Stitchboard Admin message #62
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 16, 2015 at 2:59:34 AM  (in response to Aabye message #1)
 
Line,

I'm sorry you've had to eat the cost on the apartment painting, but that said, I think you did the smart thing.  Obviously, it would not be worth the extra money to stress yourselves out to paint the apartment and to waste your time on it, particularly when you're so tired.  Cutting your losses on that really is the right thing to do.  There are issues where you have to pick your battles, and you chose this one wisely.    The important thing is that you rest up now, regroup, tie up the loose ends on your new home, and relax and enjoy. 

How do the house auctions generally go...do the prices tend to go up because it's an auction, or do they stay very, very low?  Are foreclosures common there?

Our market here was a bit strange.  We had a bunch of foreclosures, but since a lot of us were all looking at the same time, those foreclosures didn't last long, so by the time we were able to get into the market, the house we got was literally the only one left in our price range.  It wasn't our first choice...but it was our only choice.  Other people were lucky enough to have better choices.

That's really interesting about how what's "in" changes there!  Do you find the popularity of homes by the sea can change depending on climate for any given year?  I, for instance, would love a seaside home in theory...but in reality, I'd be very, very afraid of weather that could wipe out the house.  (Some of that is due to memories of flooding.)

I can understand the popularity of houses in the city.  Many cities become extremely expensive, of course.  If we had unlimited funds, I'd love to live in Manhattan.  But not full time, mostly because it gets very, very hot there in the summer and can snow a lot in the winter.  LOL, dare to dream, huh?! 

That sounds like a fantastic deal on your house , and that's not far out of the city center at all!  Even better that the city is growing and you have good chances of profiting from that should you decide to sell your house later! 

I hear you about needing room for your yarn!    Do tell about the nail stuff...do you paint custom designs on your nails or something? 

Well, the work here is seemingly endless and ongoing, sigh.  And everything is on hold at the moment because of a stupid dead tree that keeps dropping branches.  The tree is very, very old and should have lasted for many years, but because carpenter ants found it and have been tunneling in it, it's weakened the branches and now the tree must go.  We had one very large branch fall, thankfully where it did little damage, but now we worry every time it rains or we have a lot of wind, because we can hear (thankfully smaller) branches hitting the roof a lot of times.  We were originally scheduled to have the stupid thing removed, but then the guy who had agreed to the job (the only one who will handle a tree of this size) is off doing something else, so we wait and wait.  We went from having a specific date for when this would happen to having no clue as to when it will. 

In the meantime, the other work that has to be done ranges from immediate needs to things that shouldn't - but can and must - wait.  Every door needs to be replaced, for instance.  The reason is because two owners ago, the guy was an alcoholic, and in a fit of pique, probably because of his anger at the mortgage company, he threw out all of the antique interior doors.  Our neighbor garbage picked them and gave them to someone who was remodeling (this was over 10 years ago), but in the meantime, after this place went to the next owners, they went out and bought apparently very cheap interior doors, and they're all in bad shape.  The doors are kicked in, broken, don't close right, etc.

A lot of people get angry and mess things up when foreclosure is imminent...but what many of them don't realize is the big bad bank with whom they're attempting to get even doesn't really give a crap about it...more money, less money...it's all the same to them, as a few thousand price difference one way or another is nothing for them.  The people who are really affected by stuff like that are the ones who, like us, end up buying the house next.  So because the previous people were foreclosed on, they didn't leave a single curtain rod or air conditioning unit, forcing us to start from scratch. 

Due to the lack of air conditioning units left for us, we need to install central air, as the hotter days are getting quite miserable with only two small window units for two of the rooms, which we purchased as it began getting hot.  When the temperatures go up very high, we have to take our meals upstairs into one of the two rooms, because it's too miserable in the kitchen.  But where do we start?  If we buy air conditioning units for every room in the house, it will be nice and cool...but then that's money better spent on central air conditioning, so it doesn't pay to keep throwing away money on temporary solutions...except it then gets sooooooooo hot in much of the house. 

Many of the windows are old and need to be replaced, but in the meantime, they have to stay as they are.  There also isn't a single working window screen, so we can't even open windows for fresh air!  (The kitty would sneak out.)  Most of the window screens are nonexistent, and the few that remain are slashed.

This house has really been terribly abused.  We plan to restore it, but it's going to take a looooooong time, and not a little bit of money. 

It's better than where we were, so it's not that we're complaining...but it's hard at times to live in a place that needs so much work.

Awww, enjoy the wine and have a drink for me!    Better still, have several, so I can live vicariously through you. 

---

Stitchboard Admin message #65
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 17, 2015 at 2:40:12 AM  (in response to Aabye message #3)
 
Line,

140 square meters is over 1500 square feet, which is a decent size...larger than our house, though not by a lot.  Actually the $73k+ price is probably a good one, but it does depend on the area here.  Some places have housing prices that are way more, some have housing prices that are way less.  But a lot of the lower-priced areas aren't very good (or the houses aren't in very good shape).  Or both.

