Neighbors

We were looking for houses and I found the one. Huge kitchen, granite counter tops, the split floor plan we had dreamed off. Hyrum and I walked around the neighborhood trying to get an idea of the place. It was nice and quiet. In fact we didn't see a soul as we walked down every street. That evening I was ready to put an offer on the house. We decided to go take another look before we made an offer. On the way we stopped at another house that we didn't get a chance to see that afternoon. It was really just to assure me that the house we were going to was the house for us. I almost didn't go to it because there wasn't a scrap of grass in the backyard and it really just wasn't set up for kids.

I found out later that the house was built in the mid ninety's but by looking at the interior I thought it was built in the 80's. Lots of gold trimming, pink counter tops and blue toilet seats. I was really disappointed, not in the house but I was disappointed that I felt really good about the place. I wanted my granite counter tops! Our realtor really liked the place (and he was picky) and thought that both houses were a great deal. I was so conflicted! I was so certain that we were ready to submit an offer and then we saw this house that was fine but certainly not what we had dreamed off, and I was just so confused.

The next day we took a walk around the neighborhood. I think I was secretly hoping to find drug dealers hanging out on the corner to make my decision easy, but there were none. Instead there were lots of people out jogging and taking dogs on walks. We enjoyed the playground nearby and met someone from the neighborhood. She said that she hadn't recognized me and wondered if we were new to the neighborhood. I was impressed that she knew the faces of people in the neighborhood that well. When I told her we were thinking of buying in the neighborhood she raved about how wonderful a place it was to live. When I pointed out which house we were looking at she said "We call that 'the fun' cul-de-sac" She told us all about the barbeque's that were held in the cul-de-sac for the neighborhood and about how wonderful the people there were. I was sold. Truthfully the reason we were moving was not for the house but for a neighborhood that would be a good place to raise a family.

We bought the house and are busy replacing toilet seats and trying to take our house forward a few decades. But so far, the neighborhood is just as wonderful as was described to us. The neighbors have brought brownies to welcome us, took the time to get to know us. Already we know almost as many people in our neighborhood as we did in our last house. Just yesterday someone in the neighborhood stopped by to invite Alan (and the rest of us) to a swim party at his house for the neighborhood kids. He hadn't met us us but had heard from another neighbor that there were new people in the house with kids. There are wonderful people and we had a great time getting to know their family (and for their recommendations on great babysitters in the neighborhood).

So for those of you who asked, no it isn't my dream house, but the neighborhood, it just might be a dream come true. By the way the house next door is going up for sale soon. Now THAT house would be a dream house. Come take a look and be part of the neighborhood!