Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Thwarted.

My house-hunting weekend in Charlotte was...well...a waste, I'm sad to report.

We saw houses all day Friday, and most of Saturday, and FINALLY found a house that was being built, that was five months from being completed, but we loved the floor plan and the fact we could put what we wanted in it. So, we started getting the process going, and we just needed to wait on one thing before we went to contract.

THEN, we decided to drive to the church that we'd be going to. Sunday morning, we got in the car, plugged the address into the GPS, and started driving. And we drove. And drove. And drove. And drove. And I don't mean to sound like a snooty person or anything, but we were driving through the rural backwoods roads of South Carolina, and I was getting scared. Because when we'd been driving for 40 minutes and we still hadn't arrived at the church, I'd had enough.

We spend a lot of time at our church. Three hours every Sunday, sometimes I have meetings on Wednesday night, and on Tuesday nights my boys have cub scouts and my daughter has Young Women's--and we're usually there until about 8:30 at night. I couldn't imagine myself, driving for 45 minutes home in the DARK, through those unlit backwoods roads. Seriously. What if I broke down? And I'm sorry, but the Catawba Lake is really stinky. We passed over it on our way there and I had to switch the car from "vent." It was not good.

We got to the church, and turned right back around and drove back to Ballantyne, stunned. There was NO way we could drive that far to church twice a week, sometimes more! So, the "perfect house" we'd found wasn't perfect any more. We're looking a lot farther east now, in other cities. So, back to Square One. We have the sads over it. I mean, it seemed so great!

Hubby is going to work with the realtor weekend after next, and narrow down other houses. Then, if he finds something he thinks we will like, I will go out again.

We are disappointed, of course. But there are so many other great places to look, and we really liked the Ballantyne area Hubby's corporate housing is in, too. The houses are older, but we can always change what we don't like, as long as we like the floorplan.

*Lara bangs head on the desk*

Luckily I got to/from Charlotte safely, the kids had a blast with the grandparents (they went everywhere--jumpy castles place, shopping, movies, etc..) and otherwise it was a very...educational weekend.

Carpet cleaners are here now, we're sequestered in the basement. Which is good, because I have a lot of stuff to do down here. Better get to it!

3 comments:

Devon Ellington said...

Sorry it was so frustrating, but at least you discovered what didn't work BEFORE signing on the dotted line or living there. Fingers crossed you'll find the perfect place soon.

Lowa said...

You mean you are going to live in NC, but your church is in SC??

Have you been to this church before and know you will love it? I just hope you will LOVE the church and be totally happy with it, if you are basing where your house is on the distance to the church.

I lived in Simpsonville, SC for three years and when I would drive to my church back and forth in the dark on those unlit back roads, it was a tad disconcerting. So I totally know where you are coming from! Hope you find the church and house that works for you!

I am thinking of you all and hope that you (and especially the kids)can adjust to living in the south. It just WAS NOT for me. I hope you just adore it!

Aimee said...

I think you're smart to consider the church's location. We're currently 45 minutes away and it certainly makes you think twice before making the trip. Oh, and don't forget...seminary will start in just a couple of years for Thing 1. Then that drive happens EVERY DAY, with a 6 a.m. arrival (unless they do something different there)?