Here is the hardwood floor. You can see it did get wet but it isn't soft.
Monday, December 28, 2009
House Update for Monday, Dec. 21st
I know, I know ... a whole week late. On Monday, we were still not feeling very well so we tried to keep our renovation to a minimum. But I just HAD to know what the hardwood looked like under all that wetness. Unfortunately, the bottom layer is not coming up as easily as the plywood. It just chips away. It is going to take FOREVER to chip all that flooring away. This was as far as we could get in a little over an hour.
Here is the hardwood floor. You can see it did get wet but it isn't soft.
Here is the hardwood floor. You can see it did get wet but it isn't soft.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Proud Homeowners
It is official. We are the proud owners of this 1949/50 house.
Looking into the Dining Room from the Living Room.
Looking down the hallway from the Living Room.
Telephone "booth"
The Red Room. The appraiser said that even though this room has a closet, it is too small to be a bedroom. If we can get a bed in here, it will be Sarah's room.
The Red Room closet and storage area
The Blue Room. This is the room Bethany wants ... why you ask? ... because it is BLUE! Little does she know that the whole house is going to be painted one color.
The Blue Room closet and storage area
The Master Bedroom. The bathroom is off to the left.
The Master closet and storage area.
The Master Bathroom. Does it say 1950 to you?
This is where the clothes dryer goes.
Shower in the Master Bathroom.
Hallway Bathroom. There are NO outlets in this bathroom. Wonder why that is?
Hallway Bathroom
Looking into the kitchen from the Dining Room. The cabinets are yellow. Even the hinges are painted. The back splash is green laminate ... u-g-ly.
Kitchen sink. The clothes washer goes to the right of the sink. Remember, I mentioned that in a previous post.
As you can tell, there are LOTS of cabinets in this small kitchen. But did you see a dishwasher? I think I missed that.
Our first view of the floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room.
A view of the Dining Room after the wallpaper was peeled off and the carpet removed. We then moved onto the kitchen. Here is what we found:
That black spot is ... HARDWOOD FLOORS!!! Yippee!!! We were very excited to find that. But we weren't excited to find this....
The CULPRIT ... a leaky refrigerator water valve.
Front Porch
Fireplace in Living Room.
Living Room
Looking into the Dining Room from the Living Room.
Swinging door that leads from the Dining Room to the Kitchen.
Unfortunately, it doesn't swing because of the layers of flooring in the kitchen.
Looking down the hallway from the Living Room.
Telephone "booth"
The Red Room. The appraiser said that even though this room has a closet, it is too small to be a bedroom. If we can get a bed in here, it will be Sarah's room.
The Red Room closet and storage area
The Blue Room. This is the room Bethany wants ... why you ask? ... because it is BLUE! Little does she know that the whole house is going to be painted one color.
The Blue Room closet and storage area
The Master Bedroom. The bathroom is off to the left.
The Master closet and storage area.
The Master Bathroom. Does it say 1950 to you?
This is where the clothes dryer goes.
Shower in the Master Bathroom.
Hallway Bathroom. There are NO outlets in this bathroom. Wonder why that is?
Hallway Bathroom
Looking into the kitchen from the Dining Room. The cabinets are yellow. Even the hinges are painted. The back splash is green laminate ... u-g-ly.
Kitchen sink. The clothes washer goes to the right of the sink. Remember, I mentioned that in a previous post.
As you can tell, there are LOTS of cabinets in this small kitchen. But did you see a dishwasher? I think I missed that.
My parents came up this past weekend to see the girls perform in a Christmas Violin and Piano Recital. My Mom joked on Facebook about taking the girls back with her when she left. Little did she know that we would agree. Myron and I took advantage of the time and spent a few hours on Sunday cleaning up and pulling up carpet. Here are some things we found. We knew there was hardwood floors underneath the carpet; we just didn't know the condition of them.
Our first view of the floor in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room.
A view of the Dining Room after the wallpaper was peeled off and the carpet removed. We then moved onto the kitchen. Here is what we found:
That black spot is ... HARDWOOD FLOORS!!! Yippee!!! We were very excited to find that. But we weren't excited to find this....
The CULPRIT ... a leaky refrigerator water valve.
