New House

So... the house on the right in the picture is no 123 Aylesbury Place, Glengormley, and it's our's (or so I'm told. I don't think it'll feel like it's our's until we're into it, but according to the solicitor acting on our behalf it's our's). Isn't that great!! So how did this all happen I hear you chant. Well let me expand. It has all happened rather quickly. Approx 28 days ago we went to view a bunch of houses on sale in a new build estate on the outskirts of Belfast to the north (15 mins from city centre by car) in an area named Mayfield Garden Village (fancy name eh). For anyone local it's just off the Mullusk Road on the other side of the Sandynose Roundabout from Glengormley.
So we went to view for two reasons;
1 Sarah spotted an advertisment for new-build 3 and 4 bedroom properties, cut in price because of current economic conditions, going for upwards of £140,000. (a great price by most estimates).
and 2 because our dinner guests could'nt make it that night.
So of we trapsed off on a Thursday night leaving the chicken in the oven to cook slowly, not realising this was the first night these properties were being realised at these prices. We got there just before opening time, and in approx 1 hour you would have been certain the credit crunch was over due to the amount of people all over the place. It was quite an intimidating atmosphere. We didn't know what we could afford or which house type to go for and left a bit discouraged thinking this probably wasn't for us, as there were loads of people queuing to sign up in their booking office on site. So latter that evening (after chicken) we got to thinking about how nice all those houses were, what a great deal they were, and wouldn't it be great etc etc. So I purposed to give a financial advisor guy a call the next morning and see what we could afford and check with the estate agent to see how many houses were sold/left. So the next day I called both. The financial guy told us to go for it, but the Estate agent told us that the 30 houses on sale had been snapped up in that first night, as well as a further unfinished 20. However they did say that they were considering letting another 30 go on release on that Saturday if they could work things out with the builder . So to cut a long story short, they did release the other 30 on that saturday. We went up at 9.30am and queued to 3pm (when they were due to start selling) and at approx 4.30pm we signed on the dotted line and got the last 4 bedroom semi in our price range (no mean feat as there were many others behind us in the queue who would have been disappointed. It was not the £140 price, but it was £60k - £80k less than what they were going for). So there was still a few hurdels to jump through. The developer was giving us 28 days to complete (not the most comfortable time in which to get a mortgage arranged) otherwise they would keep you're deposit and try and flog you're house to one of the 300 people on the waiting list who had missed out first time round. But thankfully the mortgage offer came through last monday and on Thursday past we signed the official doc's with the solicitor and that was it. Especially good as this Monday is the 28 day cut off time.

The best thing about this is that we weren't even looking for a house as such. We had decided not to stress over house buying until Sarah's job got made permenant (which it did a week before), and having committed the situation to God, it has just happened and we're going with it. Why do things the hard way when God's about.

It's amazing, people (and the bible) tell you to seek first the kingdom and he'll add all the other 'stuff' on to you. And he does. Before the current house price slump, so many people were drawn into the temptation to get on the housing market and it seemed like the the only wise thing to do. And in a short time the whole situation is turned on it's head and to us it feels like an affordable house that we like, is just released to us when before the prospect of house buying meant trawling round all the old small inner city properties that you don't really want, but have no choice but to go for. So there you go. God is good. I'm going to stop typing as this blog is getting a bit long. If you want to know anymore leave questings in the comments box and I'll blog again on the subject.
OK thanks for reading.
God bless you and we love you, and come visit us after Jan 09 and hopfully we will be able to host you in our new home if all goes according to plan.
Bye.
Raymond (and Sarah).