Two months in house-hunting hell

Jacqueline Stenson MSNBC contributor

When my husband and I finally decided to buy a home in the Los Angeles area after renting in various cities for so many years, we were genuinely excited. More closet space! No more white walls! A backyard for the baby! But we were not at all prepared for the two months of drudgery, desperation and downright insanity that came next.

We knew we would not get much for our money in L.A.’s super-hot housing market. Still, we were surprised at just how little we would get. Tiny run-down homes — more like glorified boxes — were going for considerably more than half a million dollars. But sticker shock was only the beginning of our house-hunting hell.

We also were stunned at just how slovenly people can be when they know that no matter how terrible their house looks — or smells — they are going to sell it for far more than they could have dreamed even a few years ago.

I’m not just talking about a few breakfast dishes in the sink, but last night’s dinner mess piled high. And crayon markings on every room in the house, like cave drawings. And a cat litter box on the living room carpet, next to the couch. And so much clutter we actually had to step over piles of dirty laundry to get through the bedrooms.

A few homes were welcoming to guests, and it was refreshing to be in them. One woman even offered us fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

Some homes were neat and clean but just out of date. And that’s OK. We realize grandma doesn’t decorate like we do, but the house with the overgrown doll collection freaked out my husband.

Clearly, many sellers have never watched the HGTV show “Designed to Sell,” because if they had they might have gotten even more outrageous sums for their ridiculously expensive homes.

One big bidding war
Of course, everything is not like it is on TV. I had become a fan of “House Hunters,” where buyers choose among three houses and seem to easily get the one they want. So it was more than a little shocking when the first house we bid on had 50 other offers.

Yes, 5-0, for a two-bedroom home listed at $549,000.

That is not what you want to hear when you have grown weary of house-hunting. We had been searching for nearly two months in two neighborhoods (chosen for their great public schools, which are uncommon in L.A.), looked at more than 60 houses (with baby in tow) and pored over dozens more listings on the Internet.

We had pretty much ruled out a large master-planned community north of Los Angeles where the homes are bigger and have great features like cathedral ceilings and spa tubs. Many even have three-car garages (perplexed by this, I asked around and learned that the third space is for storing junk).

One woman told me the community was a great place to raise kids. But she joked that some women feel like Stepford wives after they move there. After looking at dozens of virtually indistinguishable homes, I knew what she meant.

We decided to concentrate on finding a home in a neighborhood closer to Los Angeles. The drawback was that homes in our price range were smaller and, for the most part, rather unsightly.

That is why we were so completely taken with a charming old English Revival with lots of curb appeal and a good-size backyard. It even had a Hollywood connection. One of the former owners was actor Lew Ayres, who appeared in "All Quiet on the Western Front."

We loved this house from the moment we saw it, and even more when we stepped inside. It had hardwood floors, a cute little breakfast nook and lots of character. It was only a two bedroom/one bath. But after seeing so many undesirable houses, we knew we could live in this one.

So we decided to write an offer on it. But for how much? The great guessing game began. We looked at the comps (the selling price of other homes in the area) and quickly learned that the house we wanted was dramatically underpriced. Why? Probably because the sellers or their agent wanted to get a bidding war going. And a bidding war they got.

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