April 2010

House From Hell

We bought the House From Hell (HFH) back in 1978, 32 years ago. It was the first house we ever bought, and we were young and trusting. Being young was fine, but being trusting.... well that was a mistake.

In 1978 there was a housing boom in the Northeast. Houses were going on the market and selling in a day for 10% more than the asking price. We were priced out of just about everything. After looking for a while, we were shown the HFH. I thought that it was the ugliest house I had ever seen, but it was in a nice setting in a nice neighborhood. The price was right, and the owners even came down $2,000 from their asking price. That was a Red Flag, but we didn't see it.

To make a long story short, everybody we dealt with lied to us about the house. They all knew it was a HFH, but nobody told us. Even the "Registered Engineer" we hired to inspect the house lied to us. According to his verbal report it was a fine house with no major problems. The written report he gave us after the closing painted a different picture. I think the previous owners paid him more than we did.

We had been advised that we really didn't need a lawyer for the transaction because it was expensive to hire a lawyer, and buying a house was pretty cut and dried. So, being a bit tight on money, we listened to that advice and did not hire a lawyer. That was another Red Flag. We were buying the house from a divorced couple, so when we showed up at the closing He was there with His Lawyer, She was there with Her Lawyer, and the Bank was there with Their Lawyer, and we were there with......... well..... nobody.

So that is how we acquired the HFH. In future blogs I will tell you what makes it an HFH.

But not tonight.

Not Blogging

I have not blogged for quite a while. Here are my excuses:

• Taxes
• Bills
• Work
• Illness
• Planning the New House

Speaking of planning the new house, we are waiting for the estimates to come in from the builders. Until then, I will try to come up with some stories about this house, the House From Hell (HFH).

But not tonight.

Safety Bagel

I ate a "Safety Bagel" this morning for breakfast. That is a bagel with a hole in it that is too small to put my thumb through. (See my blog of Feb. 28).

There are some amazing inventions out there to protect us old fogeys from ourselves.

Music To My Ears

I listened to some music on the train today on the way to work. No, I don't own an iPod, but the fellow sitting down a few rows from me did.

I have to admit that all I could hear was the bass line... frumpa dump dump frumpa dump dump..... and so on.... endlessly. It made me realize how primitive some music is.

I also wondered, but not out loud, what would entice someone to turn their head into a sub woofer like that.