While I typically attempt to entertain you with stories from the underworld of marriage, relying on G to be the main spoke in the crazy wheel, I’ve realized recently that the tire on the crazy wheel just might be…me.
I gave G my blessing to do something that I have now been told by countless women they would never allow their husband to do. No, it’s not a threesome. That is still off the table. Unless she loves to cook, clean, and babysit. In that case, email me a headshot and vaccination report.
If it’s not a threesome, and I’ve already allowed him to convert a perfectly lovely dining room into a billiard hall, what could I have possibly permitted this time?
I LET HIM BUY A HOUSE THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN.
That’s right. He Bought House. I Never Saw.
You’re Googling Shady Acres facilities for me right now, aren’t you? As long as I receive a couple of good candidates for cooking, cleaning, and babysitting, I’ll go willingly and wear a uniform.
After much careful consideration and too many meals at the Red Robin next door to the La Quinta Inn, we decided that moving out of New Jersey (and far, far away from the Red Robin) was probably advisable. We don’t have immediate family nor any desire to live out our years there. We had unhooked ourselves from our home and I had left my job. I’m not Italian enough to be considered for a future season of the Jersey Shore. And G is a licensed attorney in his home state of Maine. Suddenly, after a bad case of heartburn, Maine was looking like a nice slice of Americana in which to bring up our kids. I think I was just craving a lobster roll when I finally consented.
Because I’d already taken the trip that we shall never speak of to Maine and because house hunting with children is about as painful as having moles lasered off without anesthesia, I let G undertake the very important mission to find us a home in the town of Camden, Maine on his own.
Finding a home might have taken a lesser person (like me) at least 19 separate trips, but G being the more efficient and child-free part of our duo was able to find one and put in an offer all before lunch.
While I sit here with my children in fog-locked California, G got the keys to our new home. With exception to some carefully crafted language – I swear, he’s become like a realtor – such as ‘cozy but could use some TLC’ and ‘a little paint would help’, it sounds…good. And considering I tried to relocate him to a Tuff Shed in the yard for his birthday, it’s probably lucky for him that he did find the house. Although I’ve already assessed the backyard and there’s room for that Tuff Shed should I need it.
Take a look. Looks cute, right? Just say yes now. You can commit me later. Check ‘yes’ on the vegetarian meal plan and ‘no’ to roommates with violent schizophrenia.
(Have I gone loco or would you have allowed this? Come on, who’s on this crazy train with me?)
ME, ME, ME!!!
Farm Boy picked out our very first house all by himself! I was still in Oklahoma and he was in North Carolina. I saw pictures but that’s it honey! And…we lived happily ever after! Well…so far. I do expect it to keep going though. lol…
I think it’s a good thing that you trust your husband that much! I trust Farm Boy that much. He knows me…knows what I like. Knows what I can and can’t live with. I trust him with everything. I think you did the right thing!
Or am I crazy too?
Megan
http://reddirtandcrazy.blogspot.com/
Looks adorable by the way! Love it!
Looks lovely, congrats!!
And yes, I probably would have allowed my hub to pick a home for us… I think.
we moved to a different state into a home my husband picked for us. I never saw it, just moved in, made it our home, and then cried like a baby when we had to leave.
The house looks adorable. You have not lost your marbles. However, I hope your husband is holding onto his hat because if anything goes wrong with that house, it will always be his fault. Having a bad day? Kid #1 hiding in the millionth hiding spot for the millionth time, inducing the millionth panic attack? Dad’s fault. Mom’s having a bad day and stubs her toe on the floor? Dad’s fault. He’s in for potentially the most bumpy ride of his life.
In the words of the imcomparable Whitney Houston (said to Bobby Brown while they were making fools of themselves in Harrod’s of London) “I am not doin’ this with you, tooooo-daaaaaaaaaaay…”.
There is no way in HELL i’d let my hubs pick out the house…no, no, no, not never…
Wow! We went househunting for almost a year, often with kids in tow so I know exactly what you mean. I’m actually amazed my husband and I didn’t get a divorce after the experience it was THAT excruciating – but that probably has more to do with the fact that we wouldn’t be able to afford the home of our dreams if one of us left. So eventhough I give my man credit for finding our place and sticking through the additional nine months of a rollercoaster ride on a short sale (which is NEVER short), I must admit – there is no way in hell I’d let him do it without me. He’d probably do just fine, as G seems to have done, but just the same, could’t do it. I think my husband wouldn’t agree to it either. He knows that if anything went wrong, I’d say, “we’ll you’re the one that picked this place.” LOL!
