It's ours! Well, at least the mortgage is ours. :-)
Tomorrow the real work begins. New toilets, cleaning and paint prep. Patching the roof. The list goes on and on. I'll post photos of significant changes as we go.
Thanks for for following along.
Day 62
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Inspection...Done!
We spent 8 hours at the house yesterday, arriving before the inspector and staying after he left. We arrived around 9 am and set to work. My husband began tearing a hole in the girls' hallway to see if we have an attic or even a crawlspace. What he found above the plywood ceiling was a very ugly, water damaged, sagging sheet rock ceiling. Apparently, when the swamp cooler began leaking, the ceiling became extremely wet and the former tenants decided to cover it up instead of fix the issue. We think, anyway. There didn't seem to be any other reason for the lowered ceiling. So, into the mess, my husband went. Before the end of the day the ceiling had been opened all the way, and he was able to tell that the roof over the girls bedrooms and the library actually have a little bit of space. We have the beautiful wood beam ceilings, about 4 inches of insulation, about 4 inches of space, and then the roof. Good! A big job for another day will be to get the two swamp coolers off the roof and repair the holes they will leave.
Scott (of Integrapect Home Inspections) arrived around 9:30 and set to work. Dan trailed behind him most of the day as they poked around and checked everything. Dirty work, that. Better them than me!
I was getting dirty enough on my own, though. I set to work vacuuming the library, with all of its nooks and crannies. Wonderful places that spiders love to hide! The great little vents along the floor were very challenging to get clean, but I did my best. Vacuuming first inside, then outside to clear the screens. At some point, ivy had been allowed to grow onto the screens so some of the old vines are still in place. One of these days I may take them apart completely to really get them cleared, but for now they are much more usable! I also set to work removing some doors. The accordion doors that framed the window in the entryway had to come down. They did. I also removed the regular door that closed off the kitchen from the hallway/master bedroom. Never saw the point of that door. I cleaned the drawers in the kitchen - getting them ready for our silverware and gadgets. After awhile I headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather. I began trimming the overgrown ivy and pulling weeds on the hillside trail on the north side of the house.
Later, Dan uncovered the kitchen window - you might remember that it had a mirror placed in the frame. The windows underneath are the old style, crank handle, but both sides open - we just need to find a missing screen. The difference is amazing! We look out into the potting shed, of course, but that's not terrible and it will be even better when we either clean up the shed or remove it all together. The light coming in is a great plus. I cleaned the area and once the windows are sanded and painted they'll be really beautiful! (pictures soon)
Scott finished his inspection some time around 4, I think. It was a long day for him, but we really appreciated his insight and knowledge! He's great to work with and his prices are really amazing! Look him up if you need an inspection. Tell him we sent you. Anyway, after Scott left, we began cleaning and loading up the van. We turned off the gas and set off the bug bombs. It was 5 pm and we were exhausted!
BTW, no real surprises in the inspection - but, again, we didn't expect any. If you come out to the house to help (or even just to look) DO NOT WALK ON THE FAR END OF THE DECK (the part that goes around the sunset room. It is extremely unsafe and will be coming down very soon!
Day 61
Scott (of Integrapect Home Inspections) arrived around 9:30 and set to work. Dan trailed behind him most of the day as they poked around and checked everything. Dirty work, that. Better them than me!
I was getting dirty enough on my own, though. I set to work vacuuming the library, with all of its nooks and crannies. Wonderful places that spiders love to hide! The great little vents along the floor were very challenging to get clean, but I did my best. Vacuuming first inside, then outside to clear the screens. At some point, ivy had been allowed to grow onto the screens so some of the old vines are still in place. One of these days I may take them apart completely to really get them cleared, but for now they are much more usable! I also set to work removing some doors. The accordion doors that framed the window in the entryway had to come down. They did. I also removed the regular door that closed off the kitchen from the hallway/master bedroom. Never saw the point of that door. I cleaned the drawers in the kitchen - getting them ready for our silverware and gadgets. After awhile I headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather. I began trimming the overgrown ivy and pulling weeds on the hillside trail on the north side of the house.
