unsexy design
June 28, 2006
What the FUCK where you thinking?Well, I have done alot of house hunting online which has provided me with ample opportunities to see how other people live. On more than one occasion (sadly) I have stared at a picture in horror and asked my self "What the FUCK is this?". Some people out there have no clue... Therefore I have created this little "segment" of my blog for just such occasions.
Here is my first for your viewing pleasure:
mmm... yea... I dunno what they were realy thinking when they decided to put up dark blue reflective glass around their fireplace....
June 26, 2006
The Search Begins!We are house hunting... OFFICIALLY!
Friday I found out we were PRE-APPROVED. Like other life changing events, there is going to be much venting to be done and since it is such a money sensitive matter, I am not going to be as candid as I may normally be because the venting just gets WAY TO CRYPTIC. In my first weekend I have already succumbed to fighting back the tears of disappointment over basic math problems, like, you know, how much we can afford to spend on a house. Well after some greatly appreciated help from my Mom, she came up with a figure of about $1100 to spend on a mortgage and credit cards... that just seemed impossible, after being all weepy faced for about 2 hours I sat down myself to see what we could afford and my numbers were greatly different. If we pay off all of our credit card debt we could swing about $1500-$1600 if we don't we could swing about $1300-$1400. These results, of course, are much better than my dear mother's funny math.
Here is where we currently stand, the bank pre-approved us for 260k with a 7% (not locked-in) for 30 year fixed. We are gonna do some mortgage shopping cause the payment on a 30 year 7% 260k loan is a little more than we can handle $2118 (including PMI). We are shopping for a house under $250k which is going to be a daunting task. Since the market around here isn't moving then we can set our house hunting sites a little higher by looking for homes $275-ish and under because they could accept an offer for less. So far, after this weekend, it is looking glum. We drove by homes for sale that fell under our financial requirements in Attleboro and Milford... These towns are now effectively OFF THE LIST. In Attleboro you could be mugged or shot and as for Milford... we don't speak Portuguese (nuff said on that one).
We got to look at our first home this weekend on Lincoln St. in Franklin. It was really cute from the outside and on paper sounded PERFECT. It was on the market since April and is priced at $275k so we could have offered less. Title V was complete (Title V being that they dig up your yard if you got a cesspool system that doesn't pass current MA regulations), nicely sized back yard and needed some "sweat equity" in the bathroom and kitchen. Well when we get there, it was beyond what I consider a good amount of "sweat equity" apparently the owners or previous owners to them thought that when your roof leaks you should just put buckets out and wait a LONG while before making repairs. There was so much water damage in that house that it would essentially need to be gutted before making any decent renovations on it (in my firm unprofessional opinion of course). So this house is now OFF THE LIST. We also traveled about to some open houses that were just a slight bit more than slightly out of our price range and I found one that I REALLY liked... but at $329,900 it is unlikely we will ever get this house. Here are the pics:
THE FRONT
THE BACK YARD
THE KITCHEN
THE OFFICE NOOK
THE LIVING ROOM
THE BATHROOM
::SIGH:: the hunt continues
June 22, 2006
Ok. So I have come to terms with the fact that maybe JUST MAYBE we could get a home for about around the $225k mark. It would be a fixer upper and we would NOT be staying there for the long haul. So we are no biting out nails to see if we could get pre-approved for $200k. Anywho, among my searching I found this home:
124 Steere Street, Attleboro, MA
Looks nice, it appears to be near conservation land, and it is listed with the MA Historical Commission. This, for me, is a bonus! Looks like it may need some updating but that is neither here nor there. Here is some quick information on the property:
Year Built: 1750 (no, it is not a typo - hence the listing with MHC)
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 1.5
Sq. Ft. Living Space: 2,078 (ummm HUGE)
Acres of Land: .37
Assessed Value: $248,200
**Now, here is what makes the assessed value and the property as a whole just seem entirely to good to be true**
Listing Price: $210,000
Yeah, I am thinking there might be something MAJORLY wrong with this home. I am DYING to find out, if only the listing agent would return my call!
I think we will take a drive by it... Cause I really like this home just from the outside anyway.
June 21, 2006
How to save $2.50Wait for the train show up... 10 minutes late
June 19, 2006
A Letter On HomebuyingDear First-Time Homebuying Know-it-All,
Have you ever taken a moment to consider housing prices in the Northeast before waving you magic advice wand? Please don't lie, I know you don't. Do you maybe have a grudge with the Northeast? Do you enjoy taunting me with the those more reasonable house prices of the mid west? Did it ever even occur to you that it is like throwing salt in a gaping wound, no I really think that you don't.
