i bought a house

About this time last year I was preparing my offer on a home that I’d fallen in love with.

While it nailed everything on my “must have” list – no formal dining area, a backyard with a fence, a non-creepy basement – it was still not necessarily what I had envisioned my first home being.

Instead of a quaint little bungalow in south Minneapolis as I’d pictured in my mind, it was a brick rambler in the ‘burbs. However, to be FAIR, my address still comes up as Minneapolis on Google Maps because apparently there’s some overlap ZIP code-wise but I am not going to get into it!!!

Thing is, though, I’d toured a handful of those bungalows and none of them spoke to me. They were cramped with narrow staircases I pictured myself tumbling down in the middle of the night as I moved from the attic-style master bedroom to use the home’s one bathroom on the main level. The view from your window was into your neighbor’s window – cute! But not what I wanted to spend large sums of money on considering I was already leaving a ~*luxury*~ apartment in the city where looking into your neighbor’s apartment was a pastime forced upon its residents (read about that in this post: click me!).

Also, uh, they were REALLY expensive for such little space. So, after some heart-to-hearts with my parents about what I was actually searching for, I let go of the idea that I would only be able to maintain my current lifestyle if I lived within Minneapolis city limits.

Then I did what any level-headed millennial would do: I placed all of my faith in a realtor I’d never met but knew through Twitter. And, dang it, he really pulled through!

It only took me dipping my toe into a potential bidding war one time to get spooked. The market was wild and I wasn’t about to throw down for a home already out of my price range. My realtor, Nate of Pentz Homes, kept my must-have checklist in mind and when he caught wind of a home in Richfield that would be on the market soon, he brought me by to take a look.

It was dusty! In mid-renovation! There was an old fridge hanging out in the dining room! And I loved it. It was already so homey with a fireplace, white cabinets, hardwood floors and open layout. My brain lit up thinking of the layout of furniture that I didn’t even own yet and that’s when I knew: I’m going to live in a suburb now.

But hey, it’s an inner-ring one and it’s right by the airport and my third home (the Mall of America). It’s quiet and has SO MUCH (FREE!!!) PARKING. Did I mention we recently elected the first Latina mayor in Minnesota’s history? Richfield is cool and I am glad I opened up my mind to the possibility of looking outside the city for my first home.

This is the first of a few posts I plan to make about my home, going room by room, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned so far as a homeowner (besides the fact that, uh, they never really ask if you know anything about owning a home before they approve you for a loan) is that it’s expensive. It felt like home immediately, but putting my mark on it with little touches is an ongoing process that I look forward to sharing!

— andrea