Gaze into the abyss...

[Fudgie]

Seeing a house today and will likely make an offer, competitive too. I'm willing to pay up to 160k but I think I can get it for less than that but would be okay with paying 160k.  Few offers and I can beat the highest one, no one likes to buy right now - it's freezing and tons of snow, bad moving conditions, also the holidays. I also have no contingencies (inspection done, good) and I don't have a house to sell to get the money for this place so I am happy.

The house is large (2k sq. feet) and needs some cosmetic work and probable furnance replacement in a couple years - that's fine. 

I am cautiously optimistic. 

[Seraphim]

Sounds good ! 

[Fudgie]

Well, I got a house (not the one I mentioned earlier), although it's a similar size (almost 2k sq feet?) but everything is new or new-ish, no furnance replacement, great condition, etc. 

Offer was accepted, just waiting on the other lawyer to sign, and the deposit is getting put down tomorrow. I got it at asking price, much < $200k too, and it's a good size house. Very happy with the location. 

Hit me with all of your tips/tricks!

[boltnrun]

That's terrific!  Congrats!

First thing I always do is give the place a good, thorough scrubbing.  Or do like my brother did and hire someone.  People may have been parading through touching and stepping on God knows what.

Then I would get someone in to take a really good look at what might need to be replaced or repaired.  That way those things can be addressed first.  Electrical, plumbing, the roof, windows and foundation along with the water heater could end up being big ticket items.  Better to know ahead of time rather than waiting for the roof to leak or the water heater to fail (been through that...not fun).

Then have fun!  Paint colors, flooring, appliances, countertops and (my favorite) landscaping.   So many options to make it your own.

I'm happy for you, this is going to be so much fun!

[Seraphim]

Congrats!! So happy for you ! 

[Fudgie]

Thanks guys! I am excited and this is going to save money in the long run too, since renting is so expensive where I am. And I get so much more SPACE.

I did have an inspection, there are only a couple things I need. The house overall is in great shape and big stuff (furnace, water heater, etc.) are all new and working fine. I'll schedule a yearly check-up/tune-up in a while and then go from there. 

At some point, I would like to get some bulbs and plant them on the outside of the house so I can get some nice perennials. I am not sure about other plants just yet but DEFINITELY perennials. 

My apartment is jammed to the gills with framed artwork (most replica, some original) and I am really happy to get into a bigger space so I can have them all up and, well, eventually get more artwork. 

I have a Costco membership and am planning to keep my ear to the ground for when they have deals on Lovesac furniture so I can score a deal on a sectional. I really want to go with Lovesac because I know their stuff, it's comfortable, and I love that everything is washable. 

Most people put pictures around their home but outside of maybe one digital frame somewhere, I don't like to have photos everywhere - just art! 

I've already figured out what my rooms will be - master bedroom with slightly smaller room will be my bedroom and "office". I'll put my treadmill there. I have a carpeted room with a door downstairs. That's going to be a PERFECT entertainment room - think cinema, my console, etc. 

 

[boltnrun]

53 minutes ago, Fudgie said:

I did have an inspection

But a pre-purchase inspection isn't as thorough as having your own inspector look at everything. They usually don't look closely at the electrical wiring or the actual plumbing pipes. And they would have to get up on the roof to do a complete inspection. Unless you already did have them look closely at all of that, then no need to do it again.

Decorating is fun! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And what's great is you can do whatever you want. No one can tell you not to paint or replace the flooring.

[Fudgie]

2 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

 Unless you already did have them look closely at all of that, then no need to do it again.

I went through with an inspector and the owner. I'm not too worried about the roof as it's only a few years old and was done as a total tear-off replacement at the time (and owner could prove this) but the inspector looked at the plumbing, electric, and even opened up the furnace. Went in basement, went in attic (tiny), etc. I made some notes as we went, minor things to take care of but nothing super pressing. 

That I said, I am definitely going to have a second look going forward, though maybe not immediately. A lot of the stuff is pretty new - old house (1800s) but was a major reno. 

I think I will leave the walls the same as they are painted now, as I do like them! And I won't see much once I start going willy-nilly with art.

I do have a few little "projects" planned. Can't wait. 

[Fudgie]

Locked in a good interest rate, thank goodness. I'm starting to pack and clean. I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed but I am so, so, so happy to be moving. 

[Fudgie]

I Guess You'll Do

Cynical, funny, and slightly depressing. I love it. 