You have no idea what it is like do you? You map has the entire Northeast blackened out with Sharpie doens't it?
Well, here is a taste:
18 BETTS DR, North Attleboro, MA 02760
Listing Price: $144,900*
Bedrooms: 2 Full Baths: 1 MLS #: 70335384
Square Feet: 612 Lot Size: 5663 SQ FT
Listing Date: 02/22/06 Year Built: 1945
VS.
7222 SIERRA WAY, Dallas, TX 75241
Listing Price: $149,990*
Bedrooms: 3 Full Baths: 2 MLS #: 10504925
Square Feet: 1,645 Lot Size: 05 ACRES
Listing Date: 03/31/06 Year Built: 2006
Do you see the pain you cause? I hope you are happy!
June 17, 2006
Instructions for IdiotsWhile surfing the internets this evening, I discovered wikiHow. This site seems like a useful source for general how-to information. Like you know, how to play Texas Holdem or how to braid cornrows or even how to survive a freestyle rap battle. However folks, if you seriously need to go on the internet to find out how to do nothing, how to be a lazy college student, or even how to stay a virgin then you are a fucking IDIOT. It does make for some humorous reading though. If you have some time to spare I suggest you surf it a bit.
June 16, 2006
LAMEST SONG EVER!Who THE FUCK writes a song titled I am a tree? Can you guess what the chorus is... "I am a tree ahhh ah ah ah ahhh I am a tree...." Good for you, your a fucking tree, let me chop you down for a strip mall! LOSER.
In other news... When you are perfectly healthy you really truly take if for granted. It's only when you are not feeling good that you can appreciate what your missing. BUT... when you get the first day of true improvement you are on fucking cloud nine. It's almost impossible to describe how FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC it is to wake up not only kinda rested but PAIN FREE. To be able to move and function in a timely manner without pacing around like a lunatic and getting antsy and pissy and frustrated and fighting that OVERWHELMING urge to put your fist through a wall and scream and at the same time in so much pain that you cannot even produce tears. WOW, just looking at what I wrote, I guess I was in a pretty severe amount of pain...
June 15, 2006
Me so sleepy...You know, for some reason I really enjoyed my walk into work today. It almost made me like that city atmosphere... almost. Hey speaking of my walk to work.. I need a backpack for work. I love my tote and all but it is a tad strenuous on my shoulder, it gets kind of heavy with all this shit I carry in it. I have been looking at the Ogio bags, I really love their color schemes, the only problem I have is that I cannot see them physically cause they are on them internets. That and there are so many styles... I just cannot choose.
I also have some new inspiration for a small bit to do on my blog. Taking a page out of Erinire's book of course (what else is new).
June 14, 2006
Recipe for a Great Day1 part Physical Therapy - I had my first session yesterday and they did a ton of stretches topped off with ultrasound therapy. Apparently the vibration is supposed to reduce swelling and inflammation and just help overall with pain reduction, let me tell you it was FANTASTIC. I dunno what exactly attributed to feeling so good but I can't wait to do it again next week. The most rewarding part of the physical therapy (or PT) is that I slept through the night! I didn't wake up once which in the past month has been a BIG problem. So... as a result I woke feeling very refreshed.
1 part Good Outfit - I bought this brown shit that I was gonna return but instead I decided to try and rock it today. The cut is somewhat questionable for work but I am not young, skinny or hoochie so I believe I can pull it off without looking like a slaw (slut + whore = slaw). Anywho I decided to rock this brown shirt with tan pants and brown sandals accompanied with a new necklace I made with brown in it and some brown shell earrings. I feel snazzy today.
1 part Train - I love taking the train because I love the walking in the morning listening to my little shuffle. It wakes me up and makes me feel good. That and it is a source of exercise.
1 part Good Breakfast - Albeit fattening, a bacon egg and cheese on a crossoint can really hit the spot. Next week though... NO MORE. I don't need the fat and I need to save the $$.
1 part Blogger - The ability to blog at work again!
1 part (the most imp. part) Seeing A Friend Before Work - Whether they be well known or not, it kind of reminds you that you have a real life before you go to work instead of when you get home from work. Just before boarding the train to PVD this morning I saw Ryan get off the train because he missed his stop. It was a pleasant surprise.
