Ran into a hiccup on the 1900 farmhouse that I was planning on purchasing this coming summer (the foreclosure-my-friend-bought-because-I-couldn't-buy-it-as-the-bank-wouldn't-mortgage-it-so-he-asked-me-to-give-input-on-it-as-I-was-going-to-buy-it-from-him-soon-as-it-was-fixed-up 1900 farmhouse). I bought a beautiful English oak circa 1900 dining room set as well as a very unique oak dressing chest, circa 1890, and had some other stuff in line for purchase. Then BAM--his daughter realized she had been outspending herself for several years like everybody had been warning her about and it came back to bite her, so now she has nowehere to go but--you guessed it. Rent the almost completed house from my friend for 6 months to a year.
Soooo... I am trying to decide what to do. Stick with the original intent and see if it truly will be 6-12 months ( also has a pool, attached place for my aging grandmother when she can no longer live by herself in a few years, LOVE the area, etc.), or...
A circa 1890 just came available for $157,900. The interior is very similar to the one at http://www.ourvictorianhouse.com (just a lot more of the shelacked wood, nothing is painted), but it will need a good bit of cosmetic work to it as the '70s were very unkind to the house. This one isn't a foreclosure, has some of the original stained glass intact, original hand-carved oak entrance door, fireplaces, and drop-dead-gorgeous staircase. Very fancy pants. 1.5 acres, and a barn is still behind the house. The well is built under the back porch with a hinge door flooring to access it. Part of one of the chimney tops have fallen off. However, it is located in a county with high taxes, on a very busy road that is being taken from a two-lane to 4-6 lanes (about a mile down from the house, not in front of it), and it's 10-15 minutes away from my work, whereas the other is literally 2 minutes away... The realtor told me the house is in an estate and the heirs just want it off their hands.
{edited to spare you the drama, but insert the "Green Acres" theme song here and you get the picture!}
This is like pondering ending a long-term engagement for me and looking at a new relationship (hey, I love old houses and put a lot into them). I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!! And my parent's aren't much of a help, etiher. They love anything old, and my dad's itching to do some woodwork wherever it may be... So, do I wait 12 months and see where things are at, while saving up for a cosmetic rehaul of the farmhouse and finding pieces that I know will fit in there, or do I plunge and seriously look into what would be involved in purchasing this fancy-pants house?
Advice?!
Yes, I am hurt, but I wouldn't want to see innocent kids stuck in the cold becuase of poor parental decisions. I wouldn't feel at peace with that. I guess I am too much of a softee. I belive what goes around comes around, too, so I want to keep a nice spirit with it. My friend really can't help the situation.
Well worth the wait!