When I started looking for a home, my thoughts were this - Find something small to live in for 5 or so years, then turn it into my studio when I could purchase my dream farm house.
My friend Tara, knowing my likes and that I was on the hunt, knew of a farm house just outside of her small town 20 minutes South of Traverse City. The house was previously an antique store & had sat empty for almost 3 years. She knew friends who had looked at the house but decided not to purchase because of the amount of updating the home required.
The following weekend, Jason and I drove out the house. The first time I peeked in one of the two very large kitchen windows, I was hooked. Bead board on the walls, patina on the antique drawer pulls, maple counter tops & the crowing jewel, a high back farm house porcelain sink. The artist in me tends not to worry about the process & focus on the "vision". Luckily Jason's line of work as a new construction/remodeling electrician doesn't allow his thought process the same prowess.
The farm included just under three acres of land, the perfect amount to sustain ourselves with gardens, an orchard and animals. It's located 10 minutes from Jason's family farms & only a half mile off a main road. Along with the wood barn, there's a newer pole barn on the property, a perfect playhouse for Jason. There is also an old one car garage, a perfect garden shed for me. It just seemed to be the perfect place for us. After all, we had driven around looking at old barns on our first date.
I made an appointment with a realtor to see the house. Jason arrived first and I was fully mentally prepared to walk in the door to him saying, "Run away screaming. The foundation is crumbling and it has knob & tub wiring." To my amazement, he said, "It's a lot of work, but it's all do-able."
The house was a short sale so we submitted a low ball offer. Four anxious weeks later, to our amazement, the bank accepted the low offer.
At closing on July 30, my farm house dream came true.