Foreclosures still happen here...I'm amazed what happened in '08 affected you guys so negatively, too!    On the auction side, though, they start at a very low price and go up from there.  We had looked into a couple of them and they weren't at all feasible, because our realtor said that though the starting prices sounded good, the bids would shoot way up.   So we steered clear of them and looked at the ones that were being sold instead of auctioned off.

I'm glad to hear your homes by the sea don't fare what many other homes do!  I would still be sooo afraid, though.  It's one of those things that sounds good...but in reality, I'd be too worried!

Do you think you'll ever get a house by the sea, then? 

How is the climate by the sea...is it colder or warmer or about the same?

LOL, I wouldn't want to live in Manhattan all the time.  Just certain times of the year, when it's not too hot, not too cold. 

Used and/or inexpensive air conditioners are a rarity, particularly when the weather is warm.  We could probably find some in the middle of the winter...but of course that would require waiting during the hotter months!  So we had no choice but to buy a bare minimum of new window units to have basic cooling. 

LOL, if knitted doors would work, that would be wonderful!    They do need to be real doors, though.  To keep the air in the rooms that have air conditioning, to keep the kitty out of rooms where she isn't allowed, etc.

Yeah, not looking forward to eventually replacing the windows.  Hopefully there will be a good sale on them when that day arrives!

The tree is huge.  Someone once told us he estimated the tree trunk was 4 feet across...he was so wrong.  It's something like 6 or 7 feet across!

And that's the problem.  Nobody else in this area will touch that tree. 

I'm so glad you guys purposely found a house that didn't need work.    For us it was the only choice, because the better houses were priced way high.

LOL...love how you sent curses to the tree guy...made my day!    Thank you for the good thoughts, too.    Sending some right back to you! 

I love your nails!  Sooo beautiful how you added the "gems." 

I once did my nails for a costume...a base of black, red was painted diagonally on one side of each nail, and a gold line diagonally down the middle where the two colors met was added after.  It was fun! 

Thank you for sharing your pics and feel free to share others anytime...your nail work is as beautiful as your crochet! 

---

Stitchboard Admin message #67
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 18, 2015 at 3:40:09 AM  (in response to Aabye message #6)
 
Line,

Your house is larger than ours.    Not by a lot, but if I have the numbers right from memory, we're at 1200 square feet, which is 111.48 square meters.

I wouldn't mind a bit more room, but other people think it's way big.  Some of our neighbors went into smaller houses.  One who didn't had moved with his family, so they have a lot of people to a house that's really only about 200 square feet larger than ours.  When this guy saw our house from the outside, he said, "It's only the two of you?  Wow, that's a lot of space!"  Well, it really is for two of us...but that was our choice...we don't have kids (not that he did, but his parents did!).  Though this house was the very last one left, there were reasons nobody wanted it...the huge tree, the rooms that have been changed around, old windows, damaged doors, damaged walls, etc.  Not many people wanted the endless work we have.  So it's both good and bad...though that said, our one neighbor would have bought it if we hadn't, as I mentioned.  So we had to go through with it or we'd now be living way far away, and that would have been trouble. 

I'm sorry '08 affected you guys, too.    I hate that anyone got caught up in this horrible mess.    It's only the fault of certain people, but the fact that they didn't care about anyone else makes it so much worse. 

I hope your government does very well and makes things better than the previous one.    So far, I haven't been impressed with this "global economy," since it seems to make things more inequitable for most.    But you guys have been ahead of the game for some time (in all of the best ways) and I wouldn't be surprised if you do even better with this change, as long as the powers that be know what they're doing. 

I agree...knitted doors sound lovely!    If only they weren't so impractical.

Oooh, how fantastic that your windows are made so well and from such wonderful materials! 

LOL...I know what you mean...nobody wants a falling-apart dead tree...but a live tree is always beautiful.    I've seen pictures of the tree when it was alive and it really was gorgeous...such a shame that it has to go. 

Wow, in terms of USD, you paid less than half of what we did for our house!  Our area isn't "in," either...it's a pretty small town.  Some of the areas are very depressed.  Lots of rentals.  But because of the number of buyers exceeding the number of existing houses in our price range at the time we were buying, the market was falsely inflated and what we got was all we could get. 

Your area is soooooooooooo pretty!    Anyway, who cares if it's "in" - if you like it, I think that's what counts.    Meh, I never did care about what was trendy...I figure what makes you happy is the most important thing. 

I can't wait to see your pictures of the inside of your house once it's in decent shape! 

It looks like a fun hobby, and you do so well at it!    Maybe someday you'd want to try doing other people's nails?

---

Stitchboard Admin message #69
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 19, 2015 at 3:08:53 AM  (in response to Aabye message #8)
 
Line,

True...'08 did affect the whole world.  I guess for me it's hard to grasp such far-reaching consequences, even though I know it really is what happened.    I hate that others had to suffer, too. 

