I was in Austin so house hunting was on the short short list. In May, I met our realtor for the first time even though we’ve been exchanging emails for almost a year. She’s great! A hoot, in fact. I’m starting to get a sense of how hard this search is getting to be. I so naively thought I could search on-line, send her an email, jaunt over, then sign a contract. Viola! :-) Voila!!
Um, no. It isn’t happening like that. First, pictures can be very deceiving–VERY. One house that was so cute in the pictures with a wide back porch, a view to get lost in, was an obstacle course to get to. Miles down Coon Neck Road (I’m not kidding), up a hill past concertina wire topped fences, next to a mobile home with a herd of dachshunds, we pull in. The house is cute. Except– there is nowhere to park. A giant hole has eaten part of the hill and driveway.
My agent turns to me and says with a straight face, “Oh, look, a koi pond.” She didn’t even need to ask if I wanted to go inside. If I’d purchased this place, I’m sure I could have had a side business of raising mosquitos for OFF. On the long drive back to civilization, I thought I heard banjo music.
“Riverfront” doesn’t always mean access to the water. While walking the property, I stepped on a snake. What is it with me and snakes? Can they not feel me coming? I’m not a petite lady and I know I shake the ground (plus a lot else) when I walk. Anyway, the bank is a nice ten foot drop through poison ivy to the Colorado River. Uh, no. When we drove to this house, I was sure HOARDERS was coming to film.
I did find a house I liked. It sits on top of a hill with a breeze despite the 100+ temperature. So many trees no need to mow as there is NO grass. The house has been empty for a while, the landscaping nonexistent and a few of the neighbors are just plain creepy.
OMG. What is that on the left? Mutant alien spiders? I hope you took that pic with a zoom zoom lens. I know you will find the perfect home and you will know it the second you step foot in it. For one thing it will be sans any wildlife. Keep us posted.And keep laughing about it.
Debbie–
I have no clue what the first two bugs are–a hybrid of grasshopper and bettle. The long bug is a walking stick. I hadn’t seen a green one in a long time or one that big! No, I used my phone close up.
Laughing is what makes the hunt bearable.
I dunno, Meg. At least these are the kind of neighbors you can kill and not go to jail for.
I’m starting to realize that we were lucky in finding our place when Bob retired from the Navy — it was the first one I looked at. Though I don’t regret going on to look at a couple of others. The 4000-square-feet of custom made lime green carpet was a sight to behold. And the one with the commode right smack in the middle of the bedroom with folding screens for privacy . . . You just don’t see those things every day.
Oh my, Marilyn!
LIme green? Okay, I would have wanted to see the one with the commode in the middle of the bedroom! A man and his throne!
I have more to look forward to.