BECSEA

Time flies at the palace! Around this time last year, I became a homeowner and a Florida resident. 

The weekend before closing, I was actually in Dallas, Texas for an event. I flew back to NJ and then drove down to FL over the course of 2 days… crazy I know. 

I was house hunting for a little while, virtually from New Jersey. While on a trip down to visit family in Florida, I had the chance to tour a cute home in person with my Dad. We got a flat tire on the rental car on the way, which made me question if this was a sign… however, when I got there I was like wow this place is CUTE. Close to the beach and stores and downtown, has a pool and screened in patio, and enough bedrooms for my bedroom, a guest room and home office. I placed an offer Friday night from the beach parking lot with poor reception. On Saturday morning, I got a call that my offer was accepted! 

Here are a few lessons I have learned over the first year of being a homeowner that might be helpful to hear if you are considering it yourself:

-You learn by living and doing. Buying your first home (especially in another state) can be intimidating; however, you can’t grow unless you move forward.  I learned how much I love living by the beach and in a red state, how much more active I am in a warm sunny state, and what I want and don’t want in my next home. 

-Prepare for the unexpected and get ready to roll up your sleeves. I am so grateful for my manly dude Thomas who is willing to help with projects, painting, and whatever I find on Pinterest. The unexpected happens, things break unexpectedly (my AC), and you have to just roll with it and adapt. The benefit of owning a home is that it’s yours, but with that comes the responsibility of taking care of it on your own. 

-Home becomes a home from memories made, time spent with loved ones, and time spent doing what you love. You’ll make a lot of memories at home. For someone who always had a travel bug, I also LOVE just being in my home! We have hosted so many events and entertained guests here. We got ready for dinner the night Thomas proposed to me here. 

More memories to come and I am and will be forever grateful for this place.