Waiting by the Home
*Updated, below*
Last week we fell in love with a house. We’d been looking for several weeks, even months – close to a year of scanning and scoping, searching and book-marking, touring and open-house(ing) — taking our time — waiting and hoping that eventually the time would be right – the space would be right – the school district would be right – and we could take the next step as a family: house rentership.
And right now? It’s ALL right. The timing. The house. The everything. As much as it can be, that is. And so? I have become obsessed. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t stop decorating the living room in my head. Staring at photos of the house’s Spanish-tiled kitchen, online, its french-doored office – its … omgomgomg BACKYARD! (ED: I haven’t had a backyard since I lived at home 10+ years ago. This has been a DREAM of mine since always, especially since becoming a parent.)
Every day for the last two weeks I’ve driven by the house. Parked against the curb to gaze at its FOR RENT sigh, imagining what life would be like coming home to a home. A house. With three-bedrooms and a garage to convert into a studio. With lemon trees and elevated boxes to plant vegetables with the kids. With an actual office space to store my computer and hundreds of books. Whoa.
Frankly, the last two weeks have made it hard to think of much else.
In High School I used to fall in love quite on the often side. Mainly from afar, I’ll admit. I once stalked a boy for close to two years. He played guitar at a coffee shop my friends and I used to flock to and even though he never knew my name – my love for him knew no bounds. I’d drive by the coffee shop, even when he wasn’t performing, even if I had a boyfriend at the time. He was, decidedly my soulmate, and I KNEW that one day he’d love me back and we’d live happily ever after, him playing his guitar, with his long surf-streaked hair and rain rock in a rustic cafe, and me writing poetry about the way the wind combed his hair… la la swear… la la beware… la la wooden chair… (Ed: Years later, the same boy would become a local L.A. newscaster. A far cry from the bohemian cafe-guitarist I fell quietly in love with. Still way cute, though.)
I digress…
This house? Is kind of the equivalent of THAT boy – except it hasn’t been two years, it’s been two weeks – and yet? It feels like… an eteeeeeeeernittyyyyyyyyyyyyy… with our withooooooooout you… please don’t go… don’t gooooooooooo … don’t goooo awaaaaay…
And right now? I’m totally freaking the eff out. Because tomorrow? We find out if we get the house. If the landlord chooses us out of all the many people who want to rent the property. (Apparently, Los Angeles didn’t get the recession memo because it’s COMPETITIVE as all hell out there, sheesh.) Because, in typical Hollywood fashion, we must wait in the lobby for our call-back.
In the meantime? We make plans to attend open-houses over the weekend. And I write this post to keep myself from stalking the property like a crazy sixteen-year-old.
And if tomorrow, our name isn’t called? I’ll bow out gracefully. Sad, yes. But with the knowledge that our perfect-for-us house is out there. That, whatever which way this works out – We’ll be able to stargaze in our very own backyard soon enough.
… at the three visible stars up in the sky. La la la I will not cry. La la la, we’re doing ten drive-bys a day standing by...
***
*We got the house, you guys. WE. GOT. THE. HOUSE. Moving in May 1st. More to come! MORE TO COME! Thank you so much for your good vibes and well wishes and kindness. We are so grateful!



I think you should give us all this landlord’s email. What is better than an inbox full of character witnesses???
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you!
The landlord would be crazy not to pick your lovely family. Break a leg.
Ive been there and its rough. Whenever i hear a certain Johnny Cash song (which was my husbands ringer at the time when we were buying our house), I still get that knot in my stomach. It was hard but i tried to remember “what’s for me, will not go past me”.
good luck!
C
Oh gosh… I SO HOPE your dream home is yours tomorrow! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Do you have a photo of your new home?
Fingers crossed for you guys!
And now I’m all butterfly-tummy anxious for you. WOW. The internet is weird.
Oh ihopeihopeihope you guys get it!
We had lived in apartments for 8 years and we’re renting a house now and oh my goodness it’s the most perfect thing ever in the history of perfect. 3 BR. Backyard. Garage. LAUNDRY. We’re going to have a clothes line! And a compost heap! I love the house and I feel like a grown up coming home to one, even if we don’t OWN it. I still love it and SO wish the same for you.
Fingers crossed for tomorrow!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK! I know just how it feels to be in love the way you are with the house. Fingers crossed that this one is The One.
P.S. hilarious about the bohemian-turned-newscaster. I can see how he was once hot. It’s kind of better not to know his fate, to imagine him teaching surfing in Costa Rica instead.
Gah! I hope you get it!
I was so hopeless with the mental decorating of houses we didn’t have yet that my husband had to pick out the house we’re in without my seeing it because I was so heartbroken every time our offers didn’t work out. He couldn’t take it, so I trusted him to find something nice.
