Cloudy to Sunny
{Metaphorically- it’s supah sunny here}
Hi friends! How was your day?
Bella’s was just like every other day…
Tough.
She has a very hard life 😉
So when I wrote my am post, I was feeling a little gloomy. I got a phone call this morning saying that Saturday was my last day at work –the day I put in my two weeks– and just have to pick up my paycheck tomorrow. I loved my job and like to work, so I’m kind of bummed that it’s the end. I was expecting to finish out the two weeks (and get paid for it).
It’s always sad when something that seems so amazing ends up tarnished.. it’s kind of like seeing the back part of Disneyland.
We took Bella to the DP (<—our code word for dog park) and she had a blast chasing the big dogs on the other side of the fence. While we were there, I got word of 3 exciting blog things to come, which gave me a good feeling that the day would look up.
The dog park here is *slightly* different than the one in Valdosta:
Tucson:
Valdosta:
Hahaha.
And then I put on a lucky “we’re going to find the winning house outfit”
and WE DID.
It’s perfect….
Everything on our lists.
Here’s a pic of the Pilot standing downstairs, but I’ll definitely post more.
We’ve been pre-approved and are going to meet with the realtor to do the contract thang tomorrow. I can’t believe that this is really happening- the fact that we’re actually going to live in Tucson is starting to feel real 🙂
Lunch:
Salad with hearts of palm and balsamic, egg, smoked salmon with capers, goat cheese
+ a ton of these Turkish dried apricots
Tortellini for the Pilot:
Good stuff 🙂
I’m off to dance and then watch Hot Tub Time Machine with the Pilot and some friends.
See ya in the morning!
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: Any tips on the home buying/negotiation process?? We have a realtor, but ya’ll always have amazing advice 🙂
![It’s [not] always sunny](https://fitnessista.com/wp-content/uploads//2011/08/bell_thumb7-150x150.jpg)
134 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Gina,
Your blog has become the one of my feed that I am most excited to read every day :). Congratulations and good luck in your endeavors!
thanks girl :))))
Yippee! So exciting to be buying a new house, make sure you get the home inspection from a reputable and reliable home inspector! Otherwise, have a ball and I look forward to some awesome house posts in the future…
I so agree. We used Century 21 (which my family actually owns 5 of these so that’s what we rolled with) but they turned out to be a ghetto version. Our realtor paid for our home inspection “as a gift”. Well, we didn’t know what we were doing, it was our first home. Everything went wrong, 2 separate and major plumbing issues, in the winter we discovered there was no insulation in the entire back addition, pretty bad foundation issues, the list goes on… it was terrible. Ever seen the movie Money Pit (hilarious!) that was our life for 3 years.
Definitely spend some extra denerio and get a reputable and thorough home inspector! I can’t say that enough!!
Hey Gina,
Long time reader, but I don’t comment much unless the timing is perfect-
a friend just sent this my direction and we’ve pretty much adapted Herb Cohen’s motto for the past two weeks. Check him out- he’s a crazy amazing negotiator (and the accent makes it all the better):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaVjO7hsfaI
It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Enjoy!
By adapted, I mean ADOPTED.
Opps.
Congrats! The house looks great so far!
Exciting about the house! Super cute outfit 🙂
YAH!! Congrats 🙂 I really love your outfit–I guess it worked 😉
Jeesh, it seems Lululemon is a bit bitter by that phone call you got today. So not cool.
But, super cool you guys found what you both were looking for in the house department! Yay! Good luck tomorrow!
i was pretty shocked by it :/
Aren’t you entitled to the shifts you’ve already been scheduled to work for the next pay period? If they want to cancel them on you, they’re required to pay you regardless. At least that’s how it works where I live.
I know a lot jobs will let you go before your 2 weeks b/c they think you won’t give them a 100% since your mind is on your new job. Obviously, they should have known you well enough to know that you’d give them 110% til your last day. So boo hiss on them– it will definitely be their loss. Anywho, love your outfit! I work for J.Crew and have been lusting after that chambray blazer for the past month–maybe it’s time to exercise my employee discount and get it ha 🙂 So happy you guys were able to find a house you both love!! 🙂
Hooray for house success!! It didn’t take you long to find the perfect one, huh? Crossing my fingers it works out for you and the Pilot. Also love the pilots hand on hip pose for the photo. What a cutie :). Sorry about the job thing…bigger and better things are on the horizon for you, Gina!
