Signed Papers On House Today!

[baymule]

@thistlebloom the one redeeming factor on our nightmare purchase was the price. For 8 acres and a doublewide, it was priced way, way below comparable listed properties. We went to look more than once at a property, when we found one in our price range, and it would be gone before we even got there. We bid high on this one and even with the damage that we will be out of pocket on, plus a few improvements we want to do, we will still be way, way under market value.

The doublewide is a 2007 model and that is after they changed to building them to pass city codes, so it is well made. For all the electrical damage, it is in very good shape. We will pull up flooring, Kilz the walls, paint, lay new flooring and it will be move in ready.

There were a LOT of bids on this property. Plus many, many calls to the realtor. HUD only took bids for 9 days. Our DSIL even knows a man who bid on it, but he bid down from the asking price.

HUD rules are that it must be your primary residence for one year, to keep people from buying a property and flipping it. There is a $250,000 fine and jail time if you don't actually live in the house. After one year, you can sell it or do whatever you want to with it.

And you are right, kid#1 would have to be really, really committed to buying the property to go through the pure hell we have been through. The realtor handles a lot of HUD properties and said ours was in the top 5 worst ones she has done. So maybe that cabin wouldn't be so bad. If it is a really good deal, it might be worth it. He can use it as his primary residence and still travel, just circle back home and stay awhile every so often.

 

[seedcorn]

Bay, you and your husband like it, that is ALL that matters. We're happy for you. Thankfully we all want and live different. Otherwise there would be way too many of you on my section of land. If I wanted that many neighbors, I'd move back to town!

Now get busy, you got it bought, enough, I want to complain about your tomatoes when I'm still freezing! Dang southerners!

 

[baymule]

@seedcorn you can bet I will be having tomato pictures to taunt you with come spring time!

 

[ducks4you]

I should tell you that I had a closing at a small, but lovely 2 bedroom house. I commended on their beautiful oak flooring and they told me the story of their home. She lived in her grandmother's house (G'mother had passed) and they found THIS one, falling apart, but dirt cheap. (Under $5K.) So, she remodeled, stored her cabinets and other stuff that she wanted to keep, and sold grandmas house. Her husband is a builder and rebuilt this house from the ground up. It has everything new, but is in the style of the time the old house was built. They said that all of the windows are doors were clearanced, out of stock from LOWE'S, and since they were building, they just built the frames around them. They got them at less than 10% original cost. They also recycled a lot of their flooring from the original house.
I think you have to be dedicated to fix up an old place. I can only do so much at my 100yo house, but I am finishing flooring a "cubby-hole" attic, 9' x 21' today with 1/2" plywood and particle board, bought, again, from LOWE'S (bc their leftover wood is stored for one day and then destroyed) with good sized pieces left by customers who didn't want to take the store them. They will cut your wood with a wall electronic circular saw for 25 cents/cut. I have had them cut wood for me this way to save my fingers.

 

[bobm]

Sam, I generally bite off more than I can chew. You'd think by now I would've learned..... I have made a list of things to do in the best order. I can always change it, add or take away. But I have my goals set, they too can change, but the main thing is to not overload myself and get discouraged.

Think smarter. for instance, the whole place needs to be fenced. I have 3 horses and a mule to be moved. Since we are going to fence the garden to keep them OUT, we'll fence it first. It is a smaller area than the whole place. I can put them in there for the winter with round bales of hay, tub of water and rig up some sort of temp shelter. They can spread hay, poop all over the place and stomp the weeds down. I'll be looking for Jiggs Bermuda hay as it does not seed, but must be planted by sprigs. That way, I won't be "planting" Bermuda in my garden. In the spring, I can till it all in and get ready to plant. In the meantime, I might have to fence a little at a time, the fence line is all overgrown and needs a lot of cleanup, but I will get a bigger area for them.

There is poison oak all over the place, so might get a few goats and make a small portable pen of cow panels and let them eat it down. They make great brush cleaner-uppers!

Bay, it's about time that mule of yours starts to earn it's keep. Get your Grandpappy's harness and plow and hitch it to the mule . You just might have to teach it how to work the ground by doing it yourself first as in show and tell. If it figures it out with a bribe of a few dozen sugar cubes, great .... otherwise git it a jug of white lightnin'. That should be quite an adventure for sure ! Then, have it work up the sandy soil for your garden and orchard areas. If that dizzy mule should let fly with both hind legs, don't worry too much as that sandy soil will absorb your fall ( I saw sand used in little kids play areas at the park , so it should be just dandy if you need to dodge those hooves ) The rows may not all be straight as an arrow at first , but I'm sure that you will have loads and loads of fun following behind it. But don't step on the road apples kindly provided by you mule as it works merrily along, as every bit of it needs to be kept in the garden to fertilize it, NOT on your shoes to trek onto your brand new floor. Moving pictures with talkies are a MUST !

 

[Jeni Ann]

Oh Bay, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Finally!

 

[ninnymary]

Well bay, give us an update. What are you doing? Have you been up to your property lately?

Mary

 

[baymule]

Well bay, give us an update. What are you doing? Have you been up to your property lately?

Mary

Just got back this afternoon, left last Wednesday. I now have water, electricity, a heater and AC unit and a repaired rotten spot in the floor. I took the cracked bathroom mirror off (glued to the wall) and hung an unbroken one, put drip pans under the stove burners and replaced the toilet seats. Why would anyone steal toilet seats??? I also got a PO box and opened a bank account. Bought a 16' gate, tied it to the truck-it extended over the cab and hung past the tailgate and hauled it home. On Saturday my DSIL and I dug post holes for 6"x6" square posts. The soil is sand and the first part of the digging was easy until we got to hard packed sand well on it's way to becoming sandstone! We built 2 H braces and hung the gate. We also met 2 of the neighbors and visited awhile, country style. I ordered a carport and hired a tree guy to take down a massive pine tree next to the house that has a split in the trunk about 8' up. It is square in the way of the carport, so it has to go. I made a lot of trips to Lowes and found a feed store that has non-GMO chicken feed. I met the maintenance guy for the water company and he was very nice and helpful. He dug up the cut off ball valve on my side of the meter, so now I know where it is.

DH came up Saturday evening and we went to our new home on Sunday afternoon and he admired all my efforts. We settled on where to put the portable building that we will move up there. We're going to build lean-to's off both sides to park the tractor, implements and flat bed trailer under.

We met with the contractor this morning and filled out the form so he can get paid from the escrow account, then wrote him a check for the biggest part of it. DH went by his office when we got back to town and we faxed the form to the lender. Now we have to wait for the inspector to look at everything and give it his stamp of approval so the contractor's money will be released. I went up there ready to start ripping up flooring and carpet, but the lender said I had to wait until after the inspector gives it the thumbs up. Reason being that he will say it is unfinished and the contractor won't get paid.

Now I am going to go catch up on the posts I have missed!

 

[AMKuska]

Wow baymule sounds like you've been busy!

 

[baymule]

Wow baymule sounds like you've been busy!

When I have something to do, I hit the ground running!