Divinely Orchestrated

Ever have those moments in life where things don't seem to be turning out how you had planned? It feels like a common occurrence in my life and I'm beginning to be completely fine with it, even excited about it.

A year ago in April, we went under contract for a home in Orem, we felt something very strong about this area. We didn't necessarily love the home itself but it was in our price range and that was very rare to find on this side of Orem. After we went under contract for it, we discovered that the seller could not legally sell to us.  Apparently, three of her step children were also part owners in the home and claimed she was wrongfully trying to keep all the money from the sale to herself, falsely filing full ownership. We were baffled how it got as far as it did with the Real-estate agent and title company before they recognized this was going on and somehow we got trapped in the middle of it just two days shy of closing. We had already sold our home in Provo, already transferred all our mail, changed all our accounts to the new address, and had the moving truck lined up.  We felt the best choice at that point was to rent the home we were trying to buy until the family could figure out all their legal issues.

The case went to probate. We signed a rental agreement and moved in, keeping a great majority of our stuff in boxes until we were sure we could buy the home.  We waited several months and were finally able to go under contract again in August- only to find out that the seller's attorney had jumped the gun and all three step children were actually contesting probate. We waited a couple more months still unsure of the outcome and getting frustrated that the housing market was rising while we sat, causing the equity we made from our home in Provo to shrink in value. Losing hope, we began looking for another place to buy.

We searched within the Ward here in Orem, discovering only one home for sale,far beyond our price range. We had really grown to love the area and didn't want to look outside it. The people make it honestly the best place we have ever lived: a strong stable area where the majority have lived here for over 30 years, it's a unified, well-organized, close-knit community, constantly serving each other. This is a people that have forged strong bonds wading through deep sorrows and struggles together - several families have experienced huge tragedies, accidents, illness, and loss of loved ones...and I believe it's the way they've pulled through it all with each other that has made this area so incredibly special. The Christ-like love in this community is palpable. We felt it before we ever moved in, just driving through the neighborhood. Even Joseph felt it and he says he never feels anything.

As much as we desired to stay, the prospect of the home we were renting finally becoming available to buy was looking more and more grim. Seven months of waiting and the market continuing to rise, the houses in our price range now could only be found south of Springville, in Payson or Spanish Fork. Resigned to our fate, we began searching and praying for an area that would be just as wonderful as the one here in Orem.

In the beginning of November, we found a home in Spanish Fork and went under contract. It was a nice large 6 bedroom, newly renovated home, much nicer looking and requiring far less work than the one in Orem. Although we didn't feel the same about the neighborhood, we were excited about the prospect of finally being able to settle in to something beautiful and not worry about the rising market anymore.

The following Sunday, here in our lovely Orem area, one of our close friends bore his testimony about "loving our neighbor" and praised the Ward members for their constant Christ-like examples. My heart ached at the thought of moving, tears began to stream down my face, this place really knew how to love their neighbor. How could we have grown so attached after only seven months? When the meeting was over, I turned to Joseph, I knew he felt the same without saying a word. Joseph has never loved an area like he has this one.  What could we do? There were no homes in our Orem ward in our price range. We decided to break the contract with the Spanish Fork home anyway. It would be a huge leap of faith.

As we moved forward prayerfully, and sought a blessing from our Bishop, ideas filled our minds of what could be done - we began to see possibilities in the impossible.  The house for sale one block north of us was $80K more than our price range. It was a few hundred square feet larger. The upstairs was fully remodeled, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, and a large living room. The yard was gorgeous, fully landscaped, with raised gardens, mature trees, so beautiful! The basement, however, was a late 1960's disaster, ugly bright red psychedelic carpet, wood paneling, and elk wallpaper. This was the major problem holding back the sellers.

We knew the people who owned this house a block north of us because they had also become friends of ours in the ward. They had moved into another home within the boundaries and had been trying to figure how to change the basement in order to get the price they wanted in the sale. In the meantime this house was vacant and they were paying two mortgages. They realized after moving out they didn't have the resources or the patience to do much at all with the basement and liked the idea with us taking it off their hands.

Near the end of November, our Bishop invited us to his house and told us how he had prayed us to the neighborhood. He gave both me and Joseph a blessing, instructing me to follow my heart and instructing Joseph to trust in his wife's inspiration. After we met with our Bishop, we realized this home a block north would be the perfect place for us, so much better than the home with all the legal mess! Better, because we would earn money with this one. We wouldn't need to pay the mortgage on this by ourselves. It had a separate entrance in the back we could create a basement apartment (a two-bedroom, one bath, living room, kitchen, and laundry room). We would live in the newly remolded upstairs portion and transform 1/4 of the basement for a bedroom and a laundry room as well for us. We would be able to do this if we put only 5% down and used the rest of our equity from our home in Provo to do all the construction.

Our friend, Brady, who lives in this same ward, told us he could do all of it for us for only $30K as long as we did the demolition, helped a little with the construction, and did all the painting.  It was a deal!

We closed on this home the end of February and got to to work completely gutting the basement down to the studs and concrete and then turned it over to Brady. He was amazing and had the basement apartment built, completed with everything, by the first week of May. He set us up with his younger sister and her husband to rent from us. We've had them renting our basement for just over a month now and they've been perfect!


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 I'm going to continue this post later...and show photos of some of the work.

My heart is full of so much gratitude! I see the bigger picture now... when our land-lady in Provo kicked out so many of the tenants of the 8-plex, it was meant to be! It was an experience that was frustrating and confusing for us then but in retrospect, I can see it as a huge springboard that got us here - yes, this very place! I'll talk about that more when I continue this story in my next post.

So much has happened in the last couple years. My testimony of prayer and Divine guidance has been strengthened immensely.  I know that God is in the details of our lives, that He is real, He loves us intensely, and hears our prayers.