Today is my 10-year NYC anniversary! Ten years ago I packed two suitcases and my two cats and flew to New York on a leap of faith, and now here I am immeasurably enriched by love, friendship, family, and experiences both great and small. An astrologer told me not too long ago that I am not meant to be anchored to any one place, and maybe he’s right, but for all the love I have for other places, no other has felt as much like home.
This week, after two years of house-hunting, we signed a contract on a home of our own (our first). (The astrologer also predicted this, so there you go.) It’s right here in the neighborhood where we’ve lived for seven and a half years, and I’m so, so excited for the next ride of this crazy adventure.
Happy weekend, everyone!
![\"\"](\"https://d5nxst8fruw4z.cloudfront.net/atrk.gif?account=r/y/j1a0Sn00OI\")
MissDre September 29, 2017, 3:02 pm
YAY congrats on the house!! I know you’ve been searching for a while and wondering if you’d ever find something. Super excited for you Wendy!
Dear Wendy September 29, 2017, 7:13 pm
Thanks! We made our first offer on a place in 2010, then stopped looking for a while, then started looking again in more earnest a couple years ago. It was beginning to feel like it may never happen…
ktfran September 29, 2017, 3:11 pm
Congrats Wendy! How very exciting.
Rangerchic September 29, 2017, 3:12 pm
Congratulations on your new home! That is so exciting! I hope the rest of your home buying transactions go smoothly. It can be exhausting and nerve racking doing all the next things. And then there is the signing of the papers…start practicing signing your name over and over and over 🙂
This past June marked two years since we (my husband and two daughters) moved to Colorado Springs from Arkansas…having never lived anywhere but Arkansas before. We really like the town and even built a house here (believe it or not it was cheaper than buying pre-existing) but I don’t know that it feels completely like home just yet. Really miss my siblings, nieces and nephews as we are close. But our youngest graduates HS this year so no more moving for at least two years (completing HS and then 1st year of college). I don’t know that we would move back to AR but maybe another adventure elsewhere?
Dear Wendy September 29, 2017, 7:14 pm
The possibilities are exciting!
And, yes, this whole process is very nerve-wracking and overwhelming. I barely slept last week worried something would happen before we signed the contract to make it all fall through.
Kate September 29, 2017, 3:18 pm
Congratulations! That’s awesome.
We’re taking this weekend trip to Vermont that we always do the last weekend in September for a race my husband is in (the prizes are, like, apple cider and maple syrup). We’re staying in an inn that was previously closed and now newly renovated, and it’s supposed to be chilly fall weather so I can wear fall outfits finally. I have some new boots!
Dear Wendy September 29, 2017, 7:15 pm
Perfect fall weekend adventure!
othy September 29, 2017, 3:22 pm
Congrats on the house! Hopefully all will go well in the next few weeks with inspections and the like.
Miss MJ September 29, 2017, 3:31 pm
Congratulations on the house, Wendy! You’ve got to show us pictures when you’re all moved in.
Leslie Joan September 29, 2017, 3:58 pm
How exciting! Congratulations, and may all go smoothly with the house.
Moneypenny September 29, 2017, 4:03 pm
Oooh, congratulations! That’s so exciting!
Bubbles September 29, 2017, 5:58 pm
How wonderful!! Congratulations on your new house purchase. Very exciting and can’t wait to see the pictures of the new place and how you decorate it and make it your home. (Wasn’t there a thread a few years back where readers would post pics of their before/after pictures of their redecorated homes?)
Dear Wendy September 29, 2017, 7:16 pm
Yes — I liked that feature. May have to bring it back if for no other reason to give me some design inspiration.
MaterialsGirl September 29, 2017, 6:18 pm
Congrats on the home purchase, wendy! that is so amazing
Taylor September 29, 2017, 7:07 pm
Happy new home Wendy! Love that you are staying in the neighborhood you love!
Dear Wendy September 29, 2017, 7:20 pm
Thanks so much, everyone! As I said upthread, we made our first offer on a place in 2010 (it was rejected). I watched the market since then, going to open houses casually and then in the last two years, with much more focus. We must have seen 150+ places in the last two years. And made a total of four offers. It felt a lot like dating and it was beginning to feel like we’d never find “the one.” And now that we’ve signed a contract I get to shift focus to all the things we’ll need to do to move and make the new place feel like home. But I guess there’s no rush on the latter — we hope to be there for a long, long time.
bondgirl October 2, 2017, 12:17 pm
Did you have inspection yet? Fingers crossed that goes well! We actually had a house deal fall apart because of a structural defect that was uncovered during the home inspection.
Dear Wendy October 2, 2017, 12:27 pm
Oh, yeah — I’d never sign a contract and deposit money into escrow without a successful inspection!
juliecatharine September 29, 2017, 8:50 pm
That’s so exciting! Congratulations! ????????
Mylaray September 30, 2017, 10:02 am
That’s so exciting!! Congrats! Do you feel any differently about putting firm roots down? I remember you writing about how much you have moved growing up, which I did too. Buying a house led me to a bit of a realization about all that.
Dear Wendy October 2, 2017, 9:29 am
I did move around a lot growing up and I have something of an internal struggle between really wanting to settle down (and not move again ever or for a very, very long time) and feeling a sense of wanderlust/ getting antsy when I stay in one place too long. Who knows what life will bring, but right now I am hopeful that we’ll stay in this new home long enough for my kids to get a sense of having roots, and for me to finally get a break from moving (this will be, I think, the 24th place I’ve lived in my life — the 10th since I graduated college 19 years ago).
Anonymousse September 30, 2017, 8:29 pm
Congratulations Wendy!
Layla October 2, 2017, 5:31 am
That’s wonderful. Hope you and your family will have many happy memories.
Lianne October 2, 2017, 9:42 am
Congrats, Wendy! What wonderful news. I hope you and your family will be very happy in your new home!
What can you tell us about it?? I’d love details!
Dear Wendy October 2, 2017, 9:47 am
It’s above a toy store! Not sure how we’re going to navigate that with the kids every day, but I welcome the challenge. I also feel like there might be a children story to tell — about two kids in brooklyn who grow up above a toy store. (I’ll share more details after we close!).
Lianne October 2, 2017, 10:18 am
So cool! And nerve-wracking with small kids! Haha…good luck with the rest of the process!
Portia October 2, 2017, 11:36 am
Congrats! How exciting! I can’t wait to hear more about it.
And add me to the list of people who’d appreciate before/after pictures of fixed-up/redecorated homes. We also just bought a house (about a month ago now) and though we have almost all the things moved in, I would love decoration inspiration!