A Dream May Come True.

Not many of our friends (and maybe even family) know that we have been looking for land for several months. (The official daily search began Labor Day weekend to be exact.) Just a handful know that we made an offer on some land back in early November (the 8^th to be exact because I checked the date on the proposal we typed up for the landowner) and then we attempted to buy land at an absolute auction a couple of weekends later. Well, after Christmas Wade and I were talking about how we couldn’t believe it’s been almost 7 years since his mother passed away from cancer. This made him start thinking and before I knew it he was wanting to call the man who had the land we loved and see what he would be willing to work out.

Looking up at ridge of property where
our homesite would be located.

So they decided on a price, down payment and interest rate (the man wanted to do seller finance which worked better with us). But when we found out we really needed him to take the second lien and let the bank have first lien, he didn’t like it. We understood this. He told us he had been burned before when he was doing seller financing and a man started building a house and couldn’t afford to finish it. The bank took it all and he was out the money the man owed him. We sweetened the pot with offering a larger down payment and showing that we could afford to build a house.

There's almost 2 acres of woods (at right in this picture).

He still didn’t know if he would let the bank have first lien. This would make it very hard to build a house this year. We have to have 15% down. When you are planning on building a 4000 square foot house, that is a lot of money.

Last night I had not one but two different precious friends call to tell me they had some “news” to tell me. I knew that both my friends were pregnant! These are friends who has been wanting a second child for quite a while. No matter that I was feeling frustrated that day over this deal, the exciting news from my friends made me so happy. Hello, the ability the have children is much more important than buying land or even building a “dream” home.

I began to wonder if the Lord was trying to tell me something. Wade probably thinks I read into things too much but I just like to try to remain open to what the Lord has to show me and teach me. I was doing laundry last night and thought to myself, “These friends have wanted children for a long time. They had to wait on the Lord’s timing. Maybe God is trying to tell me the same thing.” Even though we know we can afford this and feel *we* are ready for it doesn’t mean the Lord is ready.

Wade and I decided that night that if the man made another stipulation or wouldn’t take second lien then we were going to walk away from him. The “perfect” land that has all 382 things we want for our “dream property” would have to slip away. We know the Lord wants what is best for us and if this deal doesn’t work then it’s not what is best for us. Something better is waiting. We both had peace about this. Even as much as we wanted this land. Coveted it! LOL

One of the views from the top of the ridge (inside truck).

This morning Wade Cc’d me on an email to a bank we are working with on the loan. He stated, “Please find attached a Personal Financial Statement for myself and Leslie and an amortization schedule that reflects the terms that we have agreed to with the seller on the 16.75 acres . . .” I figured he was telling them what we had hoped to agree on. Nope. That was his clue to me that the man had called him this morning and agreed to the terms! Yippee!!

Backside - The property line borders the woods here.

After returning home from being gone at the Mazda dealership (five hours sitting because we had new tires put on my car and they found something that needed to be fixed which involved having it rebuilt and me sitting longer), the house plans had been delivered by FedEx. Yippee again! I took a set by the contractor’s house that afternoon and he will start working on a budget. I went yesterday to fill out the application for the septic to make sure our plans perk for the number of bedrooms we will have. The ball is rolling. Yet, I know the contract isn’t signed yet so I’m going to remain calm (or at least try!) and not get too excited or dream too big (like that we’ll be moving in the end of October as the contractor had estimated).

There is so much to do to plan – everything we’ll need to pick out, things we’ll need to buy for the new house and lists we’ll need to check off to get our current house ready to sell. But I’m ready!

(Pictures were taken November 5th when the trees still had some color!)