So Rob and I have taken the plunge and decided to be part of the statistic on home sales for the month of April. We are, as most first time home buyers are, extremely excited. I have put off mentioning a lot of the guts of the operation, but am happy to discuss them with anyone who is considering buying a house. We are having a great time and are enjoying the process even if it's a little nerve racking at times.
First thing is first. Our realtor Stan is amazing. He is easy to get along with, VERY good at his job, and explains everything very well. I have never once felt like he was pushing homes on us and have felt that he has always looked out for our best interest. If you can, get a recommendation for a realtor and don't just pick one out of the book.
Our process of viewing homes was short, but it really didn't need to be very long. It still took us over a month to put an offer in on a house and what's come on the market since then hasn't been much to look at. So, why bother waiting if we found what we loved? It was a bit scary to think we had found something so quickly, but it did feel right and continues to feel right. I have had that "did we make the right choice?" question float around in the back of my head at times. Then I go look at what has come on the market since we put our offer in (plenty has) and nothing beats it. Sure there might be "nicer" homes, but they also cost more too. So, the long and short of it is, no buyer remorse going on here.
The paperwork and transactions have been tiring. We are buying from an elderly couple in Florida who have been hot and cold on responses. They took a long time with our offer (which was very fair), but hopped on the water issues in the basement with no hesitation. Overall it's not been too bad. Of course it was hairy there a few times, but it seems to have worked itself out.
Our home inspection didn't reveal anything too spooky. A few issues, but at the age of our place (37 years) how could there not be? They are all manageable as far as we are concerned. There are a few HOA violations, but nothing awful and the homeowners agreed to fix them. We also got appraised for the purchase price of the home. This is good news as it means we can get financed! Yipee!! The interesting thing we saw in the report is that the twin of this house (same exact floor plan) one neighborhood over was asking $35K more than this place and it was shown in the report as a comparable. However it was an extreme outlier for (much higher) than what we and other people were paying for their houses in the area. I have noticed it's now listed $10K less, but I have a feeling they are upside down on their loan and trying to get some money back which has long since gone. I am not sure how they would react knowing we saw their house and this empty one and ended up buying this one over theirs. Not that I plan to tell them, but it's like an episode of "Get it Sold" and "House Hunters".
Now we are waiting on the bank to prove we are are who we said we are and that we really made as much as we told them we did and that we are not going to commit loan fraud. I don't even know where one would begin for that mess. There's too much triple checking these days. As the saying goes, "The stupid few ruin it for the good many." Not that I had grand plans on becoming a crook, but I just had to sign about 30 extra sheets of paper to make sure I really meant it.
Now we a closing date set and the end of apartment living in sight, dreams are starting to become reality. We have created a spreadsheet full of home projects that we would like to tackle. Everything from replacing wooden toilet seats to painting to changing out metal closet doors. Some of it's a pipe dream, but most is in reality easy DIY projects. I can't wait to get my hands dirty. :)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Grandma's Chicken & Rice
I don't have a whole lot of memories of my grandmother since she passed away when I was around 9 years old. I remember playing Old Maid with her, the sewing nook where I sewed my first ever pocket on white with blue polka dot fabric, and the couch that was in the living room. I also remember her trying to get me to eat squash one Thanksgiving. That didn't go over so well. :P A lot of silly memories, but fond ones.
A couple of years ago, my sister gave me a recipe from my grandmother which she calls Grandma's Chicken & Rice. I scanned the ingredients list and said, hey, I like all of this stuff, so it was rapidly tested out. It's quite a great recipe that allows you minimal up front effort with great results. About half way through baking this the first time I said, "This smells like Grandma's house!" I closed my eyes and it was like I was a little kid again.
From what my sister tells me, Grandma was one cool lady which I am sad I never got to really know. We will have our chance to catch up in another life I am sure. Unfortunately, I only have a few small trinkets of hers to remember her by, but I treasure them. This recipe is one of the few I have, but it's so tasty, I wanted to share it with you. And hey, maybe your house will smell like Grandma's too. :)
Grandma's Chicken & Rice
4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) I usually just do the whole package from Wegmans cause they are smaller - can use breast meat, but it dries out some
2 carrots peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch cube
1 stalk celery sliced about 1/2 inch cube
1 glove garlic minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion diced
1 small can button mushrooms - drained
1 14oz can of chicken broth (low sodium & fat free)
2 tsp chicken base (Better Than Bouillon - less sodium)
1 cup dry white rice OR long cooking rice (perfect use for rice that take 45 min - an hour to cook)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
sprinkling of paprika
If you can't find boneless skinless chicken thighs, just remove skin and leave the bone in, it will add flavor. Or leave the skin on and pan fry chicken for 10-12 minutes, skin side down first, then follow directions below. And of course if you if you leave skin on and bone in, it adds even more flavor - not as healthy for you, but anything that tastes really good never is. :)
Spray a 2.5 quart casserole dish (9x13 pan) with pam. In bottom add carrots, celery, onions, and button mushrooms. Sprinkle with half the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and garlic or garlic powder.
Pour dry rice over vegetables, pour in can of broth. Place chicken on top of rice & Sprinkle on other half of seasonings on the chicken & sprinkle with paprika for a little zippy color.
Cover and bake 425* for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours, once liquid is evaporated it's done.
A couple of years ago, my sister gave me a recipe from my grandmother which she calls Grandma's Chicken & Rice. I scanned the ingredients list and said, hey, I like all of this stuff, so it was rapidly tested out. It's quite a great recipe that allows you minimal up front effort with great results. About half way through baking this the first time I said, "This smells like Grandma's house!" I closed my eyes and it was like I was a little kid again.
From what my sister tells me, Grandma was one cool lady which I am sad I never got to really know. We will have our chance to catch up in another life I am sure. Unfortunately, I only have a few small trinkets of hers to remember her by, but I treasure them. This recipe is one of the few I have, but it's so tasty, I wanted to share it with you. And hey, maybe your house will smell like Grandma's too. :)
Grandma's Chicken & Rice
4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless) I usually just do the whole package from Wegmans cause they are smaller - can use breast meat, but it dries out some
2 carrots peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch cube
1 stalk celery sliced about 1/2 inch cube
1 glove garlic minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small onion diced
1 small can button mushrooms - drained
1 14oz can of chicken broth (low sodium & fat free)
2 tsp chicken base (Better Than Bouillon - less sodium)
1 cup dry white rice OR long cooking rice (perfect use for rice that take 45 min - an hour to cook)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
sprinkling of paprika
If you can't find boneless skinless chicken thighs, just remove skin and leave the bone in, it will add flavor. Or leave the skin on and pan fry chicken for 10-12 minutes, skin side down first, then follow directions below. And of course if you if you leave skin on and bone in, it adds even more flavor - not as healthy for you, but anything that tastes really good never is. :)
Spray a 2.5 quart casserole dish (9x13 pan) with pam. In bottom add carrots, celery, onions, and button mushrooms. Sprinkle with half the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and garlic or garlic powder.
Pour dry rice over vegetables, pour in can of broth. Place chicken on top of rice & Sprinkle on other half of seasonings on the chicken & sprinkle with paprika for a little zippy color.
Cover and bake 425* for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours, once liquid is evaporated it's done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
