Barbn

  5/31/10

Back Again, I did a drive by on a house that was for sale this weekend. I found it on the internet and spent the week dreaming about it. It is located on a lake with floor to ceiling windows in the living room that looked out on a fantastic view. The house is 30 yrs old and looked like it needed some updating according to the pictures I saw. All I could think of this week was how serene it looked in the pictures. I could really relax and be content on the deck. Watch the birds and the other creatures that would come around. I even looked the property up on the tax rolls to see how many owners there had been in the last 30 yrs. By doing so I found a Google map that showed the lot and the surrounding areas. This intrigued me further. My day dreams intensified.

I started calculating how much the mortgage and taxes would be. I was checking the bank balance to see how much I could put down and how much I would need to update the place. All practical things. While the other half of my brain was visualizing the house warming party. And buying all the things I would need to furnish the place. I was going full speed ahead. All from pictures and information off the internet.

Saturday when the kids asked what we were doing that day I suggested we go find this place. After looking at the pictures for themselves they were agreeable. We started driving and my first thought was “hmm quite a bit farther south than I thought it was going to be, no grocery stores or gas stations nearby”. We drove a bit further and then found the community the house was located in. It was beautiful. Lots of trees and greenery. Saw a pair of cardinals fly by. The houses were older, some well maintained others not so much.

There were 4 houses in the cove. Two looked really nice the other two looked umm well lived in. We came to the house I was interested in. The lot was really overgrown. Hmm no garage or carport. Long walk to the door with groceries in the pouring rain. The mail box was leaning over and was rusty. I wasn't really comfortable getting out and exploring since we did not have a realtor with us. But I could tell just by looking at the outside of the house that it was probably a money pit. I pulled out my cell phone and I had Zero bars. Omg no way! Landline...DSL... any cable or internet service at all? Time to back peddle.

Daughter asked if I was going to call the realtor and I said no I dont think so. She was disappointed. She told me that if I bought them a canoe they could be really happy there. It didn't matter if there was tv or not. Lol.

I drove away disappointed that my dreams were not going to be fulfilled and kicking myself for even bothering. Nothing turns out how you expect it to. I keep forgetting that. Oh I could go ahead and call the realtor and satisfy my curiosity about the inside of the house. Allow myself to spend all my money in my head. Wonder if I have the energy or desire or knowledge to fix this place up. Part of me wants to do that. But the practical part of me knows that it probably would be a mistake. Wonder when the dream side gets to win?