But...Wait!

The high temperature today was:  82 degrees

The humidity today was:  60% (going back up)

Sunny and nice

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Oh, how I love you people!!! All the caring comments--the encouragement and the caution given to me.  I want you all to know I AM NOT DISTRESSED IF I CAN'T LIVE IN THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE CORNER!!!  I also want you all to understand something--as chatty and let it all hang out, as I am on this blog--I am not like that (usually) to people.  None of my neighbor's know that I am even checking out the house.  My kids don't know--my sister only knows that I am going to look through it--she wants to come up the road to see it too, because she is curious.

I use to write copious amounts of thoughts in my journal.  With my arthritic hands, I can't write very well anymore--my handwriting is very crooked and it hurts.  SO--this has become my diary--my journal--the place I get all my ponderings/wonderings/feelings/thoughts down where I can look at them.  I don't care if you read my (this) personal diary.  It's not like I am hiding some secret tryst--although that does sound like a bit of fun.

THEREFORE--I want your feedback!!!  I want your HONEST comments and opinions.  You are NEVER going to hurt my feelings with anything you may say. Who am I suppose to get advice from if it isn't people my own age--with experience in these kind of things?  Advice is nice--to me anyway, but don't forget--I keep my own counsel.  If someone commented, "Go get a million dollar loan and buy the house," and I DID and it turned out badly, I wouldn't blame them.  Or if someone commented, "Look you idiot--don't get in over your head!" I wouldn't be miffed.  and  even if I did EVERYTHING wrong, none of you would type in the "I told you so" comment.  I sometimes leave very bossy comments on other's blogs and afterwards, I always wonder if I should go back and delete it, but--I never do.  They aren't going to live their lives based on what I say--as I am not going to live my life based on what you guys say.

I just want HONESTY--it is so rare nowadays and I appreciate all comments because often, a comment will snap my head back and I will think, "Geez--I never thought of it that way,"  which is really helpful.  SO  DAMMIT--post whatever you want to!!!  

I have two friends who read this blog and even though they don't comment, they do send me an e-mail with their thoughts and advice.  So many times, they will say something I never even thought of and it is so helpful.  Who else can I get feedback from?  I certainly am not going to ask Dar (oh geez--never) and Pearl probably would give her opinion based on her own emotions--I know she wouldn't want me to move. 

Nope!  I need you guys.
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Now listen to me--I wasn't even thinking about the Little House On The Corner and when I woke up last week and my first conscious thought was "check it out," at first I didn't know what it meant and then I remembered my brother-in-laws comment on my birthday weeks ago.  So--after the past 18 months when I seem to be getting God Whispers or Freddy Whispers--even though I don't quite believe in Freddy Whispers and don't really know if God Whispers, I thought...perhaps.  So I had to check it out, knowing all along that it probably was not going to be a possibility--but it's kind of fun to think of, so I HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT!!!

I knew last night that it isn't going to happen and I slept well. I got up this morning and had to run into town to get more inkjet cartridges and as I was driving, I noticed that Brighton is having an art fair.  Cool beans!  Then I was watching the heavy traffic and not even thinking about houses, and someone said in my head, "but you forgot.  You will sell your place and have money."  and...I had never thought of that.  So Julie?  Maybe that is when you were leaving that comment on my post?

When I got back, I was wondering of how much I could get for my place and as I drove in the park--there was the manager walking down the street, I have NEVER seen him walking down the street (ah ha--a sign?) so I pulled over and he came up to my car.

"Hi Rob--how's it going?"

"Pretty good.  Did you need something?"

"Yeah--I was just wondering...you've been inside... seen my place, do you think I could get a good price if I sold it?"

"You're not thinking of leaving us...are you?"

"Not really---I'm just speculating."

"Well...it's a buyers market right now--at least here.  We have fifteen to twenty-five people a day come in the office to see what we have for sale.  I've got a forty thousand dollar unit over on the other side and I've got six people in a bidding war for it right now."

"Is it worth forty thousand."

"No--it's worth about twenty-five, but people keep moving the price up with their bids."

"Wow."

"Hey," he leaned closer to my open car window, "don't tell anyone I told you this, but don't sell it to the park.  You put a sign up in your front window, "for sale by owner".  That way you wouldn't have to pay us a commission and you wouldn't have to deal with a realtor.  I'll bet you'd have people knocking at your door the first day the sign went up.  We are having a lot of traffic through here."

"What kind of price should I ask?"

"Oh--you could probably get twelve for it.  You just put on a new roof, right?"

"Yeah and a couple of years ago, I had that walk-in shower room put in."

"If I were you, I'd ask thirteen five for it--you can always come down.  In fact...I know someone who would buy it tomorrow.  You are in a great location in the back and you have landscaped it nice--yeah....let me know when you are ready."

"Okay--Rob--remember, I am just speculating," I laughed and drove off.

I figured I'd be lucky to get ten for it, so that was nice news to hear.  Anyway--that money would help make the decision BUT--at 800.00 a month for what it would cost me to change residences, times twelve months is $9,600.00 and then most of my "stockpile" would be gone and then...what would I do the next year?  It's not like I have extra income coming in that I could save and put aside.

So--Pammie called me and we chatted--The Idiot has a house and is about to close on it.  He will be out by Pammie's August 9th birthday--she thinks, LOL.  

Hey--do you know what my smart daughter did?  Five years ago, she made him sign a lease and pay rent each month--which he has never did.  So that way, when she asked him to leave, he had no reason to fight it because--he had not kept the lease agreement.  Boy--I don't know how she got so smart--maybe legal advice from her youngest sister?  Anyway--I have been worried that he was going to cause trouble, but...............guess not.  YAY!!

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Then I casually mentioned, "Did you know the house on the corner is for sale or rent again?"

