Decisions, decisions.

How did we find Forest Lane?

As quick as the decision was to buy once we found it, the journey was really three years in the making.

The ultimate question we had to decide was… buy new, build custom, or remodel? Tim and I went through this cycle several times for years.

• Buy new: We both agreed right away that we wanted to live in an established neighborhood with mature trees and lots of character. Tim grew up in Shoreview and Arden Hills has become home for the both of us. I also wanted freedom in the design, and flexibility to choose my own finishings. Privacy is really important to Tim, so finding a spacious lot with distance from neighbors was also key. Considering the factors of price, location, and flexibility of design, we decided that a new house in a new development wasn’t the best fit for us.

• Build custom: We then started to explore lots.
  The vision of creating something of our own was really exciting. Tim studied architecture in college and I love design, so this option seemed like a perfect fit (we have drafted house plans and even built Lego models of our ideas). After determining a budget, we quickly realized that finding a dream lot near the city was not in the cards. We checked out some more affordable options in the outer suburbs such as Lake Elmo, Stillwater, and Afton. The land was beautiful, but it was just too far away from work, our families, and the area and amenities we’ve grown to love (the three T’s have become very important… The Tavern Grill, Title Boxing, and Target). So, we crossed building a custom home off our list.

• Remodel our current house: This was a tough decision to make.
  We invested a lot of time and money into our house on Stowe and it became such a beautiful home. In three short years we overhauled the kitchen, renovated the bathroom (talk about a fun project when it’s the only bathroom you have, and it only took us 8 months to complete!), refinished floors, resurfaced the concrete driveway, installed drain tile, replaced the roofing, added A/C, and got a new water heater. We also did a lot of work to the yard including new fences, refinished the deck, and tackled some landscaping. Needless to say we put in a lot of work and the memories we made there were plenty. We drafted a myriad of renovation plans for Stowe, including an addition off the back and even building up a second story. No matter how we mapped it out we knew it ultimately wasn’t going to meet all of our needs. After three years we decided it was time to let go and start dreaming bigger.

• Remodel another house: This is where we eventually landed and what led us to Forest Lane.
  Remodeling a different house was an affordable option that allowed us to check off a lot of the boxes we were looking for. After daily monitoring of MLS and Zillow, and years of heartbreak watching beautiful houses go into “pending” status, we finally stumbled upon our dream house. It was imperfect timing as the COVID-19 craziness had just started and my salary was reduced due to the recent economic changes. But you can’t plan everything (yes, you heard that friends, I said it). Forest Lane was a diamond in the rough, begging someone to see its potential and bring it to life. After a lot of discussion, processing, and looking back at our goals, we decided this was ultimately the best option for us and our future family.

I can’t say that everyone’s journey or final decision will look like ours, but don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith - research, look at all your options, make a list and stick to it! But when you know, you know. Listen to your gut and make those dreams happen!