Oh the joys of home renovations. Although it is a little exciting ripping out and tearing up, it is NO fun finding little problems like these.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sigh of Relief
We hired a painter two weeks ago tomorrow. He started on the house that Friday, the 4th. He worked pretty much every day that wasn't raining. Only I don't think he put in a full day. Hiring a painter for a house you don't live in has proved to be very difficult. The Sellers were calling my realtor, Felicia, complaining that he wasn't working fast enough and worried things were not going to work out. Then she would call me and get me ALL worked up. I finally went by the house to check on progress on the following Friday. What I found was that he only had two more windows to do on the house and then he could move to the garage. I didn't see the problem. Oh then I found out the problem ... Old Man (Seller) wanted the final inspection (by the appraiser) done before the packers came in on Wednesday, the 16th which meant he had to come on Tuesday. So I called Felicia and asked her to schedule the inspection as late as she could on Tuesday afternoon. When she spoke with him, he said the one thing he would be looking for was the paint chips. He said if he found any paint chips on the ground, he would deny it. The pressure was on. I informed the painter of this on Monday. He said he would stop what he was doing and get them up then. I knew I was going to have to go by there on Tuesday to make sure they were all picked up.
Three of my friends came down from Asheville on Tuesday to spend a few hours with me. I was so grateful for the distraction. I so enjoy their company. We had one friend that wasn't able to come because she is going through chemo and her body is very weak right now. She was missed very much.
After they left, I headed over to the house to check on the paint situation. Sure enough, the painter had gotten most of them up but there were still a bunch visible. I set out to pick them up. The ground is very wet and I wasn't prepared to be digging in the dirt. I spent an hour frantically picking up as much of the chips as I could. I made two trips around the house. I finally just stopped and said "I can't do anymore. I have done all I can." Then I said, "God it is in your hands. Your will be done." I got up and walked away.
I was late picking the girls up that day. I grabbed them at school, went to Bi-Lo for a snack, then to violin lessons. They had their Christmas program at school that night so I ordered dinner from Papa John's. There was NO way I was going to have time to cook.
On our way back home from picking up the pizza, my cell phone rang. It was Felicia. I answered the phone, "Please give me good news. I need to hear good news right now." Sure enough, the appraiser had called and approved the house. We were a "GO" for closing on Friday. What a relief! I felt SO good. I couldn't wait to tell Myron. I felt like finally something was going our way for once. My understanding is that we went so late in the day that it was starting to get dark and he didn't have a flashlight ... DARN!!!
Friday at 2 p.m. we will be the proud owners of a 1949/50 house. By the way, I need to make a correction of a previous post. I was describing the house and mentioned that the dryer was in the kitchen and the washer was in the master bathroom. I stand corrected ... by the Hubby. The washer is in the kitchen and the dryer is in the bathroom. I just had the machines switched.
I have gone on long enough. I am so pooped right now. I really want to go to bed. My parents are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I have a few things I need to get done before the girls get out of school and the parents arrive. But I do want to leave on a thankful note: What am I thankful for tonight? Good friends (old and new) and most importantly, a DEVOTED God. Although I may not feel is presence every moment of every day and I have to remind myself that He is there, HE IS THERE!!!
Three of my friends came down from Asheville on Tuesday to spend a few hours with me. I was so grateful for the distraction. I so enjoy their company. We had one friend that wasn't able to come because she is going through chemo and her body is very weak right now. She was missed very much.
After they left, I headed over to the house to check on the paint situation. Sure enough, the painter had gotten most of them up but there were still a bunch visible. I set out to pick them up. The ground is very wet and I wasn't prepared to be digging in the dirt. I spent an hour frantically picking up as much of the chips as I could. I made two trips around the house. I finally just stopped and said "I can't do anymore. I have done all I can." Then I said, "God it is in your hands. Your will be done." I got up and walked away.
I was late picking the girls up that day. I grabbed them at school, went to Bi-Lo for a snack, then to violin lessons. They had their Christmas program at school that night so I ordered dinner from Papa John's. There was NO way I was going to have time to cook.
On our way back home from picking up the pizza, my cell phone rang. It was Felicia. I answered the phone, "Please give me good news. I need to hear good news right now." Sure enough, the appraiser had called and approved the house. We were a "GO" for closing on Friday. What a relief! I felt SO good. I couldn't wait to tell Myron. I felt like finally something was going our way for once. My understanding is that we went so late in the day that it was starting to get dark and he didn't have a flashlight ... DARN!!!
