It was our first home, but to say it was our dream home would be a lie. The kind of lie that gets guys in the Mafia killed. Still, it met our most basic list of must haves. It had the much-coveted Edina address, three bedrooms and it was within our budget. Of course, it was also hideous to look at. Yes, it may be the Worst House In Edina today, but back then, it must have ranked among the worst in the lower 48.

In Dave she trusted.

I convinced my lovely wife to look beyond the time worn blue, orange and brown shag carpets, aged stained paint, 1960's appliances, hideous wallpaper and God awful paneling. Instead, I showed her the home was solid, the space was good, and the opportunity was right. So with a leap of faith in my vision, we purchased the house the day it went on the market.

That's right, one day on the market. Hey, what can I say. We were young and in love. And at that time in the real estate market, buying without thinking was the thing to do. Sort of the way K-Cars were popular in the early 80's; it only made sense at the time. It was commonplace for houses to have multiple offers the day they were listed, so you had to strike fast.

We can change that.

Like every new owner, my head was spinning with what could be. Oh I had a grand list of things I would do to our new home. And despite my father's warning that you start with a list of 100 things and only get to 3 of them, I embarked on my renovation mission. Seven years later, I'm proud to say I've done just about everything on my list.

Turns out it took a lot to become the Worst House In Edina. I added a second closet in the master bedroom. Gutted, re-modeled and updated the kitchen with new Maple cabinets, appliances and flooring, installed a oak hardwood floor in the living room, carpeted the upstairs and basement, un-covered and re-finished the wood steps, added a tile entry, replaced the furnace and water heater and greatly improved the yard and landscaping.

What didn't I get to? Oh, there are a few things I wanted to do, but nothing really of any substance. An egress window here or there, new pavers, frozen yogurt machine in the bathroom, you know, bonus stuff.

A home at last.

A lot of paint, a little drywall, some lumber, random profanities and sweat filled hours made the Worst House In Edina into our home. From the original artwork in the living room to the orange wall in the basement it was us through and through. Okay, the French country inspired lace trimmed curtains in the office weren't us, but they only lasted a short time. No, only one thing was missing. Well, two things. Our kids. After all, we bought a three bedroom house for a reason. As it turned out, the Worst House In Edina was the perfect place to start our family.

Excelsior!

No, not the town, we're staying in Edina. I mean excelsior in the upward and onward sense. Our family is growing, our needs are changing and our house has served its purpose. It was time to move up. Or, so we hoped.

This whole selling fiasco started with a house in our neighborhood that went up for sale. Big yard, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, nearly everything we wanted. So we listed ours in hopes of selling quickly and snagging this gem. Needless to say, it sold and we didn't. As did the next house we fell in love with, and the one after that. And the one after that. Which also makes a sad point about Edina homes. In ten months we've only found four houses we'd want to buy. And nothing else even came a close second. So even if we ever do sell the Worst House In Edina, there's a good chance we'll find nothing to buy. But that's another Web site.