Figured I'd share here. I actually found this video over 10 years ago. At the time, I figured I would eventually get married, although I would wait until I was 30+. Whelp.

[boltnrun]

I told everyone I wasn't ever going to get married. I ended up getting married when I was barely old enough to buy beer.

Oops. Best laid plans and all that.

[Fudgie]

I always figured I'd get married, although I initially said that I was never going to get married for many years. I never really envisioned a husband for myself (other than him being very smart!) nor a wedding. I guess it was expected but my own reluctance made me not able to make that leap. 

I'm sort of an odd case in that most of the things I said in my younger years actually came true. I am in a specific career with a specific skill set that I always saw myself doing, even as a child. My major didn't change in college. I have an eccentric, intense academic interest that I latched onto when I was 8, studied through middle school, high school, college, and beyond. I never married/had children, I have kept my hair the same for 20 years, I never found a tight knit friend group, I never identified with an ideology or movement, I'm still a cheapskate, and I always value function over form. 

I will always tell people "never say never" but I can't say that's been true for me thus far. I wouldn't say that to others, and I suppose that's hypocritical of me but I know I'm an odd case. Notice I said odd, not special or remarkable. 

[Fudgie]

One of my oldest, best friends has known me almost 30 years and she is my age. Once, I remember when we were in our early teens and talking about the future. I told her I could see her married with a family (she is close now). She told me, unflinchingly, that she could see me living  alone in a big house in the woods and giving advice to people who pass by. 

At the time I was taken aback but I never forgot her words and how every year, I am a little closer. It kind of sounds like a mysterious NPC in an open world video game who gives you a valuable item and cryptic, yet sage advice. Honestly, that kind of sounds like my career. 

So what is the point of the main quest anyway? Isn't the result the same - death, whatever that is? Maybe death is the "VR headset" coming off, a return to some form or dimension of reality that human cognition and perception can't geasp. 

 Ok that's enough rambling. Sleep now 

[Fudgie]

I'm really glad I locked in my mortgage insurance rate - I got a really low one. The feds are supposed to increase it soon, especially with the new year. Looks like I bought a house just at the right time. My mortgage payment with home insurance and taxes will be < 1k a month! 

The more I consider it, the more I wonder if I will just end up staying in this house, eventually. It's big (close to 2k sq. feet), old (1800s), has a long, good backyard, not too close to other houses which are also old and well-kept, quiet street, marked historical area (no chance of build up), etc. I technically still am in the "country" but yet have a short commute to a variety of areas (30-35 min in either direction, no traffic), could take a looonnng walk to a shoreline (not the ocean). It runs on natural gas, has fiber internet, etc. 

It's all far in the future but it's just something to think about. I would need to do some renos (not too much, mostly bathroom stuff) to get where I wanted it if that were to happen. I will sit on the idea.

[Fudgie]

I've been in a crabby mood lately. I think the impending move is getting to me. I'm normally very even-tempered but something about moving really unsettles me. It's aggraving too. 

Covid is really bad here. I need money to replenish my savings and considered picking up overtime at the hospital. I inquired, after getting a lot of emails begging for help, and I was told they could really use me but that they couldn't pay me extra outside of my hourly pay. No hazard pay, no bonus pay, nothing, and that's standard for something like this. 

Why would I work there for the same hourly when I could just pick up time at my current job for the same amount, which is a cakewalk? 

Needless to say, I'm not doing it. 

[Fudgie]

I'm already sweating. People are falling over left and right from covid at my workplace. I will be working doubles (16h) this whole weekend under unsafe conditions, and all of my patients are fragile. I'm honestly scared. 

[boltnrun]

6 hours ago, Fudgie said:

I'm already sweating. People are falling over left and right from covid at my workplace. I will be working doubles (16h) this whole weekend under unsafe conditions, and all of my patients are fragile. I'm honestly scared. 

I wish people would take this seriously so you and other healthcare workers didn't have to be in this position.  But no, people keep minimizing, saying "it only has a 1% fatality rate!!!" and "it's just the SNIFFLES!!" or worst of all, "what about my FREEDOM????!!!" 

I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

[Fudgie]

Easy to say "it's only a 1% fatality rate!!!!!" because on paper, that looks good, sure, in actuality..?

