Good luck with buying the house. That is so exciting! When we bought our house the inside was a disaster, but it was fun gutting the kitchen, redoing it, and making the house "ours". I envy the garden space you will have if you get it. You are going to have so much fun creating your garden, and the hard work will be extremely gratifying when you look at the end result! I wish you the best of luck!

A whole acre now that is exciting. I live on a fourth of an acre. I'm glad you don't have to leave your garden behind and will have more room to grow and design in.

The house looks like a real bargain, especially on an acre. In my corner of PA you can't buy an acre for $35,000 yet alone a house with an acre.

Think of all the fun of planting beds and gardens.

Best of luck.

Caryl

Now that's what I call a nice pile of mulch.lol
:)Laura

Excited about this house? I am elated at your find!!! WOW girl! That's a little gem. Hardwood floors, a veranda for potted plants, nice lawn to create gardens as you please, and wood chips from the local area... Oh how I envy you! And yes, even if those wood chips are 'green', tuck them away for a year and then use and abuse. :O)

Truly a nice treasure! All the best!

Good luck with the house and the wood chips! You can do a lot with an acre. That is so great. Sorry about the boyfriend, though, but looks like you have great plans for a bright future.

Becky

OOH,
I just noticed the oil tank. I once knew a girl who had one like that and she painted it white with large black blotches. It looked just like a cow. People were always doing double takes. lol Just a silly Idea.
Hope you get the house.
:)Laura

Laura - its a propane tank :-D We saw the house again yesterday. My stepdad didn't see anything wrong with it other than minor cosmetic things. Realtor advised they probably won't respond to anything less than 30,000. I'm going to the bank this morning at 9am. Hopefully, they can get my pre-approval today and I can make an offer. I want to offer $32,500 I think because there has been some increased interest in showing it I'm guessing because the price just lowered. I'm making myself crazy.I took more photos yesterday of the yard and stuff. I'll try to post those later.

I took more photos. The link is below.
I took mortgage application to the bank this morning. I told him to rush it as I want to make an offer on this house today if possible.

Here is a link that might be useful: Additional photos

Realtor called. No other offers on my house yet!

bookjunkie,
I just tuned in,nice house,my fingers are crossed for you,sending positive thoughts your way.
Is that one of your doggies in one of the pictures?
You are going to have a lot of fun planning where you will plant all your WSed babies,how fun that will be for you.
We have hardwood floors,and love them.
You actually have more room than we do, we only have 1,200 sq.ft.Gives you more time to play out side instead of cleaning,ha ha
Where in Illinois are you? I am in Oregon.
We will be waiting for some good news.

Sorry about your break up,no matter who asked for it, 5 years is a long time to be with some one,my heart goes out to you,when you get the house, it will keep you busy,and busy is a good thing eh.
cAROL

cAROL - the dog is the neighbors cattle dog. They have 3 loose dogs. That will be an interesting situation. I love dogs but not others' dogs in my yard or interfering with my dogs.

Wow, you'll have lots of room to roam!
I got my fingers crossed for ya.
I have extra redbud tree seeds if you need them. A house warming gift, seed style, lol. LMK
:)Laura

What a great find bookjunky, I'll keep all fingers crossed for you. That house is just screaming for a cottage garden. You'll have a ball no matter what style you go for, but it will make a lovely cottage garden. All that concrete space for your WS jugs too. Wow!!!! Good luck.
Connie JW

Please let us know if you get the house, I have my fingers crossed for you in Kansas.
Tina

Yes!!! Please let us know. If it is meant to be it will happen, and if not, there is somewhere else you are supposed to go. I hope you get it though!

Read all of the above posts.. and I, too, am wishing you good luck in getting your house...

Tina is right - a clean slate - what more could you ask for?

Wintersowing is the best way to fill up all those spaces!

Good luck - Carrie

Any news yet?
cAROL

Good luck with your move! The house is cute and the yard is just begging for some gardens and landscaping. Perfect for WSing!

We are all on pins and needles, so let us know when you know!

I was waiting for pre-approval letter from my bank to make a written offer on the house. He has had loan app since yesterday at 9:00 am.

I called at 11:00 am this morning and he didn't know anything.

I called at 4:00 pm and he said everything looked okay, he just needed my written offer to send with the app. I called back and spoke with the other loan officer. I said I can't do an offer until I have the preapproval letter. She's like "Okay, I can have that for you tomorrow."

So basically, my app sat at their branch for two days with nothing happening on it. I was very clear with him that I needed preapproval. I've been going crazy waiting for no reason. I'm really irritated. The realtor told me at 2:30 pm no offers have been made yet.

Holy Moly! Add another zero and that's what that place would cost in rural southern Ontario! It would be $750,000 to a million within 10 minutes of a city!
Wow!
Can someone in Illinois sponsor me? (I can mow the lawn and make a killer carrot cake) :o)

This little place here in Oakville is going for $384,000, lot size 66' x 128'!

{{gwi:350728}}

wendy- And I thought the houses in Juneau, AK, were high!

