Okay, so my situation is slightly unique.... Fourteen years ago, I found this little cracker box to purchase. I was going to "show up" a boyfriend who kept talking about moving up here, but could never get away from the old apron strings -- you know the type -- 40 years old, living at home, trying to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up -- to be fair, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, either, but I at least make my own decisions.... and live on my own.
Anyway, he kept talking about moving up North, and I certianly wanted to, as well. He wasn't doing anything about it, so I did. It was kind of cool at the time. I found an ad in the little Sunday Advertiser: Cute, 2-bedroom Cottage on 12 lots. Dirt cheap! I decided before I saw it that if it was at all inhabitable, I was going to make it mine! Put it this way, it had a roof and windows, and the yard was SPECTACULAR!!!! It is more than half an acre and a veritable clean slate. I had a damned good job at which I was being well-paid and I loved it. I wrangled buying the house, coerced my boyfriend into helping me install a new water heater; found a local handyman who helped me with a few other minor things; at that time, there was a junk man who was all too thrilled to pick up the mountain of trash that we pulled out of the house, the shed, the crawlspace; I even found a used furniture dealer who picked up the vinyl davenport and formica bedroom set. I spent the first winter nearly freezing to death because the place had no insulation, and the gas-fired space heater in the living room was all I had!
The plan was to build a garage with a loft, move in there, then tear down the house and rebuild THAT. My initial plan included just adding on to the house and raising the roof. Then, silly me, I realized that the original part of the house was under constructed: not only was there NO foundation, but the joists were 24 inches on center, not the prescibed 16 inches. I had moved in on December 5th, so I just hunkered down and weathered the winter. I installed my driveway for Mother's Day. I spent the spring and early summer researching the garage. Found out that NO building permit was needed at that time, and all I had to do was hire a builder! I got two estimates for the garage, and just needed to secure the financing. And then I was laid off from the infamous MEGACONGLOMERATE GE. Well, I didn't have to be laid off, I could have moved to New Jersey to keep my job at the same pay, without any help with moving expenses..... Who could resist THAT?
I digress.... the job layoff meant a halt to any building plans. Heck, as the following several years proved -- Yes, SEVERAL years -- it called a halt to any planning I could possibly have done AT ALL! I temped for pittance for way too long. The only reason I didn't LOSE the house was because the bank didn't want the cheap little shack! I eventually found a job, and began to build my life again. I was working two jobs and getting to the point of being able to start thinking about improving my circumstances when I was diagnosed with cancer! I'm fine now, but a year of treatment, several more years of rebuilding my body and paying off medical bills, and I am back to thinking about improving my living arrangements.
SO..... back in January, I started talking to builders to get an estimate on a garage. I figured that if I started in January, I'd have a good chance of getting the garage on my lot by Mother's Day. Well.....it is now August. I have talked with no less than 8 builders. I have two estimates that are enough to install a pool, a bathhouse and hire a cabana boy full time, and no word from the rest of the gang. There were actually two groups of them.... Once the first group was either too high or non-existant, I was so exhausted and discouraged, I started to look for another house. First day out the door, I found my "dream home". It had a yard nearly as big as my current one, four bedrooms, an extra large garage. The icing on top of the cake is that it is within a half-block of the lake! I could walk my kayak down to the water and be off!
But before I could write a contract, someone else had written one, with fewer contingencies. I mourned for a few days, then decided that Someone bigger than me was making a decision for me. I dug up a couple more names, called up builders, and requested more estimates for my poor, doomed garage.......
It is currently three weeks later. I have no estimates for garage in hand. I am tired to death of this so-called game. I called the realtor about the house I so dearly coveted. The contract fell through, and the house is available again. I have made an appointment with the bank; that's tomorrow. I have made another appointment to see said house AGAIN. Monkey wrench: when I called a realtor to take a look at my house and list that, she indicated that it would have to be listed as vacant land and the sale probably wouldn't pay off my mortgage....... ARRRGHGHGHGH!!!!!!!
SQUARE ONE: Call a builder, get an estimate on a garage.......
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