In love with a house
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In love with a house
| Thu, 07-10-2008 - 6:10pm |
Oh lordy. Today I was going into houses and feeling nothing and then went into the last one and damn near peed my pants. it was so lovely and it was old but semi renovated victorian and with all wood stained crown moldings and vintage touches everywhere like mirrors built into the walls and redone and stain glass on the tops of door frames and and and.....oh god I could go broke. But I am smiling so big around here. I would love to go broke and live there. Peanut butter sandwiches here we come. It needs SOME work but it is totally livable and SYB got all teary eyed because it looks like his old house from the UK. It really has a lot of character with the rooms in very distinct shapes and a claw foot tub in the bath. They must have kept a lot of the house original when they redid it years ago. It needs a good clean and the owner is a slob but I didnt care a whit about that. I wish wish wish I had taken pics so I could show on here but alas I cant. We would be buying in a transitional neighborhood in DC which means I would have to reread all of your recent posts so I could be down with the lingo if you know what I mean. But it also means it is a fine investment and that we would be putting our money somewhere where it is bound to grow. The market is a buyers market right now and this neighborhood is moving up for sure. It is full of old victorians and you can see that 60-70% are al in new ownership and being renovated now. The street we would be on in particular is treelined and less in the hood then a street down for example so that is good. Also, there is a HUGE deck, a very large unfinished basement I could make into a studio with a separate entrance already there and ....wait for it......an original antique mirror with new glass RIGHT in front of the master bed, LOL. I saw the mirror before SYB and I just looked at him and winked and yes, rubbed up against him as I walked past him before he saw it. He had the biggest grin on his face. I plan on being the naughtiest home owner on the block....that is, IF he accepts my bid which is going to be a bit on the low side but my fingers are crossed. I think the house is up for too much based on comps and he has already rejected one offer months ago but mine will be significantly higher than that. The house has been up for over 90 days so my feeling is he might have been right at the cusp of reducing the price anyhow. Here's hoping!!! Send big positive thoughts!!
Also, I am being reviewed for one of my performances ( last night) by a major newspaper tomorrow so send good thoughts for that too. The thing was in a huge hall but for some reason VERY poorly run and I dont know really what the reviewer is going to say exactly. It was a tough circumstance even though I was proud of myself.
Aw screw it - save all of your good thoughts for the house, screw the review!
Can you tell I am excited?
Also, I am being reviewed for one of my performances ( last night) by a major newspaper tomorrow so send good thoughts for that too. The thing was in a huge hall but for some reason VERY poorly run and I dont know really what the reviewer is going to say exactly. It was a tough circumstance even though I was proud of myself.
Aw screw it - save all of your good thoughts for the house, screw the review!
Can you tell I am excited?



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Dont worry about the offer. I am just nervous to go too much lower than the one he just rejected that we found out ablut today because he sounds picky and stubborn and I want him to be willing to negotiate with us rather than act insulted and just ignore us. We have the ability to go up more than just a bit and negotiate although I dont know I am sure that I believe the house is worth MUCH more. I just need to know how far I can go tomorrow based on the details I see and adding some stuff up because SYB is leaving town and I need to know what our strategy is so that I can negotiate if the time comes....and we really hope it does...:) I am looking forward to seeing it again tomorrow and finding out if my reaction is just as strong.
Any other advice you have would be most welcome!
The seller may be being "picky" because of pride and his emotional investment in the property. One thing that concerns me is if the house will appraise for what he is asking or for what a buyer is willing to pay. Ask your realtor if she can do a detailed CMA for you. In the past several months, many houses have been appraising for less than the contract price.
Also,
If the seller is difficult now, during the negotiating process, just think how hard it my be as you go through inspections (house, radon, lead based paint) and repair requests.
Amen!
UPDATE - kind of...
OK So we wake up early, and go to look at the house again. It is SYB's bday and he is leaving for a theatre workshop in upstate NY today for a week. My Dad is also gone next week. So is my best friend. So they are leaving me to make all of these decisions....what a bunch of morons, right? Just kidding....
Anyhow, we went in this time determined to take the rose colored sun glasses off. I mean clearly I was once married to this house and that is why I had such a gut strong reaction to it the last time. I still have that feeling but I succeeded in seeing things more clearly today. I noticed a few things and took a better look at stuff I already knew about. The front stoop needs to be totally replaced because it is a hazard. Who knows how much that costs. There is no washer and dryer in the house - uhoh, right? The range is busted and the kitchen is smaller than I recalled though I guess I could make do for a while. the rest of the house is awesome still. The English basement downstairs is just roughed in with boards and plumbing - no walls yet but it could be a rental or a studio space. I fully explored it today and it would have a decent sized kitchen and bath. The garage is big enough for two cars and accessible by an alley. The windows are newish, not the old one in my apartment that get painted shut with each tenant. The floors and woodwork are in amazing condition and original to the house and there are victorian moldings defining walls and stainglass all in great shape and beautiful. The master bedroom was beautiful in the morning light and while last time I only noticed the ridiculous large period mirror we could watch ourselves in from the bed, today I saw the two beautiful windows facing the front - lol. And the third room could easily be a baby's room or an office. Lastly, I realllly think I can barely even see the potential because it is so darn cluttered - clothes thrown everywhere, stuff, boxes, who knows what scattered around. Nobody is tidying and it strikes me that an old man is living here. He just doesnt care to tidy maybe but what it says to me is that the house is more beautiful than it appears right now and that is reassuring since I already love it. I hope I get to see it empty one day.
