Author: gregjsmith

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My New House

Wow, things happen quickly. I didn’t write about this last week because I really didn’t expect it to go through. I made an offer on a house, about $10K under listed price. This house was a repo and needs some work (not as bad as the others I’ve seen thought). It was a multiple offer situation and I though for sure I wouldn’t come close since people have been paying list price.

I was surprised when I was informed early this week that I had the high offer, but they wanted to get another $5k out of me. No way was I giving them any more, I though my current offer was generous. To make a long story short, I signed the contracts yesterday. It’s mine!

Front of houseThis house is located in the same neighborhood that the other house I made an offer was on. It’s on a 1/2 acre, a nice rectangular 1/2 acre with easy access to be the back yard on both side. The interior needs carpet, paint and is a little dated (was built in the late 70s as far as I can tell), but other than that it’s not in that bad of shape. It also has city water and sewer. Many of the house in this area of Rio Rancho were built before there were hooks and have septic systems or wells. I lucked out there as well.

Over all I’m happy with this purchase so far, I got a deal and it has the basic configuration I was looking for. I have some big plans to add on and will be writing about them here.

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House Hunting Week… Whatever

Have I told you how much I hate living in an apartment? What, no? Well I cannot believe that because I really hate it and I usually tell everyone how much I hate it. From the lack of water pressure to the crappy dishwasher and walking up three flights of stairs. I will really be happy to be out of this apartment.

The housing market, she no good for me. She real good for seller. A while back I wrote about a house I wanted to buy only to find out there was a contract signed the day I looked at it. This was the house on a 1/2 acre with a giant antenna in the back yard. It was listed at about $135,000. One might get $130,000 for a house in this neighborhood for that much if it is in absolute pristine condition, this house was/is not.

This house has a flat roof and it had a leak at one point. I would say half the walls and ceilings in the house will need to be replaced. Not to mention pain, carpe, wood root along the outside and kitchen needing remodeled to name a few. Were talking a easy $30 to $40K in work is needed and I think I’m underestimating that number. Yet the house sold for $130,000! Some person, who must be on crack, has more money than sense actually bought that house for near the asking price. I’m guessing that that they would need to sell the house near the $200,000 mark to get their money back.

This hasn’t just happened once, this has happened twice. Another house on the same street in a similar situation. Not nearly as ba, they were asking about $120,00. A little lower but still needed lots of work. I offered $105,000 would go up to $110,00. Someone came in and offered the asking price. It’s insane I tell you. INSANE!

The popular thought is that people from California are selling their homes for a half million dollars. FInding that the Phoenix market is turning into California’s market, they come here where’s it’s cheaper. Thus people have plenty of money to spend more on our cheap houses, even if they need work. What’s $30K when you just made $200,000 on your last house?

As for me, my lease is up 31 October. Seems like a long ways away, but I’m getting worried.

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There Are Things We Just Cannot Explain

Ex-wife I understand, but that he has a girlfriend now. Some people just go too far sometimes and I think this is one of those times.

Willie Windsor, 54, of Phoenix has for several years lived as a full-time baby, wearing frilly dresses, diapers and bonnets, sucking on a pacifier, eating Gerber cuisine, and habitually clutching a rag doll, in a home filled with oversized baby furniture. According to a long Phoenix New Times profile in June, the diaper is not just a prop. Windsor said he worked hard to become incontinent, even chaining the commode shut to avoid temptation, and the reporter admitted feeling “disconcert(ed)” that Windsor might be relieving himself at the very moment he was describing his un-toilet training. Apparently, Windsor’s brother, ex-wife, girlfriend and a neighbor tolerate his lifestyle (though no girlfriend has yet been willing to change his diapers). Windsor is a semi-retired singer-actor and said he’s been celibate for nine years. [Phoenix New Times, 6-9-05]

Thanks Sis!. Here’s the original article at the New Times.

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South Mountain, Phoenix, az

Here I present to you a approximately 3 minute video made with some photos I took at South Mountain Park in Phoenix last week. It is a shortened version, with some of the personal photos removed.

I have been using Still Life for this sort of thing but have found Photo To Movie superior. Especially since it allowed me to export a dv file in the 16:9 aspect ration (which is how all my movies are since iMovie HD came out). I also really liked the quality of the titles and are looking for a way to duplicate them in iMovie when doing regular movies.

This movie is a MP4 encoded with H.264, which allowed a decent quality movie that has a 869 x 480 resolution but only be 7.1 MB in size. But you will need the latest and greatest version of Quicktime to view it.

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House Hunting Week 5

Houses seemed to dry up this week, as I only had one prospect

This house was overpriced by about $20K. It had been bought by an investor and fixed up, but it was done somewhat half-assed. Its land was too small anyways.

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House Hunting Week 4

The trend continues, I either like the house and not the land or I like the land and not the house.

This house kind of had a weird lay out.

  • I’m not so much in love with the sunken living room, especially since it was sunken about 6 inches or less it seemed.
  • The kitchen was small and it didn’t seem to have much room to expand
  • No back yard access with a vehicle

This was a Amrep house built in the early 1970s. I’m not a huge fan of Amrep homes (more on that some other time) but this one had a very nice layout. THe kitchen was very well done. The owners had already done most of the renovation work I would have with wood floors and painting and so-forth.

