Perfect Timing

I keep my religion rather low-key, but if you ever wonder, I do believe.  Go ahead and call it coincidence or serendipity, but I believe it to always be a higher power.  The timing is always perfect, usually just under the wire.

Twice this has happened to me when looking for a new home.

The first time I was a divorcee and had to be out of the house by the end of March.  No if's and's or but's, no more extensions.  I had just enough stashed away for first and last for deposit.  I was specific - I wanted four bedrooms and two bathrooms.  Of course, I wasn't too picky.  If I had to squeeze us into a two bedroom, one bath like I was moving out of, well I would snatch it up.  But a safe neighborhood was preferable.  Some place close enough that I could keep the older kids at the same school would be ideal.

I spent my lunch hour and after work scouring neighborhoods.  I toured a few houses, but my credit application was never approved.  It was getting close.  I had back up plans - a friend had space, but she lived over an hour away, but it was a place.

One day at lunch, just five houses away was a FOR RENT sign.  It wasn't there that morning.  I practically left skid marks stopping in the middle of the street to scribble down the number.  I rushed home, called the owner, and arranged to meet after work.

The first step in the house and it felt RIGHT.  It was four bedrooms, two baths, one level so no lugging laundry to a basement (another beef), walking distance to both an elementary and the high school, and in my price range.  It was a little higher than I was wanting, but not outrageous.  I plead my sorry story being a divorcee with ruined credit and they took pity on me.  My deposit was paid the next day and contract signed.

I saw it on Tuesday and moved in on Saturday.  It was a happy home and it was what I needed when I most needed it.

The following house, THIS house, was quite similar.  I didn't HAVE to move, but wanted to get closer to work (new job).  Again I spent lunch hours and after work driving through neighborhoods.  It was the end of July and I figured if I couldn't find anything by the 31st that I would sign another year lease where I was.  School was starting in just a few weeks.  On the 29th I saw an ad on Craigslist just blocks away from the office, they never did get the FOR RENT sign up.  I checked it out and it was perfect - a two bedroom, one bath - exactly the size me and my fifth grader needed.  The older kids had graduated high school and moved out.  This house had enough space that if either (or both) kids needed to come home I could accommodate them.  The price was right, the location was perfect.  In ten days I was moved in.

It just happens.  It's right and you feel it in your bones.  Somebody on another blog asked about going with a gut feeling, THIS is going with your gut.  Both houses came out of nowhere at the very end of my timeline.  My friends nearly had heart attacks waiting for me to find a place.  My gut, my faith, said stick it out and I did.  The payoff was tremendous.