***Lion Cub Mommies-Back In Action!***

[spidey]

I let DH read your post and he studied the pictures- we both love that kind of stuff. He totally wants to move out there!

His opinions were all good as are mine. It looks like you could live there during the renovation since the house looks to be in livable condition since it has windows, doors and roof, but it would be nice to know if it's safe to have the power and water turned on right away. It looks like a flipper ran out of money and never finished the job. And its not in really bad condition. Its not like the walls have been torn up in order for someone to strip it for copper wire. As long as you have competent friends and relatives, they should beable to take a look and make sure the foundation and structure are okay and none of the repairs are major. Me and DH have put up walls, drywall, floors (wood and tile), plumbing, electric.. etc. When it's your 1st time it takes awhile, but it really isn't that hard. As long as you're not afraid to give it a try and make a few mistakes along the way, it's actually really nice to make the house exactly how you want it. Plus if you have people willing to give advice or work for beer and pizza, it's perfect

Paying with cash sounds great :thumbsup: I recommend making a list of all the repairs and renovations (in order of most importance) and then taking a trip to the hardware store to see how much things cost. Supplies alone can add up quickly- me and DH were just at Home Depot today pricing out sinks and flooring for our downstairs bathroom. DH renovated the entire basement- he put in drywall to section off his woodshop, flooring, electric, lights, and insulation for $800. So repairs like that are relatively cheap. You can put in a new kitchen relatively cheaply too if you do it all yourself- even new appliances are inexpensive as long as you don't buy fancy ones.

Would you buy this house soon after DH returns this month? If so you could get started on the more important renovations right away so you and Emma could have a nice place to live when he gets deployed again. I know you don't want a loan, but if you needed it, you could take out a 10,000/ 15 year mortgage to pay for the immediate repairs. Then pay off the mortgage quickly so you don't have to pay too much in interest. I've been paying off my mortgage as fast as possible since I hate having debt so I know exactly where you're coming from. Thats why we looked at trailer homes for so long since we had the cash to buy one- but I hated the thought of ground rent so we trashed that idea.

I'm so excited to hear more about this house!! I hope there's nothing major wrong with it and it's all mostly cosmetic. The room sizes are nice too- very close to the sizes of the rooms in my house and I've been really happy with my house and the amount of space I have. Do you need AC in Indiana? Is it 3 bedrooms total with 1 bedroom upstairs? I couldn't quite figure that out from the description. I would love to be upstairs in a rain storm with that tin roof Rain storms and tin roofs are a major turn on for me

 

[cleckner04]

I am assuming the house is 2 bedrooms downstairs and than 1 bedroom upstairs. Because it keeps describing it as a 2 bedroom house with potential for a 3rd. But there are two carpeted rooms in the pictures and than the one room upstairs that is gutted. So that must be the room they say can be finished. I'm puzzled by it too. We don't need AC too much in Indiana. I mean, it's hot there right now but it's not normal. I think we'll just get a window AC unit because that is plenty to get us by and maybe someday we can get central air installed. I think having the electric redone is the first priority because it may require the walls to be torn up even more so I think that should be done first. If it needs redone of course. I can already picture how I want everything to be in this house. Like I want to put in floating hardwood flooring throughout the downstairs. I know it has hardwood flooring now but I don't like the look of old hardwood like that. I'm rambling here...

I'm just so excited. If MIL and FIL approve of this house and it's still available tomorrow, than we are going to have them buy it and than we will buy it off of them when we go home in July. Well, I'll send a check as soon as DH is back but we'll figure out about switching the deed to our name in July. Because there is no way DH will be back in time to rush home and buy this place. So I want to snap it up before it goes. My stomach has been in knots most of the day because I don't want it to sell. DH keeps emailing with all of these ideas for the house too so I know he really wants it. Are we crazy for buying a house without even seeing it in person?

 

[cleckner04]

I keep looking at the pictures over and over. I can't control myself. There was another house a block away from this one that went for 21k and it sold within 2 days of being listed. This one has been listed 22 days. So I have a feeling it's already sold. My MIL called the realtor saturday to ask about it and they said it's not sold but that doesn't mean there isn't offers IYKWIM. It's so silly that I want this beat down house so badly. I just see so much potential.

 

[Shiv]

Cleck - I think that as long as the house is structurally sound and in an area you would like to live then you should go for it! imagine being mortgage free - that would be amazing! The hosue doesn't look nearly as bad inside as I was expecting, you could do it up really nicely. I hope you get it, and I can't wait to see the update pictures as you do it up!

 

[spidey]

One thing I forgot to ask is how much are fixed up, ready to live in houses going for in that area? You don't want to spend $ to fix up this house and have it be worth more than what the neighborhood sells for.

Have your parents take pictures of the neighbors houses too so you can get an idea of what the immediate area looks like. The last thing you want is a neighbor who has 50 refrigerators on their front lawn Or for your backyard to butt up against a dog kennel that breeds dogs and the smell is so bad you can't open your windows. Maryland lets you see where all the sex offenders live and their charge, so I always check to make sure that I don't have a child sex offender on my street.

I hope you hear some news on the house today. Like what Shiv said, I can't wait to see before and after pictures.

