These pictures were taken after the offer on our dream property was accepted. But because we've been so mum about it, it's only appropriate to rewind a little bit and start from the beginning. :) It was the day before Independence Day that we learned of a country property near us that would likely be listed for sale soon. Sure enough, before the end of the month it hit the market. We drove by the property the day it was listed for a quick peek before asking our realtor to book a showing for us. Just a few short days later, our realtor arranged the showing and met us out at the property. It was love at first sight! At the top of our list for our dream property was location (not too far out of town), and second, was the view. This property met both! However, even though we loved the property, it was listed for quite a bit more than we could ever afford. Additionally, we weren't prepared to make an offer on the property without a lot of due diligence. You see, there was already a teeny tiny old house on the property. It was built in the late 1800's-early 1900's and it was constructed pretty close to the road. Any addition that we would want to add to the home likely wouldn't comply with county setbacks. Additionally, the property is located near a lake and a wetland so any setbacks are even greater than what we would have to consider on a normal lot. Furthermore, due to the age of the home, lead, asbestos, and a non-compliant septic system were also likely concerns. Luke and I decided that if we were going to buy this property, we would need to build a new home from scratch. So, after talking with people that worked for the county to obtain information on septic requirements, property setbacks, building and demolition permits, etc. and finding a lender that was willing to provide us with a loan for a "land only" purchase and new construction... we did nothing. Well, not nothing I guess. We prayed and prayed and prayed. We had so many questions! Is this "the one"? Are we putting all this effort into something for nothing? Our thoughts were consumed with unanswered questions. We truly wanted to be obedient to whatever God's plan was for our family. We did not want to make a decision based on our heart's desire. We decided to write a letter to the sellers. I typed up the letter to provide the sellers with a glimpse of who we are and why we wanted to buy the property. Because, you know, life in the country isn't for everybody. We wanted the sellers to know that when we talk and dream about the life and memories we want for our children, we see fresh air, room to run, and a simple more adventurous (and challenging) life. I also included a family photo so that they could put our names with faces. :) Up to this point, almost two months had already passed since the property was listed for sale, but we were finally ready to make our offer. A long two and a half weeks later, the sellers finally accepted our third offer! Fast forward another six weeks to this past Friday and we're the official new owners of this beautiful homestead! We couldn't be happier or feel more blessed that God gave us this little slice of his beautiful creation. God's hand was in ALL of this - from us choosing our awesome realtor, to finding a lender (and getting approved for the exact amount we needed), and getting all the hundreds of little (but important) details ironed out. There is so much more to this story - this post would be much longer if I outlined it all. Just know that waiting seven years was absolutely worth it. Before all of this, we never imagined that we would own 11 acres of land that borders nearly 300 acres of a DNR wildlife management area, we have a county park just a stone's throw away, there's a lake across the road, AND we get to build a NEW house. Guys, this is so special! We cannot wait to share more about our little homestead as we clean the woods, refurbish the sheds and garage, and of course, design our new home! :)
