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November 26, 2003
Uncertainty
This house thing has been so drawn out! We had the inspector come through. There were a few things that were no surprise, There were a few things that we thought could be a problem that wern't. But our one big surprise was a foundation problem.
It was very small and in the corner of the house. But it is still there. It was caused by the roof and the eves not draining water away from the house properly. So now that we had the inspection, which Drew and I thought was great. Drews parents didn't think it was so great at all.The foundation really took them back.
Drew had to go to work so we couldn't sit through the whole final schpeal of the inspector. Drews parents gave us an outline of what he told them. He also gave them a binder of all the details about the house. Drew and I have yet to see the binder.
We decided to get some contractors in to look at the place and put some quotes on the repairs. So far, Drew and I have been left in the dark. Not on purpose. But we have no idea how things stand right now, and thats uncomfortable. This may be unfair speculation on my part but I think Andrews parents are very anxious about buying a house that needs repairs on the outside rather than inside. Drews Paternal Grandfather worked with hydro and was an electrician. Drews Maternal Grandfather was a house builder/ plumber/ and even was head carpenter to build the Stratford Festival Stages. I think that some of those experiences have rubbed off on them leaving them more comfortable with indoor repairs.
For me ,if repairs need to be done, indoor repairs are the biggest headache. I want to set up my house as a home and not have to tear it down to re-wire or re-plumb. I'd rather the chaos be on the outside so I can hide inside and concentrate on school. There are some conflicting biases and goals I guess
The Final decision needs to be made on Monday wich is the first.
If We are taking the house, then that is the same day we have to give our landlord and roomate notice of our leaving. If we don't take the house we probably won't move till summer.
This One day is going to determine so much and we have no clue how it is going to go.
I want to say it's stressfull, But Not in that negative kind of way, more in that challenge, or life test kind of stress. While yes it tires me out, It also leaves me invigorated. Like a really good workout.
I can't wait to see what happens...Posted by becca at November 26, 2003 10:51 PM

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November 17, 2003
Bat-Cave Hunting
Wow... I guess I should have expected house hunting to be tiring. We have been veiwing house after house after house, This ones got galvonized piping, the next only has 60 amp electrical service the one after that has an irrecoverable roof, the next one has floors that are caving in, then OH! dont touch that!... thats uncovered aspestos!, and then a basement wall that has your very own tree roots growing through it.
Then if none of those things are bad, it has a brand new kitchen and a HOT TUB ... Drew says it has no "bat-cave potential". why does one need Bat-cave potential when one has a hot tub? why? WHY?!
We arn't in a rush to buy, I really don't care if we don't take possession untill summer, But I hope my weekends won't be competly slated for house viewings.
Yesterday we got word on a house that is only having it's sign put on the front today. We've been seeing houses that have all been posted for months,(trust me there are good reasons they havn't sold) so hopefully this one will be good (and have bat-cave potential) and we get first chance at a bid.
I'm exhausted and excited.
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Monday Nov 17th updated at 11:50
So we put a conditional bid in on that house, So now we have to wait out the ride of the owner accepting the bid, inspections, financing, insurance, and the morgage broker to view it.
The house has limeted Bat-Cave potential and no hot tub. But it was a really good deal because the outside property needs alot of work done to it so it was listed very low. It needs about $10000 dollars of work including the roof being re-done. The surrounding houses are valued at about $40 000 more than we are paying and thoose houses are a bit smallar in property and house size.
This house has the potential to build some equity as soon as we get all the work done in the spring.
The owner is hoping for a quick sale because he is moving quite a distance away and cannot maintain and take care of the property. With a tennant Drew and I shold only need to put in $200 a month to cover bills So not only is this going to be ecconomical while we are in school, but we should be able to buy a better house on the other side of all of this while (hopefully) make some money on a re-sale 5 years down the road.
We are crossing our fingers ( and toes and eyes)
Wish us luck!Posted by becca at November 17, 2003 03:03 PM
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i have my hair crossed!k.Posted by: kstanger at November 19, 2003 03:07 AM

