someone's gonna get a bargain

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Looked at a gorgeous place out in the boonies today.... the driveway must be a mile long of the worst road in history, though.... Don't know what it would take to make it so that it wouldn't rip out the guts of our Impala.... the truck did fine on it though.  It didn't help that it was pouring cats and dogs when we drove out there either.  The road isn't graded properly, and there were washes everywhere, and even with 4WD, I slid around a bit.  Would hate to see it in really bad weather.  But the place was absolutely the prettiest place I've looked at so far.  Near Chandler.  It'll probably be sold to someone with a bigger truck than ours before our place up north sells and we're in a position to buy.      My truck is so filthy now it looks like I went off-roading down a clay river bed.  Only two houses on the road on a 20-acre interior lot, and this one was the last one... the road seems to be a private road, so would be our expense to get it more driveable.  Nice barn and 20 by 30 shop with power.  House is very unique.  Cabin with a cordwood living room that is about the neatest looking thing I've seen on all my house hunting trips.  The  house was little and had 3 bedrooms and two full baths, and then it also had an additional bath tub in the master bedroom.  The folks built it themselves, I'm pretty sure, but it is really nicely built and has a ton of charm and character.  Big wood stove with a top that could be used for cooking in winter... plenty of wood around to keep it broiling hot in there, too.    Kind of a saltbox style house with an open loft area where you can see down to the living room below.  The downstairs bedroom would probably have to become our dining room because there was nowhere else our table would've fit, but that would be OK, too.  If we were to buy something like that, we'd probably either build on or build a guest cottage eventually (seems we're always hosting someone, and it would be just about necessary to have a little more room.)  Oh, and did I mention that the price was pretty good... now... if that house in WI would just sell.

I got a call from the ugly houses folks.  They basically were trying to tell me our realtor should've already sold it for the list price and she's just not marketing it hard enough and if I'd fire her and hire them then they'd sell it in two weeks for my asking price or better.  They knew that we aren't in trouble, we're just sick of paying the mortgage and want to get into a place here, so rather than asking us to sell for a fraction of the price (because they could tell we're not that desperate yet) they wanted me to break my contract with our realtor and give the listing to them.  I thanked them and hung up. 

[StinkerBell]

When it starts out, I found a place in the boonies, it has my attention!

[desdawg]

Looked at a gorgeous place out in the boonies today.... the driveway must be a mile long of the worst road in history, though.... Don't know what it would take to make it so that it wouldn't rip out the guts of our Impala.... the truck did fine on it though.  It didn't help that it was pouring cats and dogs when we drove out there either.  The road isn't graded properly, and there were washes everywhere, and even with 4WD, I slid around a bit.  Would hate to see it in really bad weather.  But the place was absolutely the prettiest place I've looked at so far.  Near Chandler.  It'll probably be sold to someone with a bigger truck than ours before our place up north sells and we're in a position to buy.      My truck is so filthy now it looks like I went off-roading down a clay river bed.  Only two houses on the road on a 20-acre interior lot, and this one was the last one... the road seems to be a private road, so would be our expense to get it more driveable.  Nice barn and 20 by 30 shop with power.  House is very unique.  Cabin with a cordwood living room that is about the neatest looking thing I've seen on all my house hunting trips.  The  house was little and had 3 bedrooms and two full baths, and then it also had an additional bath tub in the master bedroom.  The folks built it themselves, I'm pretty sure, but it is really nicely built and has a ton of charm and character.  Big wood stove with a top that could be used for cooking in winter... plenty of wood around to keep it broiling hot in there, too.    Kind of a saltbox style house with an open loft area where you can see down to the living room below.  The downstairs bedroom would probably have to become our dining room because there was nowhere else our table would've fit, but that would be OK, too.  If we were to buy something like that, we'd probably either build on or build a guest cottage eventually (seems we're always hosting someone, and it would be just about necessary to have a little more room.)  Oh, and did I mention that the price was pretty good... now... if that house in WI would just sell.

I got a call from the ugly houses folks.  They basically were trying to tell me our realtor should've already sold it for the list price and she's just not marketing it hard enough and if I'd fire her and hire them then they'd sell it in two weeks for my asking price or better.  They knew that we aren't in trouble, we're just sick of paying the mortgage and want to get into a place here, so rather than asking us to sell for a fraction of the price (because they could tell we're not that desperate yet) they wanted me to break my contract with our realtor and give the listing to them.  I thanked them and hung up. 

