We did a thing. We bought a house.
We are so thrilled and fortunate to be able to buy our own home. A home that we look forward to making our own with both internal and external improvements and that’s where this blog comes in. While we’re experiencing the joys and challenges of being first-time homeowners and updating our home, we’re going to be documenting it here and sharing it for anyone who wants to follow this new, exciting journey we’ve embarked on.
Thanks to Redfin, we unexpectedly were so lucky to find Rocky G.H. Hawrysz, a fantastic realtor, who helped us through the process. Showing us many homes, taking our crazy text messages, emails, and calls no matter the time of day. Most importantly he really helped us understand what it takes to buy a home and all the things we should be thinking about as first-time home buyers.
We look forward to sharing this experience with you - it’s so exciting (let’s be honest, a little scary at the same time). Although we know there will be fun times, frustrating times, and some speed bumps, we’re embracing that and know not only is that part of the experience but everything will end up just perfect in the end. We’re ecstatic to be on this journey together, our little family of 3, and making this a perfect home with Chloe (she’s going to do all the work).
But wait… where are you moving?
After looking for homes in Oakland for some time, we weren’t finding any properties that met some key criteria we established: 1. our budget, 2. our wants in a home, and 3. a neighborhood that we wanted to come home to everyday. So we ventured east - further into the East Bay. After expansion and exploration, our search led us to find our house located in Tracy, California.
For those that don’t know, Tracy is about 60 miles outside of San Francisco and about 25 miles east of Pleasanton, where we go to for work everyday. Much of Steven’s family is in the Tracy and Modesto area of CA which became a big factor in deciding where to move. We’re excited to be closer to family and being able to be more present for family events, hosting game nights, and impromptu cook-outs. Plus, who doesn’t love cute, tree lined downtown streets?
We’re close enough to the city (both SF and Oakland) to still enjoy the thrills of the big city life. We look forward to going into the city to see friends and can’t wait to host our friends at our new home.
What’s Next?
We’re getting started right away on projects. We’ll be sharing the projects and the process, the good and the bad. But first… a deep cleaning.
Let’s get to work!
-Dustin & Steven