Long Hollow

 

I first met Rosa over the phone several weeks ago when I was working phone duty. She called inquiring about a house for lease. The next day I met her and her daughter, a law student, at the house.

"I like it," her daughter said. But I could tell Rosa wasn't quite sold on it.

"I have to tell you something, Barbara." We stood at the kitchen island in the little house. "I want to buy a home. I've been working with a lender for awhile, but she says I won't be qualified for another four to six months." 

The home she had been leasing for several years was about to be sold. She had to find someplace to live for those six months until she could buy, so we kept looking and looking and looking. None of them caught her fancy.

"I know the right one will appear in time. I'm not worried," she'd say every time.

She might have been calm about it, but I was getting a little anxious!

Then right after Easter, she got the exciting news from her lender that her credit score was up, earlier than expected. Instead of searching for houses to lease, we could search for houses to buy! Yay!!

We learned that was easier said than done. Many of the few houses that fit her criteria had multiple offers on them before we could even go view them! 

Heading home after looking at several homes this past Saturday with her, I noticed an "open house" sign at a builder's model home, and decided to stop, just for my own research on the market.

It was a gorgeous home. I knew Rosa would have loved the open floorplan and huge granite island in the kitchen, but it was a few thousand out of her loan ceiling.

The next day – after viewing yet another disappointing house – she admitted to me that she had stopped to look at new homes the day before. I told her about the one I had seen. She called her lender….and got approved for the higher amount!

As Rosa says, it was a God thing that none of the other homes worked out. 

Today I had the pleasure of helping her pick the granite, tile, carpet, exterior rock, and paint color for her new home, as well as the lot where it will be built. We even met her future next-door-neighbor.

I can't describe the joy it gives me to know I played a part in helping her find a home she will love.

Sweet! will have to do. And you can see it in her smile.

 

 

Here are a few more belated sweet!s from the past week…

Monday: blog friends who email you and persevere to leave comments on your post when your platform isn't working; nurses who want to make sure your mom doesn't get pneumonia following her surgery; calling a friend from your past and picking up right where you left off; finishing Season 3 of Game of Thrones with your son, even though it means you stay up way past your bedtime 

Tuesday: touring gorgeous Austin homes with friends

 

 

Wednesday: morning sunlight shining on a field of bluebonnets beside a lake; spending time with a sweet friend

Thursday: growing and learning; being part of an awesome team

 

 

Friday: a day at home to play catch-up

Saturday: taking photos of your friend's grandkids in a beautiful park by the lake on a gorgeous afternoon, and running into another friend who is there with her family

 

 

Sunday: remembering your son and daughter-in-law's beautiful wedding one year ago

Monday: a good report on your mom from the surgeon; hanging out with your mom, eating cookies, while waiting on your Yellow Taxi transport; a hug and quick visit with your sister and her friend who drove up to see your mom; sitting outside watching the sun set on a warm evening, listening to the birds and frogs get social

Tuesday: a class on new homes when you have a client in the process of buying one; cold fronts when your air-conditioning is broken

Wednesday: spotting the first blooms of the Indian Blankets; supporting your client as she moves forward in seeing her real estate dreams come true; meeting 5 new potential clients in two hours

Time continues to be my biggest challenge…trying to maintain some kind of balance between work and not-work…and finding time to sleep.

It's tough because there's always something I need to do, whether it's helping a client, trying to find more clients, or just educating myself…and then keeping up with my photography clients, my mom's needs, my family's needs, and my own needs. 

One thing is for sure – I can honestly say I'm not bored!

Here's wishing you and me both a week full of sweet!s and balance!

 

 

If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!

 

~St. Catherine of Siena