Later, Dan uncovered the kitchen window - you might remember that it had a mirror placed in the frame. The windows underneath are the old style, crank handle, but both sides open - we just need to find a missing screen. The difference is amazing! We look out into the potting shed, of course, but that's not terrible and it will be even better when we either clean up the shed or remove it all together. The light coming in is a great plus. I cleaned the area and once the windows are sanded and painted they'll be really beautiful! (pictures soon)
Scott finished his inspection some time around 4, I think. It was a long day for him, but we really appreciated his insight and knowledge! He's great to work with and his prices are really amazing! Look him up if you need an inspection. Tell him we sent you. Anyway, after Scott left, we began cleaning and loading up the van. We turned off the gas and set off the bug bombs. It was 5 pm and we were exhausted!
BTW, no real surprises in the inspection - but, again, we didn't expect any. If you come out to the house to help (or even just to look) DO NOT WALK ON THE FAR END OF THE DECK (the part that goes around the sunset room. It is extremely unsafe and will be coming down very soon!
Day 61
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
We Signed!!!!
Yep, we signed a stack of docs this morning! We're almost there!
Inspection tomorrow morning - yes, we know it's backwards, but it's really okay. If there are huge surprises we can still halt the whole thing. Really. We don't expect any surprises, though. We've been all over the house and know it pretty well.
The inspection will take most of the day, and while the guys are doing that I plan to do a little vacuuming up of spiders & webs and some more yard work. I could spend all day in the yard and hardly make a dent. But I'm gonna try, anyway!
Before we leave tomorrow, we'll be setting off the bug bombs. That way, when we get back up there on Friday (or Saturday) we'll be able to open the house to air it out. Then the real cleaning can begin!
Day 60
Inspection tomorrow morning - yes, we know it's backwards, but it's really okay. If there are huge surprises we can still halt the whole thing. Really. We don't expect any surprises, though. We've been all over the house and know it pretty well.
The inspection will take most of the day, and while the guys are doing that I plan to do a little vacuuming up of spiders & webs and some more yard work. I could spend all day in the yard and hardly make a dent. But I'm gonna try, anyway!
Before we leave tomorrow, we'll be setting off the bug bombs. That way, when we get back up there on Friday (or Saturday) we'll be able to open the house to air it out. Then the real cleaning can begin!
Day 60
Monday, September 26, 2011
We Have Electricity!!!
We spent a good portion of the day on Saturday at the house. Trimming the ivy, scrubbing the kitchen floor, etc. The day wasn't too hot so the inside was not uncomfortable. My sister and brother-in-law came up for part of the time and kept us company, as well as sharing advice. It was a good day, but it was nice to get home and get cleaned up. Our bed felt extra good that night, too!
After church on Sunday, we headed up and had a nice brunch at Awful Annies. The food was good, but they were busy and the wait time was extra long all the way around. We headed from there to the house and enjoyed our afternoon cleaning and trimming - in the rain! I can't wait to move in and enjoy the great autumn weather!!! While we were there, we managed to cut away all of the vine that had covered the deck railing. It felt very satisfying to see the whole thing fall to the ground below. The spray of dirt, though, left us covered in black specks. :-)
We also took off the board that was covering the window from the entryway out into the courtyard. What a difference! I can't imagine why someone would cover it up!!!
Standing in the foyer looking out past the Japanese Maple.
One of the jobs my husband recently did was to remove the roll-up shades from the outside of the potting shed windows. Once these are cleaned up and painted they'll be great. Or, we might just tear down the shed altogether. Who knows? Not us!
So, upon getting the call today that the meter was in, we decided to go up and check things out. Yes, we have electricity! We flipped the main switch and heard the swamp cooler kick on. Several lights in the house were also on - and we couldn't figure out how to turn them off! A problem for another day. We were happy. Before we turned off the main, though, we headed out to the deck to catch a picture of the valley just after sunset.
Soon, we will see this often! Ahhh...
