A Huge Relief and a New Place to Call Home

I've shared on here and on the air that I've been searching for a new house.  It's been a lot more stressful and challenging than I expected, but I'm happy to report I've found the next place I'll get to call "home."

It also doesn't hurt that it's an incredible house with amazing landlords.  I got lucky.

When I moved to Boise in 2014, the city was starting to catch fire and people were beginning to understand the draw of the Treasure Valley.  We had been warned that
"hoses have started to go really fast," so I traveled out to Boise from Nashville and spent a few days looking.

I looked back at that trip since I had saved notes and pictures from every house I toured (since my wife at the time was back in Tennessee and I was out as our representative).  I looked at almost 30 houses, and of those we were interested in, I missed out on every single one.  Some due to a higher rental offer, some due to being 3rd or 4th to apply, and some I never heard back on.

It was actually my final morning of that trip, on my way to the airport, that I got a call from a property manager I had met in the process.  She had a house that wasn't listed yet but would be soon, and I detoured and risked missing the flight to check it out.  It ended up being our first house here, and I had to put money down from the layover on the flight back, but it worked out.

Four years ago, I was going through a divorce, and attempting to find what would be my first "solo" place.  It would be me and my son half-time, and the search was painful.  Due to some factors at play in the divorce, splitting up income, and having to pay on the existing rental a couple more months, I couldn't find anything that would work.  My current landlord saved the day when she looked past some of the "red flags," talked to me personally, and ultimately decided to rent me the house.

It's been a great place the last four years, but now she has the chance to sell it, and that's totally fair.

That led me to the latest search which has been insane.  I've become a Zillow.com app pro, and started watching my housing alerts with a strong passion.  The moment something new went up, I would request a tour, and the process with many listings has included the requirement of an application up-front.

I've become a pro at recalling addresses, incomes, and dates.  I've lost out on four homes I really liked, but Friday, I signed on a great house, with a great couple who are my landlords, and was able to stay just outside of the neighborhood I was trying to be in.  It all has come together extremely well.

It's been a trip to take in the new prices of rentals, the craze of the market, and the speed at which you have to move to get the right place, but I'm really excited to move into my new place.  I'm also grateful for finding a second round with landlords who took an interest in getting to know me and who feel approachable.

Now, to start the packing...