Eight years ago when my parents decided to move back to Omaha from Pasadena, they knew they wanted to live in a specific area of the city. However, there weren't any houses for sale that they were interested in. So my mom did what anyone would do in that situation: she wrote personal notes to about five strangers who lived in houses that she liked. She told each of them how much she liked their house and if they would be interested in moving, she'd be interested in buying. You'd do that too, wouldn't you? Well, they all wrote back (Oh you Omahans.....such friendly people) and they all enjoyed the compliment, but weren't interested in selling their houses.
But one letter stood out from the rest. It was from the owner of her favorite house. He was an older man named Mr. Daugherty, who was kind enough to have his secretary write my mom back. He explained that his wife had died and that he was planning on staying in the house until he died. He was in his eighties. He appreciated the letter my mom had sent and offered to let my mom come through the house when she was in Omaha. My mom wrote back, and so began a series of letters.
In the meantime, my parents had moved from Pasadena and couldn't find a house to live in. So they crashed in my grandparent's basement.......with a high schooler, an eighth grader, and 2 preschoolers. Six people, crammed in a basement. It was time for a house, and considering there were no homes available in Fairacres, they settled on one and tried to make it their own. But there was still something missing: charm.....and the feeling of home.
My mom took Mr. Daugherty up on his offer, and went through his house while he was still alive. She immediately fell in love. It might have been the fact that the kitchen/family room area had the exact same (discontinued) wallpaper that was in our Pasadena house, or just the fact that it felt like home, either way, it was an instant love connection.
Several years, and many letters later, and my mom heard the news this past November that Mr. Daugherty had passed away. You'd think her first reaction would be excitement over the possibility of the house going on the market, but actually it was sadness. After all, the two of them had become pen pals over the years. But naturally, after the sadness subsided, the thoughts of the house flooded her mind. And then the phone rang.
It was Mr. Daugherty's son. He had heard that my mom was interested in his dad's house. His dad had saved the letters! How cute is that? The son asked my mom if she was still interested in the house. ha ha ha....still interested? If driving by it every day means you're still interested then she was, in fact, still interested! Long story short (as if this was short) my parents went through the house one more time and put in an offer that same night. A few days later, their offer was accepted. All under the radar of realtors, the house never went on the market (to the dismay of some other potential buyers, most of whom my mom knows). And now begins the long process of moving, but the priceless process of finally feeling at home.
Have you ever heard such a romantic story about a house? I bet not! So with all that build up, I bet you can't wait to see some pics. Now don't get me wrong, this house needs a bit of work, but wow, it's gonna be gorgeous when it's done. Without further delay:
side entrance
huge living room
beautiful windows
There's just something about a front door.....
office
indoor pool
hot tub!!
another shot of the pool
look who I found swimming in there
found some others
staircase from the pool area
family room
another shot
look at how the sun comes in
kitchen......there's that discontinued wallpaper
happy
back patio
backyard
bar area
bar
another kitchen/family room shot
So there you go. It's not even my house but I'm so excited for my parents that I needed to blog about it. And I'm thinking there might be some pool parties in December. Jude, you better be a little fish like your mommy!
1 comment:
Amazing! I can't wait to see it in person. Did you ever imagine a pool party in December, in OMAHA?! Yes, there is a reason that there pool is indoors. Pure awesomeness. My fave is the kitchen that opens to the family room.
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