Got Keys?

YES!

Today I got the keys to my new house. Now the fun begins. Soon to follow will be some "before" pictures and you will see just what I have gotten myself into. From what I can tell, the second (later today and tomorrow) I pull up the carpet and strip even one room of it's wallpaper, I will have gained equity in this house!

Sewer Scare

So far, the inspections have gone incredibly well. Then we got to the sewer scope. Here in Portland, when you buy a house, you have someone come out and put a camera down from the house, out the sewer pipes, and out to the sewer main to make sure it's clear and not broken or leaking.
While I wasn't there for this one, it sounded weird. He couldn't tell where the scope went, it went out for a realllly long way, stuff like that. It was a "party line" (connected with your neighbors - not good) and he saw broken pipe (also not good). This was going to have to be fixed prior to the closing and it might take a while to complete that process. It could put off closing by a while. Part of me relaxed because it gave me more time to take care of all the things I need to do to move, but it also meant waiting, another month's rent, and moving in November - October is a much better month to be crazy in with respect to work. BUT, the next day I got a call from my agent telling me it was a mistake, it's all good and in fine condition. The scary part is the City's problem, not mine (confirmed with the City's sewer people). Phew. It means the closing date is still the 8th and I'm starting to have that deer-in-the-headlights look about me.

I bought a house.

Yeah, I bought a house. What a freaking week! Last Thursday I went to look at yet another house. I've been house hunting for a looooong time. I don't get too excited about these things anymore, but when I see what looks like a good house, reasonably priced and pretty close to where I'd ideally live, I had to go. Not too much time to think about it: wander through for a bit and make a decision. A house like this will be snatched up, so you have to jump on it. I did. By Friday afternoon, I was officially "sale pending." Things have gotten progressively stressful since then. I spent several days in agitated turmoil trying to figure if I was nuts, what was I doing, and it's not perfect - should I keep searching for perfect? It hasn't been pretty. (A huge thank you to those of you who have been listening to me babble on - more than normal - about my house angst. You know who you are.)

Main inspection was yesterday and, happily, very clean. A couple of others are in the offing. If all goes well, I will have a new home October 8. The previous owners maintained the house very well, but had not-great taste. They did some seriously "unfortunate" updating, which stopped sometime in the 70s. This will be a long-term-project house. I have grand plans, but not a grand bank account. Baby steps. There will be future pictures of the paneling, various wallpapers and peculiarities as I document the "before" of the house.

Did I mention that my stress level is through the roof?