Sarah, Madeline, and I had been looking to purchase a house througout the spring. We went to many open houses with an open mind regarding the pros and cons of continuing to live in the city versus going out to the country. So we looked in both Brookline and Newton. Well it wasn't that adventurous but we saw our share of interesting properties and learned a bit about the inside of many people's homes. We saw one home where the entire back yard had become a concrete swimming pool with a thin walking area behind it. They were handing out sheets to let us know that the pool could be filled in for $15000. Another place reminded me of Graceland because it looked preserved from the 50's in all of the decor and electronics. Some places were too expensive although very impressive including a house that we loved but felt like we would be paying for it for the rest of our lives in mortgage payments. We took a tour of the conversion of the Water Works in Cleveland Circle hoping to see the part that they were going to show the big two bedroom units they were hoping to sell for $4-5 million but only saw some crappy stuff. While looking one day we had brought Stephanie along and she recommended signing-up for RedFin as a broker since her brother Eugene had done so. I signed-up with RedFin. I tried to track which homes were going up or down in price. I watched locations come on or off the market. I called some place that had come down $750,000 dollars that came with a pool and a mini-house only to find that they were pulling the property from the market because of a lack of interest. We almost made an offer on a house that my whole family had toured thinking it might be the right one and watched as it kept coming down in price but then while we were travelling to Orlando we foundd that it had disappeared. We toured one house on Lake Avenue that everyone had seen before while strolling by the lake to gawk at the beautiful porch and flowers only to be disappointed after seeing the interior of it and then getting into a fight with the realtor who hated the concept of a discount broker.

Then one day while touring an open house found on Redfin Madeline found a cool toy that beeped and played music that she could play with for a few hours in a family room. While to we decided that the price was within the expected range of the market, the house was within a reasonable distance of Newton Centre, and that we could afford it and live there. So we worked with our online broker, negotiated a little bit, and to a Tudor house. We completed the purchase and sale agreement last Monday after discussing who would pay for the removal of some asbestos in the attic so that we could install central air conditioning as our way of combatting the effects of global warming. On August 15th we should close pending the success of securing our mortgage and putting down a payment. Then some renovations and we are in our new home.

It actually was a lot of work and energy surfing the net looking at every blip that might be the right place. Now with the All Star Break and no Red Sox to view on Game Day and no houses to scan on real estate sites I am trying to figure out what to be searching for next on the Internet? I'm sure I'll figure it out.