Long distance decisions
@sallypup (57888)
Centralia, Washington
March 7, 2017 8:29pm CST
Some of you who have gotten to know me knew this was coming. You waited and waited and here it comes: I spotted a cutie patootie house in the area that we've thought about retiring to.
The house is young: 1932!! And rather stingy on size. Um, under 900 square feet. The huge thing that got to me: beside its bright yellow paint? The house costs almost 1 hundred thousand less than our top budget number. It has renters in it paying 950 each and every month. And its near the Amtrak train station so its near good things.
So I am asking questions and thinking and wondering. Can we buy a house without driving 8 hours each way to see it? Should we? I'm trying to get ahold of the friendly real estate lady that we met last summer. She has told us that she would do a walk through video if we needed or wanted one for houses.
The price tag would mean our retirement would not be tied up in a mortgage. It would smoother sailing IF we can squeeze us and our zoo and antique dressers in it. I'm thinking....
10 people like this
11 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
8 Mar 17
Never never buy a home without looking at it yourself. WE had buyers from FL buy our fist home in tN They didn't look at it - it was all photos online. They had no clue what 3 acres was - they were ready to sell after the fist year in the home...
Don't do it - 950 square feet for ever and ever - no way Jose! Make the ride, stay overnight in a motel, go back the second day and look at it again.
2 people like this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Mar 17
Thanks @AbbyGreenhill. Funny how folks are so different- I hadn't been on acreage for eons and yet returning to acreage- even 3 hilly acres- felt like going home. The room to stretch out! To explore and just be even if they are pretty well useless except as bird habitat- something in me said yes!! Doublewide mobile and three acres. Yum. Now if only we had poetry and university near by. Gads.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
8 Mar 17
@sallypup Some 'city' folks don't get how big three acres is when your husband is working 10 hours a day and wife has to take care of the property. They eventually moved back to FL.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Mar 17
@AbbyGreenhill If I was not a let live kind of person I would go nuts. I choose to not be impeccable on grooming the place so all is well and probably some of the wild critters approve.
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
16 Mar 17
yes, we knew it was coming from the posts that you post.What about the animals?
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
16 Mar 17
@responsiveme Excellent question. I've looked further into the location of this house. Its not going to work for any of us. I promise to keep the animals welfare as a first priority. If we do move our Peter donkey will have to find a new family- BUT I will triple check that the new people will treat him kindly.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
17 Mar 17
@responsiveme I am conflicted. I've finally managed to get three acres and here comes old age. It will be a few years before I will stop driving but the time will come. My husband and I need to figure what we will do. Now that we have all this space we are also not near town services and that could be a huge issue when age hits us. I can't imagine living again with less room and yet age...
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
17 Mar 17
@sallypup while I understand you will be moving I love the fact that you live where there are open spaces and homegrown veggies and animals.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
9 Mar 17
is there enough land for the zoo?
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
11 Mar 17
@sallypup unless you have a good home with someone they know lined up or something, yeah
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
12 Mar 17
@Jessicalynnt I plan to really check out Peter burro's new parents before I allow him to go any where away from me.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
9 Mar 17
@Jessicalynnt You have touched on a splinter in my heart. For sure if we move we will have to find a home for Peter burro. I believe there is a limit on cats and dogs in a city house BUT I will do my best to fudge on that cause I do not give up house critters unless it comes down to desperation. (Saia monster cat's owner moved to California for a job and out she went. She has suffered for that. Ain't happening to her again.)
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
8 Mar 17
Hope you get it if it's what you really want.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
9 Mar 17
@RichardMeister Wallace, Idaho is lovely though cold due to it being in the mountains. I love your story. Repos are a story all to themselves. Our present place was bought through a short sale deal. Almost fore closure. We put in tons of sweat equity, getting trash out. And then the matter of the guy who used to own the joint- at first it looked like he could not figure out that he had sold the place. For sure it was a shock to his kids- I would visit to see about the place and when I could start moving things in and the girls would look at me like what?? You are who??
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Mar 17
@RichardMeister I was just given more information. It sounds like a neglected rental. Why is it okay for renters to live in worse places than owners?! We really want a nice place not a run down mess that will require tons of cash to put to rights.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
9 Mar 17
@sallypup I had a coworker get one heck of a deal on a house in Wallace, ID. She said it was a repo. She also told me that the owners tried to sell it. They painted the inside–except they didn't paint the walls behind the couch, recliner and pictures in the living room. Then when they found out it was going to be repoed they broke holes through the walls and interior doors. They took the kitchen stove and all kinds of stuff. But the cost of the house was low enough that it was worth it.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Mar 17
@RichardMeister Forgive my crazy writer's head. Call it what you what. I tend to lean aslant at times. You probably have gathered that a while ago.
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
8 Mar 17
@sallypup Hmmm.... I didn't think it meant that so I looked it up. The definition did not include "house" but it did include "a pretty girl" and "buttock" which was closer to what I was thinking.
2 people like this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
25 Mar 17
@chrisbergstrom Me, too! We probably will head that way next Spring for another look see.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
8 Mar 17
I would still want to see it in person first. Maybe a walk through video before you decide to drive and visit, and graph paper to draw places for the dressers. Small size means it should be cheaper to heat and cool as well.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57888)
• Centralia, Washington
8 Mar 17
@GardenGerty Thank you for the idea about the graph paper. Clever.
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
8 Mar 17
I can understand you don't want to be in debt and owing money for a long time. Its important to know, if the important things fit into the house. A video walk through could save you time, as if its not the right house from the video, then you would save time. I would visit the house even though its a long drive.
1 person likes this
