Baby Steps

Well, any news is good news at this point, and Andy learned that we are, in fact, part of the group assigned to a Houston-based relocation company called Weichert. He is now trying to get in touch with our contact there to find out if we can make an offer on the house we like. Apparently, because so many people are being relocated to Houston, BP decided to use a local company to assist. This makes sense, but it means that another set of paperwork has to be sent to the new company, so, once again, we are playing a waiting game.

Time. Is. Standing. Still.

Honestly, I am ready to blow a gasket. We have been trying to get everything square with paperwork that needed to be submitted to Hewitt (HR). Then yesterday we learned that Hewitt may not be handling the relo. I really hope that is not the case because I just want to be able to be in touch with our relocation consultant, who becomes our guide through the next few months. Our official relocation date is June 23rd, which puts us within 60 days of the move (and within the time frame to finally be in touch with our consultant). It seems that every step of this process has been ridiculously slow. And now time matters because there is a home we'd really like to make an offer on. Why can't we? Well, we need to talk to our relocation consultant first. This is, of course, difficult when one doesn't have a consultant. I just wish someone had an easy answer. I was postponing this post, hoping it'd be more positive, but, right now we really need some good vibes. Let's hope that the next check-in will be better.

Cinco Ranch it is!

We had a very busy few days in Houston. It was a very productive trip! One of our goals was to narrow down our search by checking out the various communities in Katy, and we have decided that we want to be in Cinco Ranch (www.cincoranch.com). We also looked at Seven Meadows and Grand Lakes, but the amenities in Cinco Ranch can't be beat.

When we arrived on Wednesday night, we met with our Realtor for the first time. We really like her, and we feel she has a good grasp on what we are looking for. We spent the evening touring model homes and meeting with builders. While we are not interested in building a home from scratch, we were intrigued to hear about the inventory homes available. After much discussion, however, we have decided not to go that route. We really do not want to be in a brand new area, surrounded by construction.

On Thursday we toured all of the resale property in which we were interested. We ended up seeing around 15 homes. Needless to say, it was overwhelming. We then narrowed the field to five, which we revisited on Friday morning. From that list we have three strong contenders, with one more that is still an option if all else fails. It is nice to have choices! As with any house hunt, each has its pros and cons, but we'd be happy in any one of the three. The next step is to wait a couple of weeks (still waiting on some company relo paperwork to go through), and then decide if there are additional properties we want to see (depending on what comes on the market) or if we are ready to make an offer. We also have a plan for one more trip in May.

Overall, we are feeling really positive about the move. The community offers so many amenities that will really be great: pools, waterpark/splash pad, kid events, shopping, etc. The area is growing; there are 4 hospitals slated to be opened in Katy in the next few years. There is also a branch of the University of Houston and Houston Community College, so I have some options for adjunct positions.

We did buy a "Don't Mess with Texas" shirt for Henry. I guess that's the first step to assimilation. But don't worry; he'll be inculcated into Notre Dame and U of Michigan football traditions. (And I think we all know who is more likely to have a winning season this year. Clearly, MOM is writing this blog.) In any case, we are NOT raising a Longhorns fan.

The Countdown in On!

We are a few days away from our first house hunting trip. Andy and I will be there from Wednesday until Saturday. We have quite a list of homes to see, and we are excited to start narrowing down the large area in which we are interested. It's been in the 80's so we'll have our first taste of the Texas heat in a mild form. With the snow showers predicted for Chicago today, I will take the heat! I will update about our trip upon our return, complete with pictures. Now just cross your fingers that American has their flight inspections done so Andy gets out of Chicago. (I'll be coming from Cleveland!)

The Busy Season Begins

For the past couple of months, the homes we have found on HAR.com (Houston's real estate hub) haven't really gone anywhere. From time to time I'd get a notice that a property I had saved in my bookmarks was no longer available, but it certainly hasn't been that often. Our agent told me that April marks the start of the busy season, but I wasn't sure how this would affect us. Texas schools get out at the end of May, so many people start their house hunts/searches based on that. Well, in the last week, three of the eight homes on our list to see in a couple of weeks are now gone. I know that more will come on the market, so it's not too much of a concern, but it is a sign that we may have to move fast if we find something we can't live without. We are also planning on looking at new construction inventory, in particular a few homes we saw back in November. Of course, the model homes are beautiful, so it's easy to get sucked in when it looks perfect. I have to picture these homes with toys and dog hair to really imagine what it'd be like for us to live there.

In other news, Andy is still waiting to submit the official paperwork. He still needs some info from his boss regarding budget matters. Most likely, July 1 will be the date on the paperwork; although, we don't plan on moving until mid-July.