39 Fuller

Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned we closed on Fuller (finally). The day I signed my life away was the day we slept in our wonderful pillowtop mattress in our first [real] home! Moving in has been a slow process due to multiple jobs, logan, and school but it will look pretty good once we're fairly settled. We are homeowners. x2.

We are working on the 1.5 baths immediately (currently) and then stepping back and working on Logan. We may have to get another furnace though because the pilot light switches off quite frequently. Is this normal? Oh well, it's not ideal. Plus, it's pretty inefficient. As far as I'm concerned getting an energy efficient furnace now will spare us unprepared disaster (bills, the furnace dying) in the future. It will be difficult living at Fuller and daydreaming about renovations (the attic will be AMAZING finished, new kitchen, etc.) but we must remember that we have to finish & rent or sell Logan. Ugh. We do not have a good track history with self control and spontaneity. We'll see how this new project goes...

Bathroom!

Fuller is a hot mess right now because our guest room (the lower floor bedroom) is full of bath fixtures (a tub, a sink vanity, and a toilet) and there is tiling equipment everywhere else. We have the roughed in plumbing (Rearranging the whole room's fixture), previous walls and fixtures removed, and the framing for our shower/drop in tub built thus far. I am so excited though because in a few days we will have a gorgeous tiled bathroom. Though we have been getting exceptional prices for labor, we have expensive taste (go figure) and have been choosing things based on (a) what we'll really like and (b) resale value. We are decorating this house on a different (and more fun) strategy than Logan.

I am so distracted at home because I only think about cleaning, rearranging, and fixing up Fuller. After the two bathrooms are near completion, we have to be patient because we can't have two project houses. We need to focus on Logan so we can complete it and THEN devote our time to Fuller. As far as Logan is concerned, it has taken a backseat to this bathroom project. Everything is finally cleared out of the yard (so it doesn't look quite so trashy), but the inside still has debris that needs to be removed before framing/furnace can be started. Ugh. I am already ready to sell this project house and concentrate on Fuller!! Graduation is a month away- I can't wait until we can devote extensive time to Logan St so that we can finish it up and my updates aren't so redundant.

Results?

Alright! For the first time since we bought Logan the yard is nearly free of debris!! I'm very excited about this. Also, excited about not getting another Notice to Abate... With structural, roofing, and windows done and paid for, we just need to clear out the access lumber in the house and start framing!

We are supposed to close on the house on Fuller tomorrow at 8:30 AM. I am highly skeptical of this because we have been misled into thinking we were going to close within the next few days for the past 6 weeks. Just in case, I've made a few emails on Heritage Hill house rentals. (I wish we could buy one of those!) Based on our experience with Chase, we have decided that we really never want a mortgage again. Hopefully, these 2 house transactions will put us in a good financial situation. Otherwise, we will enjoy the mobility of renting!

Notice to Abate

Let's just see how nice these windows are looking (do not note the siding- that is not as nice). Nice, beautiful energy efficient windows! We decided not to replace the windows in the enclosed porch because we have plans to make that an open porch. And now, let's note how nice the roof is looking. Looks nice, no more leaks, and a warranty for 10 years. Things are finally starting to turn around. I am a lot more excited about the beginning stages of reconstruction than looking at the hot mess of the deconstruction.
Which reminds me. We may or may not have recieved a notice to clean out our lawn. And by that I mean an actual Notice to Abate. Oops. Our lawn may also be synonomous with the neighborhood dump. Hopefully, once this dumpster comes and is loaded, our friendly neighbors will refrain from dumping their furniture and trash bags in our lawn. Cleaning up after them and footing the bill is not ideal. But, as aforementioned, a couple of hours and a couple hundred dollars will hopefully solve this problem once and for all.
Yay! This logan house is more encouraging than our Fuller transaction. I don't understand how we could have gotten preapproved for an amount but it not actually work out and why this process is so long. We are exhausted from being homeless. Not that we aren't indebted to our friends who have let us live at their house, but because we haven't slept on our luxury mattress in a month. That air mattress is not the same. If we don't get approval with a closing date by the end of this week, we are giving up with the house purchase. We'll be disappointed, but we could use that money in other ways (Logan St., a 4wd car, an iMac...) and we can just rent in Eastown. It will give us more mobility when we graduate anyway. So torn! Augh, well, I guess we'll see at the end of the week.

STAIRS!

I've never been so excited about stairs before! In order to understand my excitement for normal stairs, let's reflect back on what they used to look like. Steep, inclosed, and with a ridiculous landing. But I took a peak into the house yesterday to see how the structural stuff was coming along and I was very excited! We have the beam to open up our kitchen/ dining room up, our stairs installed (and cut into the floors), and the structural work finished on the bottom floor. The stairway is now opened up and the top landing isn't janky anymore! Click on our photo page for my pictures of the stairs and other structural goodies

SO blessed!

We are so blessed by the people who have helped us using their skills for this house. Everything we have done/ are going to do for this house have been at really good prices. Part of it is because I am a bargain rat but mostly it is because we are surrounded by good people with lots of talent. When this house is near complete, I'll probably post the excel spreadsheet I'm using to keep track of the costs. I went by the house the other day to collect the mail, and I saw the trimmed tree (which I'll post as soon as I locate my camera cord) and the builders working on the inside. I can't wait to see the stairs!

Wed: The Builders should be finishing up the structural work (about 6 days work)

Thurs: The windows that haven't been installed will be in and all exteriors should be finished.

Mon: The roofer will start the new roof.

Tues: The roofer will finish the new roof!

Lots of improvement in the next week- SO relieved.

Housing/ Life update

As fun as being homeless has been, we are ready to move into our new house. We faxed (knock on wood) the last of the seemingly endless documents for our mortgage over to get the underwriting started. Even though it delayed everything, that appraisal holdup (fixing the water damage/ mold/cracks) has been a good thing. I'm hoping for the end of this week but I don't want to get my hopes up.

As far as Logan is concerned, the builder is starting to work on it tomorrow and the roofer is scheduled to start the roof in two weeks. Of course, that roof work is contingent upon the construction work. I have no idea (and neither does the builder) how much that is going to cost. I'm a little worried. Eep. Oh well, I just have to keep telling myself it was a $9k house.