True, we can do things our way here.    Though some of what we can do is limited, because of changes the previous people made.

We heard there was a beautiful bay window in the back of the house, part of the living room, but the previous people tore it out and put in a bathroom.  Then they turned another part of the living room into a bedroom.  What's left is a fairly small area behind the front door, which is too small for a living room.  So the previously large dining room has now become a smaller living room, and our kitchen has become an eat-in kitchen...even though it's technically much too small and the table we originally brought over is way too big.

We'd discussed moving the dining area to that smaller area by the front door...but there's a bathroom behind it.  Yuck. 

So we kind of have limits based on what was done previously.  Which is one of the things that turned off a former neighbor of ours, that the house had been changed around so much previously.  I don't know where else we could set aside space for a dining room that wouldn't be by a bathroom or in the way.  It's not that we don't appreciate the second bathroom, because we do, but it was also done incorrectly, and now the bay window is gone.  Plus, it faces a garage, which wasn't originally there, so the bay window if it were still there would be pretty useless.  Just too much stuff has been done to this place.  It's very sad.

Awww, thank you.    We would help you guys, too, if we lived closer. 

How cool that your neighborhood is so beautiful and you have access to so much great stuff!    It's wonderful to have great neighbors...and access to the harbor...oh, be still my heart!    Except for the river here, we're pretty landlocked, so you'll have to share a lot about your area, where I can live vicariously through you! 

We did mostly luck out on good neighbors...though the one house is a rental and we just don't know who we're going to get.  Another house, too, actually.  One set of very nice neighbors are selling , another set of neigbors are never there...only two sets of neighbors are there with any permanence.  And hopefully they'll stay, rather than moving out like the otherse have!  Also hoping the neighbors who are selling will find someone good to buy the house, someone who will live there and not rent it out.

Although we do like that we're within walking distance of the local downtown.    That makes up for a bit...the library is probably less than a half dozen blocks away.  LOL, I walked there one day...on one of the hottest days, naturally!

---

Stitchboard Admin message #71
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 20, 2015 at 2:30:56 AM  (in response to Aabye message #10)
 
Line,

It's not just the money that would be involved in changing things back...it would be more trouble than it's worth.  For instance, to tear the bathroom out, relocate it (where?), restore the downstairs bedroom to part of the living room and to put in a new bay window would be a lot of work...and then the bay window would be facing a garage, so we'd either have to tear out the garage, put the bay window elsewhere (not sure where) or not put in a bay window at all.

Better to leave the changes as is and perhaps add things here and there, like a reading room/tower off of the one bedroom, glass in the front porch and add a wraparound to it, perhaps ultimately extend the master bedroom out over the front porch and make that a glassed-in balcony.  Probably would cost less and definitely would increase the amount of space.

The dining room is kind of a loss.  Someday when we go to sell, we might put in a dining area in the living room or have a really small table in the kitchen, so as not to emphasize the lack of a dining room or area.

Also, our yard is not very big because of the garage.  But a garage is important.  So we would probably emphasize the proximity of a public park within walking distance when we're ready to sell, because there's not much we can do about the lack of yard, either.

It's not a nightmare (other than the tree)...it's decent...but not our dream home, you know?

Ouch, 3.7 miles is a lot of walking outside...I can walk that easily as part of an in-home walking program, but outside when the weather isn't perfect, not for me!  But the idea of walking around in nature is lovely, IMO, and I can't wait to see your pics!    Downtown walking is nice for shorter walks.  Nature walking...great for longer walks. 

---

Stitchboard Admin message #73
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 20, 2015 at 11:52:09 PM  (in response to Aabye message #12)
 
Line,

Oh, yes, nature walks are absolutely the best!    Perfect photo opportunities! 

Ouch, that sounds sooo painful...I'm very sorry long distance walking is too difficult.    Though shorter walks can be nice.    Glad you have a car, though, and that your boyfriend drives you around as needed. 

Which I hope includes yarn shops! 

I think we can both understand...you're not in the house of your dreams either.  It's bittersweet, isn't it?  It's not the worst place...just a little "off" from that dream home.

Thank you for the lovely wishes and hoping the same for you, too.    Guess we both need to have patience...it will happen eventually!    Meanwhile, sending all good thoughts your way. 

---

Stitchboard Admin message #75
Re: Rainbow baby blanket.
July 22, 2015 at 12:40:04 AM  (in response to Aabye message #14)
 
Line,

Argh, that's what we call "damned if you do, damned if you don't" here!    I'm very sorry you have the pain and it stops you from walking as much as you like (and when you'd like).    And I wish there were a sunblock that would help you.

Those two shops look wonderful!    Glad you have such great resources.  And I completely agree about cones!  They hold so much yarn as opposed to regular skeins. 

Awww, I love the sound of your dream home!    Mine has a nice big kitchen for my husband, who loves to cook.  I have a huge craft room, with all kinds of fun things and lots of yarns, beads, etc.  Then there are the alpacas and llamas for pets - and to provide nice soft fibers. 

---