The house stalking is especially weird when the new one you want is directly across the street. Luckily we were successful in getting that one, but for weeks it was painful to look out the kitchen window and think ‘I want it I want it I want it!’
I really hope you get it!
You guys are so so awesome. Thank you.
I so remember those days. I would fall in love with houses and drive past them and wish and hope. I hope you have much better luck then I. We had such bad luck that we ended up buying a house.
keeping my fingers crossed for ya!
You’re so close I wouldn’t be surprised if you got it. We were in the same boat 8 months ago. Double the rent but triple the space and a backyard made it all okay! This was one of our dream spots and I swear the patience payed off. I hope you guys get it!
He totally would look better with long, sun-streaked hair. That do is just not working. Nix the suit, too.
Good luck on the house!
Oh <3 for falling in love from far away. Fingers crossed for the house!
I really hope you guys get it!
GOOD LUCK!
i’m in the same position! amazing how something as “mature” as a house can make you feel 15 again…aaghhh!!
Sometimes I have those “I just know it’s gonna happen this time” thoughts and I am right, like getting the house I saw and had to have. And sometimes I just suck at that stuff, like thinking the guy who called me would be my future husband. HA! I married the other guy . . . I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Ahhh the suspense! I hope you get it. (Look at the two of them holding hands in the back seat! Pure love.)
You are totally gonna get that house. You are. I hear you on the Los Angeles renter’s market. We are doing the same thing and I am shocked at how crazy renting is right now. What is going on?
Wow. We are in exactly the same position! Well, we were – we got THE house just a few days ago. I can’t even imagine what it will be like to leave an apartment – and hopefully never go back to them again!
BACKYARDS!
Whatever is meant to be will be and it will be wonderful. Sending the very best thoughts and crossing my fingers and toes that you get the news you are hoping for! xoxoxoxo.
I’ll light a candle for you guys!
Good luck! We sure know that feeling. The area we live in (Boston area) doesn’t seem to know there’s a recession going on either. What up with that? Anyway…GOOD LUCK!
I have my fingers crossed for you! I live in Houston, and while the housing market is not as competitive as LA’s, it’s still pretty dang sticky. We bought our house 2 years ago and love it, but we lost the first one we swoon-LOVED. Crushing. I swore I would live in apartments forever, should I not be able to live in THAT house. Turns out, the roof of it got ripped off during the hurricane in ’08. The house we bought was untouched. Destiny?
**Hoping Hoping Hoping for good news for you guys!!
Prayed for you this morning to get your house! Hope it all works out.
I hope you’re not disappointed. We’re here to catch you, if that phone call doesn’t come through. That’s what girlfriends do, there when the call doesn’t come.
Please oh please get the house..
Fingers and toes all crossed for you!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you guys! If for some reason it doesn’t work out, have you guys thought about South Pasadena? Schools are excellent – you can walk to everything (Trader Joe’s, library, farmer’s market, coffee, etc.) and it’s so close to downtown and the eastside. We ended up here last year after being in Hollywood, and it is amazing (we have a 4.5 year old and a 17 month old, too). Feel free to e-mail me if you want to know more: buddyrooster (at) gmail (dot) com
Good Luck! I hope you get the house of your dreams. I’m just curious, how much does a house like that rent for in LA?
I’m hoping for you! I know how it feels to find the perfect fit only to call the realtor and discover that “they JUST rented it out”. And I totally get the drive by’s. The Buffalo Exchange I frequent is right by the house my (now) husband used to live when we first started dating. I drive by it and think “what the hell did these people do to the patio!” I’m a weirdo, I know.
Anyway, hoping it works out!
Good luck! It is CRAZY here in LA. I went through the same renting issue on the westside (sans kids, so far less critical in terms of school districts, backyards, etc.). It seemed as though the only places that weren’t competitive were… shitholes. Oy.
Thanks you guys!!! I appreciate your well wishes and good thoughts! I’ll keep you posted!
Good Luck! We’re sending you some serious good vibage!
My head just exploded because holy canoli, I found out I got my Spanish-style rental this week, too. Not that I didn’t start the whole decorating in my head thing long before that.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Keep in mind that, if you can find a lovely house once, you can find another lovely one again the future. Best of luck.
When we were crossing our fingers and toes and eyes over the house we’re living in now, I kept telling myself… “This or something better. This or something better. This or something better.”
So you’ll get this house…or something better.
I hope you get the call-back!
Remember that I Love Lucy episode where Lucy corsses her fingers, arms, legs and eyes in hopes that Ricky gets that callback from H-wood? That’s me for you today. I hope you kids get your dream.
We just bought a house four months ago. My blog has, like, eight months of anxiety-ridden posts about finding the right house. So, basically, I feel ya. Good luck!
