Good morning! Day 1 of house hunting down, getting ready to start day 2! Yesterday was a long day. It was very exciting though! We saw 8 total places. 1 apartment, 6 homes for rent and 1 house for sale. Unfortunately a lot of the homes for rent were in poor condition, dirty and "not right" for us. We saw a 70s home that had an in ground pool and a cabana bar outside. Hmm. A lot of other strange design choices - like a mini closet 4-5 ft off the ground inside of a regular closet that had a carpeted bottom - which makes us think it was on purpose! Anyway, weird things.
We went into this weekend knowing that if we rented a house, it may not really be "our style" but it could meet our needs. As of now there are 2 places left in the running - the home for sale and another home that could either be rented or purchased. Today we are going to see 2 more houses for sale to give us a better comparison.
As far as what we're looking for, we both ideally want at least 2 bedroom, 2 bath. A garage, basement and fireplace are also high on the list, but negotiable. I also am interested in a bigger kitchen with more storage as our current place is challenged in that department, and a master bedroom that fits our King size bed plus other furniture would be helpful too!
The realtor drove us all around the area and gave us a bunch of food and bar recommendations! I think both Mike and I were pleasantly surprised by how much the area has to offer!
I confessed to the realtor that I conjured up an image of Iowa based on our experience in Daleville, AL! I took the small, country town feel of Daleville, and made it cold and snowy and that's what Iowa was to me! Now that I've spent a little more time in the city I realize how unfair I was to dear Iowa. There are parts that certainly have more of a country feel - but that's where we are, and that is a lot of the industry, so it just makes sense. But as far as businesses, we have more of a selection than Bojangles and Taco Bell for dinner, and there is a grocery store (that isn't a Walmart) close by.
It was entertaining to me to see all of these familiar stores that we never frequent, but just seeing them and knowing that they are in town was comforting such as Wild Birds Unlimited, Pier 1, and Edible Arrangements to name a few. We saw at least 2 Panera and 4 Starbucks + a bunch of small name coffee places! Shopping looks good too! I won't be forced to drive to Chicago to get my shop on! The mall has most of the familiar stores I frequent and some new department stores as well! The department stores are Yonkers, Dillards, Sears and Von Maur. The realtor told us that Yonkers is a chain of Macys! Who knew! We also saw a Kohls, TJ Maxx and Marshals! So yes, the town is a "real town" and has stuff to offer! Phew.
Which brings us back to the house hunting! Originally we had it in our minds to rent. We desperately want more space which is why we were looking into rental homes instead of apartments. Because we've never lived in Iowa it's hard to tell how we will like it - which is why renting seemed "more safe". Based on what we're seeing and hearing - the town has a variety of different festivals, and one kicking St. Patty's day celebration, apparently - this could be completely doable and could be our home for longer than the 2-3 years I told Mike I'd be willing to "try" Iowa!
Alright enough rambling! Must get ready for day 2!
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