After church on Sunday, we headed up and had a nice brunch at Awful Annies. The food was good, but they were busy and the wait time was extra long all the way around. We headed from there to the house and enjoyed our afternoon cleaning and trimming - in the rain! I can't wait to move in and enjoy the great autumn weather!!! While we were there, we managed to cut away all of the vine that had covered the deck railing. It felt very satisfying to see the whole thing fall to the ground below. The spray of dirt, though, left us covered in black specks. :-)
No more vine growing out of control!
More damage on the deck, though!
We also took off the board that was covering the window from the entryway out into the courtyard. What a difference! I can't imagine why someone would cover it up!!!
Standing in the open courtyard looking past the Japanese Maple into the foyer.
So, upon getting the call today that the meter was in, we decided to go up and check things out. Yes, we have electricity! We flipped the main switch and heard the swamp cooler kick on. Several lights in the house were also on - and we couldn't figure out how to turn them off! A problem for another day. We were happy. Before we turned off the main, though, we headed out to the deck to catch a picture of the valley just after sunset.
Day 59
Thursday, September 22, 2011
More Snags...
...but these are ultimately to our benefit!
In my last post I told you the electric meter was scheduled to go in on Monday, and we were hoping to have the home inspection on Tuesday. Well, our inspector wasn't available until yesterday so we booked the day (potentially planning to go in and sign docs after the inspection). We arrived at the house yesterday morning, with the inspector, to find a note from PG&E telling us that they would not install the meter because there was another problem. I called the seller's agent (ours was unavailable) only to find out that she knew about the problem - and had known since Monday - but was busy trying to get everyone involved over to fix the issue. She apologized for not notifying us and assured us that someone from PG&E, an electrician, and her husband would be back at the house this morning at 8 AM to fix the problem once and for all.
In frustration, but acceptance, my husband and I, having already planned for the day off, began a little work around the house and yard. By lunch time we had not only spent a great morning together, but we had chosen colors for the main living areas and our bedroom/bathroom/closet! We spent the afternoon at Home Depot, Lowe's and World Market, looking at various items - mostly just looking. We decided we would drive back up to the house and watch the sunset from 'our' deck. By the time the got to the house (about 4 hours after we'd left) the locks had been changed! We knew this because we couldn't get in! The key that was inside the agent's lockbox no longer fit the doors. I called our agent, who called the seller's agent, to learn that the bank had scheduled the change, but the agent hadn't known when it would happen. She let me know how to get into the contractor's lockbox and retrieve the new key. So, this meant a HUGE savings for us. We no longer need to change all the knobs/locks on the (5) exterior doors. The work has already been paid for by the bank - and the new key will not be going into the agent's lockbox, so no one else will be able to get in (only authorized workers, our agent, the seller's agent and us). Love the $200+ savings!
Inside the house it incredibly warm, but although the afternoon was hot, the deck was nice and the sunset was beautiful. The first of many such evenings to come, I'm sure.
Late this morning I called our agent. She had good news and not so good news. The not so good news is that there's another delay. Probably until Monday or Tuesday of next week. The good news is that some of the wiring inside the house has to be redone. At the bank's expense. New wiring for us! Not sure what all is being done, but our agent mentioned tearing out sheet rock. Can't wait to see what's new! I may drive up tomorrow to see what's going on...
So, the latest plan is to have our inspection on Tuesday and sign either that evening or Wednesday morning. Things can, and probably will, change. We shall see. :-)
Day 55
In my last post I told you the electric meter was scheduled to go in on Monday, and we were hoping to have the home inspection on Tuesday. Well, our inspector wasn't available until yesterday so we booked the day (potentially planning to go in and sign docs after the inspection). We arrived at the house yesterday morning, with the inspector, to find a note from PG&E telling us that they would not install the meter because there was another problem. I called the seller's agent (ours was unavailable) only to find out that she knew about the problem - and had known since Monday - but was busy trying to get everyone involved over to fix the issue. She apologized for not notifying us and assured us that someone from PG&E, an electrician, and her husband would be back at the house this morning at 8 AM to fix the problem once and for all.
