Home Sweet Home

One year ago today I made one of the biggest decisions of my adult life: I bought a house. I had spent weeks looking at houses with my realtor, saving money like crazy, and stressing about whether or not this was the right decision for me. Should a twenty-three-year-old single girl really buy a house? I asked myself (and my friends and family) numerous times. After a couple minor panic attacks, I went through with it. One year later, I can honestly say that yes, this now twenty-four-year-old made the right decision. That said, today is mine and my house's one-year anniversary. To celebrate this special occasion, I will share with you a few things I learned in my first year of homeownership.

1. The definition of escrow: I had heard all about mortgages, homeowner's insurance, escrow, blah, blah blah. But did I have any idea what all these words meant? Not really. When I saw the breakdown of my mortgage payments for the first time, though, and realized a good chunk of my monthly payment was going to interest and escrow (and a small chunk, more like a crumb really, was going to principal), I figured I should find out. Apparently the money in my escrow account is what my mortgage company uses to pay my homeowner's insurance. I recently had to renew my homeowner's insurance, and I realized I really like this escrow thing. My mortgage company does the work for me. Anything that creates less work for me is A-ok in my book.
2. Shopping around for homeowner's insurance = no fun: A few weeks ago I got a non-renewal notice from my home insurance company. They informed me that they were reducing their business in areas most exposed to frequent and exposed weather. As evidenced by yesterday's outbreak of tornadoes and today's incredibly high winds, Oklahoma falls into that category. So essentially, they decided not to insure those people who just might need it. I began researching insurance companies and made the mistake of putting my phone number on the quote application. I was immediately inundated with phone calls from several different insurance companies. Luckily, my Sunday school teacher is an insurance agent and helped me out. He got me squared away, so if my house blows away today, I'm covered.
3. My dog is a great roommate: In college I lived with my best friend, Jennifer, and we had the time of our lives. But since she's married (and was with child at the time I bought my house), I figured living with her was out of the question. I didn't think I'd be able to live with another girl, and I wasn't so keen on living with a guy I didn't know, so I never even considered a human roommate. A little help with the bills would be nice, but I actually love living on my own, with only a canine for company. I can sing in the shower when I want...er I mean, if I were to ever do something so embarrassing, which I wouldn't, of course. Ahem, moving on. I can eat ice cream for dinner without fear of judgment (although I know Jennifer would never judge me for that; she'd join in). And I can do the 30-Day Shred without fear of some unsuspecting person walking in on me and being forever scarred...or getting blackmail material. Living on my own is really quite nice, except after watching Criminal Minds. But I know Deuce will scare away any potential burglars...either that or lick them to death.
4. You have to mow your yard: I didn't give that a single thought when I decided to buy a house. I knew I'd be responsible for repairs and home maintenance. I knew I needed to call all the utility companies and start new service. But never once did I think about the fact that I'd have a front and backyard to mow. I'm not entirely sure why this never crossed my mind, but I have a sneaking suspicion it may stem from the fact that I've never mowed a yard. I was actually always a bit scared to try for some reason. Something about an irrational fear of the lawn mower turning against me and cutting off my feet. But anyway. When my grass was about waist high (well, that's what it looked like in comparison to my neighbors' perfectly manicured lawns), I decided it was high time I did something about my unsightly yard, so I hired a lawn service. Yet another bill. Winter's only redeeming quality is the fact that I don't have to pay someone to cut my grass.
5. I can be the independent woman Destiny's Child sang about: I never thought I'd be okay with living alone. I never dreamed I'd actually enjoy it. I've always been a very dependent person. When I found myself single and in need of a new place to live, I was forced out of my comfort zone. And it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I had to learn to do things on my own. I had to learn to be on my own. And now, one year later, I am happier than I ever thought I would be.

The last 365 days have been days of learning and growth. I'm certainly not done learning and growing, but I've come a long way. I mean, I bought a freakin' house! I can do anything! Except mow a yard, apparently.