Buying a house!

These pictures are of the house that we are hoping to buy!
It has been a whirlwind week for us.
Here is our home-buying story:
Ever since we moved to Texas, we've been casually looking at homes. About 6 months ago we got more serious and started doing much more research. We would make a list of 20 homes for sale and drive by them on the weekends. We went in a few homes, and made an offer on one 2 months ago, but it wasn't accepted. We wanted to buy a home in time to get the $8,000 tax credit....but as the deadline of April 30th got closer and closer, I gave up hope.
Sunday afternoon Jeff approached me with the idea of going yet again to drive by homes for sale in the area. I resisted...the deadline was FRIDAY, let's just wait and get a home later since we'll be missing the deadline anyway. But he put together a list, and we headed out. We saw about 8 that we thought looked good from the outside, and emailed our Realtor for more info about the 8 and if we could go inside them. Of the 8, only 2 of them were not in contracts, so we made an appointment to go by the 2 on Monday night.
Monday night we went in both. The first one was the one above, and the second one was not exciting on the inside so we scratched it off the list. The first one excited us. It was very clean and well kept, in a great area of Bedford, and was recently updated and remodeled. But it was a little out of our price range. So we talked about it and decided to just throw out a last ditch effort...and put an offer on the house that was much lower than what they were asking.
Tuesday we talked with our Realtor and submitted an offer. Both Jeff and I really had our doubts as to if it would even be considered. I told myself to not get excited.
Wednesday, our Realtor called and said that the seller had a counter offer. I was shocked. So we reviewed it with our realtor and countered back. A little higher, but still within our price range. Again, I thought, "I'll be shocked if they accept this."
Thursday I was on pins and needles. What if they accepted? Thursday was one of the busiest days of our lives, and we didn't have a spare moment to think about the house. Out of the blue Jeff called me to tell me that they accepted our offer. I was shocked. Totally shocked. and happy. We came home late that night after long days at work and just looked at each other. It was just pretty surreal. :) We pulled up the contract through email, printed it, signed it and emailed it back.
Friday (the deadline!) it was a completed contract. We paid earnest money and again sat in wonder at what had transpired in only a few days.
We will get a home inspection this week, and are starting the loan process. Isn't this just amazing? Nothing like last minute. Ha ha.
I just keep telling Jeff, "we are so blessed!" It is just amazing how everything worked out: it is in a great location, we made the deadline, it is updated on the inside, we got a "good deal" on it, our lease is up in July so it is perfect timing to move, we can stay in our ward, and more. It is a perfect starter home....3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1500 square feet, built in 1978, with a garden in the back and a big tree in the front.
Ah, home ownership here we come!