In frustration, but acceptance, my husband and I, having already planned for the day off, began a little work around the house and yard. By lunch time we had not only spent a great morning together, but we had chosen colors for the main living areas and our bedroom/bathroom/closet! We spent the afternoon at Home Depot, Lowe's and World Market, looking at various items - mostly just looking. We decided we would drive back up to the house and watch the sunset from 'our' deck. By the time the got to the house (about 4 hours after we'd left) the locks had been changed! We knew this because we couldn't get in! The key that was inside the agent's lockbox no longer fit the doors. I called our agent, who called the seller's agent, to learn that the bank had scheduled the change, but the agent hadn't known when it would happen. She let me know how to get into the contractor's lockbox and retrieve the new key. So, this meant a HUGE savings for us. We no longer need to change all the knobs/locks on the (5) exterior doors. The work has already been paid for by the bank - and the new key will not be going into the agent's lockbox, so no one else will be able to get in (only authorized workers, our agent, the seller's agent and us). Love the $200+ savings!
Inside the house it incredibly warm, but although the afternoon was hot, the deck was nice and the sunset was beautiful. The first of many such evenings to come, I'm sure.
Late this morning I called our agent. She had good news and not so good news. The not so good news is that there's another delay. Probably until Monday or Tuesday of next week. The good news is that some of the wiring inside the house has to be redone. At the bank's expense. New wiring for us! Not sure what all is being done, but our agent mentioned tearing out sheet rock. Can't wait to see what's new! I may drive up tomorrow to see what's going on...
So, the latest plan is to have our inspection on Tuesday and sign either that evening or Wednesday morning. Things can, and probably will, change. We shall see. :-)
Day 55
Friday, September 16, 2011
Moving forward, but not yet moving.
The final inspection for the electrical was on Wednesday. I'm happy to say we passed! Finally!!! The electric meter is scheduled to be installed on Monday. We were hoping for yesterday or today, but clearly that was asking too much. :-)
We just got final approval on our loan! We've been anxiously waiting to make sure the appraisal was accepted, and the underwriters didn't have a problem with the house. Whew!
We have our insurance all lined up and ready to go. Never bought a house before, so that was all new to us...
I have a call in to the home inspector to see if he can do the inspection on Tuesday. If things continue to move forward, we may actually be signing on Wednesday. A girl can dream, can't she?
Day 49
We just got final approval on our loan! We've been anxiously waiting to make sure the appraisal was accepted, and the underwriters didn't have a problem with the house. Whew!
We have our insurance all lined up and ready to go. Never bought a house before, so that was all new to us...
I have a call in to the home inspector to see if he can do the inspection on Tuesday. If things continue to move forward, we may actually be signing on Wednesday. A girl can dream, can't she?
Day 49
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Arghhh...
Trying to be patient. Really. I'm trying. We're just so ready to move in to our new home! We keep getting these seemingly ridiculous delays! Okay, I know this is all in God's time. Patience is a virtue, and all that.
The electrical inspection was today, or maybe yesterday, I'm not exactly sure which. Anyway, the inspector that went out to the house this time was apparently a different guy from the one who made up the original punch list. So, although all of the items on the punch list were completed, this guy saw some more things he wants done. What does that mean to us? More waiting, of course! Probably several days to get the work done and several more to get another inspection. Hopefully the house will pass that one, but then we get to wait for the actual meter to be installed!
On a much more positive note...the appraisal has come through (into our hands, finally) and it looks really great. The guy did a nice job and should not pose any problems with underwriting. Which, of course, we're still waiting on. Another couple of days to get through that process, probably. But it doesn't matter since we are still waiting on the electric meter!! Oh, yeah, patience. Breathe. In. Out. Calm.
We had our termite inspection last Saturday. It's an old house and we expected some termites, so we weren't surprised that our guy found some. No new damage, though, and really, a very inexpensive fix. All is well there.
Day 46
The electrical inspection was today, or maybe yesterday, I'm not exactly sure which. Anyway, the inspector that went out to the house this time was apparently a different guy from the one who made up the original punch list. So, although all of the items on the punch list were completed, this guy saw some more things he wants done. What does that mean to us? More waiting, of course! Probably several days to get the work done and several more to get another inspection. Hopefully the house will pass that one, but then we get to wait for the actual meter to be installed!
