House-Hunting, Finances, and the Hassle with Hays

Hello, friends! I thought tonight I would post about the Leiker family's adventures in house-hunting. My husband's aunt is a realtor, and with baby number two on the way, Jeff and I figured we might search for a house with more than two rooms and one bathroom. It's not that we can't manage in a two-bedroom apartment - other people have certainly managed - but the extra space would be nice, and we were hoping to get our dogs back from Jeff's parents, as well. You know, just another step in adulthood, another responsibility, another step towards independence.

Our list of requirements started out simple. The house had to be:

1. Located in Ellis County.
2. Between $50,000 and $120,000.
3. 3 or 4 bedroom.
4. Situated in a nice neighborhood (by "nice" I mean that I had to feel like I could let Elliot play outside without worrying that pot-heads and perverts might be watching)
5. Gifted with a nice backyard for dogs. 

It seemed simple enough. But as we were to find out, nothing is ever simple.

Ever.

I have since looked at houses outside of Hays, KS, and I am convinced that this must be the most expensive place on earth to live, let alone rent a mere two-bedroom apartment. Looking at our budget with Jeff's aunt, we quickly found out that our actual house-buying budget was between $50,000 and $90,000. However, the houses selling for that price did not meet all our criteria, and were badly in need of fixing up. We were not opposed to the idea of fixing up a house, but we wanted to have to do minimal and inexpensive work - these houses were calling out for their own spot on HGTV's Fixer-Upper. With heavy hearts, we both admitted that we should wait to purchase a house. There was no immediate rush, anyway, and with doctor's bills looming ahead, we needed to be prepared for our savings to take a pounding.

So, we will wait another year or two! That was the outcome of our research. Now, let me tell you a little about our discoveries along the way!

Aside from the huge financial strain, we learned a thing or two from touring some houses. I will lay them out in bullet-form for your convenience.

• Wood is pretty but costly to keep cool or warm. Old houses, especially, will run up electrical bills faster than you can say "Scrooge McDuck."
• Just say no to small kitchens.
• Maintenance problems need to be kept to a minimum. Preferably none at all.
• The kitchen MUST HAVE a dishwasher. 
• Hallways, door-frames, and rooms should be spacious, since Jeff and I are not hobbits.
• A piano should be able to fit in the living room. 
• Air conditioning - central or what? Same with heating. How will our electrical bill look in the dead or winter or the middle of summer?
• City or well water?
• Ellis is too far away and the neighborhoods are less than appealing. There is no nearby grocery store or decent restaurant. 
• Victoria is "cliquey" to a fault.
• Catherine is too "country." 

In a nutshell, nothing but Hays will do for my husband and I, but the cost of living is far greater than can be afforded on one income. Which is why I am going to do my best to go professional with my blog.

Yes, I've been thinking about switching to WordPress and using a hosting site. That way I can sign up for ads and things like that. We will see what happens! I am blessed right now to be a stay-at-home mom, but that can't continue forever if we want to live in a house in Hays. So! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as we continue the search and do our best to live each day by counting our blessings!