What are you up to today? This week?

[Qubanqtee]

18 hours ago, rodentraiser said:

I am quite happy to stay home and be ill. I got a cold a week ago Sunday and it's still hanging on.

My search for property continues. Here's the tally so far of the ones I've been interested in and have died along the wayside:

a lot that is not in a very good part of town.

a lot with a $15,000 water share I'd have to buy to have water. This lot also had 2" of standing water on it after a hard rain.

a lot that the listing said could be connected to city services and then I found out I'd have to go through the neighbor's property to hook up.

a lot that the listing said could be connected to city services but then the agent tells me it can't be hooked to sewer and a septic would be cost prohibitive. Plus it needs drains around the edges.

A lot that the agent said would cost $25,000 to put a septic on.

A lot that was almost 2 acres with a beautiful view. The view was beautiful, but there's only a quarter acre that can be built on. The rest of the lot is hanging over a cliff.

A lot that was 2 miles up the worst road you've ever seen (took me 20 minutes to go 2 miles). The only good part was, I was going to have to have my car aligned after the last "paved" road I went up. Now I don't have to because this "paved" road knocked the car back into alignment.

a 2 acre lot that had a wetland going right through the middle of it which can't be cleared or built on and effectively keeps me from even accessing the back portion of the lot and leaving me a quarter acre to build on (on top of the neighbor's back yard fence).

lots that say power and water is in the street, and they mean the street two miles down and it would cost a fortune to bring in power and water.

lots that are said to be cleared and you still need a bulldozer and machete to get through them.

lots that are "lightly wooded" means they're a jungle.

lots that are said to be level and have more humps than a rollercoaster.

lots that are said to be slightly sloping and are actually crumbling off at the cliff side.

lots that have plat maps which include the neighbor's property for sale (when it isn't).

lots that have the completely wrong address and/or location.

lots I can't find.

 

Yeah, it's been really, really not fun.

 

 

 

Im a little late to the party but I do hope you're feeling better and I know you're frustrated but the right now will come along!  I love the way you described all the "excitement" of looking for these lots that aren't really what they describe.

[Sable]

The new floor venture is moving along. I now have estimates and timelines set up for the:

Movers and storage, kitchen countertop removal and storage, kitchen cabinet removal, plumber to remove the water heater and bath fixtures, floor removal company, floor installers, then bring back the plumber, cabinets reinstalled and reinstall the kitchen countertop. Then move all of the furniture back in again. I want the month May to be over quickly.

 

[havanaholly]

10 minutes ago, Sable said:

The new floor venture is moving along. I now have estimates and timelines set up for the:

Movers and storage, kitchen countertop removal and storage, kitchen cabinet removal, plumber to remove the water heater and bath fixtures, floor removal company, floor installers, then bring back the plumber, cabinets reinstalled and reinstall the kitchen countertop. Then move all of the furniture back in again. I want the month May to be over quickly.

And I thought our move was tiring!

[rodentraiser]

Thank you, everyone. I did find a lot that could be perfect. It's level (HA!), has a connection to water and electric on the property, and isn't too far away and is only $15,000. But I don't want to live there and the lot is a hair under a half acre. I wanted something larger....I'm debating on settling.

[KathieB]

3 hours ago, rodentraiser said:

Thank you, everyone. I did find a lot that could be perfect. It's level (HA!), has a connection to water and electric on the property, and isn't too far away and is only $15,000. But I don't want to live there and the lot is a hair under a half acre. I wanted something larger....I'm debating on settling.

Why do you not want to live there? Is it just the size? The older I get, I find less and less land to care for is a blessing. A half acre is still a nice piece of land, especially with the utilities in place.

[havanaholly]

Most of our one acre is woods; the slightly less than half acre that holds our house, workshop, travel trailer and a sizeable front yard full of trees is gracious big enough for us.

[rodentraiser]

22 hours ago, KathieB said:

Why do you not want to live there? Is it just the size? The older I get, I find less and less land to care for is a blessing. A half acre is still a nice piece of land, especially with the utilities in place.

I think I'm not sold on it because it's surrounded by other properties that aren't cleared. And the trees here are super tall. Even if I cleared the entire half acre, I'd probably still have shade over the property from the neighbors' trees most of the time (except in summer). I hate to say it living here, but I am really tired of seeing nothing but trees and having my field of vision limited to only the next stand of trees across the street. I'd really like to live in a place with some trees and mainly rolling farmland. Here I feel like I'm buried when I'm under a bunch of trees and it always feels dark.

Holly, you might have trees you can walk around under. Here, the underbrush is so bad, you can't make your way through it. I wouldn't mind a few trees, but I draw the line at only being able to access a quarter of the property I pay taxes on. And our trees are not pretty trees. They're pine trees, but they grow so tall, the first branches on them start at 40 ft up the trunk. So in your yard, all you see is bare, skinny trunks and no branches. It looks like a landscape from someone's sci-fi nightmare.