On a much more positive note...the appraisal has come through (into our hands, finally) and it looks really great. The guy did a nice job and should not pose any problems with underwriting. Which, of course, we're still waiting on. Another couple of days to get through that process, probably. But it doesn't matter since we are still waiting on the electric meter!! Oh, yeah, patience. Breathe. In. Out. Calm.
We had our termite inspection last Saturday. It's an old house and we expected some termites, so we weren't surprised that our guy found some. No new damage, though, and really, a very inexpensive fix. All is well there.
Day 46
Friday, September 9, 2011
Patience required...
You may be wondering why I haven't been posting. It's because nothing is happening!!!! It's so frustrating, but a fact of life when buying a house. Especially a house like this one. Nothing is cookie cutter, and to top it off, lots of things are more than a little wonky.
The appraisal has been finished since Monday but we haven't been able to see it because it needs to go through some sort of review (this is new since I was doing loans). Anyway, if it ever comes through the review we'll be able to see what it says. At this point we're not even sure the lender will accept it. It the lender doesn't like what it says then we get to start the process all over again with another lender. We are hoping that we'll see the appraisal today - or at least get some word that the lender has accepted it and we can proceed.
The electric meter has not been installed, yet. The inspector wanted a list of things that were fixed and he wanted to know that the work was done by a certified electrician. Apparently, the letter went in, but then he wanted a letter stating that all of the hazardous problems had been fixed. Seems to me that checking that out for himself is his job...but maybe not??? Anyway, the second letter is supposedly in the works, but until the inspector signs off on the deal PG&E cannot install the meter. So, maybe next week.
That brings me to the inspections that are left. We had originally planned the whole house inspection for tomorrow morning, but without electricity it's futile to do it now. So we postponed. Again. We do have the termite inspection scheduled for 11:00 tomorrow morning, so that will be out of the way.
We're still waiting on the quote from the HVAC guy, but there's really not money to put a system in right now so it doesn't matter. Good thing the weather is beginning to cool down - soon we won't need the A/C. On the flip side, we have lots of blankets for when the weather gets chilly!
Moving on to our scheduled closing date of September 15th. That's next Thursday. I'm thinking we are going to be pushing that date back. Even if the meter goes in Monday or Tuesday and we get the inspection done on Wednesday, there's no way we can close on Thursday. Maybe Friday...in a dream world! According to our contract we have ten (10) days from the time the meters are installed to get our inspections done and change our minds. We figure that unless there's some huge, catastrophic thing we don't know about, we'll move forward. You know, something like, the house is about to collapse from termite damage, or all the pipes are about to bust and the electrical is failing and needs a complete replacement.
So, here we are. We haven't started packing up this house, yet. We are waiting for the house to close. Since we aren't moving in for a few weeks, we'll be packing here on weeknights, while we clean and paint there on weekends.
On a strange and funny note... I had a dream last night that the house closed and we had to move in right away. So, there we were, living in this horrible, broken down, ramshackle of a house that hadn't even been cleaned! We didn't have the money to make repairs or get the appliances we needed so we were trying to make do with what was in the house (there is a decrepit refrigerator, a gross dishwasher, and a small stove on the premises). My husband went to work and the girls and I were left in this awful house! The funny things was, although we knew the house needed a ton of work, we weren't really grossed out. We just didn't know where to start! When I woke up I had to laugh. Although the house we're buying needs a thorough cleaning and it has some issues, it's not gross and not falling apart, either. It's in excellent shape compared to the house in my dream, uh, nightmare! :-)
Day 42
The appraisal has been finished since Monday but we haven't been able to see it because it needs to go through some sort of review (this is new since I was doing loans). Anyway, if it ever comes through the review we'll be able to see what it says. At this point we're not even sure the lender will accept it. It the lender doesn't like what it says then we get to start the process all over again with another lender. We are hoping that we'll see the appraisal today - or at least get some word that the lender has accepted it and we can proceed.
The electric meter has not been installed, yet. The inspector wanted a list of things that were fixed and he wanted to know that the work was done by a certified electrician. Apparently, the letter went in, but then he wanted a letter stating that all of the hazardous problems had been fixed. Seems to me that checking that out for himself is his job...but maybe not??? Anyway, the second letter is supposedly in the works, but until the inspector signs off on the deal PG&E cannot install the meter. So, maybe next week.
