Whoa! Didja get the numbers off that truck?!?
June 01, 2005 - 7:39 a.m.
Just browsing, thanks
Last night, Son2 and I went on a browsing trip. I went to a real estate website and picked out some likely prospects, logged the addresses in some really cool software, and went for a tour.
It's been years since I've done this. The last time I moved, my house languished on the market for over a year while I suffered the effects of competition from nearby new housing developments. It gave me a chance to get to know the town as I browsed the listings on my own. My real estate agent was a real slug. She hated kids, I had two. Bitch.
I've discovered that prices have increased since I last signed a contract. Duh.
The first house I looked at was in the esteemed Cathedral District. It looked like a great house, kinda like an Arts and Crafts design shoehorned into a space that just fit. The price seemed a little high, the glory of the Cathedral Effect no doubt having an effect. I wager it'll be there a little while longer.
The next stop on the list was a teeny little modified Cape Cod; again on a lot just big enough to fit. I was hoping for a little more green space than a city lot provides, and a mere one car garage stuck out of the side of it like a sore toe.
Next.
We headed north and ended up in a neighborhood near here. I discovered this neighborhood when I was looking last time. I like it because the houses are all different and the vintage is just about right. Again, a nice house on a tiny lot, but they've made the most of the space. Definitely maybe, and the Ace is within walking distance. Who could ask for more? Me.
Next we headed west to a 1970's vintage development. I could tell by the mix of brick and T-111 siding. Definitely maybe, although I might have to lease a few small children in order to fit in. Plus it has that suburban white boy feel to it, my current hood lacks that ambiance. Definitely maybe. I can tell there's going to be a lot of "definitely maybe" houses on the list.
The next two houses were a bust, which was sad because I really like this neighborhood. The GPS mapping software got lost I think mainly due to some bad address info from yours truly. This seems to be a drawback of this stuff, it doesn't do cul-de-sacs well either. The neighborhood looks to be a late '50's early '60's vintage place with houses on big lots. There are mostly sprawling ranches, looking owner occupied for years, with very little 'billy effect. (FYI- 'billy effect includes large collections of double axle rolling stock in the driveway and/or well intentioned but unfinished "improvements." NASCAR stickers abound. One listing in this neighborhood included the phrase "needs some TLC" which means "WTF were these people thinking?!?")
That was enough for us, so we dropped our GPS guide off at home and went to Heros [sic] and Legends for supper.
Stay tuned. I'll bring a camera next time.
Current Terr Alert Level
OMG, She's agonna blow!
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