I want a little more land because of all I want to do, as well. I want to put a large shed on it for a dollhouse workshop, and depending on my physical limitations right now, I want a large garden and also a dog training area where I can put my dog jumps up and leave them out (they're PVC). Plus, I want a large grassy area for a lawn just for me that I can plant flowers around.

And it might have wetlands on it. A 3 foot wetland creek running through the property means I can't clear it for 60 feet each side of the wetland. So if my property is only 150 wide, that means I'd only be able to build on the front or back (if I had a way to access the back) 15 feet of it and that's not taking into account the setbacks!

It would help if I could buy a lot that was about .75 of an acre, partially or completely cleared, FLAT, with water, electric, and septic on it (or able to hook up to a sewer system) or any combination thereof, but those lots cost about double what I can actually pay. *sigh*

[Sable]

1 hour ago, rodentraiser said:

I think I'm not sold on it because it's surrounded by other properties that aren't cleared. And the trees here are super tall. Even if I cleared the entire half acre, I'd probably still have shade over the property from the neighbors' trees most of the time (except in summer). I hate to say it living here, but I am really tired of seeing nothing but trees and having my field of vision limited to only the next stand of trees across the street. I'd really like to live in a place with some trees and mainly rolling farmland. Here I feel like I'm buried when I'm under a bunch of trees and it always feels dark.

Holly, you might have trees you can walk around under. Here, the underbrush is so bad, you can't make your way through it. I wouldn't mind a few trees, but I draw the line at only being able to access a quarter of the property I pay taxes on. And our trees are not pretty trees. They're pine trees, but they grow so tall, the first branches on them start at 40 ft up the trunk. So in your yard, all you see is bare, skinny trunks and no branches. It looks like a landscape from someone's sci-fi nightmare.

I want a little more land because of all I want to do, as well. I want to put a large shed on it for a dollhouse workshop, and depending on my physical limitations right now, I want a large garden and also a dog training area where I can put my dog jumps up and leave them out (they're PVC). Plus, I want a large grassy area for a lawn just for me that I can plant flowers around.

And it might have wetlands on it. A 3 foot wetland creek running through the property means I can't clear it for 60 feet each side of the wetland. So if my property is only 150 wide, that means I'd only be able to build on the front or back (if I had a way to access the back) 15 feet of it and that's not taking into account the setbacks!

It would help if I could buy a lot that was about .75 of an acre, partially or completely cleared, FLAT, with water, electric, and septic on it (or able to hook up to a sewer system) or any combination thereof, but those lots cost about double what I can actually pay. *sigh*

Are you committed to the area you live in? What about moving to a different state which offers you more options?

[rodentraiser]

On 4/27/2018, 6:11:03, Sable said:

Are you committed to the area you live in? What about moving to a different state which offers you more options?

Actually, I wouldn't mind going to Spokane, but there's even less there to buy than there is here. My second thought was the St. Louis area because A) they have a dog training club there B) St. Louis is a big city C) land is super cheap there and D) that's as far east and south as I ever want to go. Not to run down the southern and eastern states, but I can't stand a lot of heat and humidity. St. Louis would be bad for that as it is. I might be able to stand it there if I had air conditioning and a pool, even a little one. Or a comfortable bathtub.

Spokane was in my sights because A) it has a dog training club there B) it's a fairly large city and C) it has a Winco, a Round Table Pizza, a Trader Joe's, and a Long John Silver's there. I can't imagine life without a Round Table Pizza. Plus I just want to go somewhere new. One more time. While staying in Washington, because then I wouldn't have to change my license or learn new traffic rules.

I wouldn't mind some snow and I'd love some thunderstorms and windstorms. Earthquakes are fine. Tornadoes, not so much. I really hate bugs and I'm not keen on dealing with venomous snakes again. The California rattlers were bad enough. And I don't like desert vistas. Rolling green farmland is what I'm looking for. Small towns are OK, but a large city within 20 minutes is a must.

No, I'm not picky at all! LOLOLOL

The only thing that really limits me is money. Otherwise, I'd head back to the Bay Area. Failing that, the Colorado Springs area. But when you're trying to avoid heat and/or humidity, that lets out virtually everything east of the West Coast.

So I don't know. I could stay here, but I really want to go somewhere new and there isn't a dog training club here anywhere between Canada and Portland. I'd move to Blaine up by the northern border because then I could go into Vancouver, Canada. They have a dog training club. But I can't find any land for sale that I can afford up there, either.

[Sable]

Ive mentioned that every piece of bedding and all things fabric, leather or plastic have to be either washed or hung out to get rid of the VOC smell from the Vero floor adhesive. So today I aired out the tent and sleeping bags. It’s amazing how just a few hours outside in the fresh air eliminates 8 years of VOC smell. It’s a pungent chemical smell. Good riddens. I must have done 12 loads of wash too.  Anyway, my oldest son is closing on his condo in Ft Lauderdale on Tuesday and he won’t have his new mattress delivered until later in the week so we stuck the electric blowup mattress in the tent to test it for leaks. It’s a glorious night here in SoFlo tonight, full moon beaming into the tent’s roof vent. I don’t think I’m going back inside tonight. I’m gunna stay right here on my comfy mattress and sleep under the moonlight. 

