First Mission Accomplished. (plus a few bonuses!)

Fermin and I, along with Lucy and Ricky, have spent the last couple of weeks in Colorado.  Phase 1 of "The Big Move". For this trip, our main goal was to find our longer term rental house that we could come back to in January.

We have only one full day left before heading back to Dallas, and it's just now that we've finalized where we'll be living in January. And I'm SO EFFING EXCITED.

That is not to say it hasn't been an emotional roller coaster ride tho.  I've had plenty of meltdowns along the way.  The market here in Denver, and all it's surrounding suburbs, is hot.  So hot that there just isn't that much available, whether you're buying or renting.

Fortunately for us, VRBO and AirBnB exist, which created another avenue for a longer term rental for us.  We are so glad not to be locked into a 12-month lease.  Instead, the deal we worked out is that we are staying in a house for up to 6 months, and just renewing on a monthly basis.  So, if we decide we don't like the area we have chosen to stay in, no big deal- we can hop along to a new spot the very next month.  Or, if in a few months, we find a house we love and decide to buy it (and that would be a perfect world!) we can, without being penalized for breaking a rental agreement.

I did run across one "landlord" that was only willing to offer us a discounted monthly rate (which is pretty standard for VRBO properties) if we would use she and her husband as our realtors.  She was still going to require we pay the full amount, but they would "credit" us a daily $20 that would roll into one big payback once we close on our house that they would be the brokers for.  I was so disappointed, because for a few days, I had my heart set on their property.  But I realize now how grateful I am to have learned about their shadiness now vs. later.  I don't want to rent from someone like that, and I for sure don't want a realtor that has to coerce me into using them by offering me a discounted rental property.  That all seemed shady and gross.

Oh!  But speaking of real estate agents: We found the best ones! A friend from Dallas that had moved to Denver several years ago put me in touch with a married couple that have their own real estate brokerage.  The second Fermin and I met Molly and Sean, I knew these were the people for us.  Funny, enthusiastic, not pushy at all, and just so helpful.

So maybe I didn't get my #1 pick for the rental house, but that's just a temporary thing anyway.  We found a house with a nice owner who is being so nice and flexible in working with us.  It's in a good, central location and has everything we need.  AND, most importantly, we found a team of great real estate brokers that I know will help us find a great home here in Colorado.

Things are feeling really good.

So, Phase 1: Mission Accomplished.  We accomplished all that we set out to do on this trip.  We found our rent house and we got a little familiar with some of the areas around here.  As a huge bonus, we've already found our realtors.  And the added icing on the cake- we had such a great time each day.  Like I said, moments of meltdowns? Yes.  But I'm all about the ups and downs and yins and yangs of living.  And all's well that ends well.

Onward and upward! Colorado here we come. ❤️

that ONE snowy morning