That brings me to the inspections that are left. We had originally planned the whole house inspection for tomorrow morning, but without electricity it's futile to do it now. So we postponed. Again. We do have the termite inspection scheduled for 11:00 tomorrow morning, so that will be out of the way.
We're still waiting on the quote from the HVAC guy, but there's really not money to put a system in right now so it doesn't matter. Good thing the weather is beginning to cool down - soon we won't need the A/C. On the flip side, we have lots of blankets for when the weather gets chilly!
Moving on to our scheduled closing date of September 15th. That's next Thursday. I'm thinking we are going to be pushing that date back. Even if the meter goes in Monday or Tuesday and we get the inspection done on Wednesday, there's no way we can close on Thursday. Maybe Friday...in a dream world! According to our contract we have ten (10) days from the time the meters are installed to get our inspections done and change our minds. We figure that unless there's some huge, catastrophic thing we don't know about, we'll move forward. You know, something like, the house is about to collapse from termite damage, or all the pipes are about to bust and the electrical is failing and needs a complete replacement.
So, here we are. We haven't started packing up this house, yet. We are waiting for the house to close. Since we aren't moving in for a few weeks, we'll be packing here on weeknights, while we clean and paint there on weekends.
On a strange and funny note... I had a dream last night that the house closed and we had to move in right away. So, there we were, living in this horrible, broken down, ramshackle of a house that hadn't even been cleaned! We didn't have the money to make repairs or get the appliances we needed so we were trying to make do with what was in the house (there is a decrepit refrigerator, a gross dishwasher, and a small stove on the premises). My husband went to work and the girls and I were left in this awful house! The funny things was, although we knew the house needed a ton of work, we weren't really grossed out. We just didn't know where to start! When I woke up I had to laugh. Although the house we're buying needs a thorough cleaning and it has some issues, it's not gross and not falling apart, either. It's in excellent shape compared to the house in my dream, uh, nightmare! :-)
Day 42
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Saturday - Progress!
We met the septic guy out at the house this morning (really nice guy, too!) to get the tank emptied and inspected. While the men did that I worked on trimming some of the overgrown plants. I forgot to take trash bags up to the property, so I ended up using one of those huge IKEA bags - you know, the bright blue ones - that I had in the trunk. Although it seemed huge, though, a little bit of clipping and the bag was full. Oh, well. I started a pile to pick up next time! The weather was beautiful but yardwork can warm a body up and I'm sure I had dirt smeared all over the place. Oh, the word on the septic tank is that it's vintage, but in really great shape. Very healthy. I'll take his word for it. :-)
After the plumber left, we checked out a few things in the house. Unfortunately, there seems to be a water leak from the roof and coming into the hallway near the redwood bathroom. My husband climbed up and discovered that now that the water is on, there's some sort of overflow coming off one of the swamp coolers. He did his best to cut the flow, but in the meantime managed to stir up a hidden wasp's nest. I was in the master bedroom below and couldn't figure out why he was running around the roof! Good thing the house is big - he managed to stay ON the roof! On that note, while we still haven't gotten the appraisal back, we do know that the house measured out to be about 3500 sq ft. Not sure which rooms are counted in that number, but my guess is all of them - unfinished basement and MDF room, too. We'll see when we actually receive the appraisal.
While looking around, we discovered that the electrical inspector had been there. Apparently he's waiting for a list of what the electricians fixed before he'll sign off for the meter to go in. Still, one step closer...
After we left the house, we decided to go in search of the local farmer's market (we'd been told it is fabulous!). We found it easily and spent some time perusing the stalls and selecting some fruit and vegetables. There was even a portable brick oven pizza place on site. Yum. They make great pizza!
From there we stopped at the local lumber yard to see what they carry, and at an appliance store to take a look around. I'm not really sure we looked reputable, with all our dirt! Oh, well. We didn't get kicked out of anywhere.
Back at home, it's time to get to work on narrowing our choices for appliances...
