It really happened today! I can’t believe I actually did this, but I am the proud new owner of a Hubbell brownstone at GreenWay Crossing. It hasn’t hit me yet, but I know it will soon. The documents are signed. It was a lot of work, but would you believe that the mortgage people from Wells Fargo were actually nice? Hubbell’s got this sweet deal set up with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage where they pay for all of these fees that apparently most people have to pay when they buy a home. Who knew? There’s so many surprises when you buy a home, but it seems like Wells Fargo is doing everything to make the process easy. You really have to meet these two great gals from Wells Fargo, Michelle and Tabi. Not only did they hold my hand (figuratively of course) through the entire thing, but they are super nice people. I think I’m actually going to have them come to my housewarming party - that’s how cool they are.

Home Buying Book

Once the papers were signed and the keys were handed over (and the code to the garage door), I met with Lynn from Hubbell’s warranty department. Lynn told me I should call her if there are any problems in the next year. She gave me a binder that was custom made for my new home that included all of the instructions and warranties for the cool new stainless appliances. It’s really like a guidebook for the entire hose. Definitely going in a safe place.

7 Flags 24/7 Xpress at GreenWay Crossing

After that meeting, I got a certificate from the Hubbell people for a free 6-month membership to the gym, Seriously! I was going to join anyway, but this is just a total bonus. Check out the 7 Flags at GreenWay Crossing. They have a climbing wall and this XRKade system that is like video games while you work out.

Anyway I am off to go to the house now. Check back soon for some cool pictures and stuff.

Cheers,

Hailey

So I think I may have found my place. Scratch that - I know I’ve found my place. GreenWay Crossing just does it for me. Talking with Ben and Dan made it clear. They’re the Realtors at GreenWay Crossing and they explained to me all of the cool things going on in the community. I know I already mentioned it in my last post, but you have to check out the new gym down the street. It’s off the hook!

OK, back to my (hopefully) new place.

GreenWay Crossing Brownstones

These brownstones are almost double the size of my apartment. I love how spacious the living room is! Even though I haven’t bought the place yet, I am already making a list of friends to invite over to the housewarming party. And it’s big! I’m thinking I could invite Rachel and Michelle over early to help with the appetizers. There’s plenty of room in the kitchen. And let’s just say the appliances are about 30 years newer than the stuff in my apartment. It’s kind of funny actually. When you look at these homes on the outside, they don’t look all that big. Once you get inside it’s a totally different story. And yes, there’s even a place to keep my theater and athletic awards that my mom is itching to throw out. I think I’ll place them in what will be my pilates room.

Here’s the point of this post, my friends. Ben and Dan knew right away that I could fit this in my budget. It’s not like I have the best job in the world, but it really isn’t that much more than rent at my yucky apartment. And since I’ll own it, I can do whatever I want to the inside. So why can I afford this place? Geothermal. My other friends that own older houses are always complaining about their heating bills in the winter. Like $250 a month. Ben and Dan told me that it only costs something like $75 a month to heat a brownstone in the dead of winter because of geothermal heating that Hubbell puts in all of their brownstones. By the way, you should check out Hubbell’s Web site because that’s where they have all of the information about GreenWay Crossing and the green stuff that ends up saving people money. I almost forgot to tell you about the coolest feature of their site. You can actually chat with Susan - I guess she’s some sort of online helper the Hubbell people hired to answer questions live online. Check it out here. Susan actually helped me set an appointment to meet Ben and Dan at the model on a Tuesday night!
View Larger Map

So that’s it for now, make sure you stay tuned for my next post in this home buying adventure!

Cheers,

Hailey

I’m looking for a place to buy, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. Since it’s a buyer’s market (especially for someone like me being a first-time buyer) I just decided to start my search. Today I got up early and drove around town since I did some research online first. I wrote down all of the things I was looking for in a new home and took the list with me on the drive. I know I want maintenance-free since I hate to mow and shovel snow. I also know I don’t want a condo because I want something that feels like my own home, not an apartment. I have to have an attached garage because I’m not going to scrape my car windows in the winter anymore!

A friend told me about Fox Prairie Lofts and I stopped there first. They are super hip and the model was beautiful but I had to keep looking - there are a lot of options in Des Moines!

Glynn Village Brownstones

I went to Waukee next because I found this conservation community online called Glynn Village. I love the idea of living in an area with nature all around and there is a clubhouse and pool but I still had a few more to look at.

That’s when I walked into the model at GreenWay Crossing. I was really excited because these were more in my price range and it had all of the criteria I was looking for in my first home. Not to mention, my office was down the street and they just built a new 7 Flags 24-hour gym within walking distance!!! When I talked to the real estate agent he told me about the geothermal heating system that would make my energy bill less expensive each month. I was thinking, is this too good to be true? I took pics with my digital so I can send them to my parents and friends. I’m getting excited about owning my own place! I’ll keep you posted!

*Cheers*
Hailey

Hi, this is Hailey.

This is my first post on my new blog.  I feel so connected (and techy)

Check back soon, I will have lots more to share.