We're starting to make progress on our stint in house hunting hell. We put an offer on the listing we looked at 3 weeks ago that was overpriced, original 1968 house with 2 outbuildings that needed new roofs and the insides were covered in black mold. The house is larger then we wanted but at least it's 1 story. The property had been well-maintained all these years until the elderly couple could no longer do it on their own. (They are the original owners and are moving into senior housing. He looks to be about 90.) The land is smaller then we wanted, but at least it's 5 acres. They planted LOTS of trees 40+ years ago so we will need to do some clearing to make pasture for the livestock. The property is surrounded by larger parcels ranging from 10 to 50 acres of rolling pastures.
We offered quite a bit lower then they were asking. It was a fair price, but their agent is known for pricing his listings too high and letting them sit for years. Our agent had a brilliant idea based on what he is witnessing with another senior transaction he is currently involved in. In our offer, we stated that the sellers may leave any personal items and/or trash in the house & outbuildings for us to clean up, so that they suffer as little hardship and stress as possible to move into their new location. We also said they could pick a closing date based on 30 - 60 days whichever made it easier on them. Those statements made a huge impact on them, as well as the fact we are okay with fixing all the little things that need fixing. There was very little "trash" to begin with, so we don't expect to clean up much.
It's not our ideal home, but it does fit our basic criteria and with a lot of clean-up and some modifications, we can turn one of the outbuildings into use for both storage & shelter and the other outbuilding will eventually be able to fit the RV and all of our vehicles & toys. It will be a home we can live in until our senior years.
I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and I think, "Well, that’s not going to happen."