Day 36
After the plumber left, we checked out a few things in the house. Unfortunately, there seems to be a water leak from the roof and coming into the hallway near the redwood bathroom. My husband climbed up and discovered that now that the water is on, there's some sort of overflow coming off one of the swamp coolers. He did his best to cut the flow, but in the meantime managed to stir up a hidden wasp's nest. I was in the master bedroom below and couldn't figure out why he was running around the roof! Good thing the house is big - he managed to stay ON the roof! On that note, while we still haven't gotten the appraisal back, we do know that the house measured out to be about 3500 sq ft. Not sure which rooms are counted in that number, but my guess is all of them - unfinished basement and MDF room, too. We'll see when we actually receive the appraisal.
While looking around, we discovered that the electrical inspector had been there. Apparently he's waiting for a list of what the electricians fixed before he'll sign off for the meter to go in. Still, one step closer...
After we left the house, we decided to go in search of the local farmer's market (we'd been told it is fabulous!). We found it easily and spent some time perusing the stalls and selecting some fruit and vegetables. There was even a portable brick oven pizza place on site. Yum. They make great pizza!
From there we stopped at the local lumber yard to see what they carry, and at an appliance store to take a look around. I'm not really sure we looked reputable, with all our dirt! Oh, well. We didn't get kicked out of anywhere.
Back at home, it's time to get to work on narrowing our choices for appliances...
Day 36
Thursday, September 1, 2011
A Productive Day!
You may recall from Tuesday's post that I was planning to head to the county offices yesterday to dig up any information I could find on the property. My morning went well and I came home with several documents on the house, plus a couple of good maps. The only permit on record was when the water meter was taken out earlier this year, so not much help there.
Last evening, preparing for today's scavenger hunt at the property, my husband and I scoured the documents and tried to following directions/measurements. We finally cracked the code on the legal description, and this morning, headed up the hill for our hunt. The guys met us there.
We pulled up to the house to find the electricians working on the punch list (YAY!), and we soon set to work trying to locate the pins on the property. We already knew where one of them was located, but upon inspection we determined that it had been moved sometime in the past. That's okay...we kept looking. Over the next couple of hours the guys (all three, working as a great team!) were able to give us the basic line of the south portion of the property - where our land meets the neighbor's. I was busy conferring with our neighbor - sharing notes and further deciphering maps. And, of course, letting the guys in on what we figured out. We will be doing some more hunting at a future date, I'm sure, but based on today's findings and conversations we are very pleased with where the property lines seem to be located. We gained at least a little more space on the west side (from what we originally thought belonged to the property). The neighbor is in agreement, so all is well! Once again, I need to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my brother-in-law and our friend that gave time and energy to our project! We really appreciate your help!!!
On another note, while we were hunting for the pins, the water guys showed up to install the meter. After I showed them where the meter belonged, they were able to install it, so...we have water! Must be time to get the septic guys out...
Day 34
Last evening, preparing for today's scavenger hunt at the property, my husband and I scoured the documents and tried to following directions/measurements. We finally cracked the code on the legal description, and this morning, headed up the hill for our hunt. The guys met us there.
We pulled up to the house to find the electricians working on the punch list (YAY!), and we soon set to work trying to locate the pins on the property. We already knew where one of them was located, but upon inspection we determined that it had been moved sometime in the past. That's okay...we kept looking. Over the next couple of hours the guys (all three, working as a great team!) were able to give us the basic line of the south portion of the property - where our land meets the neighbor's. I was busy conferring with our neighbor - sharing notes and further deciphering maps. And, of course, letting the guys in on what we figured out. We will be doing some more hunting at a future date, I'm sure, but based on today's findings and conversations we are very pleased with where the property lines seem to be located. We gained at least a little more space on the west side (from what we originally thought belonged to the property). The neighbor is in agreement, so all is well! Once again, I need to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my brother-in-law and our friend that gave time and energy to our project! We really appreciate your help!!!
On another note, while we were hunting for the pins, the water guys showed up to install the meter. After I showed them where the meter belonged, they were able to install it, so...we have water! Must be time to get the septic guys out...
Day 34
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