a househunting we will go

[bunrab]

OK, so the people with the duplex in Pikesville accepted another offer, notified us yesterday that we didn't get it. This afternoon we went looking at more houses. And put an offer in on the 4th one we looked at, which is in Windsor Mill, described thusly: "Not your avg cape cod-much larger-over 2800sf incl bsmt! Nicely maint w/huge,updtd eat in kit,formal dr,lr w/frpl & bay wdw,wood flrs,updtd bths on each flr,fresh paint, fin. Bsmt w/wet bar,flush,lg storage area,12x15 deck off kit,2 sheds-one under hse,roof&gutters-new 2003,beautiful fenced,private yard,4 wdw a/c units,6 ceiling fans,(whole hse fan-works-as is),small quiet street! " Please keep your fingers crossed, or whatever form of superstition you prefer, that we get this offer accepted. We are SO tired of looking for a house!

We did of course look at others. One we didn't bother going into - we got there and (a) there was no place to park except down the side street a block, and (b) we could see the missing shingles and the holes in the roof from the street. Another one was being used as an assisted living home; it was big, but oddly laid out and oddly added onto, with doors knocked into walls that didn't have them before and other doors blocked up with drywall on one side, and some doors hanging loose from their hinges. And an awfully tiny bathroom, for something that was being used to house 5 people plus 2 nursing assistants and an office paper shuffler! The front hall closet was filled with packages of Depends, which is a little offputting...

Anyway, we offered $10K MORE than the asking price on the one in Windsor Mill. It's in a way convenient location, near Liberty Road and Rolling Road. (It's actually less than a mile from that very first one we looked at, which turned out to have the massive mold problem.)

Then we came home and cleaned cages. Put together a new cage for Fred Bun; moved the chinchillas into his old cage; took the chinchillas' old cage out to the front porch to soak in bleach. Much easier to clean up without that cage there; Fred's new cage is much more maneuverable. So we got the floor really thoroughly vacuumed for the first time in a month. The chinnies like Fred's space. Fred is upset, not because of his new cage, but because while I was changing things around, I grabbed and brushed him. I brushed out a whole 'nother bunny, and he still looks like a sheepdog with big clumps of fur sticking out.

And now my cup of Citron Oolong tea is steeped; time to ice it and then savor it. Cage cleaning is hot sweaty work!!

Comments

[landley.livejournal.com]

So how does buying another house before you sell your house in Austin work, exactly?

Rob

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

what we do is make our offer on the other house contingent on the sale of the house in Austin, with the closing date for the house here to be set after we have a closing date for the house in Austin. This, as you may imagine, is not the most attractive possible offer; we sweeten it 2 ways: 1. Offer a little MORE than the asking price, and 2. Offer to rent the house from them until the date of closing, so that if closing is several weeks or a month later than it might be with someone else, they will nonetheless be getting some income for that time period.

Actually, with the problems many people have arranging for financing, that tends to take a couple extra weeks; the fact that once we do have a buyer in Austin we'll be ready to pay cash, and can therefore close simultaneously, no waiting for bank or financial co. to do its thing, is a plus. So it's a balancing act.

But please - talk up the house in Austin!! Find someone for us!! :D

[landley.livejournal.com]

Well, one of the condos in my complex just went on the market for $120k, which means my $50k equity from when I bought at $87.5k might now be around $80k...

Which would still leave me financing over $300,000.

Ow.

Rob