House Hunting in Waco

What a week it has been. I have been house hunting in Waco, Tx. I am looking for a new project, aka a fixer-upper home. I promise we are are not moving. Instead, we are looking for a home to fix up and rent out as a short-term rental. I guess you could say I want this to be my next big project.

So why Waco? I love Waco, and everything about Magnolia, and the prices are a lot more affordable than they are in Southern California. 

The house hunting experience over the past few days has been kind of like a roller coaster ride. Lots of highs and lows, confusion and clarity, and scary and fun. I have been looking for a house for a few months now, from afar, and we made an offer a home last week. Sadly, we were outbid. So, I decided it was time to head back to Waco and pound the pavement, get to know the neighborhoods better and find a house.

The thing I love most about Instagram is the amazing home decor community. When I was in Waco this past Apri, I met Jill Stout from Gathered Grace and Amy Williams from Cuter Tudor. Both of these gals are amazing and are the most amazing hosts. I have linked their blogs and also included links here to find Jill and Amy on Instagram! Check out their sites as both these gals are very talented!

Where We Stayed in Waco

Amy and Jill secured a wonderful Airbnb called Urban Myrtle where the three of us stayed for two nights.

Look at this kitchen! I love the tile and everything about this.

The location is amazing, in fact, look at this photo! Do you notice something right down the street? It’s so close to Magnolia and The Silos.

Here are more photos of the Urban Myrtle. The house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. You should check it out.

 

House Hunting

I found an amazing realtor who has been a huge help during my house hunting experience. If you are interested in a house in Waco, just let me know and I will put you in touch with her.

My realtor and I looked at about thirty houses that were for sale. I am looking for older houses (about 100 years old) that have character and are located in a specific location. Most of the homes we looked at were not in very good condition. Some were hoarder homes, with more stuff piled up (like six feet high) than you could imagine. That didn’t bother me, because I was so focused on the structure of the homes and not the clutter. Instead, it just made me want to go home and reclean out my closet. 

We looked at a few lots of land as I considered building a new (but old) farmhouse. I never thought this was even an option, but it could be.

And we looked at houses that weren’t for sale. We talked to neighbors, people watering their lawns, just about anyone that would talk to us. They called their friends, who called their friends, and then we looked at “their friends” houses. We even went into some houses that weren’t for sale, that we thought were abandoned, but weren’t. (And no, we didn’t get arrested.) 

Our most creative best lead on a house came from peeking inside a house under construction and copying down the number on a “for sale by owner” sign (which was laying on the floor). We called the number and found a few more houses for sale. We were resourceful and determined. And we laughed a lot.

So where do we stand now?

I have not shown you any of the homes, or lots, that we are interested in. I need to keep those a secret for now. But please know, there are a handful of opportunities that are exciting and I am very interested in pursuing. I think one of these will work out and I have my fingers crossed. 

Wish me luck.