 

[cleckner04]

I checked worth of a few on the block and it was in the 80k range. My parents said the houses around it are nice and look like they've been remodeled too. I guess there are a few that need work but not many. They also said there was kids out playing and it seemed like a really quiet neighborhood. There is a park just a block away too so that is neat. I'm not sure if it's the type of park that has a playground for Emma or just a baseball field, but still a park.

 

[cleckner04]

Okay I just gave the realtor a call because she never called my MIL back and she said it's sold. She asked if I wanted her to search for any places in the area and I said 'no don't worry about it, that's the one we wanted'. And she HUNG UP ON ME!!! WTF?! What a bitch!!


So I'm a bit disappointed that it sold but I knew it would go quick. It's 9k dollars for goodness sakes. I can't even buy a good used car for that price. It's stupid to be so disappointed but we were already planning it out in our heads so in a way it feels like we lost a dream. I still have to email DH to let him know.

 

[Shiv]

aw sorry it sold Cleck, keep your eyes peeled for some other projects, other houses that need work are bound to com eup. Must be really disappointing though - sorry

 

[spidey]

It's still sounding really good Cleckner Have you heard anything yet?

I got brave and responded to a playdate ad at a local online yahoo group. Eeeek... so scared now!

LOL, DH just shrieked from the bathroom. He was peeing and Kira ran in and stuck her hand into the stream of pee and said "pee"

 

[spidey]

ah crap.. while I was cleaning up Kira's pee hand you posted

That's super disappointing I can't believe she hung up on you too, what a bitch!

 

[cleckner04]

at her putting her hand in his pee. hahahahaha.


Yeah the realtor girl was definitely a bitch. I told my mom about it afterwards and she said at least I know her name so when we go to buy a house we will know not to ever use her. My mom wanted me to call the company and complain about her but I'm not that type of person. I will get a completely wrong order in a restaurant and still not complain IYKWIM. I just don't like confrontation like that.

 

[cleckner04]

I got that corset top in the mail today! i tried it on with the jeans I'm going to wear and took piccies for you guys. I'll have my makeup done up on the actual day though. I'm such a poser. And I want a nose job. Emma's hair won't ever stay out of her eyes but I don't want to cut it either.

https://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e255/cleckner04/IMG_8501-1.jpg
https://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e255/cleckner04/IMG_8524-1.jpg

 

[Shiv]

seriously CLeck you look amazing. I can't actually believe that you are classed as overweight. I would say that you look about a UK size 12 (U.S 8) in those pictures. I can quite see that if you got down to your "ideal" weight that you would look far too thin.

Corey is gonna flip when he sees you!

 

[cleckner04]

Thanks! Not only am I overweight, but just barely under the obese line still. I just weigh a lot. I think I carry it well because of my height and I'm curvy in the right places instead of being roly poly if that makes sense.


Can you post a clothing size chart for a popular UK site? I was having a debate with Blah on here about it recently because I don't think the sizing is that different once you hit the bigger sizes. I'll go find the size chart for the jeans I'm wearing in that picture. But I'd love to see how they really differ because half of the UK girls think it's a 2 size difference and other girls think it's just 1 size difference between the two countries.

 

[cleckner04]

https://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e255/cleckner04/Screenshot2011-06-06at12932PM.png

I took a screenshot of the american eagle site. This is the size chart for the jeans I'm wearing. I'm a size 16. I'm curious how it stacks up next to a UK size chart.

 

[Shiv]

https://www.pinkfridge.com/s_shoppingonline/sizes.htm

Don't know if that is what you are after? i always thought it was 2 sizes diferent. E.G in Gap a size 6 is a UK 10. But looking at some charts they do say just one size different. Maybe over recent years the sizes have got more similar and there is now just one size different?

 

[cleckner04]

No I mean a size chart from a popular clothing site in the uk. Like Next or something that I always hear people speak about. For bottoms sizing too not dress size.

That's what I get confused about though because each person says something different so I want to look at measurements on the charts and than we would know for sure. It just feels bad because me being a US 16 and if it's really 2 sizes different I would be a 20UK sizing? Thats depressing if it's true.

 

[Shiv]

Ok here is Next - a warning though, Next is very generous with sizing, I could fit into a size 8 last summer after losing teh baby weight, but was a 10/12 everywhere else!

 

[cleckner04]

Oh well judging by that chart I'd still be a 16. But notice it says it would be a US size 12. Which that part is totally not right. If that is generous sizing is there any other popular clothing stores over there that you can share a chart of? Sorry I'm bugging you... I've wondered about this for a while though after that argument with Blah on here.

 

[Mary Jo]

yeah, Next is ridiculously generous (and H&M ridiculously mean). I have been in the weird situation just this week of fitting - in my 20 weeks pregnant state - into my Next size 10 jeans and my H&M size 16 maternity jeans. it would be depressing if it wasn't funny.

Cleck you look absolutely fantastic in your new corset (and Emma is super cute, we can't cut Adam's hair either, good thing it only looks long when it's wet!). Sorry you missed out on the bargain house, guess someone rocked up with the $9k in their hand.