Closed on Monday, moved in yesterday...just got the internet hooked up, satellite is next...everything is starting to come together...this place is amazing...although I am already cringing about the water bill...i think we have about 100 different sprinklers coming off and on and all different parts of the day.

Did it end up being the initial place that you talked about? With the previous owner's business manager getting in the way and all?

Did it end up being the initial place that you talked about? With the previous owner's business manager getting in the way and all?

Yep...I persisted until I eventually wore them down

 

The pool guy is here looking at the property to come up with some designs for us...gulp

Closed on Monday, moved in yesterday...just got the internet hooked up, satellite is next...everything is starting to come together...this place is amazing...although I am already cringing about the water bill...i think we have about 100 different sprinklers coming off and on and all different parts of the day.

switch to native plants that don't need to be watered constantly because you live in the desert

Have an accepted offer on a house as of this morning. Won't be closing until July so we don't have to pay overlapping rent and mortgage. The savings will be worth the wait.

 

Meanwhile the chimney brick work isnt in great shape. We tried to get the owners to agree to repair and it freaked them out. So now it just depends on the inspection so we find out the cost to repair. Then we have to negotiate that.

switch to native plants that don't need to be watered constantly because you live in the desert

Yeah, that will be one of the next big steps...although everyone is giving me s*** about it...

Have an accepted offer on a house as of this morning. Won't be closing until July so we don't have to pay overlapping rent and mortgage. The savings will be worth the wait.

 

Meanwhile the chimney brick work isnt in great shape. We tried to get the owners to agree to repair and it freaked them out. So now it just depends on the inspection so we find out the cost to repair. Then we have to negotiate that.

Good luck...how old is the property?

So there's a pretty nice place that I'm just thinking about at this point. It's part of a newer construction (2008), and it's on the top floor of the building. This is pretty nice since it's got high ceilings and everything, but they have this weird loft-style set up in between the bedrooms:

 

 

If you can't clearly tell, the wall stops like 3-4 feet short of the ceiling, which I assume allows every sound to pretty much go over. Considering it would be myself and another 23 yr old male sleeping in each room, sound proofing would be pretty important Anyone have experience or an idea of cost to either:

1) put a wall there

2) put sound proofing material there

 

I have no idea on the expense for something like that.

I'll never understand places that have walls that end before the ceiling.

A friend's lakehouse in Wisconsin has similar loft-style walls around the bathroom. Gets a tad bit uncomfortable at times.

I'll never understand places that have walls that end before the ceiling.

 

It's to make it more open and feel bigger. If that was a single couple in there that used one room for an office and another for their bedroom it would be really nice. But for roommates it's probably not an ideal set up.

It's to make it more open and feel bigger. If that was a single couple in there that used one room for an office and another for their bedroom it would be really nice. But for roommates it's probably not an ideal set up.

Yea that's what I'm thinking now, it's too bad because the rest of it is really nice and is a very reasonable deal for the area it's in.

It's to make it more open and feel bigger. If that was a single couple in there that used one room for an office and another for their bedroom it would be really nice. But for roommates it's probably not an ideal set up.

I'd rather have it be functional, not cut the wall off a few feet from the top. Even if one room was an office - when the person is trying to do work, and you can hear the kitchen, TV, etc it's distracting. It just seems so pointless so it "seems" more open/bigger.

 

If you live by yourself I'm sure it's fine. Any roommate situation or using it as an office, nursery, etc...loses the functionality.

 

Yea that's what I'm thinking now, it's too bad because the rest of it is really nice and is a very reasonable deal for the area it's in.

I feel like this happens a ton. Oh man, this place is great! Oh, wait, loft style walls. f***.

I'd rather have it be functional, not cut the wall off a few feet from the top. Even if one room was an office - when the person is trying to do work, and you can hear the kitchen, TV, etc it's distracting. It just seems so pointless so it "seems" more open/bigger.

 

If you live by yourself I'm sure it's fine. Any roommate situation or using it as an office, nursery, etc...loses the functionality.

 

 

I feel like this happens a ton. Oh man, this place is great! Oh, wait, loft style walls. f***.

Yea I definitely get that, the weird thing is, the only wall that appears to not go to the ceiling is that one (there is a bathroom in between the two bedrooms as well).

 

Every other wall though goes to the ceiling.

Well, it can't be expensive to put the wall in...you'd just need to have a handyman come in and frame it to the ceiling and then put in drywall...he could probably put some noise-dampening s*** in there to help soundproof it...I would think $500-1000...

You could do it on your own for way less than that. You'd just have to mud, tape and sand, the worst do-it-yourself project known to man.

You could do it on your own for way less than that. You'd just have to mud, tape and sand, the worst do-it-yourself project known to man.

Let's be realistic here...Russ isn't going to do that s*** on his own

Let's be realistic here...Russ isn't going to do that s*** on his own

Hahaha I'm actually fairly handy, but I would have to do it with my Dad since he has all the tools (plus he's wood-worked for most of his life, has built quite a bit of stuff from porch screens to kitchen cabinets). But you're right, I couldn't do it on my own since I have zero power tools

Right...so the point is, if this is a place you really like, that certainly shouldn't stop you from buying it.

Right...so the point is, if this is a place you really like, that certainly shouldn't stop you from buying it.

I haven't even seen the place yet, it was just something that stood out to myself and my realtor when it came on the market. The 2nd bedroom is supposed to be small anyways, so not even sure if it's a really viable place, but it was one of the questions that I was asking myself if it was worthwhile looking into it more.

Good luck...how old is the property?

 

Built in 1970.

I'll never understand places that have walls that end before the ceiling.

As a west looper you know why, it's usually because those rooms dont have windows. It was 100% the reason why i didnt buy most of the places I looked at when I moved over here, I NEED walls not "barriers".

As a west looper you know why, it's usually because those rooms dont have windows. It was 100% the reason why i didnt buy most of the places I looked at when I moved over here, I NEED walls not "barriers".

You're right, that's a big reason, I just still hate it. It's still not going to have a window regardless of finishing the wall. Agreed with walls over barriers.

So the girlfriend negotiated 6 months of weekly landscaping, which includes maintenance of the sprinkler system at $1200 cash up front.

 

That equates to about $50/wk for mowing, disposal of grass, edging and trimming of all bushes, blowing of the driveway, patios, and sidewalks, and then the sprinkler system maintenance.

 

I was going to buy a lawnmower and leafblower and edger and do this myself, but at $50/wk for more than an acre property, I'll pay the money and look to save elsewhere.

You're right, that's a big reason, I just still hate it. It's still not going to have a window regardless of finishing the wall. Agreed with walls over barriers.

Me too. I must have looked at 40 places over here before I walked into mine and literally said "sold".

I put in an offer for a 3br duplex near Loyola today. Seemed like a real nice area and while its a short sale the bank has already preapproved the price so it should go quickly if they accept my offer.