Friday at 2 p.m. we will be the proud owners of a 1949/50 house. By the way, I need to make a correction of a previous post. I was describing the house and mentioned that the dryer was in the kitchen and the washer was in the master bathroom. I stand corrected ... by the Hubby. The washer is in the kitchen and the dryer is in the bathroom. I just had the machines switched.
I have gone on long enough. I am so pooped right now. I really want to go to bed. My parents are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I have a few things I need to get done before the girls get out of school and the parents arrive. But I do want to leave on a thankful note: What am I thankful for tonight? Good friends (old and new) and most importantly, a DEVOTED God. Although I may not feel is presence every moment of every day and I have to remind myself that He is there, HE IS THERE!!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Aggravation
I feel like all I ever do is get on here to complain. In fact, I think I have posted that same exact line before.
This house buying business is going to send me to the loony bin, and I believe I will happily go. We got the inspection and appraisal done last week. Everything came out okay but with a few areas of concern. Nothing that should keep us from moving forward. UNTIL..... the bank got a hold of the appraisal. One of the problems the house has is the paint is peeling on the exterior of the house and garage. Because it was built before 1978, there is a possibility of lead paint ... which isn't a problem unless you eat it. I think we are smart enough to not do that. BUT the bank wants it fixed before we can close because of the potential hazard. This is something we were going to fix ourselves once the house was officially ours ... you know, save on the labor. Now it has to be done immediately. Trying to get quotes on having the work done has not been too easy with it raining so hard today. The ones I have gotten are all over the place ... ranging from $550 to $4000.
I am trying to find peace in the midst of all this madness but am finding it very difficult. On top of the house situation, Bethany has to participate in a Science Fair at school. We missed one of the deadlines today due to procrastination on my party really. I don't want to do it ... I mean, honestly, I do NOT want to help her but I know she can't do it by herself. Then there is still Christmas to be bought. Plus, homework and studying for tests with the girls. I am feeling very overwhelmed. I know God says He will not give us more than we can bear. I think He is testing my limits.
The girls are doing very well in school with A's and B's. But it is very discouraging when Bethany brings home a 72 on a math test ... which is a D NOT a C. She still has an A in math but it is barely hanging on. So she has lost computer and TV AND has to do extra work in the afternoon. She also had a comprehension test last week that she made a 56 on AND the story was on the first page. There is no reason she couldn't have flipped back to the story to check her answers. So she is having to do extra work in comprehension also.
Well, Myron is finally home tonight. I am going to bed.
This house buying business is going to send me to the loony bin, and I believe I will happily go. We got the inspection and appraisal done last week. Everything came out okay but with a few areas of concern. Nothing that should keep us from moving forward. UNTIL..... the bank got a hold of the appraisal. One of the problems the house has is the paint is peeling on the exterior of the house and garage. Because it was built before 1978, there is a possibility of lead paint ... which isn't a problem unless you eat it. I think we are smart enough to not do that. BUT the bank wants it fixed before we can close because of the potential hazard. This is something we were going to fix ourselves once the house was officially ours ... you know, save on the labor. Now it has to be done immediately. Trying to get quotes on having the work done has not been too easy with it raining so hard today. The ones I have gotten are all over the place ... ranging from $550 to $4000.
I am trying to find peace in the midst of all this madness but am finding it very difficult. On top of the house situation, Bethany has to participate in a Science Fair at school. We missed one of the deadlines today due to procrastination on my party really. I don't want to do it ... I mean, honestly, I do NOT want to help her but I know she can't do it by herself. Then there is still Christmas to be bought. Plus, homework and studying for tests with the girls. I am feeling very overwhelmed. I know God says He will not give us more than we can bear. I think He is testing my limits.
The girls are doing very well in school with A's and B's. But it is very discouraging when Bethany brings home a 72 on a math test ... which is a D NOT a C. She still has an A in math but it is barely hanging on. So she has lost computer and TV AND has to do extra work in the afternoon. She also had a comprehension test last week that she made a 56 on AND the story was on the first page. There is no reason she couldn't have flipped back to the story to check her answers. So she is having to do extra work in comprehension also.
Well, Myron is finally home tonight. I am going to bed.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
So I spent ALL day yesterday and most of this morning cooking and preparing for our Thanksgiving feast. I think it took us 15 minutes to eat. Luckily we had plenty of leftovers for tonight. Sometimes it seems like such a waste to do all that cooking for such a short time of eating. I have to say that everything turned out very yummy. Even my turkey was very moist.