[Sable]

Kelly, I truly hope that your perfect piece of property will find you. And when it does offer 10% off the asking price.

[rodentraiser]

1 hour ago, Sable said:

Kelly, I truly hope that your perfect piece of property will find you. And when it does offer 10% off the asking price.

Thank you. You'll know I've found it when I can finally start working on stuff and not have to get rid of it halfway through!

[KathieB]

Today will be spent sorting and pricing stuff for next Saturday's community yard sale. Since I pretty much shed the excess when I moved last fall, most of the contents  are from my sister's clearing out of her attic. Hundreds of stems of silk flowers are a challenge. I think I'll tie them in bundles of three and put up a sign that says 3/$1 (that's 3 stems, not 3 bundles of 3 stems) instead of trying to mark each bundle. There are several nice wreaths that I think will all go for $3 each. 

I haven't done a yard sale in eons, neither have I checked out any since I've been in decluttering mode for the past several years. Do those prices sound reasonable? I don't want to over price things, but would like to get a reasonable amount for our efforts.

[havanaholly]

$3 for a nice wreath is a whole lot better than what Good Will charges and in line with some of our other thrift stores.

[L Swearengin]

Quick trip to north Platte NE to deliver antique sofa and desk (my mother's) to my youngest daughter.  Spent the night, headed back to KCMO area, then back to Bloomfield.   Looonnnggg weekend.  Next Friday we start loading the truck headed SOUTH.  hopefully somewhere along the way I'll find my ankles 

[L Swearengin]

St louis, MO?  Wouldn't be my first choice.  However just across the river is belleville,  Illinois.   Lots of open land there., and west of St. Louis.   Still close to the city without the crime.

[sparklepuppies]

Good luck Kathie! Hope it goes well. And that you don't lose your mind going through all those flowers! I found out this week that our subdivision is having a sale for the first time in many many years. Sadly I won't be able to participate as that's the day of JP's paper clay pond class at Miniature Designs. There is a rain day set, so if it comes to that, maybe I can do it that day. I could use a sale though, but motivation is always my problem. 4 years ago I had a lot of stuff ready, I think even priced. But after several months I ended up taking most of it to Goodwill. :(

[KathieB]

16 minutes ago, sparklepuppies said:

But after several months I ended up taking most of it to Goodwill. :(

Our homeowner's association is renting two large dumpsters for the weekend with hopes that folks who aren't ready to take their leftovers to a resale shop will at least get rid of them and not put them back in the garage. Our community has a strict no-parking-on-the-street rule. Our streets are narrow. Vehicles parked along the curb are a real problem for emergency vehicles. Those who do it anyway, despite a heavy system of fines, often complain that they can't park in the garage because they have too much stuff in there.

[sparklepuppies]

That's a great idea!

When the subdivision was still.new, they has a rule that there was no parking even in the driveway, only the garage. Yeah, that just lasted a few yeas... Like for us, even if we could fit two cars in the garage (we won't even discuss that right now... Like the fact that there are 5 built dollhouse out there, one of them 6 ft long...), when Brennen is home from school, we have 3 cars. Also, the sewer runs along side our driveway and it's a little weird shaped, so it is nearly impossible to get 4 cars in the driveway, so when we have company, street parking is required. But as long as it's not done on both sides of the road, we're okay. I do think the association says something if it's done consistently though.

[WestPaces]

2 hours ago, havanaholly said:

$3 for a nice wreath is a whole lot better than what Good Will charges and in line with some of our other thrift stores.

I was just thinking the same thing Holly @KathieB sounds reasonable to me, I am a serial thrifter :)

[Sable]

11 hours ago, Sable said:

. It’s a glorious night here in SoFlo tonight, full moon beaming into the tent’s roof vent. I don’t think I’m going back inside tonight. I’m gunna stay right here on my comfy mattress and sleep under the moonlight. 

Well, I lasted until 2 AM. The mattress has a leak.

[WestPaces]

1 minute ago, Sable said:

Well, I lasted until 2 AM. The mattress has a leak.

 

[WestPaces]

Sorry Sable I wasn't laughing at your aborted sleepout, just the way you said it sounded totally deadpan

 

[KathieB]

2 minutes ago, Sable said:

Well, I lasted until 2 AM. The mattress has a leak.

Ouch! Rude awakening! At least you enjoyed the experience of falling asleep under the stars.

[havanaholly]

The one time the hubs & I slept out in the tent in the yard was to try out an inflatable queen-size bed/ mattress.  It didn't leak, but we both woke up in the AM totally congested; turns out we have a problem with vinyl.  The mattress went to the eldest kid's family for extra guests.  We have lightweight cots for the tent.