You found a house! How exciting! BTW I’m loving the way you layed out the fashion in this pic. It looks great…your outfit (killer blazer!) and the page aesthetic.
thanks! 🙂
Congrats on the house! And even though it’s about something disappointing I love the analogy about seeing the backside of disney-so true. I’m sure there will be new and better opportunities for you.
Hey Gina, long time reader, first time commenter here. I’m sorry that the two weeks didn’t pan out the way you expected them too. Seems like a certain store is being a sore loser though. Hmph.
Glad that you and the Pilot are happily moving forwards regardless. Are you two planning to make/sell artisanal goat milk and cheese once you add your little Greta? I realize that you already do so many jobs, but I am curious to see how this newest adventure unfolds! Have a good rest of the week!!
Congratulations! Bet you’re so so so excited! Can’t wait to hear more about it =D
YAY! Fabulous news on the house. And I swear that Chooey and Bella are related – they have the EXACT same mannerisms, haha 😀
That picture of Bella is too cute!!
And I love it when you blog about clothes! 🙂
So not cool about work!!! That happened to one of my roomies when she gave her 2 week notice at her job, it really makes you glad though to get away from that since if they would do that, who knows what else they may do:/
But congrats on the house:):):):):) It looks so open and airy!
your outfit is so cute! and i’m so happy you guys found a house!
Hot tub time machine is my loveee! I lqaughed so hard during that movie!! And I can’t wait to see the house pictures, I love looking at new homes:)
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I can tell just from that pic that the house is gorgeous!!!
I love your outfit Gina! Those flats are too cute! 🙂
Congrats!
Sorry about the job situation. They seem awfully bitter about your moving on. Probably a good thing you decided to leave. You deserve much better. I’m super excited that you found a house 🙂 My advice . . . get a good inspector who is honest and thorough. It can save you heartache, stress and dollars down the road. Love your outfit and Bella is as cute as ever 🙂
Sorry about the job. 🙁 Congratulations on finding the house though!
LOVE those Tory Burch shoes! Her Revas are my absolute fave – so cute and comfy!
i’d definitely say get a realtor…and make sure it’s someone who understands exactly what you want, who you are, and what you can do financially. our realtor was incredible, just a wonderful person, and treated us like family!
the job thing stinks, but at least you found a house you love!
Congrats on finding a house! It must have been because of that killer outfit. 😉
G, I hate to say this because I know you loved your job, but those people did not treat you well and you are better off without them. I understand if an employee is disgruntled you don’t want them showing up for their last day of work and causing problems, but you are not that type of person and they treated you like you can’t be trusted. I’m offended for you. Also, in some states, they’d have to pay you for the time you were willing to work but they prevented you from doing so. Not that you want to get litigious about it. Thank God that you didn’t get involved in that business further — I truly believe their action reveal a lot about them.
As for the house negotiations, tally up all of the changes you want to make (professional cleaning, changing the carpet, repairs, painting) and deduct that from the FMV. You never know — it’s a buyer’s market and you might be able to get the price down. Make sure the asking price really IS the FMV. Don’t necessarily trust your realtor to tell you what the FMV is — their comish is based on a percentage of the selling price, so it’s in their interests for it to sell at a higher price. Ask your realtor for comps for other similar homes that have sold in the area in the last few months to make sure the asking price is correct. Mortgages are public record so if you wanted to see what kind of number the homeowners are looking for, you can find their mortgages at the registry (most registries are online now) and see what they owe. Most sellers don’t want to have to write a check back to the bank at closing.
Also, make sure you read the terms of the contract very carefully. When can you rescind the contract and still get your deposit back? Check especially the terms your realtor writes in for the financing contingency. If you don’t get your financing at the rate that works for you, you want to be able to back out of the deal and keep your deposit.
Good luck! I’m not licensed to practice law in AZ, so I can’t help you with the contract, but if you have general questions feel free to email me. I used to sell real estate in California before I went to law school so I’d be glad to help!
Good luck!
congrats on the house!! careerwise-everything happens for a reason! maybe you will need more time for something else that is coming into your life!
watch Property Virgins on HGTV – it’s good for all the home buying tips/tricks!
Congrats on all of your dreams coming true… I love your blog because it’s so fun and motivating 🙂
Congrats! I’m so excited/thrilled for you both! 🙂
Congrats on the house! A good inspector is key. Take lots of notes and ask tons of questions. Also don’t be pressured by the realtor. They can get really pushy, and you just need to push back and say no sometimes. 😉
Congrats on your house! I can’t wait to see pictures!
so happy ya’ll found a house! that is so exciting! 🙂
Congrats on finding the “winning house”!! So exciting I know! 🙂
The only tip I have is to go back to the house the day of signing (before you sign). We had a horrible experience. The sellers, who we thought were really sweet, agreed to leave certain things in the house. We even listed the things in an addendum to the contract. Anyway, the day of signing, we went to the house to check on it one last time and found EVERYTHING gone! We were furious to say the least! We postponed the signing and seriously considered backing out of the whole deal. Lucky for them we loved the house so much we signed anyway.
