Our First Time At Forty

A Plateau! We're moved in enough to live our lives, but we're also waiting for already purchased furniture and materials to arrive so we can begin some exciting new projects. Meanwhile, we take the time to discuss all things fecal (you'll definitely tune in for that!) and then come face to face with our biggest fears. Finally, we try to figure out why Hollywood has given up on real life creature effects and has bet the farm on CGI creatures, the likes of which you'll see in The Tomorrow War.

Voices Raised! We take two sides on an extremely frustrating issue: why contractors can't keep a calendar. As we wait for our contractor to follow through, Laura attempts to explain why we're experiencing radio silence. Nicholas is having none of it. Meanwhile, we reconsider hiring a gardener, cross our fingers for our new dishwasher to fit and lament the missed opportunity that is Aquaman.

We're Back! After a regrettable week off, we make our return and vow to keep the momentum going in the face of a daunting wall of suburban malaise. (That may be a little overdramatic.) This week, we discuss our plumbing woes, the irony of the house falling apart as soon as we move in and finally lay some groundwork for a 'category format' going forward with the podcast. We're still here, baby!

It's a rough week. We've had our most "Money Pit" moment yet. And yet, we struggle to keep things interesting. Home Ownership is turning out to be a sea of mundane troubleshooting. For a 'wires exposed' look at two people struggling with the format of their show, this episode is for you. We'll be back next week with a little more organization to keep season 2 as punchy as possible. Bear with us!

New Season! Welcome to OFTAF: Home Ownership! This week, we've been sidelined by injuries, a solid dose of The Money Pit-itis and are sure we know how to manage financial planning with our new mortgage. Meanwhile, we discover that flooring options are limitless and sometimes all you need is a good salesman. Also - we can't contain our enthusiasm for Bo Burnham's 'Inside' on Netflix. Thank goodness for at-home entertainment!

Exhaustion! Nothing could have prepared us for the hurricane that is moving from house to house with small kids in tow. Somehow, we lived to tell the tale and we do our best to fight through the fog of fatigue to relive the move itself, the selling off old furniture to STRANGErs and the reality that we no longer know where anything is. The house fits us though, and we can safely say that we don't regret the life change. Season 1 of OFTAF is in the books. On to Season 2: Home Ownership!

Moving Day! The time is finally upon us - this week we say goodbye to our life as renters and (sub)consciously embrace our new lives as homeowners. We discuss the massive undertaking that is painting, revel in our symbiotic approach to moving, learn about Laura's vision for interior design and, finally, catch up on the YouTube hit that is Hot Ones. It's a big week, but we are happy to carve out an hour to reflect. These are exciting times, then!

Contractor City! The starting pistol on the first round of repairs has fired! We realized this week that nothing happens overnight, and our timeline is quickly shrinking to the point of us having no choice but to panic. No wonder the 'stab a pull' motion in the old leftover couch upholstery felt so satisfying. This week, we discuss the endless option emporium that is Home Depot, pin down the boho aesthetic that Laura is gunning for and then breakdown what makes Apocalypse Now so GD haunting.

A Blank Canvas! Today, we finally had a chance to see our new home in all its empty glory. Aaaaaand, we realized that we have a lot of work to do. We discuss our varying feelings on first impressions of the house, how Nicholas feels about what you get with home warranties, and finally we take a moment to reflect on the glory of 'movies on cable.' We're looking at you, What Lies Beneath!

Minivan! If that word gets you excited, you're in the right place! In the midst of running around to pick up used (perhaps unnecessary) furniture, we've found that our choice in a middle aged vehicle is spot on. Meanwhile, we ponder where the Karens of Buy Nothing come from, whether or not the bubble will burst and then Nicholas somehow defends bringing up Hot Tub Time Machine 2 on a home buying podcast. It's all about chemistry, am I right, listeners?!

An interview! Smack dab in the middle of the 'in between' weeks, we take a moment to reflect on packing strategies, the urge to move mid-pandemic and 'Zillow shame.' Then, we conduct our first interview with our good friends Steve & Steph. They recount their story of buying a home in New York and give us some valuable advice, not the least of which is: 'It's all 10 thousand dollars.' Hooray for friendship!

Vaxxed! We power through vaccination fatigue to tackle...a handful of pretty light topics. As we wait out the rent back period, we discuss looking forward to a fresh start without clutter, why Laura would prefer Nicholas to be out of town on moving day, and then buckle up as Nicholas tries to dig his way out of a covid hole. We're tried! We're tired! It's a short one, folks.

SUCCESS!! We closed on the horseshoe house, and...at least on of us feels different! We can't move in for a month, and are already feeling the 'rent-back blues.' However, we still find the time to dive into how the signing went, the frustration of sending a wire during Covid, and the middle-age old discussion about what white paint to buy and why. Also, we give an update on the Creed movies; plus, we realize that we should've gone to movie theaters a lot more than we did pre-covid. Up next - Packing Time!

Wait. What? Waiting? Waiting?! Who knew there was an eye of the storm in the escrow process? We discuss the unspoken darkness in the middle of home buying that you manage to fill with insecurity and questions. We also dive into the homes of our pasts, how the podcasting process works...and Rocky. Yup, that Rocky. Something other than home ownership for once! We did it! (That's a Rocky reference)

The starting pistol has fired! Our second time in escrow has proven to be a much different experience. Vendors galore and they're all more than happy to scan your Venmo. We discuss the rapid fire pace of the contingency window, insurance companies smelling blood in the water, sewer inspections and somehow we fit in time to discuss the size of our boys' poop. Yup, it's that kind of week. The first week of escrow = LOTS to discuss!

Secrets revealed! We reexamine the horseshoe house and compare it to another home that features an inexplicable bathroom. (You read that right.) Meanwhile, we contemplate the realtor's ability to lie, the strategy of counter offers and how critical inspections are after you waive ever other contingency. We're not experts, but we're pretending to be. Why not?

Lawyers, guns and money! We pay off our cliffhanger from last week and talk about our next steps. We debate value we place on location, condition and size; we're starting to wonder where our priorities lie, now that the rubber has met the road. New jargon is discussed, and we struggle to define what escrow means. We're new to this, folks!

Scandal! This week brought us our first accepted offer...and a whole bunch of baggage. The old saying is painfully accurate sometimes: 'too good to be true.' We discuss if our box checking house is worth fighting for, the absurdity of feuding, shirtless neighbors and why lending institutions are seemingly arbitrary in their decision making process. The time to put up or shut up is now.

We had a rough week! Several more houses were visited, and we go through them one by one. We learn that no amount of warning can prepare a first time home buyer for this type of market. We discuss our feelings on a year in Covid isolation, the pros and cons of new construction and argue over whether "downhill" equals "underground." Reality is setting in.

Week 1 in the search. We've met our mortgage person (broker?), our buying agent and already put in two offers! Tune in to see if the podcast ends already! We discuss the unparalleled customer service in the real estate game, being punished for wise financial choices and the importance of always checking the closet space. The hunt is on!