SOOOOOO.....I am making an offer tomorrow evening since the other agent isnt back in town until then and before I do I am seeing three more houses in similar neighborhoods with similar but slightly lower list prices. She just wants me to be sure before negotiating might start. He could just flat out refuse but I have a feeling he will come back to us with something. I know he said no to the last offer which was 10000 more than mine is but his agent said he regretted that so lets see how much that is true. I figure I think the house is worth what I am offering and I am not offering him what he was stupid enough to turn down and negotiating from there. I will start a bit lower and see what happens and I am going to try and stay calm about it even though I am clearly anything but. I think seeing a few more houses tomorrow will give me more perspective as well. Between now and then I will teach, play Tchaikovsky, and eat chocolate not necessarily in that order.
Why oh why did everyone up and leave town right now? Dont they realize I am about to go broke? LOL
City - I just found this thread...I am Very excited for you!
Thanks Rose!!!
I keep forgetting to mention it and then I think "dang it, you forgot again" I did talk to my realtor as Soonee suggested ( thanks Soonee!) about mentioning who I was for a living etc etc to see if I can peak his interest to have an artist living there. He has a digital piano upstairs in his bedroom so maybe he plays. We shall see - I am willing to try whatever since at a certain point ther is no more money , just free concerts for life!
Should have an update tonight. I am definitely open to plan B. Have a feelingthough that my offer will be given tonight on the old Victorian. OOOh, right?
I asked my Dad if he wanted to go see it and he was like "nahhhh...that's all right. I will help you decorate it sweetie"
GREAT. Where is a straight fixer upper Dad when you need one? It made me laugh because he is right - at least he knows what he would be useful for. Downpayment and decorating advice....lol
I will help you decorate it sweetie" GREAT. Where is a straight fixer upper Dad when you need one?
I roared when I read this.... FUNNY!
Lol about your dad!
I'm soooo excited to hear your update!!!!
Not to pick on you Soonee, but I'll be getting on my soapbox now...
Ahem...
there is a difference between an Interior Decorator and an Interior Designer.
City would hire a decorator to: choose a color scheme, mix her existing furniture with new pieces to fit the architecture of the building (so it looks like it all belongs together), choose window treatments that look good and perform the function necessary for that space (room darkening in bedrooms, frame a view in a living room), and perhaps floor coverings. Interior decorators do not need to have any formal education.
City would hire an Interior Designer to do all of the above plus: design the space in that basement area so it meets code, ADA requirements, and is functional for whichever purpose/purposes City envisions for that space. If she decides the kitchen needs to be completely re-designed (just is not functional in its current state) an Interior Designer would be the professional to do that. An Interior Designer would be able to redesign the bathrooms to both retain the character of the Victorian house; yet, improve functionality and be brought up to current code for safety. In many states Interior Designers must be certified, we have to have some formal education (4 yr degree preferred) and pass the NCIDQ (cert test administered by ASID). Many states require an Interior Designer also be a licensed contractor, so pass another test.
Of course, City needs to be able to afford to buy the house first, all the rest is extra. And there is a big difference between choosing the wrong wallpaper and drawing up plans for a basement rental space remodel that gets rejected by city/county code review.
So have fun, City. Hold out for the right house at the right price so you can still afford furniture. And get estimates on things like fixing those steps. That would be a contingency added to the offer, along with the standard inspection process that should be a contingency. All that clutter could be hiding many problems.
QB, stepping down off her Interior Designers are Professionals soapbox- and getting back to my commercial design homework and lots of time cozying up with the International Building Code book.
I think I will have no money for professionals to help me for a while. I could get estimates so I know what I am saving for but that would be unfair to them, no? I will have to live with the house as is for a while and I think that is possible. I added up what it needs already based on what I saw and the disclosure. I will probably have more things to consider after inspection but so far to make it livable and safe I would need to throw 10000 at it....it needs a washer and dryer,a dishwasher ( yes, I know I could live without a dishwasher), a new front stoop (neighbor across the street paid 3500, called me yesterday to tell me since I know him), and a new stove. This does not finish the basement which I would like to make into a studio space I could use and deduct off my taxes since it has a separate entrance, a kitchen, and a bath. I love the idea of eventually not having my students all over my house and just keeping them in one area but I need to save to finish the basement. the boards, wood, and plumbing are all set down there almost like he was getting ready to put up the walls and then said "screw it, Im selling" SYB would also want to redo the kitchen which is small before we do the basement because at this point with the basement unfinished the pipes are accessible and that makes everything easier. But the kitchen is livable and it is just that we would love it to be connected more to the dining area. So I think for a year or two we would need to live with a small kitchen and save for some renovations. I am ok with that. I like having a plan and we would have a lot more space. Also, dont worry, I was looking at baseboards and lightly moving things to see what was going on under the clutter. I actually think he is just cluttered but the floors and walls are all beautifully done. No damage that I can see - just some appliances to buy and reno to save for if we decide to go that route. I am still psyched.
Not for nothing - there are four gay couples on my block. I know one of them. I think have this many gay couples on the block raises the property prices because they are immaculately done. I mean I dont even need to ask which houses they are because you can TELL from the outside. They are beautifully renovated and landscaped. Those victorians might as well be wearing lipliner! So I am sure they could give me tips and names of contractors. Or I could just search in the blade....haha.
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