You have to keep in mind cost of living is pretty low here but its also very rural and not a lot of jobs and what jobs there are don't pay that much. Pretty low crime though.

I looked at the pics...nice house. I hope all has worked out with the bank. If I were you I would call another bank and start working with someone else if they do not hurry up.

I hope the bank gets moving for you...

Let us know when you get it! I also can't wait to see what you do with the house! It sounds so fun with that blank yard!

Karen

I agree with Karen,you should go to a couple different banks,they are all different,whenit comes to the way they handle things.
We are all rooting for you,:0)
cAROL

As others have said, sorry about the breakup, but everything happens for a reason. GREAT HOUSE !! You have the opportunity to put your own personal stamp on it versus buying a cookie cutter house with no trees in the yard - ugh !!

Didn't have time to read all the other tons of posts so this may have been said. But don't make the mistake I did when I moved (in mid-summer) and dug up EVERYTHING all at once to take with me. Once I got there, I realized I had to first figure out where I wanted things and then prep the ground. I was busy with work, it rained a lot. Took weeks before I got them all in.

All the while my plants are laying around in 90º weather, some in black plastic garbage bags since I had no pots big enough for them. Keeping them watered was a b*tch, not to mention the stress on them. It might be an obvious no-no to you but I just didn't think (plus I was still a novice).

So...something to think about (if, as I said, someone's not already mentioned this).

Good Luck with the house !!
bonnie aka brit5467

If you don't have time to get everything planted, you can dig a trench and heel them in (probably in a shaded area would be best) and then plant them as you have time and a place prepared for them. I have an area where I do this with some plants I get at trades and it works well for me.

I bought the house for $32,500.

At 11:00 am yesterday, I got preapproval for $35,000 tops from the bank. I was getting ready to offer $30,000 at 2:00 pm by signing the written offer and realtor called. There might be another offer coming in. So I offered $32,500. I got call at 2:00 pm ish this afternoon that there was never another offer and a call at 2:30 pm that they accepted my offer. I have to bring earnest money to their office tomorrow and figure out which bank I'm going with. I have just faxed mortgage app and supporting docs to another bank and was told I might qualify for the Rural Development - low income loan which has a really low interest rate of like 1 or 2 percent?! I tell you though yesterday afternoon was tough on me, I think I almost passed out. Had a few beers last evening though and felt a lot better ;)

Congrats on the house! I have been following this thread and hoping things would work out in your favor. What fun it will be to have all that room for your plants. I'll be sure to watch for pics later on.
Best of luck,
judi

YAHOO!!!,
I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!
This is so exciting!!!
I want to send you and herb garden collection, and the tree seeds. You're gonna love being a home owner.
:)))Laura

WOOOOHOOOOO!!! Doing the dance for you girl. Try for the low interest loan from the other bank. More $$$$$ for plants. One other thing you might consider is joining the Arbor Day Foundation. You'll get 10 free trees with membership. It's well worth it. Again, Congratulations. You go Girl.
Connie JW

Wow...I wish I had a house for that money. Your mortgage payment is going to be so cheap, you can landscape the whole place without wintersowing, but this way is a lot more fun. Congrats! When do you move in?

Oh my goodness, I am soooo excited for you! You are going to have so much fun making your property your own. Congrats congrats congrats!!!!!

I can't start doing anything until after the closing which is currently scheduled for Feb 26. Right now stressing about how to fence in the back yard for the dogs. Can't borrow above the purchase price and closing costs on this RD program unless its for improvements and done by licensed contractor. I need about eighty feet of privacy fence along property line between mine and neighbors and about another 170 feet of chain link type fence five foot high or higher in the back yard. Privacy fence would serve as east side of fenced in back yard. I'd like to do it myself but don't really have the cash to do it the way I want. I want to do four by fours and non-climb horse fence. Might have to have it done professionally and then rolled into the loan.

Congrats! Buying a home is so much better than renting. It seems kind of odd that it doesn't have any landscaping done along the foundation and may be one of the reasons why you got such a bargain. Bet you could make a nice profit in a few years if you decide to sell it.
One of the photos shows a large concrete slab. Maybe you can turn that into a carport or sunroom someday.

It's expensive to fence a large yard. We have 1 1/2 acres and rather than put our fence all the way out to the property line, we just sort of made a square straight out from the sides of the house and fenced a smaller area in the back yard. Now I'm planting a mixed shrub row with perennials further out along the actual property lines. Hope that made sense. The advantage is the dogs don't bother the stuff I'm planting and I'm having all kinds of fun planting the mixed shrub row.

Enjoy your new home.

CONGRATS!!!

I can't wait to see what you do with the place.

Karen

(((((((((((((((((((CONGRATULATIONS BOOKJUNKY)))))))))))))))
I am so happy for you.
Come spring, I will send you a couple of hosta to plant by your front door,should be enough shade there.
You are going to be having so much fun, things really moved fast for you,will you get the first time buys rebate?I hope so.
I can just feel your excitment,way to go !!
Doing the happy dance for you.
cAROL

Bookjunky, you've had me on pins and needles from the start of this thread - you'd think it was MY house! So happy and excited for you. Can't wait to watch you fill in the yard - I'm expecting LOTS of updates and pics. Congratulations!

