The House is Mine!

The bank finally countered my offer on the old house and we closed last week.

There is so much to do. My first day working on it all I managed to do was clean the refrigerator (took almost 3 hours! It was filthy!) and the bathrooms. My second day was used up cleaning 3 cupboards and the top (just the top) of the range (it had caked on carbonized grease that had to be chipped off a tiny piece at a time). I'm hoping to get back tomorrow and finish the kitchen. Mike is going to fix the leaky sink while we're there.

Not sure what to do about the dishwasher. The handle is broken so it doesn't lock, but it still works. Maybe Mike can figure out what to do about it.

We've hired a local contractor who has already started working. He hauled out the old, yucky furniture, cleaned out the attic, and ripped out the carpeting in the back bedroom (there was a beautiful oak floor under it).

Today I'm going to an auction with my brother and sister-in-law. There are a few pieces I'm interested in for the new house. I tend to fizzle out at auctions when the bidding gets a little high. I'm looking for bargains. I really do better at estate sales.

AhHaa!

After all this time, the bank has finally agreed to the short sale and countered my offer (I offered listing minus 20%, the bank countered listing minus 10%). Before I sign anything I'll have it inspected (tomorrow) and see if the roof and foundation are OK. If they are, I'll agree. If not, I have a Plan B - a house built in the 40's on a very nice lot (not exactly what I'm looking for but a good Plan B).

Last week I looked at a house that just popped up on the MLS. It looks to have been built around 1890 or so. Very Victorian. The poor thing has been allowed to run down to the point that I could not afford to bring it back. In one bedroom it actually had mushrooms growing on the wall. I don't mean mildew, I mean real mushrooms with stems and caps! The scariest things were the exterior problems - rotted wood, peeling lead paint, unknown roof.

Anyway, it looks like I'll be getting my Playhouse soon. Good thing, too. I'm afraid I've already bought some furniture and stuff for it and I'm getting tired of storing it in my diningroom. I've been to Estate Sales and bought a very nice love seat, wing chair, 2 small chairs, footstool, gateleg kitchen table, oak kitchen chairs, bed, large mirror, china, flatware, glasses, lamps, pictures, and assorted kitchenware.

Tomorrow I'll know about any major problems. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Kitty Hawk

We have a pair of broadwing hawks that have built a nest in a tree in our back yard. I have not seen both of them at the same time, but I've heard them both and seen one leaving the nest. One of them likes to sit in the tree by our deck. Don't know if it's the male or female (tho I suspect it's the male) but I've named it Kitty.

Both of the birds are BIG talkers. They squeeee back and forth at each other constantly. This doesn't bother Mike because he can't hear that frequency - but it's always in my head. The sound pierces right through the walls of the house and find me. It never ends.

But it's worth it to have the honor of hosting a hawk family.

Still waiting to hear on the house. I don't wait well. This is agony.

Maybe

All hope is not lost. We're working on a possible short sale of the house. All I can do now is wait to see if everything gets approved.

I don't wait well.

Sad

I did not get the house. The owners apparently mortgaged it for more than it was worth in 2004 and don't want less than they owe on it. I really want the house, but it's not my job to bail them out.

So today I mourn for a little dream that died.

My husband keeps telling me that something better will come along - but I don't think it will. There is still a chance that the sellers will go for a short sale (as my agent suggested) or that it will go into foreclosure. Both options take a long time (and I'm not a patient person at all).

So, today I mourn.

New house

Today I made an offer on an old house in Pulaski, TN. It's really adorable; built around 1900 with an addition made within the last 20 years or so. It only has 5 rooms, kitchen (updated), living room (to be converted to bedroom), dining room (to be converted to living room), bedroom #2 and bedroom #3 (to be converted to den). It has good bones, but needs a lot of work. The yard is horribly overgrown (the picture is from the real estate listing and is a couple of years old), the future living room walls are spongy and dark red, the carpets are old and smelly, the wood floors could stand to be refinished, the deck (back and side) needs a fresh coat of paint, the fireplaces are sealed up (so God only knows what condition they're in), the roof (metal, probably original) is rusty with paint peeling off. But it is adorable.

If the contract goes through, I'll go to a local auction toward the end of this month and see about buying a few pieces of furniture. It pretty much sucks up all my money, so repairs will not all take place at once. As soon as the weather permits, we'll tackle the yard and do some serious pruning and chopping. If the roof is ok for awhile, the next project is replacing the spongy dark red walls in the future living room with sheet rock and replacing carpeting where there is NOT hardwood floors underneath. At the same time, the bathroom floor needs to be replaced. Then we rest awhile and recover from all the costs.

I offered really low (not my fault - Consumer Report said to always offer 20% less than asking price) so I will not be surprised by a counter offer. Can't wait to hear.

A new project

The cabin is lovely, but it's a cabin. My husband just loves driving his tractor around and planting food for the animals (the place is crawling with deer and turkey) and I'm left to clean the cabin and cook lunch. Not so much fun. Most days I spin or knit, but I get lonely.

S0000000 - I'm off on a new project. This weekend I will (probably) buy an old house in Pulaski to fix up. It reminds me of my grandmother's house. It needs a lot of work (and will keep me busy for years) and has two things that the cabin lacks - city water and neighbors. I'm very excited about this and will post pictures when - and if - the deal goes through.

Cabin Progress

We've made a lot of changes at the cabin. The wood siding has been painted a color to match the mortar between the logs, the back porch has been finished, screen doors added, plants (infested with scale) removed and replaced, new rock driveway, new woodshed, and grading in the yard to divert water.

I'm happy with the changes inside, too. The kitchen is very functional. Instead of built-in cabinets we went with furniture. It makes the "counter top" a bit low, but nothing else would have fit in there anyway.

Hargis has reached the point that we can let him run loose there. He still barks at the cows across the road - I suspect he's afraid of them. We have a big, fat groundhog that has moved in under the house. We've filled up his entrance hole several times, but he just digs it out again. We've decided to let him stay as long as he doesn't damage anything. We've named him Murray (for Bill Murray).

Mike is doing well. He has his next PET scan this coming Friday. I'm nervous.

Snow in Alabama

We're snowed in today. Got about 7" of snow, which wouldn't be a big deal it this weren't Alabama where there are no snow plows and a shovel to resident ratio of about 1/100. We were prepared, have plenty of bread, milk, toilet paper, dog food, kitty litter and beer.

Hargis, our 5 month old Golden Retriever, thinks snow is wonderful. He keeps claiming he needs to go out, but he really just wants to play in the snow.

Mike had a great hunting season. He and his son got 7 deer on our property in TN. Could have gotten more but they ran out of freezer space. The cabin is looking great, the porch is done and the kitchen baseboard is now finished. Next is to fix the last two broken windows and start thinking about painting the kitchen and bathroom. Mike wants a pole barn to store his tractor and equipment in.

2010 was pretty rough. 2011 is starting out pretty good. It's kinda nice to be snowed in.