There are 330 million (roughly) people in the US. 1% of that is 3.3 million. That's a LOT of dead people. Even if you were to play with more conservative numbers and say that only a third of the US (110 million) got infected with covid (which is not going to happen, it will be a LOT greater) then you're still looking at over a million dead with such a "low" fatality rate. Great. 😕

It's disheartening to see how many can brush it off and are able to bury heads in the sand and ignore because they don't work in healthcare, they don't care/know what is going on, they don't need medical services, they don't know anyone who has gotten sick/died, etc.

What really scares me is the collapse of our system. Did you know in my area, there are NO ICU beds available right now? NONE. These numbnuts don't seem to understand that this impacts not just the 1% of people that they disregard, but potentially their own loved ones or themselves when they have an accident, become gravely ill, get shot, or have another event in which they need ICU care. You can't just fish an ICU bed or staff out of thin air - people will just die and that's exactly what is happening locally and all over the US.

We haven't come close to scaping at the true cost of this pandemic and I feel that it will be at least a few years after it until we can finally see the true cost. 

I'm so over all of this. 

[Seraphim]

I hear you. My step dad died as an indirect casualty of the pandemic. He couldn’t get the tests or services or care he needed. My bio dad the same thing get the services he needed. I am just over stupidity. 

[boltnrun]

My son's coworker had a heart attack and was sent home two days afterward because the hospital needed the ICU room for Covid patients.

I'm fine with people not wanting to get vaccinated but then they should adhere to safety protocols (masks, distancing, not attending indoor gatherings or large events, only traveling via public transport when necessary and following the regulations).  I'm all for freedom of choice but there has to be some morality attached.  I don't drive 65 mph in a school zone, for example, because I could hit or kill a child.

I don't know when "freedom" became synonymous with "selfishness" but it's very upsetting.

I'm so sorry this is happening. 

[Fudgie]

Honestly, boltnrun, I agree with you. Do I think everyone should get vaccinated? Absol-freaking-lutely. Can we force people to do things with their body that they don't want? No! 

For the anti-vaxx people - fine, don't get the jab but make everyone wear masks in public, no big events without proof of vax, no public transit without masks/distancing, etc., no flying without proof of vax, etc. But that's the problem, people won't do it. My area is under a mask mandate and I still see idiots in stores without masks. We have RAMPANT community spread. We still have no ICU beds open and now the hospital is filling up with small children. Omicron seems to hit the kiddos. It's not fair and it's really sad.

When you live in a society, I agree, there is some morality here that needs to be considered. I have a car but I can't just decide that I want the "freedom" to drive on the left side of the road (I'm in the US, not the UK) because I have to share that road with others. Similarly, I don't believe I have the "freedom" to go to the grocery store without a mask, because I have to breath that air in close space with others.

If you want 100% freedom, then go empty your bank accounts, quit your job, sell your electronics/car, and build a house completely off the grid and far from society, no utilities, completely self-sufficient. I don't begrudge people who do this - in fact, if someone really, really wants to and can, I applaud it. They are "walking the walk". 

However, when we live in a society (anywhere) in close proximity to others, there is a degree of loss in terms of freedom. That's one of the prices we pay to live in a society to reap the benefits. If that is not a fair trade in your mind, then leave. But that means you don't get the benefits (grocery stores, road use, etc.)

It's common sense. The idea of freedom has been totally warped into something perverse and not sustainable. 

[Fudgie]

I don't want to go into the horrors of what I've seen at work but I mean it when I say that I do feel our local system is on the verge of collapse and has been for a long time. I've seen many morally objectionable things and yes, I've had to follow orders that I feel are unethical because I am not in a position just yet to make better orders/choices. It feels freaking terrible and I've had some nightmares of the patients yelling out. I am also done with my new school/license, I am not at liberty to walk away, work pays for most of school. I do what I have to do and I go home and try not to think about it.

Right now, it's all about the $$ and people are suffering and/or dying because of it. 

[Fudgie]

I'm exhausted - working a lot of overtime. I've completely depleted my savings getting this house - great. I haven't even closed yet. I have the money to do so but just waiting for everything to be finalized. Eager to move in. 

[Fudgie]

Appraisal came back, the house was appraised for higher than what I paid for! Taxes aren't bad where I am so... Yay! I intend to add to the house anyway, which will just enhance the value over time. 

[Fudgie]

LIfe's been rough lately at work. Just lots of people are sick (people being coworkers and patients). No patient has covid (yet?!) but a lot of employees have it. Now I'm pretty sure my father has it as well. 

Almost closed on the house!