I’m sure you guys will have much better luck. Happy House Buying! 🙂
CONGRATS!!!!!!
HURRAY for finding the perfect house !! i am so excited for you 🙂
something i found to be useful in my experience with home-buying was getting an attorney to do a background check. at the moment i forget what its official term is, but they do a check of the history/ownership of the place, and then later will assure that the place is yours. this was helpful because sure enough, i recently got this weird letter in the mail stating that i was renting from the previous owner and i owed all this money,…when that was NOT the case ! hope this helps.
anyway, have a great day 🙂 <3
CONGRATS ON THE HOUSE!!! YAY!!!
CONGRATULATIONS on the house! How exciting!!! 🙂
LOVE your outfit and I’m so happy for you guys that you found the perfect house! *Fingers crossed* for you two that everything goes through quickly and smoothly. On the job front, I’m sorry to hear that it ended this way. On the job front, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way would have liked. Unfortunately these things happen in life but it’s great that you actually took a stand and didn’t stick around to see if things worked out – we all know that in the case of the latter, that rarely happens! Anyways good luck and can’t wait to read about your first dinner party at the new pad 🙂
Eek…well you know I have personal experience with shock from that particular job front…though FOR SURE everything happens for a reason.
…but mostly YAY! I am excited on your behalf for the months-long high the new digs will give you (provided any renos do not give you a headache). 🙂 Big hug and high fives to you and the Pilot.
everything totally happens for a reason
now, i hope a reason comes up for you to visit and chill with us 🙂
Tips: If you haven’t already, find a realtor who is professional but kind, and is used to working with home situations like short sales. This type of person will likely have the finesse to talk to the other realtor in a calm, supportive but price negotiating way. I say it’s always OK to offer a little less than you want to pay for the house. Say a home is for sale for $250K. You really think the house is worth that, but you just can’t see paying $250. Maybe $240 is more your range. Offer $435. They just might take it! And if not, you can move up to your $240, if you’re in love 😉
BTW…Can you have a goat there!? 😀
i think the hoa might stand in the way of our goat dreams
If this is a new construction, you might be able to negotiate it so that the developer pays one year HOA. A friend of mine recently bought a condo and because it is such a buyer’s market these days, they got the seller to pay the HOA for the first year! Hey it’s worth a shot and this way you can have your billy goat 😉
Congrats on the house!! Can’t wait to see more pics! 🙂
I love your outfit! 🙂 And I really enjoy your blog! I just came upon it! I’m a pescatarian who loves food and working out too! AND I live in Mesa, Arizona!! Reppin’ the AZ! 🙂 But, I’m a Devil, so that’s the only thing between us! lol. I do support some Wildcat sports though. Just wanted to shout out and say I really enjoy your blog and all the recipe ideas!
thanks so much for reading and for saying hi! we’re still friends even though you’re a devil 😉
xoxo
I DIE for those Tory Burch shoes, are they from this year? All the sudden my shiny silver Revas have lost their luster 🙂
yeah i got them a couple of months ago 🙂 silver revas sound gorg to me!
House looks amazing! That stairwell… <3 Congrats!
My #1 piece of advice is to have all of your paperwork checked out by an attorney. While I'm probably biased since that's my area of work, there is a great deal of leeway for things to go wrong that you might not catch on your own if you aren't familiar with real estate and contract law. Agree to play a flat fee for the attorney to review so that you don't end up at the mercy of an hourly rate.
good to know, thank you!!
Congratulations!!! The house looks beautiful!! It’s not going to feel real until after you sign the piles of papers and walk out with the keys!! 🙂 Good Luck!!
What a craptastic way to treat an employee! My whole mindset is changed about that company now. Oh well, at least your husband is back and you have fun and exciting things to think about doing NEXT.
yay!!! Congrats on finding THE house!!! 🙂
I’d been trying to figure out where you were moving. Tucson is nice! Close to hiking and tons of bike lanes. Definitely get a cruiser when you move–it’s so easy to get around! (Or, at least it was when I was in college at U of A 🙂
Haha, we call it the DP over here too! 🙂
Congrats on finding “the one”! 🙂