The winner is...

We made an offer on a house.  Congratulations to Shannon and Meredith for correctly choosing the third home, the short sale.  It definitely stood out from the rest, and we are taking the risk with the short sale business.  There were two previous offers on the same home that were approved by the bank, but fell through due to the buyers' finances.  The seller's agent was not allowed to say how much the previous offers were for, but he did say that our offer was very good.  So now we just have to sit back and wait for the bank to approve or reject our offer.  While that is happening, our agent suggested we keep on looking, just in case.  In the meantime, I think I will write a book about first time home buying detailing all the things I am learning.  It would include the meaning of the following things, among others:

Short Sale
REPC
Due Diligence
Disclosure Report
Pre-approval
Escrow
Earnest Money
FHA Loan
Good Faith
and my favorite-Time is of the Essence

So, wish us luck, and pray that the bank will be nice, and fast.

House Hunters Utah County

Brian and Sarah are an engaged couple who are getting married in July, and are looking for their first home.  Their real estate agent Dale is helping them out as they learn about home buying.

Their first option is the least expensive at $149,000, a split-level located in Springville, Utah.  The home on 300 East was built in 1983, and recently updated.  It boasts 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with a total of 1450 square feet.  "The Springville home has a great layout, with a large kitchen," Sarah says.  "But there is no garage, no AC, and definitely no yard."  "I liked the new carpet and linoleum throughout the house, and the downstairs bathroom was all new,"  comments Brian.  "The upstairs bathroom needs some work though, and what kind of trees are those out front?"

Their second option is the smallest, with a total square footage of 1280 on .11 acres for $157,490.  The newer home has 3 bedrooms, and 1 bath.  "I like the West Provo home a lot," Brian says.  "It has a nice big garage, and maybe we could include the jacuzzi in the offer.  The rooms are kind of small, though, especially the one that only has a toddler bed in it because a real bed wouldn't fit."  "It is a really inviting house," says Sarah.  "It has a lot of light, sliding glass doors, and a place for a vegetable garden.  But we would have to pay a $20 per month Homeowners Association fee which includes Comcast.  We didn't budget for cable."

Priced at $160,000, their third option is at the top of their price range, but is also the biggest.  It has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a total of 2048 square feet, and is on a .28 acre lot.  Built in 2002, it is also the newest.  "The house is huge!  We could rent out the basement to Janet and not even see her," Sarah comments.  "It looks like a good neighborhood, plus it is close to the Provo River Trail.  It has a beautiful kitchen, but not the best appliances.  And what would we do with the pink striped room if we never have a baby girl?"  "It is a nice home," Brian says.  "It has a zipline(?), and lots of shelving.  But there is no fence, and it's at the top of our price range.  It's also a short sale, which our realtor said could mean a lot of waiting, and the offer has to be approved by the bank, which may or may not happen."

So, which one will they choose, the Springville split-level that's the least expensive, the inviting West Provo one story, or the large Provo short sale home?

Engagement pictures

Out of 250+ pictures, these are the best we've got.  Which one is the best of the best?

(Imagine the bottom cropped out)

Running Rules

While slaving away at my job, I came across this Runner's World article. For all you runners out there, even if you have to work at your job, this is worth a read. It is adapted from Mark Remy's book, The Runner's Rule Book

Rules to Running

Expand Your Sense of Fun
As a runner, your definition of fun—which might once have included water parks, screwball comedies on DVD, and scrapbooking—must be, well, let's just say broadened and might include:

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run 10 miles
Running in blistering heat
Running in the rain
Running in 400-meter circles
Feeling as if your lungs are about to explode
Paying good money for the privilege of turning your toenails black
Any combination of the above

The Open-Ended Question Is Your Friend
Running with someone who's faster than you? Is this person oblivious to your gasping? If so, it's time to deploy that surefire weapon of struggling runners everywhere: Ask the offending speedster a question so broad, he or she could spend 10 minutes answering it. And just might! This is particularly useful on long hills.

"Say, how's the job?"
"Any vacation plans this year?"
"Popular culture: How about it, huh?" 

For Pete's Sake, Stand Still at Red Lights
Sharks die when they stop moving. Runners do not. Keep this in mind next time you encounter a don't walk sign at a busy intersection. There's no need to jog in place or dance from foot to foot like you have to pee. Just chill. Wait a few moments. Note: If a nonrunner waiting with you at the crosswalk is dancing from foot to foot, he or she may indeed have to pee. Give this person wide berth. 

Learn and Love The Farmer's Blow
Mastering the farmer's blow (or snot rocket) is a must for any runner. Here's how to do it right: Breathe in through your mouth, like you're gasping. Lay a forefinger against one nostril and compress firmly. Purse your lips. Cock your head slightly in the direction of the open nostril and exhale forcefully through your nose. Repeat with opposite nostril, if needed.

Running Rules of Thumb
1. If you see a porta potty with no line, use it. Even if you don't need to.
2. If you have to ask yourself, Does this driver see me? The answer is no.
3. If you have to ask yourself, Are these shorts too short? The answer is yes.
4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles
5. You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the runs you skip.
6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks slow really is.
7. Nobody has ever watched Chariots of Fire from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.
8. You can never have too many safety pins on your gym bag.
9. Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day.
10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger versus a runner, you're a runner.

Runner's World

Saturday Janet and I participated in the Provo City Half Marathon-5K-Mayor's Mile.  Janet did the half marathon, I did the 5K. Brian came to cheer us on, and we all had a lot of fun despite the snow/sleet/rain.

Here I am finishing the 5K.  I got in 7th in my age category!

Janet got in ninth in her age group, beating her target time by more than ten minutes.  Take a close look at Janet's competitive expression in the picture.

Janet's face got frozen and she couldn't smile with half her face.

Afterwards Brian and I enjoyed the Sprngville Musseum of Art and the windmills in Spanish Fork.