Monday, August 26, 2013

Almost ready!

I realize that my last post was pretty cryptic so here's what's happening: We bought a house!

Somehow, after about 8 years of looking, my husband and I found a house we could both be happy with. Let me tell you, it isn't easy to find a house when I'm insistent on buying a place where I can keep the horses and my husband wants it in a specific small town. I can't tell you how many crappy, old farm houses we've seen in the past few years. Enough so that we could make up rules about looking at them, like: If you can close your eyes and walk across the floor without falling it's pretty good, if the river in the basement has a current that's pretty bad.

Want to know how we found it? Sure you do. Craigslist. No kidding, I put up an ad that we were looking for a house with land and this guy responded to it. Comes out the house was around the corner from the one we were renting, 2 miles from where the horses are now. Another interesting detail: The house was built for a distant cousin of my husband by another group of his cousins. Small world.

But guess what? If you're buying a house with acreage the banks can't deal. Maybe in Wyoming they can, but here in central New York if you've got more than 2 acres they freak out and screw you on the mortgage. Apparently they're afraid that if we default they won't be able to sell the place. Jerks.

Also, be very, very wary of gas leases. Banks don't want to mortgage properties with gas leases, period. Our place had a gas lease and the seller had to get out of it before we could get a mortgage. Apparently this wasn't a problem a couple of years ago but now it is, so if you are a landowner and you think you might want to sell someday- don't get a gas lease (not to mention there's a whole slew of environmental reasons why you shouldn't do it either).

So we own a house - with almost 30 acres, most of which needs to cleared before we can use it - so we've been kind of busy lately. Fortunately my first, sacrifice, pasture is nearly ready.

There are some dips and holes in the field that need to be filled in, the run-in needs a few boards, the t-posts need caps, and I need to get some hay but I'm sure I can get those done and bring the horses home early next month. I just have to figure out how I'm going to get them here!

24 comments:

  1. Very cool and very exciting! Can't wait to hear all your further adventures (!).

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    1. I think we're going to end up with a homestead complete with chickens and greenhouses and such. Life here certainly is changing :)

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  2. Wow, congratulations! I'm so happy for you. I'm sure you will love fixing it up and having your horses home with you when you're ready. This is so exciting.

    As for getting them there...there are lots of services that transport horses,maybe someone at your barn has a trailer and could help you out or ride them home. ;) good luck with everything.

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    1. I know I can get a trailer but they haven't been on one since I moved them three years ago. It'll take me two hours to get them on the trailer for a five minute ride. Because of that I'd like to just walk them over but my husband is totally against it. That's the quandary.

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  3. Good for you!! Looks like a beautiful place. Congratulations. :D

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  4. COngrats!! That is so exciting :)

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  5. How exciting! Congratulations! and your son gets to grow up on 30 acres, how wonderful.

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    1. There's tons of room for him and we're still close to town so he'll have friends nearby. We really hit the jackpot with this place!

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  6. Awesome! I am so excited for you. 30 acres can hold a lot of horses...
    :)

    I am not sure if I am the only one with this problem, but I am having a hard time reading the black text on this background. Just thought I would mention it, since I really like reading your blog.

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    1. Yeah so the husband really doesn't want me to get more horses. I've been trying to explain to him that I only need one more...

      You must be reading on a phone? I'll see if I can fix it, needs a revamp anyway :)

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  7. Great news! 30 acres is pretty substantial, lots of room to roam and for children to grow up on!

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  8. Congratulations on the new place! Having gone house hunting right before the wedding, I feel your pain. It isn't easy to find a house the both of you can agree on. I'm so excited for you!

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    1. I know, right? We managed to find a house without getting divorced! (apparently that's an issue for some couples)

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  9. Congratulations!!

    I used to do closings for mortgages in New York...WOW!! That was one of my least favorite states. :-/

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  10. Congrats!!! :)
    Www.Sittinginthesaddle.blogspot.com

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  11. Awesome. Looks and sounds like the perfect place for your all of your family members. :-) Congratulations!

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    1. I sure hope so, husband is grouching around about the water table and such (might be kind of high, leaving us a tad wet) but I think it's going to work out just fine :)

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  12. Wow - great news!! Mortgages and buying property is crazy business. Glad it all worked out for you in the end.

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  13. Congrats your house! That is very exciting. :)

    ~Mary

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