Making the offer....

Not too long into the search for the section, it was fortunate that my parents were up visiting us and we were able to take them down to the section for a look and a helpful outsiders opinion.
I think at first look they were really happy with the site and loved, like me the greenery and mature ferns around the garden. We all stood and figured out where north would be and how to site the house on the section. It was helpful too that a Jennian/Milestone man, C came with us and he was very helpful. He pointed out to us that the type of house we were looking at would not fit on the section, we would have to go 2 story this was not something we wanted or thought we could afford so it was definatly food for thought.
While Mum, Dad, Mike and I were having dinner at our local restaurant we talked about the house, building, how we felt as a couple, did we want to travel or work overseas and generally did the parent thing of making sure that we were on the same page, and that this is what we really wanted. I thought we were but Mike was still a little unsure but kept sending positive signs so I wasn't too worried.
Mum and Dad were able to offer sound advice and it was nice to have someone outside our couples-ness to talk about the house with. I guess the one thing if i learnt anything from talking to them was that we had nothing to lose by making an offer and we would regret it if we didn't. I came away happy, fed and with a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy!!

Convincing Mike was a little tricky, but having got all the information and knowing a house of some description would fit, we properly sat down and worked out our finances.
Once we knew we could afford it to a certain level Mike was happy to go into the negotiations with this number in mind.
I think looking back he was just a little afraid that our offer would look silly against the asking price, and that we probably wouldn't get it for the price we were willing to pay. Not to mention that he would have to live with a miserable Jemma Bear for the next little while. I believe also that he was still concerned that we would be buying a "White elephant" which I also felt but that's what the conditions on the purchase agreement would hopefully knock out of the picture.

His "White elephant" comment one morning sparked a huge debate. I thought the term was "Pink elephant" - Something obvious in the room, no one knew what to do with, or wanted to talk about. I was convinced I was right... Mike immediately got on the net (wiki) to figure out which one of us was right. Turns out we both where just in our own way.
The term "White elephant" refers to something bought for a high price that has become redundant.... like a stupid car you can barely get into or a section you can't build on :P  He was correct with his terminology but so was I, lets just say the anticlimax of winning against the other was subdued and annoying!!

Anyway I digress, yes MAKING THE OFFER! I called P the real estate man and arranged a meeting to put down on paper our offer and then we would know forever and ever we did everything we could to get the section and never be left wondering if we had only asked the question.... We wrote it down and the conditions of sale and went to bed nervous and excited!! The hardest part now was the wait..... what would they say.....?!