So. I thought about it. Talked it over with Mom and Dad. Decided that it would be damned stupid to miss out on a house like this one if I waited to hear from the bank and then discovered that someone else had stepped in to buy it.
I talked to my realtor, who said that I could sign a contract with a clause that if financing fell through, the deal was off (which is normal, evidently. Evidently, people don't even go to their banks first. They sign the contracts first) and that if I really liked it (I do) I should go ahead and give the nice old lady an offer.
So... I'm going to meet him tomorrow and sign the contract. And then we will see.
Before I called him, I read over my list of things to look for in a house. Here's the list, with comments:
--stone or brick OR log construction OR a combination of stone/log No. But it does have a stone foundation.
--hardwood floors, NO CARPET There's hardwood floors under the carpet that is in the living room and dining room. It's really... interesting carpet. I might have to save a piece of it and make it into a rug.
--preferably at least 50 years old The house is probably close to 100 years old.
--at least two bedrooms (three would be great, or a small den or something that could be converted into an office.) There are four bedrooms, plus a parlor, a living room, a formal dining room, and a 'breakfast room' that is as big as the kitchen.
--one bathroom is fine, but one and a half is better The house has two full bathrooms. One of them is original with a clawfooted tub. The other one has a pink toilet. (I kid you not.) I can live with the green tile in the bathroom, but the pink toilet... ugh.
--two story check
--garage, not attached the garage is... well, more of a storage 'barn' thingy. The neighbor, however has bushes at least thirty feet high surrounding his house on all sides. That could be... interesting. (I kind of like them, though.)
--largish kitchen (depending on layout, a small kitchen will do if there's room for a table) nice large kitchen. A hulking gas stove. A utility room off the kitchen that would be a great walk-in pantry.
--a living room and dining room that aren't attached yes. plus the 'breakfast room.'
--washer/dryer hookup not on the first floor, or in a laundry room, or in the basement well, that can be changed. I would put the washer and dryer in the basement, and use the current utility room as a walk-in pantry (see above.)
--a yard, preferably acreage, preferably with woods and and a creek. And mature trees mature trees. No acreage, but a really large front yard and a large enough back yard. I'm still surprised it's only .33 of an acre.
--forced heat, gas is nice forced hot water heat. With radiators, even. With a gas furnace in the basement and an almost-new hot water heater, too.
--air conditioning not a priority, I could always add that later window air conditioners.
--city water not a priority if the property has a good well/cistern combination a well, a cistern, and city water.
--NOT in a subdivision (This is actually a big priority.) yes.
--not on a main road yes.
--long driveway actually, yes.
Wow. I'm impressed.
I talked to my realtor, who said that I could sign a contract with a clause that if financing fell through, the deal was off (which is normal, evidently. Evidently, people don't even go to their banks first. They sign the contracts first) and that if I really liked it (I do) I should go ahead and give the nice old lady an offer.
So... I'm going to meet him tomorrow and sign the contract. And then we will see.
Before I called him, I read over my list of things to look for in a house. Here's the list, with comments:
--stone or brick OR log construction OR a combination of stone/log No. But it does have a stone foundation.
--hardwood floors, NO CARPET There's hardwood floors under the carpet that is in the living room and dining room. It's really... interesting carpet. I might have to save a piece of it and make it into a rug.
--preferably at least 50 years old The house is probably close to 100 years old.
--at least two bedrooms (three would be great, or a small den or something that could be converted into an office.) There are four bedrooms, plus a parlor, a living room, a formal dining room, and a 'breakfast room' that is as big as the kitchen.
--one bathroom is fine, but one and a half is better The house has two full bathrooms. One of them is original with a clawfooted tub. The other one has a pink toilet. (I kid you not.) I can live with the green tile in the bathroom, but the pink toilet... ugh.
--two story check
--garage, not attached the garage is... well, more of a storage 'barn' thingy. The neighbor, however has bushes at least thirty feet high surrounding his house on all sides. That could be... interesting. (I kind of like them, though.)
--largish kitchen (depending on layout, a small kitchen will do if there's room for a table) nice large kitchen. A hulking gas stove. A utility room off the kitchen that would be a great walk-in pantry.
--a living room and dining room that aren't attached yes. plus the 'breakfast room.'
--washer/dryer hookup not on the first floor, or in a laundry room, or in the basement well, that can be changed. I would put the washer and dryer in the basement, and use the current utility room as a walk-in pantry (see above.)
--a yard, preferably acreage, preferably with woods and and a creek. And mature trees mature trees. No acreage, but a really large front yard and a large enough back yard. I'm still surprised it's only .33 of an acre.
--forced heat, gas is nice forced hot water heat. With radiators, even. With a gas furnace in the basement and an almost-new hot water heater, too.
--air conditioning not a priority, I could always add that later window air conditioners.
--city water not a priority if the property has a good well/cistern combination a well, a cistern, and city water.
--NOT in a subdivision (This is actually a big priority.) yes.
--not on a main road yes.
--long driveway actually, yes.
Wow. I'm impressed.
Comments
Uh, will it only be you living there?