Our First Moments in the New House

Dec 11, 2013 /

Well, who’s ready to hear about the new house? I’m just going to give a little update, because honestly at this point there isn’t much to say. The actual house tour will come later. We haven’t moved yet, so it’s been sitting relatively lonely for the last week. We’ve been over there a little bit (so fun) but we are ready to be there full time. We closed on Tuesday, November 26th, at 4:00 pm.

We got KEYS!

These are the first photos we took!

In celebration of the new home we took a car load of things over and had a spendy with Mike’s brother and sister in-law. We took the essentials… Nintendo 64 and the Wii. We also took air mattresses and some non-essentials from Sterling. It’s amazing how many non-essential things we own. Things that we could let go of for four weeks before we officially move to the new house. There have only a few things I’ve actually missed. I feel a serious purge coming soon.

Anyways, we went over to the house this last weekend too to take another car load. This time I took over part of our kitchen and other random items.

So far? Homeownership is amazing! We got to put in our first light bulb which made the house feel even more like ours. I also moved some things into our closet! We have a kitchen cabinet full of plates and cups and my handy husband was able to switch the refrigerator doors so they open in a more practical way.

Oh, and you better bet that this was the very first thing I did after arrival. #lovevacuuming

I have a feeling that these homeowner things might get old in our future, but for now we are celebrating every little thing we change/update. I’ll try to keep you in the know for what we add, remove, change, and destroy. So far we don’t have any major plans, but who knows what our future holds. So that’s your update. If you cannot tell, we’re in a state of bliss.

Happy Wednesday!
Love, KJ

Mike’s Senior Chapel

Dec 9, 2013 /

Last week was Mike’s last week of undergrad classes. Tomorrow he will officially be done with school (for now)!

It’s such an exciting time for us right now. Mike’s graduating and we’re moving and so much is changing, but it’s beautifully exciting.

Anyways, I was able to take an hour off work this last week to go to Mike’s last chapel. He has been involved in chapel worship through his education and this was his last one leading. He also shared a portion of his testimony. It was sad to be his last, but also great. He did such a great job (proud wife moment) and I loved watching him lead.

This is one of those things I never want to forget and I’m so grateful that I have this place where I can share and forever remember little things like Mike’s last chapel at Sterling College.

Happy Monday!
Love, KJ

Let the Hunt Begin {Why we decided to Buy a House}

Nov 13, 2013 /

8 reasons to buy instead of rent

It was October 18th.

We had just gotten confirmation of a contract coming our way from the church we will be serving in this next phase of our life.

We were really moving to Wichita.

And then it sunk in. We were really moving to Wichita – in two months!

Before we had this confirmation we had emailed back and forth with our realtor “friend” and asked for lots of advice on whether to rent or buy from our friends and family. We knew that if this confirmation came that we would be searching for our “first home” as homeowners instead of renters!

Why We Decided To Buy a House

1. Fall is a good time to buy

Summer is a big buying season. People don’t like to move during the school year, so by Fall and Winter people who have yet to sell their house are READY to sell and are more likely to negotiate. Woo!

2. Interest rates are low right now

This applies to us because we don’t have large sums of cash lying around and we will need a mortgage. The interest rates aren’t as low as one would like, but given the economic times of “life” we are happy with the rates.

3. We get a break on our taxes

Please pardon the accountant in me, but buying a house is helpful for income taxes. We can deduct our mortgage interest from our taxes and can also deduct our real estate taxes! This might not get you super excited, but it will save you in the long run.

4. It’s cheaper to buy than to rent

Financially it’s an all around good decision for us. In Wichita, to rent something similar to what we live in now would be at least double the rent. That’s not necessarily something we can get on board with – unless it’s a mortgage payment.

5. Freedom to decorate how we want

We can choose our own paint colors! We can hang things on the wall without worrying about making holes! We can do whatever we want! This should be #1 on the list because let’s be real – I’m most excited for this.

6. Freedom to change things we don’t like

If we don’t have a dishwasher or a garbage disposal in the next house we would be willing to invest in those things. Also, renovation is an option… Woo!

7. Build Equity

I mean who doesn’t want to build equity?

8. We plan on being in Wichita for awhile

If we were only planning on being around for 1 year then renting would make more sense, but we plan on being there much longer so purchasing something of our own is the most logical decision. The common rule is 5 years of staying put, but obviously you can’t guarantee this will happen.

So, that’s why we decided to buy a house. It made the most sense for us and hopefully these 8 items will help others come to this decision. Let the house hunting begin!

Happy Day!
The Jaderstons

Journey to Wichita Feature The Moving Announcement

Family