For Sale, One slightly used Swamp Castle

Sheeit, try buying a house in NYC. You motherfuckers have no idea...100k Might get you a shithole in Brownsville or East New York next to a crack house. Either of those neighborhoods would make your heads spin before someone put a gun to it.

I grew up in the SF Bay Area, and one of the reasons I got the hell out of California was the real estate prices. The house I grew up in was in a suburb about 40 minutes away from SF, ~1,500 square feet and cost $150K in 1986, which my parents sold right before the crash for $450K. The house they bought after that was just your basic 1,600 sq. foot ranch style house on a 1/5th acre lot, slightly closer to SF, which cost them $550K. Completely insane.

Michael Barnes wrote: That house looks awesome at first, but whoever built it had no idea about the right materials to use in a modern design. Plank siding? Really? The interior could be awesome, but they totally went in the wrong direction with some of it.

I suspect that's not "the wrong direction" so much as "didn't have the money". Strikes me they couldn't afford the brushed stainless and nickel that design needs [all those railings look brutal as-is]. Same with the windows. They *really* needed to go with some larger, likely custom, sizes, and there are few things more breathtaking than the prices on custom-cut windows. Also needs a gas stove IMO, but I would have had a hard time passing on that one.

Gotta think cooling costs here in the South/Texas/Southwest. But A/C cooling has the nice benefit that it doesn't rise.

Dog, I think you're exactly right. It's a case of wanting a million dollar house with a $500,000 budget.

Heating in Georgia is a pain in the ass because of how much the rates change. Your gas bill goes from $40 a month to $200 a month if it's a cold winter. And in the summer, your power bill skyrockets to run the AC.

Damn, that was fast. Hit Zillow on Thursday, and we are getting some full price offers in today. One has shown up, and another is on the way.

The house we actually bought is also freaking huge (5400 square feet), but is actually not that bad to cool. There are ceiling fans in every single room, and the second owner began to replace the wood windows (which should never, ever be used in Georgia), with proper vinyls. Downstairs is enough underground that we are able to pretty much cut that AC completely off and get airflow through there from the fans. It ended up being just a little more than Swamp Castle to cool.

That's great, Frank! I thought it was a little underpriced, personally.

100K for Swamp Castle is a fucking steal- I don't care what neighbourhood it's in. I did a double take when I saw those MLS pictures. It's so... bright and cheery.

The new house has 5400 square feet of living space? Wow...

Fuck but Vancouver is stupid for real estate (not NY stupid, but still). Quick search, and the cheapest house on MLS is $350K for a 1000 sqr foot old timer tear down out in New Westminster (so 45 minutes away from downtown)

Is Atlanta much hotter than Oregon (the furthest south in States I've been)?

Ha! Yes, Atlanta is most certainly hotter. It's the difference between a warm carribean island and the hottest pit of hell.

As much as I like the people I've met down there, and as much as I admire the beauty of the land down there.....
FUCK HOTLANTA.

I'm not a huge fan of Oregon either (constant state of gloom and cloudiness sucks balls...) but alas, Atlanta is way down on the list.

I worked for a company based just outside of Portland for 3 years, and spent a LOT of time there. I adored every minute of it. As long as it doesn't involve Lorne Greene in any way.

As to Atlanta heat and the humidity, you kind of get used to it. I was out in 100+ degree heat driving fence posts with a sledge. I had to stop about once an hour to just spray myself with a hose or work inside for a bit assembling hardware, but it actually wasn't that bad.

You didn't hate the incessant grey skies, Frank?

I really like the Portland area, I'm just not a fan of the populace (read: hippies). I actually enjoy the weather quite a bit, but then again, I'm the type of person that starts whining when it gets above 80 degrees.

Speaking of Portland, I talked to my mom and brother about you 'Gusty. Hopefully they can do something.