First Home Style

I came across these pictures today while I was deleting some files from my computer. They were taken a while ago at a open house here in Brooklyn and I thought I would share.  If memory serves me correctly, this was a one bedroom unit in a condo complex on a quiet block. Everything was shiny and new.    OK sized living room. small bedroom The problem was that it wasn't in the best neighborhood and I felt it was overpriced.

On Saturday July 20,  I received a letter from my HSBC loan officer stating that I needed to provide more documents in order for them to process my loan application.  The letter stated that all these items needed to be addressed or else they couldn't move forward on my loan. The document had outline a 22 item request list, some of which I had already submitted weeks earlier.  Another of which, I hadn't received the relevant document from the loan officer to complete. One question asked me to verify that 15% of my current home was not being used as a home business.  I was confused. Why is my loan officer requesting information that she already received or not provided to me? Furthermore why is she asking me questions regarding a home business that doesn’t exist? I thought at first that she may have gotten my file confused with someone else’s. I quickly wrote her an email asking for her to explain. Of course, I got no response. To her credit, it was Saturday. On...

I’m always impressed by the way that furniture stores layout furniture. The photo above was taken at a Macy’s furniture store a few years ago.  The brass bed frame, dark wood armoire and end tables are all part of the Martha Stewart Turkey Hill collection. At the time this photo was taken, this was the look that I wanted for my dream bedroom.  My tastes have changed ( for the better I hope), but I still like the gray blue color on the wall. Over the last few days, I have been thinking a lot about paint colors. I thought, I had finally decided on a light blue paint color for the living room. But then I changed my mind. I have narrowed it down to the following: This is the sky light view paint from Valspar. It was my first choose but then I thought maybe I should try something darker. This is the twin cities paint. Then I wanted something blue and found this Silver Dusk color I like patterns and I have been thinking about doing a stenciled accent wa...

One of the reasons that I haven’t posted in a while is because I didn't want to have to write the words, I’m still waiting for mortgage commitment from HSBC. Seeing those words written, as you can probably imaging, is disheartening. I am so emotionally attached to the property and exhausted that we've been in contract for two months and yet haven’t been able to secure a mortgage.  I have decorated in my mind, chosen colors for the living room and entry hallway. Perhaps it’s a tiny bit crazy, but I strongly believed that this would have been a shorter process.   I am a first time home buyer so I didn't know what I didn't know.   I didn't think that I had unrealistic expectations either. I had already compromise on the ideal neighborhood. I compromise on the cost. I compromise on having a kitchen full of updated cabinets and stainless steel appliances. I compromise on having an updated bathroom. I have watched hours of televisions shows were two weeks after making...

Today I got an email from my attorney enquiring if I had secured a mortgage commitment as yet. Sadly, I had to respond, no.   It is a reasonably question to ask when you consider that I made an offer on the home on May 3 rd 2013 and we went into contract at the end of May.   Everything else from here on in should have gone smoothly.   I thought wrong. Having never purchased a home before I didn't understand the process. I assumed that because I had a 10% down payment and good credit that would be enough. I even completed a first time home buyers class, at HSBC’s request, at a community organization and received a certificate of completion.   This class cost me a nonrefundable fee of $75.  The community organization wasn't all bad and I don’t want to give the impression that they did not assist. They helped me to apply for a down payment assistant grant. I am truly grateful for that.   Still, here I am six weeks later without a mortgage commitm...