Well, it took a few months, but I finally found my house! When I first started the house search, my goal was to find a small place with an inexpensive mortgage. The object was to reduce the amount of money I spent on a place to live in order to free up more money for competing. I got off track along the way in my house search and started chasing the American standard: a larger 3-bedroom home, which would not have reduced my monthly bills at all. Thankfully, those houses didn't work out.
Just when I thought all was lost and I would have to go back to renting, a small cottage came up for sale right around the corner from Flying Horse Farm. I was skeptical after seeing the pictures. It was cute on the outside and a hot-mess inside. At a mere 700 sq ft, it was not a home most people would be interested in. But when I went to look at it, it was good. It was better than good; it was perfect for me. Yes, it had leopard print carpet and a Jackson Pollock inspired paint splattered kitchen, but the furnace and water heater were new. The roof still has some years left in it and the basement was more or less dry. It was a single family home, on half an acre, adjacent to a stream, that only required cosmetic fixes, and came with a mortgage $500 less than my rent. I was sold.
I got the keys this past Thursday!
Putting the competing on hold was hard, but it was just a short-term "setback" so I could set myself up better financially. Now, I'm ready to start 2016 fresh and re-energized from my break!
Leo is good and a little bit fat around the belly! I applied to ride in the William Fox-Pitt clinic which was ultimately canceled. Then, Leo and I were invited to participate in a clinic with Mary King - who they got to take the place of WFP. Unfortunately, that clinic got canceled as well. I was super disappointed because I would have loved to have had the chance to ride with either of those Brits! Hopefully, I will have something riding-related to write about soon!
Here are some random pictures from this fall...
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| Fall trail rides with Leo |
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| My new cottage! |
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| The ugliest kitchen ever? |
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| More trail rides...View up to the barn |
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| Pleasant Hollow Farm Reunion 2016! |
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| Hacking at Valley Forge National Park |
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| Plantation CIC 3* |
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| Plantation CIC - Guy McLean |
Oh man, I think I spent some of my childhood in a replica of that kitchen!! Congratulations on your house! I can't wait to see what you and Leo get up to next!
ReplyDeleteyay congrats on the house!!! (even if the kitchen is.... eccentric? lol) bummer about the cancelled clinics but surely something else will come up - there's always something going on around here!
ReplyDeleteThe outside of the house is adorable. The kitchen is um... unique?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new house!! Even though the kitchen is a bit... eclectic... right now, it will be easy to make some small changes that will have it looking like a whole new space in no time!!
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