Shopping online for a place to live took strange turns in Pittsburgh. Luxury apartments weren’t in good school areas. We don’t want to live in some place where they don’t take care of the place and there was no time to fly in and out. So we glanced at houses to buy and zeroed in on one. If it didn’t work out and for a week it seemed like a ‘no’ we were waitlisted on the best apartments we could find online that might have openings. Deadlines were looming. And we were getting close to losing our minds. Then the house we liked became a yes so we jumped… without looking at it except through FaceTime. So we took a leap of faith everything works out in the end and packed the children to head to Pittsburgh for 3 day road trip as we thought he needed to do some things that might take a few days, but his return to Pittsburgh took us half a day and we were done. So we had a choice… keep toddler and one year old in a hotel for a month or head to Florida. So we hoped into the car again and drove for 2 more days. The toddler was NOT happy that fourth day of driving. I get it. We were wiped.
Yeah Florida, my parents… it was great until my mom broke her arm a week later from falling at Walmart. She went from vibrant working grandma to almost another child. We had to change her, feed her and handle the house there too for a while. Vacation… ha, ha, ha. Okay well I snuck one in when I went to my work conference if that counts as I had a peaceful night of sleep for a few days and hung out with awesome friends! But then it was back for moving again. This time the toddler didn’t want to leave her grandma and the baby became attached to her grandpa… so getting them to leave Florida was tough.
And when we finally moved to Pittsburgh… it was moving, cleaning, signing papers… oh my. I was behind schedule. I was worried! But I swear every book I write becomes a test almost… can I do it again? And today… victory declared. I finished another book. My October book is on schedule still. YEAH. It needs a read through but I wrote the words… the end. I passed the test! My Forbidden Noble with Astorre and Clara, finished. And this one was emotional and made me cry with these two poor souls. I can’t wait to get this to the editor and out as a preorder. I hope you enjoy it! I now have a weekend to decide to work on next. I always keep options open.
And my yearly work of love this year which was not a series but I just wanted to write it because I miss single title stuff… you can preorder Borrowing the Doctor. Editing that when I was in the middle of that mess above just proves I saved the work of love for the right time.
Tomorrow I’m venturing off to meet some Pittsburgh Romance Writers. I hope they’re cool! Anyhow that’s my life these days. But the good news… no pregnant so life can calm down in a normal fashion now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find a house to buy when you have no time to visit in person?
When facing a last-minute relocation with no time to fly in, one approach is researching listings online and using FaceTime to virtually tour the property. This family narrowed down options by ruling out luxury apartments in poor school districts, then identified a single house and made an offer sight-unseen, relying on video calls and a leap of faith that it would work out.
What should you do with toddlers and a baby when your new home isn’t ready yet?
When a new home isn’t immediately available, families face a choice between staying in a hotel for weeks or finding temporary refuge elsewhere. In this case, the family chose to drive to stay with grandparents in Florida rather than keep a toddler and one-year-old in a hotel for a month, though that option came with its own unexpected caregiving challenges.
Is it better to rent a luxury apartment or buy a house when relocating to Pittsburgh on short notice?
When relocating to Pittsburgh quickly, this family found that luxury apartments weren’t always located in good school districts, making them less appealing despite their amenities. Buying a house provided better placement in desirable school zones. With tight deadlines and no time for in-person visits, they ultimately chose to purchase rather than waitlist for apartments that might not even have openings.
How did the house turn out? Sight unseen. Looking forward to Breaking the Doctor.
So far it was a great choice… it was the only one on the list that fit all our requirements and honestly the guy who custom built it for the previous owner still lives next door to us so if there is a problem, we know who to ask.
And they say Wonder Woman isn’t real! Happy for you and excited to read your next book.