I so hope that you get this house!
I have been stalking a house for 7 years. That is right 7 years. It finally went on the market last week. We had an appointment to view the inside when our realtor called and told us it was already under contract. Three days after it went on the market. Apparently other people were stalking it too.
I keep coming back to see if you already know… Please keep us posted!
congrats on the house!
(we have that same carseat, love it. moo.)
When we were looking for a house we loved #60 that we saw… didn’t get it. #120 was even better… we got that one! You are right… the right house will come along. But I do hope that this one is the right one for you! Good luck.
As one of the only three people in the world left without a twitter account I have to say it here: I’m so happy for you!
After the school debacle, you guys needed a lucky break!
Whoehoe for good karma!
Oh boy, do I know how you feel! We just moved into our very first rental house ever in December, complete with backyard (which I have already decked out with a trampoline, and I have the slip n slide on standby). Although this is my very first backyard EVER and I’m almost 30. I really really hope you guys get it!
p.s. we’re also in California, but the northern San Francisco-ish area
p.p.s. My littlest has the same carseat as your littlest
Thank you thank you!!! I’M SO HAPPY!!!!
Oh I am so excited you added the note that you got the house! So wonderful and exciting!!
YAY YAY YAY YAY!!
I was going to comment yesterday about how I hoped you would get the house! I’m so excited for you guys!!!
Good luck with packing!
yay! You got the house! Hell yeah!
Ok, I’m just ridiculously happy for you and your adorable family! I cannot WAIT to see pics of the new place and of you guys ENJOYING it!
xoxo
CONGRATS!!!!! You deserve that house
I expect lots of pictures!
yay! congratulations!!
I’ve been thinking about you guys all day! So happy to hear the news. Yay! A house!
The stars aligned! Hallelujah!
WOOHOO!!!! Let the decorating commence!
Congrats Rebecca!!! This is so exciting, I’m so happy for you!
LOOOOVE IT!
OMG…so happy for you! and that guy, well it is all about his eyes.
So so happy for you!
Hooray!! Nothing like that feeling. It’s going to be awesome!
Congratulations! I am so happy for you.
Congrats on being selected (not that we ever doubted you wouldn’t be since you all are just beyond awesome)for the house!
I can relate to the obessesing and stalking over a home. I’m apartment hunting for my first apartment on my own (bye bye family and roomates!) in the DC metro area and dear god the competition for a great place is mind boggling!
Can’t wait to see pics of it!
YAAAAAY! So excited for you guys!!
Yayyyy! So cool!
CONGRATULATIONS A MILLION TIMES OVER! I’m SO happy for you and your family. Really I am. You deserve it. I can’t wait to read about all that house decorating you’re going to be doing. Again congrats Rebecca! =D
SWEET! Congrats. And happy moving.
OH YAY! Backyard here you come!
(Oh and that last pic of the kids holding hands? ADORABLE.)
So, so, so very happy for you!!!!! Enjoy every minute!! When do we get to see some pics???
Yay! Have a fantastic weekend! Cannot wait to see pictures!
Congrats!! So happy for you and your beautiful family!
Congrats- that’s so exciting!!!
Love your blog, and can’t wait to read about the adventures sure to come as you guys pack up and move into your new little piece of paradise. Just think… backyard cookouts, s’mores, a tent, a little splash pool this summer….
YAY!
Yay! Congratulations. I myself am a house-stalker.
I am so, so, so happy for you. Hugs!
I totally logged on to your blog today to see if you got the house. Congratulations! So happy for you and your little family, what a great next step. Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Oh right on!! They made the right choice:)
Thank you all so much!!! Much love!!!
Not much of a commenter, but Whooaaaaaa I am SO excited for you! I know how that wait feels… pacing around on the inside and outside… Congratulations! Can’t wait to see pictures!
so excited for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can’t wait to read about moving, decorating, kids playing in the backyard- IN THE BACKYARD!!!!!!!!! ya!!!!!!!!!!
can i just say it again? KIDS PLAYING IN THE MOTHER TRUCKIN’ BACKYARD!!!
CONGRATS ON THE HOUSE!!!!! I’m so happy for you guys. Have a great time with your new backyard!!!
Hurrah!
Wow, congratulations! That’s great news.
Wow, real grown-up stuff! What a great 2010 for you. I wish you and your family all the best!!!! Masel tov!
Are you buying this house or renting? Can you post some pictures?
Congrats!!!!! Can’t wait to see all the pics & a veggie garden … : ) I just bought my first house, so I know how you feel … Feet in the grass is the best!!
Renting! Rentingrentingrenting!!! Will post some pics when I have them.
Well renting a house that belongs to someone else isn’t the same as owning one of your own, but it’s got to be better than what you’ve been in. Congrats.