Provision 3

We're in the process of buying our first home.

All I can say is Wow.

Wow.

And now I'll try to elaborate on that.

There are Wows on various levels.

I've been following the Prosser housing market for about a year, ever since we were pretty sure we'd be moving back to America this year from China. I followed online through a real estate agent who sent free email updates.

And Wow, there are really not that many houses for sale in Prosser. Most of the places I was getting on my email updates were three bedroom houses or less, approximately 1500 square feet, which was not too much bigger than the apartment in which we lived in China.

There was nothing wrong with our apartment in China. We loved living there, which is why we stayed and didn't move for six years, even though we qualified for a bigger home.

But as we were thinking about BUYING a place, we wanted something our family could grow into. With Olivia going on eight years old, we wanted to make a good investment so we wouldn't have to move again in five years.

So, Wow, I wondered how we were going to find anything we wanted to buy in Prosser.

Enter Aaron's friend Marcus, who also happens to be a real estate agent.

He told us about a place up the hill from Aaron's parents house. The owners were considering selling, though they hadn't put the house on the market.

We went up there and looked at the house and ... Wow.

What a great house! Four bedrooms and a fifth room that could be another bedroom, but is now being used as an office; three bathrooms; a daylight basement....

And, wow, a gorgeous view of the valley.

It's on a quiet street. Check.

Has a nice, private, fenced backyard. Check.

Has enough space to grow into. Check.

And that view. Wow. That's a bonus.

And there's a gorgeous deck on which we can sit and enjoy the view. Wow. Another bonus.

Now, how can we afford all this Wow-ness, you may ask?

Well, the house does need a little TLC. As our friend Marcus says, "the bones" of the house are great, and if this house were "dialed in" it would be way over our price range. But as it is, with all the updates it needs, it actually falls into our price range.

Wow.

So, we made an offer last week and heard on Friday that our offer had been accepted with a closing date of October 31. So, if everything goes according to plan, we should be spending American Thanksgiving settled in our new house.

And that will definitely be something to be thankful for.

Wow.