The House

“Wow, this is a nice one.” Jack said as they pulled into the driveway. They had spent the last several weeks looking at houses with their Realtor, Joanne, trying to find something that they liked, and could actually afford.

“This one is actually in your price range, if you can believe it. The owners recently passed, and the children are looking to get rid of it quickly. Shall we go inside?” Joanne motioned them toward the front door so they could have a look around.

Bridget noticed right away there was a huge back yard behind the house. Perfect for Hank, she thought. As they stepped inside, they were taken aback by the 1970’s decor. This house clearly had not had any updates in the last 50 years.

“Three bedrooms, two baths, a huge yard, this house is everything you two were looking for. Perfect for raising a family.” Joanne smiled, pleased with herself that she had found such a perfect house for this young couple.

“I know it needs some updating, but it’s actually perfect, don’t you think?” Bridget looked at Jack, who appeared to be frowning.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m just wondering, what’s the catch?” He looked to the Realtor, who had been staring at them intently.

“No catch, but it’s going to go quickly because of the price. So if you’re interested in making an offer, we have to move fast.” She opened the binder in her hand and scanned the first page. “All offers need to be in by this evening, and I think there are at least six other offers already. So are we making an offer?” She smiled at them expectantly, waiting for them to decide.

“Let’s do it.” Jack glanced at Bridget for confirmation that she was on board. She grinned at him.

“Amazing! I’ll get the paperwork drawn up. Now, because there are so many offers, we know it’s going to sell for more than the asking price. So you two should talk numbers on your way home, and message me with what you’re willing to offer.” She snapped the binder shut and motioned them out of the house.

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“Great news! Joanne shouted as Bridget picked up the phone call. “The sellers are torn between two offers, and yours is one of them!”

“Wow, that’s fantastic news! When will they decide?” Bridget asked as she bit the side of her thumb nail.

“Soon. The sellers really liked the personal letter that you submitted with your offer about becoming new parents and wanting to raise a family in their house. The only problem is, the other offer is a bit higher than yours. That’s the only reason they are considering it. Would you be able to up your offer by 2K?” Joanne sounded hesitant, knowing they were already stretching their budget quite thin with their original offer.

“Hold on, let me talk to Jack for a second.” She muted the call and looked at Jack.

“I think we should do it. We can make it work. I want this house.” Jack said confidently.

“Okay, let’s do it. I can’t believe we’re buying a house,” Bridget said incredulously, as she took the phone off mute.

“Okay, we’re in. Let’s do it.” She told the voice on the phone, almost not believing the words that came out of her mouth.

“Amazing! I’ll be calling you back in a few minutes to congratulate you on your first home purchase!” Joanne said before ending the call.

“Did we just buy a house?” Bridget’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

“We bought a house, babe, we’re home owners!” Jack grabbed her and pulled her into a warm embrace.