Sunday, March 23, 2014

That's my beautiful daughter.

So.

My house adventure gets more interesting. The sewer line is effed up, lots of cracks and holes. A $15000 repair, yikes. My trusty agent will negotiate the price down. Sellers, be reasonable, ok? Then there's the electrical situation, mix of knob and tube (read:old house) with some newer wiring, ungrounded outlets everywhere. And Rosemary says electricians are like unicorns, mythical beasts who don't return phone calls. i'm scouring my friends for someone who will bid it and then we can ask the seller to give us a whopping deal.

I don't want a mortgage. This is the point. And there are cosmetic issues as well as a furnace that doesn't turn on, a terrible electric stove that needs replacing, a busted microwave (don't care) but it needs to be extricated from it's niche and ceilings that are 'interesting'. Maybe asbestos. Great.

The siding is vinyl (yetch) but maybe under the under (which is also asbestos) there are the old clapboards. Fingers crossed.

I'm having these issues because I don't want a mortgage after I move. No mortgage, k?

My future husband Jim walked around during the inspection and we talked about a tear-off so the bedroom no longer slopes and I can have a bigger kitchen and a sun room. Facing the mountains, whenever they appear. I know how to turn a house into a beauty. Money is usually involved.

Still in house limbo. If everyone will play nice and the bank can be mollified and I can get good solid money out of my current house, we can continue to move on moving. In the meantime, my house is a bunch of boxes with the art removed from the walls. I like this process but it might make me crazy.

The weekend was spent in Duvall at a painting workshop so my hands are covered with paint. I made a few decent paintings. However, the teacher wanted us all to contemplate our womanly navels and she even launched or tried to launch a conversation about feminine archetypes. I was with Betsy so we consoled ourselves with significant looks and subtle eye-rolling. We sat together and shared paint and brushes and pastries. And today I brought my ipod so Beethoven gave me solace while I worked. Now I'm exhausted.

Tomorrow is a full work day and I'll wait to hear from Rosemary about the latest wrinkle. I have said I won't do this house if there is no price break. I'm not fixing the sewer line without compensation.

I'm afraid this post is totally boring but I can't help it. It's what I got right now.

Eden's birthday is this week and I'm so lame, I haven't gotten her a present. I bet she'll understand.




7 comments:

Birdie said...

Be careful with the asbestos. If you ever have a flood or fire your insurance will pay for the repair but may not pay for the removal of asbestos. There is a family in our community that had a flood 6 months ago and it turned out there was asbestos in the home. They cannot afford to have it removed and because it was preexisting and nothing to do with the flood they won't pay for the removal either.

Ajax said...

I'm in the process of moving now too. Foof.

Ms. Moon said...

Part of me hopes that I'll just keel over dead in this house before we ever have to move again.
Don't tell my husband I said that.
You and Betsy to come and visit me?
Oh Lord. You will see what a redneck slut of a housewife I am.
And yet, the idea is very interesting.

Bob said...

Just be ready to walk away. Those problems would scare the bejeepers out of me, and I know enough people (electricians included) to tackle all of those problems. Just don't ever let on to the sellers that ANYTHING can be fixed without damned near getting a visit from the Pope. Or the President if that works for you.

Lisa said...

Your daughter is beautiful, the house, not so much.

Jo said...

Your daughter is amazing. I would run away from this hose if I were you. Not worth it.

Mel said...

I want in on that Mary Moon visit too - I'm a redneck slut of a housewife too :)
Yes your daughter is amazing. And that house is starting to look like a problem - maybe the one you are meant to live in is still waiting for you. hold out on those price breaks - you don't need to pay for somebody else's troubles. :) and xo