After cleaning up, we went for a stroll around the apartment complex. It was such a beautiful day. I watched the weather today and saw that Madison County, NC is under a Winter Weather Advisory. They could get up to 2 inches of snow tonight. That is where our house is in NC. We are heading up there tomorrow. Hopefully we can get up the driveway. I would hate to have to carry all the dirty clothes I have to wash up the driveway.
We are meeting the house inspector tomorrow at the Little FSBO House. Myron will get to see what is or isn't wrong with the house. Hopefully we will hear about the appraisal also tomorrow morning. We are very anxious to know how that went on Tuesday. The pest inspection was done on Wednesday and everything was clear. A little good news in all this mess.
Today is a day to remind ourselves of all the wonderful people and things in our lives. I would like to list a few of them out for you:
1. God. I am so grateful that He sent His only Son to die for me. He is with me through all the good and bad times.
2. Myron. What a wonderful, supportive husband I have. I am very grateful for him.
3. Bethany and Sarah. Although I complain about them, I truly love them with all my heart.
4. Pop and Nana. I love my parents very much and am grateful to still have them in my life.
5. Family. I can't name everyone. I have a wonderful extended family.
6. Friends. I have some great friends who have been with me for a long time and some a short time. I could not survive without my friends.
7. Roof and food. I am very thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table.
Okay, I could go on but seven is my favorite number so I will leave it there.
I hope and pray everyone has had a thankful and wonderful Thanksgiving.
After cleaning up, we went for a stroll around the apartment complex. It was such a beautiful day. I watched the weather today and saw that Madison County, NC is under a Winter Weather Advisory. They could get up to 2 inches of snow tonight. That is where our house is in NC. We are heading up there tomorrow. Hopefully we can get up the driveway. I would hate to have to carry all the dirty clothes I have to wash up the driveway.
We are meeting the house inspector tomorrow at the Little FSBO House. Myron will get to see what is or isn't wrong with the house. Hopefully we will hear about the appraisal also tomorrow morning. We are very anxious to know how that went on Tuesday. The pest inspection was done on Wednesday and everything was clear. A little good news in all this mess.
Today is a day to remind ourselves of all the wonderful people and things in our lives. I would like to list a few of them out for you:
1. God. I am so grateful that He sent His only Son to die for me. He is with me through all the good and bad times.
2. Myron. What a wonderful, supportive husband I have. I am very grateful for him.
3. Bethany and Sarah. Although I complain about them, I truly love them with all my heart.
4. Pop and Nana. I love my parents very much and am grateful to still have them in my life.
5. Family. I can't name everyone. I have a wonderful extended family.
6. Friends. I have some great friends who have been with me for a long time and some a short time. I could not survive without my friends.
7. Roof and food. I am very thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table.
Okay, I could go on but seven is my favorite number so I will leave it there.
I hope and pray everyone has had a thankful and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Another House Update
My goodness... I didn't realize I haven't updated since we walked from the other house. Here it goes:
We put an offer on the For Sale by Owner that Myron felt all warm and fuzzy about. The very one I didn't get the warm and fuzzy feelings about. But you know what .... I am tired of looking. Every house I find that I like and feel I can live in, Myron finds something wrong with it and vice versa. I am NOT at fault in that area. I found lots of faults with FSBO.
Here is the description:
It is a 50 year old, 1250 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a fenced in backyard. It sits on two lots which totals about 1/2 an acre. There are pecan trees and a walnut tree. There is also a two story detached building that is a one car garage, workshop and storage area. It is probably bigger than the house. We do know there are hardwood floors under the carpet. Here is the drawback and they are drawbacks for me NOT Myron ... 1. there is NO dishwasher (well, except Myron) 2. there is a place for a dishwasher but the clothes dryer currently occupies that space 3. there is a place for the clothes washer ... want to guess where it is? NOT beside the dryer like you would think ... that would be the back door on one side and the kitchen sink on the other. The washer is (drum roll please) .......... down the hall, around the corner, through the Master bedroom into the master bathroom behind the door. Did you get that? That is right Folks the washer is in the Master bathroom and the dryer is in the kitchen. LMBO!!!! Myron just keeps telling me that we will laugh so hard about this one day. I just look at him and say "Honey, I am laughing NOW!"
