Plan B
The main house I'm interested in (at this point in the game) has been viewed with the aid of Libby---my truck---at a few different times of day.
I've cruised by at noon. Quiet.
I've cruised by at four in the morning. Still quiet.
I've had the little old French lady from work go by in the evening (six-ish) a couple of times. Quiet.
This bodes well.
My only problem now, is the amount of damage vandals may have done to the house since it has been sitting empty. If the structure itself is good, then most everything else can be dealt with by myself and my family. We're a very resourceful lot. We've built several houses ourselves and remodeled countless others. (Dad's hobby was being a General Contractor for a while there. He's not one for useless hobbies...)
In a strange twist of events, the LOFL (Little Old French Lady) happens to have a daughter who cleans houses. This daughter has been contracted in the recent past to clean this particular little house. She says it's cute, but... I think the polite phrase is "It needs work." Multiple broken windows. Smashed vanity in one bathroom. Gap under the front door. Rooms are puny. (Hah. I've been in apartments for almost 20 years. I've yet to have a "big" room.) Blah-d-blah-d-blah...
Solution? Price out everything from cosmetic fixes to structural and factor that into the buying price. If the bones are good the work will be worth it, and I do love the idea of having something to sculpt into my own vision of home. If I make an offer, I'm thinking of shooting as low as ten thousand under and I figured the worst thing that could happen is having them say yes. Ten under would more than cover windows, water heater, sinks, lights, doors, and even a major appliance or two...
Heck. Even five under might just make it worth while.
We'll see what life changes Monday brings. Either way, Dad is in town on Tuesday and my current home is still a mess. Crap.
**Bizarre side note: Stella says there is a plaster sun in the middle of the master bedroom ceiling, and oddly enough... That fits in with my old painting plans.
***Will be walking through with camera, tape measure, and notebook in hand. Tally up the damage... Note general atmosphere... Make big NONO's in the margins for things that give me the creeps right off...
I've cruised by at noon. Quiet.
I've cruised by at four in the morning. Still quiet.
I've had the little old French lady from work go by in the evening (six-ish) a couple of times. Quiet.
This bodes well.
My only problem now, is the amount of damage vandals may have done to the house since it has been sitting empty. If the structure itself is good, then most everything else can be dealt with by myself and my family. We're a very resourceful lot. We've built several houses ourselves and remodeled countless others. (Dad's hobby was being a General Contractor for a while there. He's not one for useless hobbies...)
In a strange twist of events, the LOFL (Little Old French Lady) happens to have a daughter who cleans houses. This daughter has been contracted in the recent past to clean this particular little house. She says it's cute, but... I think the polite phrase is "It needs work." Multiple broken windows. Smashed vanity in one bathroom. Gap under the front door. Rooms are puny. (Hah. I've been in apartments for almost 20 years. I've yet to have a "big" room.) Blah-d-blah-d-blah...
Solution? Price out everything from cosmetic fixes to structural and factor that into the buying price. If the bones are good the work will be worth it, and I do love the idea of having something to sculpt into my own vision of home. If I make an offer, I'm thinking of shooting as low as ten thousand under and I figured the worst thing that could happen is having them say yes. Ten under would more than cover windows, water heater, sinks, lights, doors, and even a major appliance or two...
Heck. Even five under might just make it worth while.
We'll see what life changes Monday brings. Either way, Dad is in town on Tuesday and my current home is still a mess. Crap.
**Bizarre side note: Stella says there is a plaster sun in the middle of the master bedroom ceiling, and oddly enough... That fits in with my old painting plans.
***Will be walking through with camera, tape measure, and notebook in hand. Tally up the damage... Note general atmosphere... Make big NONO's in the margins for things that give me the creeps right off...