Nathan Exposed » Househunt, Part 3: Finding Our Home

Househunt, Part 3: Finding Our Home

I’m skipping ahead because I like to share photos and discuss. I actually have a lot more to say about our experience getting a loan and finding the right Realtor. But I’ll fill you in on that later.

Our fantastic real estate team was a husband and wife duo. They set us up with a 3 day househunt which covered over 30 houses within Nashville and the suburbs. It was incredible, overwhelming, and exciting.

Friday - Spring Hill

Williamson County is the place to be around Nashville. It’s outside the city, very safe, and very clean. Spring Hill is located in Williamson County, 30 miles from Nashville.

The first thing I noticed was the silence. Not a sound for miles. All you could hear were the birds chirping. I loved that about Spring Hill. The air smelled so different. Actually, Spring Hill was farm land just a few years ago. It’s recently become a hot spot because of the population growth.

But after a few hours of touring, the panic hit me. I realized we were really far out from any major hospitals, gas stations, and stores. I have this weird fear where I always have to know civilization is nearby. When I get too far out in the country, I freak out and worry that I’ll run out of gas, or somebody will get hurt and there won’t be any help. Weird, I know.

In the end, Spring Hill was just too far out. I loved the peacefulness at first, but eventually got annoyed at the winding 2 lane country roads.

Saturday - Nashville, Hermitage, and Old Hickory

We started in Nashville. We found this one really nice house with an extensive amount of landscaping. The photo is on the right, but doesn’t really do it justice. You have to see this place to believe how much work they’ve put into it. There were a couple of red flags, but nothing too bad.

After Nashville, we traveled on to Old Hickory. WTF is this place? I was not a big fan at all. “Old” is the key word. Sorry, this town just didn’t do it for me. We did tour a very nice home that stood out. But I was grossed out by the vacant turd in the toilet. (YES, I check toilets. I check everything.) Anyhoo, Old Hickory was just too far out and something about the town bothered me.

We also visited Hermitage. You know, we actually kind of liked Hermitage. It had easy access to the interstate, and did show signs of growth on the main roads. Not bad.

That’s where I absolutely fell in love with this house pictured on the right. It’s very hard to describe why I loved it. There were a lot of things wrong with it, actually. It was built in the 80’s and the appliances were extremely outdated. All those would have to be replaced when we moved in, which would be expensive. The bathrooms had not been updated either, and they needed a good renovation. Again, very expensive. And finally, the yard was small. There wasn’t much room for growth.

Fine, those are the negatives. But something about it felt right. It was an established house, and established neighborhood. The interstate was nearby, and it was very easy to get to major locations from there. The inside was actually rather spacious. It had some beautiful architecture inside. This was a “real” home.

Rodney and I discussed it heavily. After some thinking, the house grew on him too. We were so excited because we thought we’d found the one…

Fri, Apr 21, 2006 @ 8:35 am | Filed in Life | Permalink

8 Comments

Continued good luck with your house hunt. If you think things are out dated, and I am sure you are doing this, before making an offer, calculate how much to redo what you need to redo. After looking at many existing homes, we chose to build new.

Posted by Scott C on Fri, Apr 21, 2006 @ 12:21 pm

If you wait long enough those outdated quirks might become tres chic. Didn’t you hear linoleum is the new granite, and if toasters are cute and stylish when they’re vintage, why not microwaves.

Posted by Pete Parker on Fri, Apr 21, 2006 @ 1:24 pm

I too am moving - but into another rental.. I did own a place at one point in my life - then something happened and I just sold it and went back to renting - I think I was not ready to settle down - still aren’t ! But I love looking at places and thinking about what to do to make them a Home for me… Good luck and Enjoy the hunt!
R

Posted by R on Fri, Apr 21, 2006 @ 10:15 pm

Happy house-hunting Nathan!!!

Posted by Robert on Fri, Apr 21, 2006 @ 10:40 pm

You thought you’d found the one…

Sounds like a sequel!

I’ve never heard of Spring Hill, but of course I know Old Hickory and Hermitage. I think if I ever moved back to Nashville, I’d have to live within 10 or so miles of downtown…I don’t know why, as I’d rarely go there (unless of course I worked for The Tennessean…at which time I can go kick that reporter’s ass for you).

Posted by sara on Sat, Apr 22, 2006 @ 11:14 am

Marco, my partner, has been talking about buying a home, but I am just not ready for the commitment. I am glad that you two are. Good luck finding your dream home.

Posted by Andre Koetsch on Sat, Apr 22, 2006 @ 11:43 am

Omg, this is so exciting!!!!
The house looks great too. Don’t forget to think about maintenance though. That’s why I’d prefer something smaller myself.

Posted by Sunshine on Sat, Apr 22, 2006 @ 7:06 pm

thanks for sharing in my enthusiasm guys well part 4 is next week, and you’re onto something Sara

oh and Sara that would be awesome. Come on over and kick some ass!

Posted by Nathan on Sat, Apr 22, 2006 @ 11:24 pm