year of fun

How do you follow up a day so fun you didn’t even have time to post, you ask? With doing something so out of my norm that even my husband felt ambushed when I told him what we had an appointment to do at 11am this morning.

Let me back up. Two days ago, while walking Elphie in an unexplored part of our neighborhood, I fell in love with a street. Yes, a street. Alta Vista is one block long running north/south between Byron and Grace. One block west is Seminary and one block east is Kenmore. All the homes–row houses–were built between 1900 and 1904 and are historically protected. You can’t build up or out and you certainly cannot knock down. When Elphie and I walked up this street, aside from the gorgeous houses, we saw beautiful doors and entryways piled with strollers and shoes, one man walking a boxer and two women cleaning their respective front stoops and chatting. It was an urban Our Town unfolding right in front of our eyes.

And wouldn’t you know, two of these majestic houses had for sale signs out front? Except that one said “under contract,” so I focused on the other–the one on the corner lot, facing east. I immediately went home, looked up the listing, and contacted the agent to find out about any future open houses. Well wouldn’t you know it? She’s showing it all weekend and would we like to stop by around 11am on Sunday? Yes ma’am we would.

That night at dinner, I told the hubs about our appointment. This resulted in a long conversation about money, planning and how there was 0% chance we would buy this place unless it was still for sale in 2014 when we can actually afford to look, or something. BUT he agreed that we should still go see it as long as I did not get my heart set on it, so this morning we went. And looked. And loved. Well I loved. It has gorgeous hardwood floors, amazing old details like crown molding, built-ins, and chandeliers, new heat and a/c units, a finished basement, walk-in closet, etc. Things it does not have that the hubs highlighted: a master bathroom, open floor plan, a yard and parking.

Ok, so it’s not the dream home and we can’t afford it right now anyway. Seeing it did force us to talk about what we each want in a home and solidified for both of us that we do want a house in the city when we can afford to move (as opposed to a condo in the city or a house in suburbs. We want it all). He may want more new and modern while I lean more towards old and charming. He thinks of practical things like money and function while I think more about feeling and decor. But I think that makes us a great pair and will lead us to the perfect home (in 2014).