Life works in funny ways. As a Realtor I was getting clients their first homes. Took a moment to realize it was my turn. So I called my favorite lender and got pre-approved. Then I took our pre-approval letter and the hubby to check out everything from San Francisco to San Jose. Quickly adding up the pro’s and con’s we made our decision to stay local and found the biggest place we could find for the buck – in the best area possible – the San Francisco Peninsula. It was awesome. Except, what we gained in location and space, we lost with condition. This place was tired, dingy and dirty. I stepped out of my Realtor role and saw this place as a first time buyer. Then, with a deep breath, I rolled up my sleeves and took inventory of what the place needed – for a condo – it pretty much needed everything.
Here’s a look at the pictures we took during the open house.
Oh my goodness...
This kitchen was all original 80’s – yet somehow totally not cool.
Oh the 80's were not kind to kitchens
So here we are – standing in the space we want to live in, calculating what it would take to want to actually live there.
This place needed paint, some color!!!
Obviously, as the Realtor in me kicked in, we’ll need to paint the whole place and replace all the carpet. That’s standard practice. My hubby shrugged. I looked at all the fixtures, oh the 80’s were not kind to lighting fixtures either. A mental note to swing by Lamps Plus went through my head.
What do I do with that huge mirror?????
That’s my mother in law in the picture, also my business partner. In this shot we were discussing how large the bathroom is. Within months I noted, that no matter how large a bath room is – it’s never a second bath. HAHAHAHA
Let the Demo Begin
Standing in what would 60 days later be our home, hubby and I did bizarre math. Despite the odd shaped burns in the carpet and the cabinet drawers tapped closed, we wrote our best offer and up against four others – we got our first place.
Come walk with me on my journey through home ownership…
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A Journey Through Home Ownership - My Story 