House update

The great housing adventure of 2010 continues unabated.

The property I mentioned a few blog posts ago is still there, still available. I’ve been inside the place, with Contractor Dan. And yes, as you might have guessed, there are “Issues”.

Must be fixed before anyone could move in:

• The place needs a new roof
• There has been some small amount of water damage inside

Needs to be fixed to be safe:

• Replace rotted back deck
• Repair places where fence has rotted

Would want to address within first year:

• Repair places where front porch railing has rotted
• Bedroom remodel
• Kitchen remodel
• Bathroom remodel
• Major tree pruning on a massive willow (way too big for me to do)
• Refinish hardwood floors

And there’s the matter of a crummy “finished” basement that looks like the worst of the 70s, and has lots of exposed pipes and ductwork.

On top of which, consider much higher property taxes, higher crime rates and a higher price tag in general than I had hoped for. Of course, those items aren’t a black mark against this property per se, it’s just part of the baggage of leaving my current home and moving much closer into the city.

Still, if I’m going to move at all, this place continues to hold my imagination like no other property I’ve seen. It has more space, more land, more possibilities. Taken care of, it could be a real showplace. It would be a fabulous home for parties. It is centrally located for most anywhere I would want to bike. The basement level with its separate entrance could be a fabulous office space for a chiropractor, someday.

So, no decisions yet, but I’m a little further down the road. I’m talking with bank people about financing; that all looks positive and is progressing nicely. I’ve talked with a pair of buyers’ agents about worrisome issues to investigate.
And I’m continuing to look at other properties, but none I’ve seen have come close to luring me away from this place.

Lots to think about. I wish I was better at making rilly big decisions like this.