Potentionally a Contender

So....I found a home and I think it could be "the one" for us. I have since passed the information for said named house to my mother-in-law who will take a look at it for us. Now, I know what you're all thinking, I keep talking on and on about how we're not financially in the market for a home but I'm working on getting to that point. I was crunching some numbers and if we can get a certain number of debts out of the way within say six months we just might be able to get this house. I know some of you, in particularly current homeowners, are probably laughing (maybe inside your head) that a home isn't just going to sit on the market for six months. Well this one has been on the market for 387 days already. I don't know if there are any major issues with it or maybe people down there are skeptical of getting into a short sale and having to wait months on end for said named home. I, however, am willing to believe it's the latter because from the images you'll see below the home seems to be builder grade quality and the current owner has not done any upgrades (not evening painting the walls)!

My big "push" for trying to get into this home now rather than later has much to do with my husband departing the Marine Corps. I know with him serving eight years it puts us in a better position on paper to qualify for a loan than if we wait until he gets out and I'm the only one putting relatively new income (once I find a job) into a house hunt. I know many banks will also see me as not being a good enough source with a fresh job and no "steady" income on his side since he'll be going to school and will get G.I. Benefits that don't receive the same value when looking for a home.

After scouring many properties online and debating between one story and two, 1,800 to 2,00 sq. ft, three bedrooms versus four, I have compromised on our list of home attributes to come up with this property fitting us best. Anyways, I won't keep you long today so here's what I hope can be our future home.

Gilbert, AZ
3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, two story, two car garage
$110,000 1,879 st ft home
3,825 sq ft lot

What My Kitchen Will NOT Be

The kitchen is the heart of my home (I know it's a cliche but for me it fits) but in my current home, it's anything but heartwarming. It's a real quick, fast fix kind of mess that irritates me every time I think about it. The cheap (cleverly left out word) landlord of mine really did a number putting in some low grade fixes and put things all backwards. For example, when you look at the photos the dishwasher is now located where the refrigerator used to be who knows how long ago. Not only is the dishwasher not located conveniently next to the sink, this area is now a big gaping hole in my kitchen. It's like looking at the big space between Condelezza Rice's teeth. She may be perfectly fine with her "imperfections" and more power to her, but this eyesore grates on me. My landlord obviously has no idea how to create an efficient and attractive work triangle in the kitchen, but he's pretty good at bungling up the entire kitchen layout.

Here's some other things that drive me crazy about it:
-windows that don't seal properly and are old and worn out
-There is no backsplach (anywhere)
-The fridge is now located by the doorway and with the kitchen cart in the kitchen if the fridge is open, it blocks the entrance into the kitchen
-lack of counterspace
-minimal natural light
-galley style (this only works well if the kitchen is larger than mine, in my opinion)
-lack of cupboard space/sufficient pantry
-ugly faux rope woodwork on cupboards
-"Barbie Doll" sink...dubbed this name by my in-laws because it's so shallow you can barley put any dishes in there
-low faucet, which causes water to splash while washing dishes
-closed off to the rest of the house
-track lighting...it's ugly and outdated
-linoleum floors...I don't like linoleum

So here's some photos of our kitchen. I do think it's a sufficient space for a family that doesn't entertain or cooks simple meals, neither of which describes my lifestyle.

Look at this sad window Skinny isn't a good thing to when it comes to a
kitchen




See how the fridge blocks everything when it's open...grr
This window leaks the most in our
home



Open Pantry Closed Pantry



My tiny little lazy susan drawer