Unfortunately the yard was really that big (.25 acres or maybe smaller). And I wouldn’t be able to talk them down much considering the work that was done.

This house has a nice large back yard with block walls. It’s also a Amrep house and lives up the the “werid” design that some Amrep houses have. I don’t mind a 2 story house but this one was just not right.

Finally the last house of the week. Another Amrep house that has a interesting design. I liked it actually. They had put tile on the kitchen counters, it looked nice but was the kind of adobe tile that wasn’t uniform. Thus the counters are uneven. And of course the plot of land was too small/had no vehicle access.

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100,000 And Going Strong

My 4×4 Ford Ranger reached a milestone today when it reached a 100,000 miles. I’m happy to say I’m the original owner, purchasing it new in 1996 (it’s a 1997 model) with something like 27 miles on it.

It’s been a good truck, disproving to me that american cars can be well built. It’s not without out it’s share of problems. For the last few years I’ve had a terrible vibration in the vehicle. I’ve taken it to Don Chalmers Ford who diagnosed it with need tires and shocks. I agree that tires can cause some bad issues with it but they weren’t the problems I was having. I could tell it was a front end problem especially since there was sever cupping in the front tires. I finally took it to Bob Turners who correctly diagnosed with needing front new springs. They weren’t even able to properly align it, it’s strange that Don Chalmers didn’t figure that out, even though they charged me $90 for a vibration analysis.

I’ve not heard of spring going bad, but since they have replaced them the tires wear properly and it rides a thousand percent better. Perhaps more people need them and don’t realize it.

I’m experiencing a breaking problem and I suspect the front right (and maybe left) rotors are warped and need replaced. It will be the first time that any such work as been done on this vehicle. Meanwhile my coworkers are telling me how their brand new Nissan need rotors right after they bought it. Other than that there’s been a few minor things, some emissions related thing need replaced a few months ago and some and a few issues with a electronic 4 wheel drive switch.

The engine runs as strong as it did the day I bought it. It doesn’t leak anything or burn anything it’s not suppose to. And the gas mileage is about 15 mpg, not great but near what it did when I got it (and not bad for a 4×4). Thanks Dad for showing me how to take proper care of a vehicle. With luck, I will have it for another 100,000 miles!

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Rafting In Taos

I ended up with a very busy weekend, with school, a friday trip and a party on Saturday there was no time to post. Not to mention the wireless I’m, er… borrowing, went down and I my trial of MarsEdit expired.

The fact that 2 people have died going down the same part of the river did not stop us from making a rafting trip down the Rio Grande river on Friday. That’s me in the picture, the blue hat in the back. I was a little worried at first, but it wasn’t really that bad.

The trip was suppose to take 3+ hours but took less than 1 1/2 because of the speed of the water. We also saw where the the unfortunate incident took place that lead to the death of Carolyn Whalen. Really, it’s a matter of a good guide keeping the boat from going in the wrong place and the river not forcing you there.

It was fun, were looking at doing “the box” which is a rougher part that’s farther north up the river.

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House Hunting Week 3

After having two houses last week, this week turned out to have quite a few prospects, a good half dozen I would say. Many I rejected on paper, a few I rejected at the drive by. I almost had a winner, but it only upped my expectations.

Initially I didn’t give this house a second thought, but I looked at the MLS a day later and decided to do a drive by. The remarks said:

Great custom floorplan with a very large lot. Home features backyard access, great garden area, covered patio, storage shed, and a large inground hot tub. In need of some handyman work. Roof replaced in 2004. Some interior work still needed. Great investment opportunity. Look past what it is and dream about what it could be! Being Sold AS IS with no warranties expressed or implied. Hot tub room 187 sq ft. not included in home square footage.

The house was built in the early/mid 1980’s. The bathrooms looked like they were from the 1970’s. None the less it had some great character and layout out. The previous owner had added on a built in hot tub.

Being a flat roof house, it had seen some leaking problems. THe roof was replaced a few years ago but many rooms still showed damage. Drywall would likely need replaced along with new floors. The kitchen and bathrooms would need remodeled as well. The house is part of an estate sale, the owner had never seen it. THere is a room added on at the back porch with shelving and there’s a giant antenna in the back yard. I assume that a old ham radio operator lived here, died, and the daughter got the house.

Did I mention the antenna? Yeah, there is a giant telescoping antenna in the back yard. If anyone should own a house with a giant antenna in it, I should! The back yard is listed at .55 acres, with most of it in the back yard. There was also some huge trees back there.

I spent several hours there finally deciding that It had everything I was looking for. They had is listed for $134,000, but another house in the neighborhood went for $131,000. Considering the work that was need to fix the interior I could probably get it for much less. I had made the proper financial arrangements and was ready to get the inspection report so I could make an offer.

Sigh… The house had been on the marked for 50+ days, the day I find it and want to buy it, someone else signs a contract. Same thing happened on the first house I looked at. It will be difficult to find another house like this.

I actually like this house, the interior layout was pretty nice. It was built in the late 80s, so not quite as “antique” as some of the others.

It is listed as being on .5 acres, and yes it is on a large lot. But the whole area is very hilly, and half the back yard is sloping downwards. Most of the block fence is below grade, I would have to build fencing for most of it. One side of the house has neighbors higher than it and they can easily look right now on it.

The house does have a above ground pool with a deck. Although it would have made me pretty popular with my friends, I’m not very interested in maintaining a pool.