"No.  I knew they had sold their house, I thought maybe they were going to live in it."

"They have--just until their house was ready, but they are out of it now.  They are having it all painted and cleaned and putting in a Be Dry system around the foundation because there is a bit of water in the basement, and a new roof over the front half."

"You oughta check into it, Momma."

"Well---I did."

"How much do they want for it?"

"A hundred thousand."

"WOW!  If they want that--for that little place, and a quarter acre, my house must be worth a million!!  What do they want for rent?"

"Seven fifty."

"Oh--good grief!!!  For that little place?"

"Yeah--seemed a bit much to me too.  And I'd have to pay for garbage pick-up and get new appliances--or good used ones and you know I gotta have my internet connection and I gave away my lawn mower, so........."

"Well--how much garbage do you have?  One bag?  You can run it down here and put in with mine or take it down to Aunt Susie's. Internet connection isn't available out here--not high speed, so you'd have to get what Aunt Susie has--I don't know what they pay.I can mow your lawn--or Uncle Chuck would probably run up on his rider and do it for you."

"Yeah--I thought of that, but...I'd be a long way from Wal-Mart, doctor's, dentist and I couldn't just decide I wanted a Sub way for supper and drive up the road a mile to get it."

"Nope," she laughed.  "The nearest Sub Way is probably at least fifteen miles.  You'd have to pack a lunch to make the journey," she laughed again.  Of course, you'd be closer to family, but you probably wouldn't see any more of us, then you do now."

"Yeah, I know.  I can't afford it anyway.  Just wanted to let you know.  I AM going to go through the house Monday, just because I am so curious what they have done with it."

"Why the hell not!  Can't hurt to check it out."

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So--there ya go.  It's strange that I never even thought about the money I'd get for selling this place.  I have never sold a house before.  I gave my house to Pammie and after that, I was always living in someone else house.  I have also never rented, so I don't quite know what all that entails.

I wouldn't want to buy it even if I could get it for the appraised amount of $75K.  I would prefer to rent so that when I die, my kids wouldn't have to deal with selling the place.  They could just move all my old furniture out to the burning pile and be done with it.

I would be very far from stores and that would cost more in car gas money.  So--there are many reasons not to move back "home" that are practical.  HOWEVER--emotionally, I would be happier..maybe. I would be near my sister--probably would see her only every couple of weeks as I do now, but we might go grocery shopping together. You all know that basically, I am a hermit, so I would never get lonely out there.

HOWEVER--I cannot make a decision based on emotions.  I've done that too many times and lived to regret it and...came out in debt because of it, LOL.  

So--unless I get a notice in the next month, that I have indeed inherited 1/3 the rest of my Daddy's inheritance--I won't be moving.  And if I don't move and still get the inheritance, I will get new carpeting for this place and smile.  I am under the impression right now that the step-mother lied to my sister and I, which would not be out of the norm.  When my Daddy died, it took three months for any of us named in the Will to get notice. So--going on that, I am thinking we should know any time now, and we haven't heard a thing. My Jennifer, as an attorney, could find out, and no one would know, but I certainly am not going to ask her.  Susan's son, who works for the State government, says he can too and Susan said the other day, she's waiting until August and if we haven't heard, she is actually going to tell him to find out for us.  Hm-mm. 

That's the way it feels right now--it doesn't seem to be affecting me in any way.  If it worked out and I could move--that would be okay.  And if it works out that I stay here--that will be okay too.  Most old people I know are, selling their country homes and moving into town--I would be doing the reverse, which in actuality, is probably stupid.

But--I AM going to tour that house--dammit!!!  I probably won't like it--that would be a good thing too :-)

Oh--I just found out today that my best friend's home is going to be rented out also.  Just a mile from Byron.  I am NOT going to check that one out.  What would I do with a ten room house?  Been there--done that.  Besides, it would creep me out big time to live in her home!!! 

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Hey--this morning I saw movement in the maple tree just outside my computer room windows--it was a hummingbird in her nest!!! My camera isn't THAT good, hasn't a very strong zoom,but it was cool beans anyway.

Pic #1,Way up to the right,sort of middle where the branch has a crook and a Y shape.
Pic #2--there she is.  Pic #3--THERE she is!!

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Oh, I forgot--for those who asked?  Fred and I were going to buy a manufactured home and move it out to the field south of the Big House.  We checked it all out.  The house would cost around $50K for a double wide. We then would have to put in a well, a septic tank, a basement--a garage?  We did all the calculating--it would have cost near $100K--that field already has a driveway, so we wouldn't have to pay for that, LOL.  Then, there would be property taxes.  But--then Fred had his heart attack and we stayed here, near all things--which is what I should will do BECAUSE--who knows what month I am going to get a bad diagnosis and want to be near treatment centers?

Yes--I can sell my unit here outright, but in order to live in this park, the tenants must have a FICO (credit score) of at least 650.  So, I could sell it, but first they would have to have park approval.  I think they are trying to keep the Welfare people out, which is funny because...MOST of the Seniors in here, that I know, are on food assistance, rent assistance, fuel assistance.  Not by their own choice of course, but---things happen over the years--the price of everything goes up except Social Security.  

We do not have one black person in this park. I know that sounds strange to all of you, BUT the county I now live in use to be the main seat of the Michigan KKK.  Now, of course, that organization (?) is not active, but....... I have lived here 10 years and have only seen 6 black people.  Can you believe that?  Weird.  

I know there are around 6 families that attend the school my oldest grand kids go to and they are well educated, rich people who work for the U of Michigan and live out here--20-25 miles away.  I hope I don't sound bigoted--I'm not--it just has always seemed strange to me. 

Oh well--that's not a big deal I have to ponder on, I guess.

See you tomorrow.