More to see--Hampton's Home-buying Happenings 2/28/2012

So I started this whole home search process a few months ago and have viewed many homes.  I must admit I have grown slightly anxious about finding the home that had everything I wanted and did not require me to compromise.  After what felt like looking at a billion homes online, avoiding house hunters for a few months (ill explain why later) and taking my lunch hour to view homes.  I believe I found my jewel.

Not that I am a professional or anything but here are somethings I found helpful along the way.

1. Finding an amazing Realtor, Mikki Armstrong is by far the greatest at what she does.  My Realtor made it a point to make me know I was a priority.  I mean there was one night I was up until the wee hours of the night looking at homes online, I texted Mikki to ask if she could include one of the houses in our Saturday viewing.  (Mikki had given me permission to text her at ANY time)  I sent her a text at 11:30 thinking she would see it the next morning, however, about 10 minutes later she replied letting me know the game plan for the next day and continued working on the details that night, or should I say morning.

2. Know what you want and be willing to reconsider.  I went in knowing I wanted a 3 bed 2 bath, finished basement and garage.  Anything else was a bonus, anything less was not acceptable.  However, I also knew my price range and quickly learned that in my price range what I wanted was definitely possible I just had to decide if I wanted more in terms of space or upgrades.  Going in I wanted both.  I was being unrealistic.  That is another place my awesome Realtor stepped in and explained to me the differences in what I wanted verses what I could afford.  She was very knowledgeable and was able to find a place that gave me both and was less that what I budgeted!  JACK POT!

3. Do your homework.  I researched different home buying programs that are available in my area, and ones that gave the biggest benefits since I am a first time home buyer.  With the help of Mikki, we found a program that works for me.  It is amazing, it pays 20% down on my home as well as some closing costs.

4. Go home and sleep on it.  I did this after each showing.  I knew right away there were some homes that I had no interest in at all, but there were also some homes that I thought I would love to live in.  After getting home and having a chance to go over the practicality of the homes, I often found that the houses I REALLY liked were not always the best option for me.  I had to consider things such as utilities.  While I would love to have a HUGE sitting room, with vaulted ceilings, how much would it add to my monthly expenses to heat and cool those rooms?  These are things to think about, even when you get an AMAZING price on the home.

5. Consider your visitors.  For me this was a very important aspect because I love to entertain and just have people over.  I had to consider if having a home without a large driveway would work for me.  I wanted to find a place where people could park on the street and not cause me to be hated by all my neighbors.  I did not want a place with too many stairs for several reasons. It was also to have a place with sidewalks out front because I am know as the "kid house".  I have a young daughter and am a Children Ministry Teacher so I always have a kid running around some where.  Sometimes thinking about the smallest details will make or break a deal and save you headache in the long run.

6.  Go with who you know.  One thing my Realtor did for me was recommend people to me that she had also used.  She told me at the beginning that she has worked with lots of people in the profession and has lenders that she prefers to work with.  She even went a step further to say, I recommend people that I have had to work with on a personal level first.  She recommended people that she had her own children use, and that made me feel so much more at ease.  I must admit that all the people she has put me in contact with have been AWESOME!!! They work with me as if I am the only person they have to deal with and that make me feel like a Queen!  I love it!

Where has the time gone...

So I am not so great with this whole blogging thing, but I continue to try my hand at it.  I have started another blog about my journey to fitness entitled: Feeling for Fitness.  I am in the early stages, and enjoying ever minute of it.  I will soon be blogging here about the home buying process!

Things in life are going well!  I am in the process of buying my first home!  It is both fun and frustrating at the same time.  I think this will be a large part of my blog focus! 

Well this is it for the moment!

Back to doing better

So, its been more than a few months since my last posts.  I make no apologies but I have had the urge to blog so here I am.  I've been listening to poetry this morning, so I thought I would try my hand at it.

Changes

Are things that happen over time
Often necessary, but rarely embraced
Causing the worried look to rest upon the face
If only it was a different time or place
I mean, I would if I could, and yes I understand that I should
However right now, the time just isn't good.

Sometimes I fear it, but pray that God bring me near it
I want to adjust and be different but it just might hurt
I pretend to be void of strength when i am really just lazy and don't want to do the work

It requires me to deny the things that seem sweet like pie
Makes me face the truth and escape the lie
That everything is okay and life is just fine
But really I know that is just the enemy's favorite line
Convincing me to flee from God and his perfect love for me

Change is a blessing and from it is taught a real true lesson
God came and made a change, sinners like you and me still think its strange
He gave his only son, to save us from our sin
The funny things is despite my lifestyle He would do it again
 Thank you Lord, that through your change in me, I've read the back of the book, and I know I win!

When you enter...

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise. ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Yesterday's worship was nothing short of amazing.  It is so true that when you enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with Praise that the Lords shows up and shows out.  Just to give an indication of how the Lord worked in our worship services yesterday...We started service at 11 am...and are normally dismissed from service about 1:15, 1:30 at the latest.  Well yesterday, the Minister didn't get up to minister until 1:05ish!

The presence of God was truly in that place.  Healing, deliverance, restoration, forgiveness, was abounding yesterday.  I don't really have the words to express the atmosphere accurately. 

Worshipers came in with a mind of worship.  No one was looking to the left or the right, but had their minds on Christ and was able to enter into his presence.  It was truly a beautiful sight.  Ministers were humbling themselves and were kneeling at the alter, confessing their situations to the Lord.  This was awesome, it opened the door for others to come and come boldly to seek Christ.  It was truly a place of healing.  Bondage was set free, and yolks were broken. 

Intercessors moved through the congregation without limits, praying and laying hands on people.  Petitioning Christ on behalf of others.  You could see the burdens being lifted.

I've not experienced anything more amazing, than what I did yesterday.  I am thankful to be apart of God's Kingdom.  Apart of something so miraculous.  I am grateful for my spiritual gifts, prayer is a beautiful thing!

When your story is told, what way it say?

I have been going back and forth with myself a lot lately.  Trying to decide if what I am doing is what I should be doing.  There are many questions that remain unanswered.

As we all know, we are living in the last days and have been for a while.  This causes me to think about many things.  One of which is, when its time to tell my story, what will it say?  I find myself going out on limbs for people, who often, leave me there alone.  I find my heart supporting the dreams of those who need supporting, but aren't always willing to take the necessary leap.  More importantly I find myself saying yes, when I really want to say no, but something forces the three letters out before I can form the two.

I am in a decent position in life, but by no means where my heart desires to be.  For years I have given excuses for why I am not able to do what I should be doing.  There is a bigger one in my way currently, that I can't seem to figure out.

I am stuck in a place, trying to figure out my story.  I want to tell a story that touches hearts and sparks a desire to change for the better.  I want to tell a story that makes me look back over my life and smile because I honored my heavenly father and made change here on earth.  I want to tell a story that is uniquely mine.  It doesn't have to matter to everyone, be read by anyone, as long as it seen and needed by at least one.

So much...

So much has been going on in my life, there are times when I am not sure if I am coming or going.  As you can tell I have given up on blogging everyday.  There simply is not enough time.  I am going back to the goal of strong meaningful posts!

I have not jumped ship!

I have not forgotten my mission or my commitment.  However, those very things are keeping me from blogging. I will do a general recap of the days I have failed to blog.  Sorry

I have not jumped ship, I will get back to it!

One thing I am excited about it a new budget setup for June!  Details to come!