Karma?

The realtor called me this afternoon. He told me that the realtor/owner of the house I was so taken by sent him an email saying that the house could be mine for the rock bottom price of $388, sumptin sumptin. Wow! What a deal! NOT! Besides, the property still doesn't work for me. He also told me that the guy is current right now on payments but if he doesn't sell it he will be in foreclosure. Really? A realtor trapped himself in a house he can't afford? Either that is a sales ploy, or the real estate market really, really sucks right now for the, once upon a time, fat cats that encouraged everyone else to bite on sub prime loans to fatten their own commissions.

Went house hunting with the realtor last Thursday. Looked at about 10 houses. Only two were exceptional. One, located further away from town on 3.24 acres, had a very nice home with a huge master bed room, a galley kitchen complete with a suspended rack (?) for hanging your pots and pans. Gas range, oversized garage door perfect for fitting my truck in, and although there were no outbuildings for the horses, at least I wouldn't have to fight with someone else's version of how the property should be set up. On the down side, the first thing I noticed about the house was how dark it was inside. Granted they had the blinds drawn and the walls were painted that light chocolate color, but there were not a lot of windows available to let light in. The master bed room didn't even have a south facing window that I remember. I immediately though of the tube lights that Stan had installed in his Colorado home. Then again, I couldn't see having to go through the expense and inconvenience of installing said lights in a house that was listed for $375,000. The biggest draw would be the acerage, the fact that it is on a cul de sac and bordered on two sides by 100 and 80 acre privately owned land.

The second house was in Golden Valley, the location I am most interested in. The house was absolutely gorgeous! I'm not even sure I can describe it well, and I am kicking myself for not thinking to bring along my digital camera. The inside is open and victorian-like. Large slate slab flooring in the Family room which is just a big open room. There are french doors off the side that lead to the deck. Sliding doors on the perpendicular wall that lead to the back yard. ceiling high bookshelves on the back wall. A few steps and the room flows into the kitchen. There is a hutch built into one wall. The kitchen itself is also open. the counter is a long L shape, there is a large old fashioned multi-paned window over the kitchen sink. A dining table sits neatly in the floor space in the kitchen with lots of room left over. The master was huge. The rest of the house was very nice but I couldn't get over the kitchen/living area. When the realtor said it was time to go, I literally didn't want to leave this house. I absolutely loved it. The downside.... the owner had turned about 1/2 of the back property into a park like area complete with pond and fountain. Perfect I imagine for most, but besides being a water sucking, mosquito breeding resort, that left very little room for the horse set up out back. While there is an old barn of sorts (it was locked up as the owners were using it for storage), but no where to put up a small riding arena or round corrals for breaking. The property is also inhabited by a realtor. My realtor say's that is a good thing because they already know the game when it comes to negotiations and tend not to get emotionally wrapped up in their houses. Unfortunately, perhaps because he is a realtor, he has priced this house below comp price for sq ft for the area so that probably leaves very little wiggle room on a piece of property that is listed for $399,900! Not in my league at all but man (!) that house was so beautiful and welcoming, it was all I could think about, and still is.