The Contenders *Updated

Right now there are about 7 houses in the top running which we will be going out to see this week and next. They are listed below in no particular order.
They were selected based on price per square foot, lot size, walk-out basement (This is kind of a necessity as we will need to rent in order for me to cut back to part-time teaching), and location Location LOCATION!

House Number 1: This little beauty isn't really so little, or so beautiful. In fact I've started calling her Big Betty. She's got nearly 9000 sq feet in one of the older (yet still respectable) communities in Orem. For my Utah readers, think Apache Hills Provo. For my Texas readers, think Champions Forest or Kleinwood areas. For my Cali readers, think most of Clovis). The major perk with this house is that it is SO cheap. It's running for like $29/sq.foot and even though she needs some work, there is an awful lot that you can do with that sort of space.
* Turns out Big Betty is basically Orem's version of the Winchester mystery house, which I SO totally dig. My darling spouse, however, got lost several times and by the end was about to puke out of sheer stress. Probably won't push this one, although it is like my ADD brain's dream come true.

House Number 2: This gem is located at the mouth of the canyon in Alpine, which is a pretty upper-crust hamlet in North Utah County. Generally, houses in the canyons are worth more because they have large lots, pretty views, and more privacy. This is no exception. On .72 acres it is by far the largest lot we're looking at, and the house has some cool features, too. It also has a stream running through the back yard. Sweet. It's about $68/sq.foot

House Number 3: This is the smallest (finished)square footage we've looked at, but it's just a few blocks away from that house with the incredible views that we bid on a few weeks ago. It's the newest house that we've considered, which means that the basement needs to be finished off and it needs landscaping. It doesn't have the views of some of the other houses on the list, but it's a really swanky neighborhood.
* Gorgeous with surprisingly large ammounts of personality for new construction. Unfinished basement and lack of any sort of landscaping is a major drawback, though, as is the $345K price tag. It really is beautiful, though. I literally screamed like a tiny child when I saw the BUTLER'S PANTRY. Plus the closet in the Master is literally larger than Andrei's current bedroom. Literally.


House Number 4: This house is located on land that used to belong to my Great Grandfather- his apple orchards, to be exact. It's land that was in my family since pre-Great Depression times, but that was sold off in the 80's when Great-Grandma decided that the family had no use for it anymore (as far as I know). My Great-Uncle George lives a few blocks away in the old farm house. It's older, but has been completely updated and looks brand new (hello kitchen!). It's also on a nice lot, and real estate in that area is running pretty expensive these days, so it's a pretty good deal at around $68/sq foot. It's the only house in the bunch that's totally turn-key.


House Number 5: This house is one of the pricier houses at nearly 5000 sq feet, but it's up the road from Big Betty in a slightly newer part of the neighborhood and it has a killer view from the deck. It's pretty plain Jane, but that's kind of a good thing since I usually move into a place and start messing around with everything anyway. The major bonuses are the built-ins in the office/library, large room sizes, and of course, the view. What would we do without sweeping panoramic views of the valley? Don't ask Luis, because he's pretty sure that he can't live without them.
*I think I'm in love. Seriously. What Plain Jane lacks in personality she makes up for in good 'ol American class. Recessed lighting throughout, charming finish work, central vac, and a blank canvas of a kitchen. Cute MIL apartment and well-thought-out back yard with a perfect spot for a veg garden.


House Number 6: This house is located on a private drive in Sherwood Hills Provo (if you're a Texas Reader, think Raveneaux... Cali readers, this is like the Fresno Temple neighborhood or that place down town with all the mega-mansions). It's the right size, and it's a pretty cute place, although the kitchen and bathrooms need a facelift. It has granite countertops, and did I mention the private drive? She's on the pricier end of things at around $72/sq. foot.

and last but not least, House Number 7: This house is the priciest per sq.foot at around $74, but it's on a half acre, at the end of a cul-de-sac, it's newer (built in 2000), and has seriously killer views. I'm pretty sure that if there's nothing hideously deformed about the inside (no pictures = suspicious?) that Luis is going to want this because (did I mention?) he's obsessed with the views, and baby, does this house deliver. It's just a few blocks south of Big Betty and Plain Jane in North Orem.

Okay. Now is where you get to put your two cents in, if you feel so inclined. What do you all value in a home? Size? Good schools? Turn-key? Big yards? Which would you pick, if you had to?

Of course, we are still keeping in mind that this whole bubble could burst at any second and the hospital could withdraw their offer on our old house (not likely, but still a possibility), and all of these houses could have some sort of serious defect, or they could all be under contract, OR (like that neo-gothic monstrosity in Springville that we bid on) they already could have been sold 2 weeks ago...
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By the way, on a totally unrelated note, today is the 8 year anniversary of my first date with Luis. I would have never imagined that we'd still be together 8 years later when he took me out to Ice Cream that night. I was waiting for a missionary whom I had been madly in love with for nearly 4 years, and it was a blind date. I think the real miracle is that we not only still love each other, but that we still genuinely like each other.