We're well into our house hunt by now and there have been a few updates. First of all, we've had a hard time remembering which house is House A, House B, and House C, but we've had a few nicknames stick to them throughout the process. Secondly, we went to see a few more houses today (which would have been Houses D and E) and we have two more to see soon. So House A has become the Hospital House because of the stark white tile and walls. House B is now the Red Door House for obvious reasons, and House C is the Toothpaste House because the exterior was recently painted white with mint green accents.
The Hospital House is still in the running as a more-than-acceptable back-up. Though the Red Door House is within our price range, for the price it's not as irresistable a value as many of the others in its size range. House C had been the front runner, but sadly when we went back to take a second look, we discovered that a not-so-well repaired leak in the roof had resprung. Factoring in the roof replacement, mold removal, and paint and drywall reconstruction--not to mention risking the possibility of the leak re-respringing in the future--at this point it doesn't seem smart to take on the property.
House D--the Yellow House, that is--has a great big back yard with a pool and it's situated on a quiet cul-de-sac. There's a nice big dining area and tile throughout. However, it's a foreclosure property, and the former owners must've been a bit incensed when they left because...it's kind of a mess. There's also no fridge. Yep, they must've been pretty mad. It's also backed right up against the main road, so there's quite a bit of noise.
House E used to be a model home in our neighborhood, thus its nickname of the Model. It probably fits our needs better than anything we've seen so far--a comfy price, proximity, size, and condition. It has high ceilings and even a few furnishings, an open floor plan, and lots of curb appeal. The back yard is about the same size as our current yard, but it seemed puny compared to the Yellow House's massive yard. We'd have to provide a washer and dryer, and the wallpaper in the kitchen is seriously hideous. All of these obstacles can be overcome though, so we'll see what happens next!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
House Hunting
Eric and I have decided we'e had enough of the renting lifestyle and we are looking to join the ranks of the homeowners. We've been saving long enough that we think we can safely make a solid down payment with a nest egg to spare. We took the first steps by getting pre-approved for a loan at our bank and opening a savings account at Partners, the credit union for Disney cast members. Then today we went out with a realtor to look at a few homes in our area! Here are the highlights of our favorites so far:
House A is in the neighborhood where we currently rent, so we'd save a lot of miles on the moving truck! We really enjoy living in this community except that frisbee-ing is not allowed in our park (whose idea was it to make that rule?). It has a big yard and the pool was recently redone and looks great. Unfortunately, there's no fence and, though the exterior has just been painted, it's kind of a weird color. It's pretty roomy with lots of closet space, and there is a neutral color palette so it'll be easy to customize it with our touch.
House B has a cute red door but also sports an unappealing color combo outside--like rye bread with butter. Inside, though, it's been recently painted a lovely gold color and you can tell it's been taken care of well. There's no carpet, only tile, so we could toss out our vacuum and get a Swiffer! This one also has a large yard and a pool, but it's a little further from where we work. There also isn't much room for a formal dining area, just a little breakfast nook.
House C sits in the community adjacent to House B but is quite a bit bigger than its neighbor. Although we were pretty excited at the prospect of 4 bedrooms and both a formal and casual living room, we can't decide if we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot by taking on more square footage to cool and heat. It's definitely a home we could grow into as we build equity. There's a pool, hot tub, and fountain, and vaulted ceilings in front. The carpet needs some work though, and we might have to provide a new fridge, washer, and dryer. The kitchen is spacious though, with lots of cabinet space, and a grand piano might fit through the double front doors someday!
We're still trying to figure out the logistics--like the first-time homebuyers' tax credit (since Eric is technically not a first-timer by their definition until June 3)--but hopefully we've gotten the ball rolling enough that by the time our lease is up, we can move in to a house of our very own!
House A is in the neighborhood where we currently rent, so we'd save a lot of miles on the moving truck! We really enjoy living in this community except that frisbee-ing is not allowed in our park (whose idea was it to make that rule?). It has a big yard and the pool was recently redone and looks great. Unfortunately, there's no fence and, though the exterior has just been painted, it's kind of a weird color. It's pretty roomy with lots of closet space, and there is a neutral color palette so it'll be easy to customize it with our touch.
House B has a cute red door but also sports an unappealing color combo outside--like rye bread with butter. Inside, though, it's been recently painted a lovely gold color and you can tell it's been taken care of well. There's no carpet, only tile, so we could toss out our vacuum and get a Swiffer! This one also has a large yard and a pool, but it's a little further from where we work. There also isn't much room for a formal dining area, just a little breakfast nook.
House C sits in the community adjacent to House B but is quite a bit bigger than its neighbor. Although we were pretty excited at the prospect of 4 bedrooms and both a formal and casual living room, we can't decide if we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot by taking on more square footage to cool and heat. It's definitely a home we could grow into as we build equity. There's a pool, hot tub, and fountain, and vaulted ceilings in front. The carpet needs some work though, and we might have to provide a new fridge, washer, and dryer. The kitchen is spacious though, with lots of cabinet space, and a grand piano might fit through the double front doors someday!
