The moment we decided to stay in Bloomington, Mandi and I determined to live as if we would be here forever. It is for that reason that we decided to build our dream house, 1159 West Twin Oaks Ridge. It is a beautiful home and was an amazing confirmation from God that we were moving in the right direction. The builder, James Baird, was new to the area and trying to get his name out, so he undercut the market on pricing. Then, throughout construction he offered us free upgrades on items like the jetted tub (Jacuzzi), the water heater (ex-large capacity), the paint (8 colors), and etc. Every time there was a mistake in the plan or a sub messed up, we came out ahead. That's just the way James does business, and why I'd use him again in a heartbeat. When it was finished the house was beautiful. It had a complete wrap-around porch, grand entry, four bedrooms, a formal library, 2 1/2 baths, a sweet master suite, recirculating hot water, instant hot water, great views, a laundry room, a bonus room-unfinished-, a formal dining room and an open floor plan. Mandi actually cried when she saw the colors on the walls for the first time; they were that good. More than a year after it was built James would still occassionally call us to ask if he could show it to prospective clients. Everyone who saw it was amazed. It is a thing of great beauty, and we got it cheap.
When we decided to take the position in Joplin, we knew it meant selling our dream home. We may never find one quite as nice. The realtor talked to James about it and he told her it was the best house on the block. He's right. Maybe that's why it sold so fast. It went onto the Multiple Listing Service on Friday the 17th, and we had an offer on Saturday night. Did we price it too low? Not really. Given that we have to move in less than a month, we priced it at the high-middle of the market and hoped we wouldn't have to wait for it to sit empty like our house in Eugene (2708 Frogs Leap Lane) did six years ago. Clearly we benefitted from a red-hot market, but still, two days? We countered the offer, which was low with one that was fair, and the deal was done by Monday night, even though the buyer had flown back to California. We close on August 12.
All I can say is that its a total GOD thing. What a great God we serve, and how well does He care for those who are His completely. Our God is an awesome God.
Now our hope is to find an even better home in Joplin. It won't be easy. We will be tentative at first, living in a rental until we know for certain that we are meant to stay for a while. Then we will build again whatever dream we are led to claim our own in the land that God calls us to serve.
