Househunting Trip

Well, we are happy to report we survived the Christmas Storm of 2010 back east and have arrived safely back to frigid Utah!  We were lucky to be able to catch a flight on Christmas Day ahead of our scheduled flight on the 26th. We arrived in Baltimore around midnight on the 25th.

Grandma and Grandpa at the Lincoln Memorial

The next morning we heard that our scheduled flight on the 26th was actually cancelled so we were tired but thrilled to actually make it back there even though we had to travel on Christmas Day. We spent our first day in Carlisle trying to get our bearings a bit and see what was available for us to rent. Even though it is winter, the rolling hills and trees around the Harrisburg area are quite beautiful and there is so much for us to do and see so we are looking forward to our weekend drives next summer when Mary finally arrives from Utah.

We spent all day Monday and Tuesday, looking at apartments and townhomes. We found a number of nice potential homes but as of Tuesday, we still had not determined exactly where we wanted to live. Harrisburg is about a 30-45 minute commute depending on traffic. Hershey while very quaint and lovely, is about an hours drive even though it is only 30 miles away. We loved the area but did not think the commute was worth it.

We looked out to the west of Carlisle and found a nice apartment in Shippensburg that was only a 20-30 minute commute from the office. The price was terriffic but the thought of downsizing from our large home to a 2 bedroom apartment made this a less than ideal choice. It is workable, but not our first choice.

As we headed into Tuesday, we decided that we should focus on a location close to the office and in Carlisle itself if possible. The new job in Pennsylvania was not one I actually applied for. They called me. So, we decided that perhaps the most logical approach to this househunt was to simply drive around town and let inspiration take over.

We found a nice neighborhood and saw a townhome that have a moving truck in the driveway. We were not sure if they were moving in or moving out, so we pulled up, noticed the house was for rent, and pulled a listing sheet they had on the sign. The home was for lease/sale so we called the owner. He was just transferred to Buffalo New York and his home was indeed up for lease. However, the price he quoted us was simply too high. I thanked him and told him we did not want to pay that much for a rental.

A few mimutes later, I received a call from his propery manager to dicuss the home. We told him our situation and that the home was lovely, but simply too much since we are keeping our home here in Utah and did not want to pay too much for a lease in Carlisle. The property manager then mentioned he had other properties he would like to show us so we set an appointment to meet with him and see these homes.

He showed us 4 very different potential homes for us to lease. 1 was a very nice 3 bedroom townhome. It was close to the old downtown area and only a 5 minute commute to work. The 2nd home was close by. It was a 4 bedroom, a bit older but still in a nice area and again minutes from work .The 3rd home was an older home ( built in the 70's) with lots of character, a nice big yard and close to work. It has a ton of potential, but as a rental not a purchase, we would not be able to make the changes and upgrades we would like/need to make. The 4th home was a 100 yr old home in the middle of the old town area. It was a neat home with lots of neat features. It was owned by a lawyer who recently passed away at the age of 90 and his children are looking to rent out the home. We loved it, but it may not be available until late spring and his children are still struggling with their loss. It was still neat to see and we could see ourselves moving into this well established part of town.

So, after spending the day with Mike our new friend in Carlisle, we were left with a number of choices and a better sense of the area since Mike has been a lifelong resident of Carlisle. He lives in an old farmhouse that has been in his family since the early 1800's. He was extremely helpful and kind and even invited us to spent New Year's with his family and friends watching the bowl games! He is an avid sports fan so naturally Mike and I hit it off right away! We left Carlisle on Wed morning with a better idea of how life will be for us there and have decided that we will move close to the office and live in Carlisle itself.

We are in the process of completing the paperwork for the 1st townhome we visited with Mike and hope to have our belongings moved out there in mid Feb. We are excited to be living so close to downtown and to my office. It will also be nice to have a home with a fireplace and extra bedrooms for what we hope will be lots of visitors!

We spent our final day, driving back up to Baltimore. We left early in the morning Wed so we could go to DC and see a few sites before heading home. The storm from the weekend had left so we spent a cold but sunny day visiting the Memorials in DC and then a quick trip to Mount Vernon. It was not very crowded for a holiday week and we cannot wait to actually live nearby so we can spend more time sightseeing.



All in all, it was a very productive trip and we at least have a better idea of where we will be living. I am heading out next week to begin work so I will be sure to post more photos of the area when I arrive.

Love to all!! Happy New Year's!!!

Granny and Gramps

Grandpa's New Office

Our New Chapel in Carlisle