Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The power of the sun!

Oh my goodness! It has been a long 10 days! Dre and I have been looking for our first house as our rent is way too expensive for us ($1,750/month) now that we're on "month to month" instead of a lease. Yeah - it's the complete opposite of what would be the financially sound thing to do.

The reason we're going month to month was because a few months ago, his grandmother offered to gift us a down payment for our first house as a wedding gift and we expected to be in a house months ago. Unfortunately, what was supposedly a gift has now become a huge burden for us. This "gift" is now dependent on whether she likes the house, if she would live in it, etc. We've gone through multiple real estate agents already because they just can't put up with her. (I forgot to add I think she has undiagnosed narcissistic personality disorder, which is common with people with NPD.) Things have gotten so out of control with her that I've told Dre that under no circumstances will I be visiting her regardless of the occasion and that I'd rather forgo this "gift" than be around her even though we can't buy a house without it. We just don't have that sort of money right now. Luckily, I'm not the only person in the family who feels this way toward her and I happen to have two fabulous future mother in laws - my fiance's mom and his step mom to go to for support. It's not often you get two mother in laws and it's really not often that you actually like them!

Anyway, for money saving tips, I'll tell you about this house that my fiance and I really wanted to buy (his grandma said no dice to getting this "gift" of a down payment if we pick it out because she said it's a cheap piece of junk...{???}) This house isn't completely finished being built yet. It's slightly over 1,800 sq. ft, $253,000, 3 stories (it's a bonus room + full bathroom on the third story) and... the entire community is completely solar powered! This house has the largest lot of all the houses (they have zero lot lines unfortunately) so it has a tiny back yard and the front door opens up to the gigantic park in the neighborhood.

With the first time home buyer credit + new house credit + solar energy credit, we would get $20,000 in credits for our taxes! As well, because everything is solar powered, PG&E buys excess solar energy to the tune of $600 a month. Yep, we'd be getting a $600 check from the electric company every single month (It's sunny year round and they have it set up where no trees or anything will even be close to casting any shadows on the panels.) We could use that check toward our savings, my fiance's debt or our mortgage!

Unfortunately, we're not getting the house (I'm sure something better will come along.) but granite is standard, security systems + free monitoring is standard as are Bosch appliances. It's so cute but hopefully we'll find a place with a nice big backyard so we can save some real money through our grocery bills, rain water collection system and (I know this sounds gross) composting toilets.

More to come shortly!
Ciao,
Bella

3 comments:

  1. I've so enjoyed reading your posts...the pups in the bath tub are so adorable and your recipe for toothpaste sounds right up my alley..especially without all the sugars that are in the over the counter kind. Sorry about the house you were looking at but I always feel that everything happens for a reason...we just don't know what or why!

    Thanks for commenting on the giveaway..I
    l cross my fingers for you!

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  2. Good luck with house hunting! Is your grandmother planning on moving in? Why would she have to like the home before giving you the money? I would make sure that you have the $ in your account without any strings attached before you sign anything...just speaking from experience ;-)

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  3. His grandmother isn't moving in. That's why it's so frustrating having her around. I just don't understand her whole mindset of "gifting with strings attached." I don't do well with her controlling behavior.

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