We're still trying to figure out the logistics--like the first-time homebuyers' tax credit (since Eric is technically not a first-timer by their definition until June 3)--but hopefully we've gotten the ball rolling enough that by the time our lease is up, we can move in to a house of our very own!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Holiday Season Recap
We have officially survived the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, and we have a few photos to prove it. My first act during the holidays was to attend a book signing of the new Ridley Pearson-Dave Barry collaboration at Downtown Disney. It was very exciting to meet these two literary legends, but I couldn't even yet tell the two people who would most share my excitement--my parents--because I asked Dave Barry to sign a book for each of them as a Christmas gift! Didn't want to ruin the surprise :) The inscriptions (his idea, not mine)? "To Terry, my idol," and "To Sharon, a goddess."
Here's a photo from the Singing Christmas Trees, featuring my talented friend Rachel Scott as the mother Mary. Believe it or not, all of those hundreds of "ornaments" on the trees are choir singers!
Check out our fancy new robes for the Candlelight Processional at Epcot! They look a little funny up close, but from a distance in a tree-shaped clump, they look pretty spiffy!
Here's a photo I found online from our performance with Celine Dion for the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. Can't find us? Look more closely.
Okay, I'll give you a hint.
Look how festive our house looks when decorated for the holidays! We had a little get together to celebrate.
We partied for Eric's birthday, too! How funny are these cupcakes!
The Young Alpha Chis went on an outing to Kimonos for some sushi and singing! Rachel and I did a little number together.
We both had to work on Christmas morning, but at least Eric got a chance to wear the new shirt my parents gave him!
It was pretty slow at Saratoga, so he spent the morning making this pretty incredible ballon hat with his cast members.
And here we are, newly arrived home from our respective jobs, ready to open our stockings and read the Christmas story.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Decade in TV and Film
So, you know I'm into movies and tv and stuff. And I'm into reading. So that means I read a lot about movies and tv and stuff, and almost all the stuff I've been reading lately has been lists of the top movies and shows of the decade (even though, since the millenium technically lasted until the end of 2000, I'm guessing the decade probably lasts until the end of 2010, but who's counting?). So I thought I'd make my own little list, especially since most of their lists (especially the movie lists) are composed of total downers that nobody except movie critics have ever seen. So anyway, here goes: a list of my favorite films and television from the oughts.
20 Favorite Films
1. Almost Famous (2000)
2. Amelie (2001)
3. Bruce Almighty (2003)
4. Death at a Funeral (2007)
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
6. High Fidelity (2000)
7. In Bruges (2008)
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
10. Minority Report (2002)
11. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
12. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
13. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
15. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
16. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
17. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
18. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
19. Tropic Thunder (2008)
20. Wall-E (2008)
20 Favorite TV Series and Mini-Series
1. Angels in America (2003)
2. Arrested Development (2003-2006)
3. House, M.D. (2004-present)
4. Monk (2002-2009)
5. Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
6. Project Runway (2005-present)
7. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
8. The Office (2005-present)
9. Three Sheets (2006-present)
10. Ugly Betty (2006-present)
Honorable Mention: FlashForward (2008-present), too early to tell if it'll define a decade for me or not
5 Favorite TV Series not originating in the oughts
1. Futurama (1999-2003, 2010-present)
2. Inside the Actors Studio (1994-present)
3. Sex and the City (1998-2004)
4. Roswell (1999-2002)
5. The West Wing (1999-2006)
Honorable Mention: The X-Files (1993-2002), even though the seasons that aired in the oughts sucked
Disclaimer! I still haven't seen Sherlock Holmes, Extract, Wonder Boys, Freaks and Geeks, Punch-Drunk Love, The Hurt Locker, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Extras, The Hangover, or Avatar, all of which may have broken the list if I had seen them during the oughts. But now it's the...teens (?) so I guess they're ineligible. Along with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. And I know you're asking, "Where're 30 Rock and Lost?" but I don't watch those shows, so... :-P
20 Favorite Films
1. Almost Famous (2000)
2. Amelie (2001)
3. Bruce Almighty (2003)
4. Death at a Funeral (2007)
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
6. High Fidelity (2000)
7. In Bruges (2008)
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
9. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
10. Minority Report (2002)
11. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
12. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
13. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
15. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
16. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
17. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
18. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
19. Tropic Thunder (2008)
20. Wall-E (2008)
20 Favorite TV Series and Mini-Series
1. Angels in America (2003)
2. Arrested Development (2003-2006)
3. House, M.D. (2004-present)
4. Monk (2002-2009)
5. Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
6. Project Runway (2005-present)
7. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
8. The Office (2005-present)
9. Three Sheets (2006-present)
10. Ugly Betty (2006-present)
Honorable Mention: FlashForward (2008-present), too early to tell if it'll define a decade for me or not
5 Favorite TV Series not originating in the oughts
1. Futurama (1999-2003, 2010-present)
2. Inside the Actors Studio (1994-present)
3. Sex and the City (1998-2004)
4. Roswell (1999-2002)
5. The West Wing (1999-2006)
Honorable Mention: The X-Files (1993-2002), even though the seasons that aired in the oughts sucked
Disclaimer! I still haven't seen Sherlock Holmes, Extract, Wonder Boys, Freaks and Geeks, Punch-Drunk Love, The Hurt Locker, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Extras, The Hangover, or Avatar, all of which may have broken the list if I had seen them during the oughts. But now it's the...teens (?) so I guess they're ineligible. Along with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. And I know you're asking, "Where're 30 Rock and Lost?" but I don't watch those shows, so... :-P
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