and He'll work it out.

Hear from your sweetie that the listing agent is pleased with the offer and quals of the buyer (you). Hear your sweetie that he is about to cry because the listing agent wants to send it over to the seller to sign. Feel completely amazed that he's expressing such emotion.

Wait.

Wait.

Hear that the sellers and listing agent are out of town until the 19th, but the bank is ready to sign on the offer.

Wait.

NOW

Realize that every bit of money you've pinched and squeezed together is only enough for a fraction of the expenditures you will have to pay out of pocket for the house you didn't plan to purchase. Next, make sure that at least one person you or your spouse (or both of you) value accuses you of using your resources wrongly, unwisely, or misrepresenting how you've been living in the near or distant past... or maybe this person you value asks a question something like, "HOW can you afford to buy a house!?? I thought you never had enough for groceries." And then, said person, continues to tell one of you that the other has been asking for money regularly (which listener knows is not true).

Since that last bit has actually happened, here's my personal response:

When the Lord directs, I follow. When I realize the Lord's Will, I do my darndest to do it.

Currently I do not know where grocery money is coming from for the next week. The following week the amount available in the budget will be small, but I'm planning meals around beans and eggs (which actually make a REALLY wonderful bread, if you're in the know), canned veggies (still have some left from my 3 months supply that we've been slowly eating up), and any other bit I can mix up to a palatable form. It's amazing how wonderful things can turn out when you're doing your best!

I know it will work out because Heavenly Father's got the wheel. I gave it to him around the time I realized we were moving here (I was learning how to let go of it ever so slowly before that) and I've given it to Him over and over again since BECAUSE He is SO much better a driver than I am... especially since He knows me better than I can ever know myself in this state of partial amnesia that we experience in this mortal sojourn.

If our accuser(s) read here, I hope s/he will comprehend that we have never lied about or misrepresented our situation. It is not different, even now, even though Jessie has a much better job than he's had since he left the navy. How distressing should that be? Well, me thinks it should be VERY distressing... and sometimes I feel it as such. But I argue myself back in to BEING Believing. Cause Heavenly Father's got it. It IS His program, after-all.

STAY TUNED to find out what happens with our family buying a house...

even though we're basically always broke. ^_^

**I believe that this is true because Heavenly Father knows me so well. You see, I'm one of those who, if I understand the direction the Lord would have me take, I move to do His Will and attempt to do it and do it and do it until it's done. I am working on this weakness in me, believe me, I am. I believe Heavenly Father 'put a go' on the first property (us making an offer on it) to keep me occupied while He prepared the property that is our dream come true for us. After-all, if we are truly trying to be in tune with the Lord's Will, He will plant desires in our breast and then bring to fruition those desires.