Well, before I moved where I am now it was my parents who looked this place over, called me over the phone to tell me about it and email me the schedule for it, and said that they had asked to see the landlord about it again the next day and give him a deposit! I know my mum would never have done this if it wasn’t the place for me, and 9 months later, I’m soooo glad they did this for me – I *love* it here!
When are you moving?
The house looks a dream!
But no, I wouldn’t let my husband shop for a house all on his own, just like he wouldn’t let me buy one on my own. Heck we even have to go shopping for stupid things like a lampshade together because our tastes are so wildly different. Me: classy neutral shades with a hint of colour (off white walls, grey furniture and a few tastefull blue or red cushions/vases/bowls all in harmonizing colours) Him : Versailles.
Dream house, ’nuff said.
I’m just wayyyy too much of a control freak to do what you did!
Welcome to New England!
Adorable! But what does the kitchen look like? Bathrooms? Closets? Oh, never mind…it is ADORABLE!
me! me! pick me! pick me! i did the same thing when we moved to new mexico. unfortunately? our house was not nearly as cute looking as yours. Just as cute on the inside?
congratulations!! beautiful home!
You’re moving to Maine?? Waaaaa!
There is no way, no how, that I would let my husband pick a house. His only criteria would be that it was a “Deal”.
I love that house, though. Love it!
Is that a termite I see on the steps?
*gasp!* SOoooOoooOOoooOoooOoooooo cute!!! Well done, G!
(As for “never seen”, he DID take ten squillion pictures of the inside AND drew you detailed floorplan maps, right? Because if you didn’t demand these terms, then yes, you are insane.)
I came incredibly close to insisting that my own G let me handle the house-buying entirely – I was the one doing all the work anyway, getting a sense of what we could afford, finding places, figuring out what they’d go for, immediately planning out how we’d live in them from the moment I walked into a place (including this one – he still marvels at my ability to have envisioned the rhythm of our daily life from visit one), learning all about the mortgage process (and doing all the work to actually get ours), asking all the right questions, compiling all our materials, etc. – so since I was doing ALL of that, I really started to feel like he was just in the way. I had been looking at houses online for six goddamn months by the time I was able to successfully pressure him into letting us actually starting to visit houses and contemplate buying them. I had to drag him kicking and screaming into it, and, lacking my six months of research, he seemed to be looking for completely unrealistic ideals – a perfect, 100% move-in-ready, 3-or-4-bedroom house for under $300K. Seriously. Talk about a roadblock. After many many fights, he finally got real (upped our budget after I showed him lots of financial work-ups, and reduced the criteria for what “move-in ready” really meant after seeing some real doozies), and we found our lovely home the very next week. And then I got that sucka closed asap.
And now… now I am contemplating no longer consulting him about all sorts of house-related things. I keep telling him he’s going to come home one of these days to re-done landscaping (which I keep bugging him to do), a new paint job, and several decorative touches inside that I’m sick of him saying neither yes nor no to. Because really, this house is mine.
Which one is my room when I come to visit?
Lovely house. Looks from the outside like G did a great job (that’s me reserving the right to totally back you up should it be unsuitable in any way on the inside.)
I so would not let my hubby buy a house without me though – he would just pick the first thing he saw and buy it in order to get the process over with. I’d end up with something falling down, with only 1 bathroom and short a bedroom, but that had a cool garage he could put a pool table in, I’m sure of it. With our new house I did the financing work, searched the internet, found the realtor and pre-looked at all the houses only inviting the hubs to come see a house after I knew I already liked it and it fit our budget. It took 6 months and failed offers on 2 houses to get our “third time’s the charm” house that we both love.
I would let my husband buy a house with out me — he’s probably pickier than me. But with modern technology, I would have expected photos and video tours. Of course, we’ve already bought 3 homes together, so perhaps my perspective is skewed. Saying hi from SITS. Your blog is fun!