I signed my name about 50 times Friday morning to a stack of papers an inch thick. There were many references to "Blondie, a single person" throughout those papers. I'm sure it's a "legal thing," but it kind of bugged me that they made such a big deal about my marital status (or lack thereof). Geez--STOP rubbing it in already! I also had one last-minute request from the Underwriters which frightened me a bit, since the mortgage approval process has been nothing but invasive and humiliating. All I could think was, "What now? They want my first-born child?" Turns out all they needed was a copy of a letter I had sitting on my kitchen counter, but STILL, making a request for additional documentation WHILE I am signing the final papers!?!?
Jerks.
As God is my witness, I will never apply for a mortgage again...
I'd rather pass a kidney stone (and since I have passed 2 of them, I know what I'm talking about).
But the important thing is that I have purchased a home--and not just any home. This is a house with 2,147 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a home office, 2 dining areas, an enormous kitchen with a HUGE pantry, a utility room, and a 2-car garage. If I wanted to (and I think I want to) I could put in a pool table! It's in a "better" neighborhood than the one I live in now (which is a perfectly acceptable neighborhood). The houses across the street from my new house back onto the golf course and cost a good $50K more than my house. But the MOST important thing is that I qualified for this house all by myself. It is in MY name, and MY NAME only. The down payment and closing costs came from money I had saved all by myself. I did this on my own with no help from anyone (besides a realtor and a loan officer). Of course, this also means I have to pack up all of our stuff by myself...DRAT!
I have been a "homeowner" before--back when I was married and there were 2 full-time incomes in the family household. I had to let go of that house when I got divorced, and I went back to being a renter while I recovered financially from the cost of divorce. During those 4 years, I paid an attorney thousands of dollars, paid my parents thousands of dollars, and paid my ex-husband tens of thousands of dollars. All the while, I took care of my kids and my own bills. There wasn't a lot of extra money to throw around, but I always had "enough," and I am grateful for that--most single mothers can't say the same.
But those thousands of dollars of my earnings that I USED to have to pay out to other people, now belong to me again. I was promoted not once, but twice, in the last 4 years. I actually have a Savings Account now and a good credit record, for a change. I even have a separate Savings Account for Vacations (Yellowstone--2009!) My kids have everything they need, and then some. I have everything I need, and then some.
And now I actually own an ASSET that will appreciate instead of depreciate. (Note: the Housing Market in my city has not faced the same problems as Housing Markets in the rest of the country--one of the advantages of living in a poverty state with affordable housing.)
I could end this entry by saying that I am "counting my blessings," and I am, but that's not entirely accurate. It wasn't just "Divine Intervention" that got me to this place. Yes, I had a good support network, but family and friends can only do so much. I got me to this place. I am very good at what I do, and I work very hard. I am responsible. I don't fall apart emotionally even when very, very bad things happen. I keep going--keep meeting my responsibilities, keep on being "The Provider." And that doesn't make me a bitch or an "Ice Queen." That makes me a Strong Woman, a Good Mother, and a Role Model.
And I am not saying these things to boast. I am saying these things because all of my life I have failed to attribute any of my accomplishments to anything that I did--I always chalked it up to "luck," or "blessings," or the fact that I had educated and supportive parents.
I think it's high time I gave myself some much-deserved credit.
