BIG LIFE UPDATE...
We Have Some EXCITING News!
BIG LIFE UPDATE…We Have Some EXCITING News!
Happy Monday, my friends! I’m so sorry for the delay in content last week, but with everything going on in Florida, it was just simply too difficult to record our podcast and convene our Zoom Girl Chat. But I really missed talking to all of you, and I look forward to our book club this week to discuss “The Case Against The Sexual Revolution.”
In other, better, news, I’m so excited to share something we’ve been teasing for quite awhile now…
Jacob and I bought a HOUSE and we are MOVED IN!
Can you believe it?? We are SO excited. We have been dreaming of owning our own home for many years, but because we have moved so many times during our marriage (7 times, to be exact!), we could never put down roots. When we made the decision to move to Florida, we knew that we wanted to be here for the long haul, so we started making plans.
Initially, we wanted to rent an apartment to make sure that we liked the area and the community we chose. After all, buying a house is the biggest investment you can make, and we wanted to be absolutely certain we liked the area before we locked ourselves in. But after spending two or three Sabbaths in our community, we knew that this was the place for us. My family is a ten-minute drive away, my husband’s parents live on the west coast of Florida (so they’re close as well), and our son has a ton of other children the exact same age for him to play with at our synagogue.
On top of the fact that we loved our community, we really hated the apartment we were in. Despite the fact that it was spacious, which was a blessing, our neighbors were loud and inconsiderate, there was no natural light which wreaked havoc on my mood, and we didn’t have any place to go outside, so we were locked in the house all day for hours on end.
With all that in mind, we were on the hunt for a home and we were ready to move FAST!
Well, there are some important things to know about trying to buy a home as a religious Jew that make things a tad more complicated:
Location is EVERYTHING. Because religious Jews don’t drive on Sabbath, we all live within about one square mile with the synagogue in the center. That means there are only a few places you can plausibly live if you want to participate in the community. It’s actually a really beautiful concept, because everyone walks to each other’s homes and spends time in the same area. You always run into your friends and socialize without even making an effort. But when you’re looking for a house? Things can get difficult.
Supply and Demand. Because so many people are looking for houses in the same area, that means there will almost always be a higher demand than supply of homes. More people want to purchase homes then there are homes available to purchase! Every time a house goes on the market, everyone goes to look at it and the competition can be fierce. Home prices in these areas are generally more expensive, and on a positive note, your home often doesn’t lose value because the demand is always there.
So when we told our friends that we were ready to look for a house, only a few days later, my phone pinged with a message. “There’s a house available in our neighborhood. Nobody knows about it yet - but we told the sellers about you and we want you to go check it out!” They told us the house had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and had been totally renovated since the sellers had planned to be there for a good long while. But when the husband was relocated for his job, they needed to sell the house…and fast.
We got in touch with the sellers and planned to see it, but then the news broke in our community that the house was for sale and the sellers decided to host an open house instead. We weren’t available to attend the open house that day, but we told them we could come by earlier in the morning and meet them. They were so sweet and kind, and the house truly took our breath away. All the renovations were beautiful, and the house had a screened in pool and a lovely view. The size was perfect for us right now, and as our family grew there was potential for us to make additions as well. Plus, it was right in our price range!
We spoke with our families and decided to put in an offer. After waiting on tenterhooks for a couple of days, we find out…we got the house! Oh my goodness, I can’t even describe how excited we were. A home! Our first home! And a place we could really grow into. And guess what?
We closed in THREE WEEKS.
We had to get everything organized, inspected, checked out, and signed in a crazy short period of time and it was exactly what we wanted. We couldn’t wait to move into this beautiful home and begin our lives somewhere we could raise our baby.
So if you were wondering why things were a bit hectic the past month, this is why! We just moved in on Friday and have been unpacking and getting things sorted. It’s a huge project and such an exciting one. I can finally make a house my own, paint it the way I want to, buy furniture that will last, hang pictures in the perfect places, and really create a home for my family. I look forward to sharing the entire process with all of you as we renovate, interior decorate, and just all in all make this house a place we love.
So that’s the huge life update! And we couldn’t be happier. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
ANNOUNCING: This Month's A.V. Club Selection
Our A.V. Club discussion was great this past month and I’m so looking forward to the next one! This month we will be watching Mona Lisa Smile, a movie that has a very clear agenda and will provide ample room for discussion from a classic and conservative point of view. If you’d like to watch it with your friends, have them join the fun by becoming premium subscribers!
ANNOUNCING: Book Club Is THIS Week!
I’m excited to share this month’s book club selection! This month we are reading non-fiction (we switch up month-to-month) and the book we will be reading is…The Case Against The Sexual Revolution! After hearing the author, Louise Perry, on Bari Weiss’ podcast, I reached out to her. She will be coming on my podcast after book club discussion next month and she will be answering YOUR questions! Make sure to keep a running list of questions that I can share with her. I can’t wait to discuss it with you all!Book club is convening this Thursday (10/6/2022) at 8:30 PM EST.
What’s New On Classically Abby…
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I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
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This is wonderful news!! How exciting, and I’m so happy for you and your family. Please, keep us updated on all the homemaking and decorating!
Congratulations, Roth family!! A home purchase is such an accomplishment! Great job, and can’t wait to hear more about decorating and settling in when you’re ready!