I am being all down about this house. But really I am not. I will just be so excited to get out of this apartment. I am starting to feel some love for this little house and it's location. It is on the same street as the girls' school. It is still about a 10 minutes drive which works for me. And Myron is a little closer to I-85 so his travel time should come down a little.
The people who currently own the house is an older couple. They are trying to move to Oklahoma to be closer to their family.
Scheduling the inspections and appraisal has been a struggle here lately. Myron wants the appraisal done before any inspections. He would rather walk if it doesn't appraise than to be out the appraisal and the inspection. Of course, if something comes up on the inspection we don't like then we still have the option to walk and will still be out both. I guess he is just afraid it will not appraise at the selling price. I don't think we will have that problem. I am more worried about the inspection showing something we will NOT want to fix. And the couple want us to get the inspection done before Thanksgiving because they have a trip planned to OK to find a house. If the house doesn't pass inspection, then they have no need to go to OK since we walk away from the deal. CRAZY CRAZY ... I tell ya! I am just about done.
Plus, on top of all that chaos, I am trying to get my Christmas shopping done. Which brings me to a whole other topic of which I do not feel like going into right now.
I will try to post pictures once the sale has been finalized which will be on December 18th.
I hope everyone is having thankful thoughts as we approach Thanksgiving next week. I'm still trying to find some. If you could share some of yours, I would most appreciate it. ;)
We put an offer on the For Sale by Owner that Myron felt all warm and fuzzy about. The very one I didn't get the warm and fuzzy feelings about. But you know what .... I am tired of looking. Every house I find that I like and feel I can live in, Myron finds something wrong with it and vice versa. I am NOT at fault in that area. I found lots of faults with FSBO.
Here is the description:
It is a 50 year old, 1250 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a fenced in backyard. It sits on two lots which totals about 1/2 an acre. There are pecan trees and a walnut tree. There is also a two story detached building that is a one car garage, workshop and storage area. It is probably bigger than the house. We do know there are hardwood floors under the carpet. Here is the drawback and they are drawbacks for me NOT Myron ... 1. there is NO dishwasher (well, except Myron) 2. there is a place for a dishwasher but the clothes dryer currently occupies that space 3. there is a place for the clothes washer ... want to guess where it is? NOT beside the dryer like you would think ... that would be the back door on one side and the kitchen sink on the other. The washer is (drum roll please) .......... down the hall, around the corner, through the Master bedroom into the master bathroom behind the door. Did you get that? That is right Folks the washer is in the Master bathroom and the dryer is in the kitchen. LMBO!!!! Myron just keeps telling me that we will laugh so hard about this one day. I just look at him and say "Honey, I am laughing NOW!"
I am being all down about this house. But really I am not. I will just be so excited to get out of this apartment. I am starting to feel some love for this little house and it's location. It is on the same street as the girls' school. It is still about a 10 minutes drive which works for me. And Myron is a little closer to I-85 so his travel time should come down a little.
The people who currently own the house is an older couple. They are trying to move to Oklahoma to be closer to their family.
Scheduling the inspections and appraisal has been a struggle here lately. Myron wants the appraisal done before any inspections. He would rather walk if it doesn't appraise than to be out the appraisal and the inspection. Of course, if something comes up on the inspection we don't like then we still have the option to walk and will still be out both. I guess he is just afraid it will not appraise at the selling price. I don't think we will have that problem. I am more worried about the inspection showing something we will NOT want to fix. And the couple want us to get the inspection done before Thanksgiving because they have a trip planned to OK to find a house. If the house doesn't pass inspection, then they have no need to go to OK since we walk away from the deal. CRAZY CRAZY ... I tell ya! I am just about done.
Plus, on top of all that chaos, I am trying to get my Christmas shopping done. Which brings me to a whole other topic of which I do not feel like going into right now.
I will try to post pictures once the sale has been finalized which will be on December 18th.
I hope everyone is having thankful thoughts as we approach Thanksgiving next week. I'm still trying to find some. If you could share some of yours, I would most appreciate it. ;)
Friday, November 6, 2009
House Update
We got the counter offer yesterday from the Seller's. They upped the price to accomodate for the closing costs we had asked for. This puts us over what we feel comfortable paying at closing and on a monthly basis. So we are walking away from this deal. We found three more houses last night to look at. Hopefully, we can see those this weekend.
The joys of house buying.....
The joys of house buying.....
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