Closing, Aquisition of a fridge, tearing up of floor, horticulture

Closed on the house on Friday! We brought home the claw foot tub (good to get it out of my truck finally - boy that increases gas mileage!) and then went and bought a 1946 Westinghouse refrigerator for $30 - it is so cool.. But very small - up to my shoulder. More on that later - with pictures. I have a deep freezer, so we are up for having a "go" at using it for our primary fridge. And it fits the tiny fridge area in the kitchen. This weekend we took out the scratched laminate flooring to reveal... blue padding. Okok, to reveal... Luan plywood... Okok, under that, we took off one piece ever so gingerly and found the original hardwood floor. It is in moderately bad shape, but not rotten at all. Needs a few patches and of course, to be sanded and refinished. Dan and I have gotten SO GOOD at putting in hardwood, we are up for the challenge. And the old floor has so much more character and satisfies my inner purist (the only thing that will "do" actually). We will stain it dark dark dark, so the new patches will not show so much. I have patched hardwood before. It doesn't suck as much as putting in a whole floor. Just a few boards so far will have to be taken out.

I've ordered the floor jacks and also have the asbestos abatement company ordered too. Dan sprayed round-up on poison ivy. We found I have wild roses, a holly tree, an enormous shade honeysuckle, LOL, lovely wisteria, boxwoods, etc. Someone planted nice things here. They are just overgrown.

I locked in my Mortgage Rate

Yesterday, I decided I waited long enough and I locked in my mortgage rate. I don't even mind to tell you all that it is 5.25% without any points. I also want to remember for later, that this day in history, that was just about the best rate you could possibly hope for. Good things come to those who wait.

Still haven't closed. Thinking about the fireplace.

I'm all ready to close. I have the insurance bought, the title company on standby, my mortgage is all set, etc. Everything on my side is complete. The seller, a bank, is dragging its feet! Very frustrating.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad have gone back to Florida. Dad laid the tile for the impromptu hall bathroom fiasco-er-project in the current house. It looks great! I know he wasn't happy, but I think he's a bit of a perfectionist. The floor was very uneven and the tile was all seconds, so I didn't give him much to work with. I plan on finishing laying the couple of tiles to finish the job (3 or four maybe - the tile nipper was not cooperating with Dad) and then grouting tonight. With any luck, it will be beautiful and dry by tomorrow and we'll be able to install the toilet and the vanity. It is not quite as much fun working on a house that is not mine. ;) But it's still a little fun fixing anything up at all. I also hope to be able to take pictures of the bus to try to sell it.

Meanwhile, I was thinking about the chimney that is falling down in the bungalow. I could take it down. I could... And I could replace that space with a turbine roof vent. But I like the chimney and it is an important one - it is one for the Kitchen and my bedroom. If I want to use a wood burning stove, then I have to have a chimney. I don't yet know if this is at all practical or doable, but I'm thinking about it. One option seems to be to have the chimney rebuilt partially and relined with a flexible stainless steel liner. A "Flex King" has a warranty even if the home owner installs it... But is that the preferred method? If the bricks are taken down anyway? Hmmm.

I'm making another link category for chimneys and masonry.

Getting There

I'm getting there. We finally have a contract back from the bank selling the property! Thank goodness for small miracles. They were very, very late, but my agent is still pushing to close by the end of the week! I am really impressed! Home Inspections are checked off, etc. The appraisal was done yesterday and the results are in! It passed and appraised for exactly the amount I am paying for it (who'da thunk it? Now just how does that happen to just happen that way EVERY time??? I'm not complaining... but LOL) The appraisal was sent to my insurance agent who is working on getting it insured, the title search is underway and my Realtor is setting up the appointment with the closing company! She'll call me back when she has an appointment. WOW is all I can say!
The place is smaller than advertised, as I suspected. I guess I'll have to be ingenious with my storage. IKEA and naked furniture, here I come!

Last night I went to my South Woodlawn Neighbors meeting. Nice folks! I think I ended up on the social committee to help plan the get-together in October. I was nominated for Governor at large. Cool! Be active in your neighborhood!

This is the home stretch! One foot in front of the other - I'm getting there! I am so excited!

How this came to be

In a nutshell. Ok, I never write anything in a nutshell and it just isn't how my life works... So, not so much in a nutshell, here is how this came to be.

I was thinking about the economy. I was thinking of how someday I'd love to be my own boss, work my own job, be in charge of my future. I was getting into this whole do-it-yourself stage by baking bread, making my own soap and laundry detergent, etc. I was saving money and being frugal. I thought about how nice it would be if my entire job was just to ensure my own self sufficiency. I thought I'd open a bed and breakfast. I looked into it and was encouraged to explore this possibility. I looked into properties that could become bed and breakfasts and then I realized that I could not afford them and bed and breakfast owners all counseled me to have some other source of income or at the very least have my debts paid off. I am far from that...

But I noticed that there were some real deals out there. And I thought maybe there was something that could help be increase my cash flow and that later I could turn into a bed and breakfast. Later after the mortgage was paid. The plan was to look for a rental. I looked at the MLS. I saw a triplex close to Maryville College and thought it might work. The location was good, the size was great and I like the craftsman houses. We went and saw it and it was falling apart, a den of hazards, lawsuits waiting to happen. I felt sorry for the residents. I also found out that the mortgage crisis has had a negative effect on obtaining a mortgage and that I would have to plunk down 25% of the purchase cost of any property with more than two residences. I modified my search to look at less expensive places and looked at another small house that was also falling apart. The real estate agent seemed shocked that I would expect more and she didn't really have time for me, so I switched agents. My new agent showed me a lot of houses! It narrowed my focus still more until what I thought I was looking for was a single family small residence to fix up and rent out.
Some were better than others, but I was getting tired and it was time to go home. She said, "just one more? It's the one you sent me last, but we might as well since it is on the way home".
OK.
We went and it was perfect. Sure, it is worn and it needs work, but it has great bones, it is not falling in and it is actually pretty big. Cute as a button, too! I fell in love. Then we went inside. Two bedrooms. Original things such as moldings, fireplaces, cabinets with art deco hinges, a claw foot tub in great condition, nice straight flat floors, good size bedrooms, original windows, sleeper porches, and a full basement!
So, I decided I have entirely too much stuff anyway, it is time to clean out. I decided to take a leap, make a change and I'm moving in.