Congratulations!!!! Looking forward to seeing some photos of your new garden someday...I'm sure your seeds and plants will be happy in their new home.

Enjoy your new place!

It just dawned on me, We do not even know your name,:0)
Happy gardening and moving to you.
cAROL

{{gwi:350729}}

The dotted line is roughly where I want to fence in the backyard. Its not exactly to scale but gives an idea. The dots along the dotted line are 4x4 posts 10 feet long. I'm probably buying 23 4x4s next weekend and the fence out of my next paycheck.

cAROL- My name is Kayla.

The trees on the north and west are all medium sized cedar trees. Yay! I love cedars! I'm thinking of putting my compost and wood chips piles back toward the south west end by the cedar trees. And my vegetable garden somewhere to the west of the fenced in area.

Hi Kayla,
When do you actually get to move into your new home? Your neighbors will be shocked by how fast you will have a garden since you will be bringing all those winter sown plants that can go right in the ground around May 7th (zone 5 last frost date around here). By summers end we should look for pictures here, no? Hope so. Have fun with all the "newness"!
Tina

The closing is supposed to take place on Feb 26. At that point I could begin moving in, and fencing in the backyard.

It appraised fine for $51000, and I am paying $32,500.

However, on Tuesday I scheduled the home inspection for today at 1:00 pm. The heat is propane and the propane tank was empty. The inspector can't do the inspection without the heat being on and the water heater on. They finally agreed to pay $400 (200 gallon minimum fill) to fill the tank yesterday and it got filled. However, my ex-bf and I had to light the pilot and try to get the water on to the rest of the house. I had been told everything on the water from it was wintereized to the water had been on to the entire house all winter with no heat but a space heater in the utility room, to it was on in the utility room but cut off to the rest of the house from the well holding pressure tank. I had been told all these things, one after the other conctraciting the prior one. It was very frustrating.

So we went up there last night. We got breakers turned on and lights on and I gave him the tour. The furnace was electric pilot light, so it started right up.

HOWEVER, and its a big, however, when we turned on the water, I was in the bathroom and screamed to shut off the water. There was water coming from beneath the wall behind the bathtub piping. We went and got screw drivers, power drills, etc. and came back. We took to drywall off and there was a cracked pipe at the elbow to the hot or cold water side. Apparently, water had been off to the rest of the house, however they didn't blow out the pipes. We didn't see anything else visibly leaking water after we shut off the valve to that pipe and turned the water on again.

The ex-bf said its about a $20 fix for the bursted pipe, its just pvc. But it ticks me off. Just because its a foreclosure they should still winterize properly. The reason they had left water on at all to the utility room was because I share my well and well pump with the neighbor. Until the title work is done its unclear if I legally HAVE to continue to do so, although to maintain friendly relations I can't really do anything about it. i will have to have rain barrels for the gardening.

BTW our Menards has seed racks now!!!!! I'm going to have to get moving on WSing what I already have.

Kayla

Even though there are problems, you are still getting a steal! I'm glad you had someone there with you who could help you. How exciting!!! Can't wait for them to close on it so you can move on in.

Hope there are no more surprises Kayla.
If you ever have to replace the pump on your well, you might be glad to have someone to share the cost with. My parents were on a shared well and everyone paid a few dollars into a special account every month so there would be money for maintenance if they needed it. Your neighbor said you can't use the well for watering your garden? Why not?

The home inspection was yesterday. I attended. The attic has blown-in insulation but the foamy things weren't put by the eaves so its all blown to the center. The furnace vent through the roof didn't have flashing put around it, only tar, so its leaking a bit. The condensation drain for the furnace is just leaking under the house. No more burst pipes, thankfully. Aerator motor for the septic might be dead, that's around $400 or $500. The electric for the house needs a grounding wire, I guess a wire that's buried direction into the ground from the breaker. He said it directs the lightning right into the ground. The well must be 8 inches above ground but its flush with the ground so that will have to be fixed. The water didn't pass Health Dept inspection. I don't know if both well construction and water or just water has to pass before I can get my loan. I have to call loan guy on Monday. I don't think anything will be deal breakers. The house is being heated to 55 degrees now which eases my mind on the pipes.

No, the neighbor didn't say I coudln't use the well for my garden. I just don't know if it'll support two households and my gardening. Plus, I've always wanted rain barrels and can get the 55 gallons plastic drums with lids for free.

Does that mean that you will have to have a new well dug or just that you would have to buy bottled water for drinking?
It's going to be a great relief when you get moved in and you're able to sit back and relax. Hang in there.

I think that in for me to get final approval for my loan the well water has to pass health dept inspection. I don't know yet if the well construction has to pass or if that's something I can fix later (I hope). In order to get the water cleaned up you have to put so much bleach in and flush it through the well.