That sounds like my kind of place. Waiting for something you have no control over is difficult. Taking action is the easy part when the circumstances are right.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

I told DH that going to check the mail every day would amount to a 2-mile hike, therefore exercise is accounted for.   It is a pretty way to get in, too, and a little creek runs across the drive and across the back of the 20-acres.  I checked out the drive time, though, and it would be nearly a 50-minute drive.  However, places I've looked at that are much closer, mileage wise, and range from $40K-100K more in price, are only 5-10 minutes less of a drive.  If we do somehow end up buying that house, DH would have to change the oil in his car every 3 weeks, and it would mean about $200 a month in gas at current prices, which is a lot more than he is putting on it now.  Also, it is already high mileage, but how long would it last doing that commute every day?  Of course, I probably wouldn't be driving much of anywhere.  The drive in is very steep and hilly, but just gorgeous in spite of the bad road.   I'm forcing him to go look at it again with me this Friday.  Of course, we don't have an offer on our house in WI yet, though.

[MountainDon]

If we do somehow end up buying that house, DH would have to change the oil in his car every 3 weeks,

I was going to digress the topic, but decided I'd start a new one. 

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=5446.new#new

[desdawg]

You now have an excuse to own a quad. If you needed an excuse.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

If we do somehow end up buying that house, DH would have to change the oil in his car every 3 weeks,

I was going to digress the topic, but decided I'd start a new one. 

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=5446.new#new

Oops, I meant every six weeks, not every three.  I'd only had one cup of coffee when I wrote that... my math brain wasn't awake yet.

[ScottA]

HG I don't know if you ever worked with an auctioneer before but a good one can sell a house that no one wants to buy. Just a thought.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

You know, actually Scott, that's not a bad idea.  It beats the ugly houses folks, and it gets 'er done quickly.  I wonder if DH's company would agree to something like that?    They didn't want us doing the lease purchase option (and really, neither did I because it is too risky for us if the buyer changes his mind down the road and we're stuck in the same boat again.)  I'm assuming you could set a minimum bid the same way you would for any auction, right?  So we could set the minimum bid at whatever the company decides is the bottom line, and go from there.... Hmmm.  May have to call DH at work and have him talk to the HR guy and see what he says.

Thanks.

[ScottA]

I used to go to alot of real estate auctions. I've seen houses that sat on the market for years sell at or near market value in minutes. I was looking for bargins but seemed like someone always got excited and bid it up. They say an auction will bring the real value of the house. I've seen that proven more than once.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Good news... a couple is going to be looking at our house at 5 o'clock today.  The husband liked the house after looking this morning but wasn't sure his wife would like that the upstairs only has a half bath that would have to be shared by their three kids (oh, boo-hoo, poor things, having to share a bathroom!!)  Anyway, they're coming back to look this evening, so I am hopeful that she likes the house and gives her husband the go-ahead on it... they won't find anything as good in that price range.

[MountainDon]

fingers crossed here   

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

haven't heard back yet... that could be either good or bad.  I am really hoping they make an offer.  Took DH to the cabin in the boonies today and he liked it--a lot.  We cut through the woods and came out into the most gorgeous pasture just as the setting sun set it on fire with color.  Right in the middle of the pasture near the creek was this huge old pecan tree.  There were a lot of other pecans everywhere in the wooded areas and along the creek, but this particular one was huge and majestic in the sunset.    It is probably a good ten acres or more of native prairie grasses that look virtually untouched.  There was also at least one really nice clearing in the woods that had a little bit of grazing land.  For whatever reason, the ice storms from last winter seem to have missed most of the trees in the woods there... I don't know how because all the surrounding land was hit hard.  I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up too much on the house up north selling before this place is gone, but I really like it.  Thought we were never going to get the kids back in the truck... they were busy chasing frogs and picking grasses.  DH is already making plans to finish out the shop that was half-baked.  The girls are bombarding heaven with prayers that our house would sell... they are so in their element in a place like that.  My oldest was in the creek before I could catch her (and it's in the 50s with a pretty good breeze, so she was pretty frozen by the time we started to leave.)  According to the listing, the cabin is more than 1000 sq. ft., but it sure doesn't seem it.  I'm wondering if they include the covered back porch in that figure?  

