First-time Homebuyer
For years, apartment dwellers Craig and Alexis Simpson couldn’t decide if they wanted to buy a home. Alexis was finishing up law school, so there wasn’t much time to look, and, at the same time, they were hoping home prices continued to drop. Finally, they moved forward, working with Randall Loehrig of Harry Norman, Realtors, and purchased an older home in Morningside. Craig, 28, who works for interactive digital advertising firm EyeWonder, and Alexis, 30, a patent attorney with Finnegan, who is pregnant and due in October, chatted about their first place.
Q: How did you conduct your home search?
Alexis: We only looked for two or three weekends and a lot during the week.
Q: Were you focused on Morningside from the beginning?
Alexis: We wanted to live in Morningside for a long time, so that was pretty high on our list, but we were looking at other neighborhoods, too. We were looking at school districts more than neighborhoods. We both taught in the after-school program (as Kid Chess instructors at schools including Morningside Elementary). We got pretty familiar with the schools.
Q: With a baby on the way, what child-friendly features did you want?
Alexis: We were making sure we had enough rooms for a growing family. We were looking for a backyard and for quiet streets.
Q: What was it like to see the prices drop?
Alexis: The prices were changing a lot, which as first-time homebuyer, was a little scary. You have to figure out if you're jumping in at the right time or making a mistake.
Q: What made the home in Morningside the one?
Craig: I really liked the backyard, and we like the neighborhood. The street that we're on, it faces kind of a wooded park.
Alexis: We have really big oak trees and lots of trees of all kinds. The backyard feels kind of secluded. You're not staring right into other people's houses. It also had a great amount of space on the inside. It had big kitchens and big bathrooms, which we liked. There's an addition on the back that has an expansive kitchen and a sitting area with a fireplace. The little area off the kitchen is pretty awesome.
Q: What’s a step you took that you suggest others take when putting a contract on a home?
Alexis: We had the inspection, and, of course, the inspection reports come back a mile long. We really didn't want to put any unfair pressure (on the sellers). We really wanted to focus on the things that, to us, had to do with the safety of the home. We were willing to take the rest of it on.
Q: What did you ask them to fix?
Alexis: There were some electrical problems. As happens in a lot of old houses, some ductwork in the basement had asbestos tape on it. We wanted it repaired or replaced.
Q: What tip would you give other buyers?
Craig: Understand that you will have to compromise on something. If you want to have the house of your dreams, then you have to compromise on price. If you want a lower price, you have to compromise on something else. You've got to ask: What do you value most?
At a Glance
Craig and Alexis Simpson’s home, built in 1939 in Morningside, has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and about 2,000 square feet. They purchased it in February. Homes in Morningside range from the $300,000s to $1.9 million.