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November 08, 2003
house?
We got a call tonight and it turns out Drews parents have a chunk of money wrapped up in Mutual Funds they have been advised that is not the best kind of investment right now. So they are debating puting it into property. They asked us to print out some of the properties we saw on the internet to bring to them.
We will have to see what happens...Posted by becca at November 8, 2003 09:23 PM

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November 04, 2003
I've caught the travel bug
So, Drew and I have been toying with the idea of getting a house... Big comitment. If we get a house it will be a duplex so the income from renters would cover the cost of the morgage at the very least. This is exciting to think about however the type of commitment this is is very looming. I've had a travel bug that I don't know I can burry for much longer. I'm not talking about going on vacation somewhere for two or three weeks.... no I want a living experience somewhere for at least 8 months or so.
We never traveled when I was a kid, so aside from my trips to Pennsic in PA and a weekend trip out to Britsh Columbia, I havn't traveled outside of Ontario. I have seen much of what Ontario has to offer,Big cities with dirty air that stains the sky brown and yellow. Still deep lakes with soft carved out of stone by glaciers thousands of years ago. Silent winters with 5 feet of snow, Blazing hot humid summers. There are alot of extremes here. I think I want to go somewhere where the weather is, for the most part, the same year round.
I remeber back in grade 3 and 4 we used to have to cut out contenents or provinces and glue them to bristol board where they belonged like puzzle peices, We had to name the moutain ranges, the plains, the rivers lakes, oceans and countires.Other kids in my class all got to say places they have traveled and what it was like there, When the teacher asked me where I have been I told her nowhere but here.I was embarrassed to admit that to my peers and even felt a little jealous. One girl was even from South Africa
I rember staring and drifting off in daydreams wondering what it would be like to live on Victoria Island, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hawaii the Dominican Republic,or New Zealand. These were all places on islands surounded by vast oceans. I knew a little about how the great lakes protected us from the worst of the cold and the worst of the heat. I guess the idea that an entire ocean protected these places was like magic to me. I knoew that plants and animals would be different, that mountains would tim the horrizon, and there would be deep oceans full of life. I never really did get any of that out of my head I still day dream about it now.
Way back just before Drew and I started dating, I signed up to do a program called Katimavik. I was going to see three provinces in Canada over a period of 9 months. I was going to live with 11 people half of whom would speak French. This was going to be a big adventure. But one night in my flirting with Drew he got up the nerve to finally Kiss me. This was 3 weeks before I was to leave. It wasn't a hard descision to make for me to stay because I knew from the start what I was to have with Drew was going to be big. A Bigger adventure than Katimavik could ever be. I have known Drew since we were 5, I couldn't leave a long friendship that became somthing more for such a long time. It wouldn't be fair to either of us.I decided to stay because I had all the time in the world to travel, I needed to stay here to work on our relationship.
I don't know why I included that. I want to take that paragraph out.But I refuse to erase it because it just wouldn't make this entry real if I did. Now I want to say I don't regret staying. But I think I can't help but have part of me wish I took that adventure because it would have been travel, Travel I havn't experienced. I guess it's the same part that is making me long to leave now, now that things with Drew and I are where they are.
But now that things with Drew and I have come to this climax in our life, there is a new story that can take one of any direction. I guess part of me is looking back at Katimavik and says that If we get that house I will have to wait to travel again.I've been through so much upheaval and moving in the last while that getting a house would settle part of me and in the traditional sence set the stage for married life. I know Drew has several years of school he still wants to complete, and right now it seems easiest to get them over with here.
I know there must be ways that we may be able to experience all of this at once, but it still seems to be a decision that means one or the other because I couldn't get the most out either one if we do both at the same time. Well this is a road that has yet to be written. No matter what happens I know it will be exciting.
Sometimes you just wish you had a crystal ball to look into to know your taking the right path. Or maybe I should just stop wondering and worrying and let life offer what it means to offer. Seems to never have failed in the past right when you are at a point of a big decision just give up making the decision and things fall in place for you. It's never turned out for the worse before...