[StinkerBell]

If it makes you feel better we have only had an agent take a look at our home. Just so he knows how to price his competing listing....

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well, trying not to hold my breath, but just got an email from my realtor up north and she is showing it to the couple for the 3rd time as I write!!!  You know what they say... third time's a charm!!!  They wanted to see how light it was during the daytime, so they were meeting the realtor there at 4 o'clock, and as I haven't gotten a call or email back yet, they are still there hashing it out.  They are very interested.
Seriously, OSU is playing Texas today and the game is really a close one, and here I am back on the computer every few minutes to see if she's emailed me back yet!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

6:30 pm and nothing yet... they were looking @ 4 o'clock.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

It's like the watched pot that never boils... I am so impatient and keep checking my email every little bit to see if she's emailed me anything.... If they make an offer, they may want to sleep on it first, so I don't know that I'll get any feedback before going to bed tonight.     I need to go pick up some milk and stuff, but hate to leave in case the phone rings....  May wait until the girls are in bed and then run to the store or send DH.  If they got to the house early enough, they got to enjoy the sunset (if it is clear up there today... I don't know because for a change I didn't watch the weather forecast for up there.)  I was up all night last night with the baby because she is teething and fussy, and as tired as I am, not sure I can sleep tonight...

[StinkerBell]

Soak in a nice hot bath then have a nice hot cup of tea.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

    Well, got an email from the WI realtor today and they are "sleeping on it" and will "hopefully" make a decision by tomorrow (the realtor's words, not theirs, I think.)  They are seriously considering it, obviously.  I hope that we do hear something by tomorrow, and that the something is in the form of an offer! 

[glenn kangiser]

I hope so too.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

sure do hope so.... I am so ready.  Every time the phone rings, I'm tripping all over myself to get there and answer it, only to find out it is a telemarketer or some politician campaigning by phone.

[muldoon]

It's like the watched pot that never boils...

One thing brewing beer has taught me is that the watched pot never boils anecdote is bogus, I would re-write it as an unwatched pot will boil over.  Making macaroni and cheese for the kids on dads cook night has also reinforced the lesson 

Anyway, were all keeping our fingers crossed and praying for you girl, hope it comes through SOON. 

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

   That's about the truth!  Thanks for the chuckle... still waiting for word from our realtor.  She is a very cautious type (I can almost bet you that every room in her house is a different shade of "eggshell") and she won't say anything until she knows something for certain.  Meanwhile, I'm kind of glad the people who have the house we like have such a lousy realtor.  Because of that, they're not likely to have many showings anytime soon.  When we called to go look at the place, the realtor snapped, "Well, you couldn't possibly pick a worse day to look (it was raining). I sure hope you have 4 wheel drive, and if you don't you shouldn't even bother.  It'd be a waste of your time!"  He doesn't even have a sign up, and his online listing doesn't even show the best features of the property, or bother to list the amenities.  He also gave lousy directions, and he had "no idea" what the cross streets nearby were.  We found it only because I remembered the address from when I looked online and happened to see the address on the mailbox out on the main road.  Anyway, the house is smaller than most people would want, and isn't the typical American McMansion, so hopefully that and the road to it will deter others long enough for us to make an offer. 

Well, gotta get back to lessons with my kids... stopped long enough to check email and have another cup of coffee.

[Squirl]

I have found that to be the case with many realtors.  What you want is not what they want to sell you.  I want the least expensive piece that fits my needs.  Everyone I have come across wants to sell me the most expensive property, Mcmansion and all. You would think they represent all customers equally, but they don't.  In my experiance if they think they can sell the person into one of their more expensive properties they will try, sometimes at the sacrifice of no sale at all.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Lunch time Monday and still no word... I am thinking if they'd decided against it, they would have made up their minds by now.  Hopefully they're just hashing out what to pay for it.

I have found that to be the case with many realtors.  What you want is not what they want to sell you.  I want the least expensive piece that fits my needs.  Everyone I have come across wants to sell me the most expensive property, Mcmansion and all. You would think they represent all customers equally, but they don't.  In my experiance if they think they can sell the person into one of their more expensive properties they will try, sometimes at the sacrifice of no sale at all.

We really had that  problem when we first moved to WI... our realtor flat wouldn't show us stuff we wanted to look at.  Her idea of "land" was a postage stamp lot backing up to a city park.