Well, here we are in snow-covered central MA, and our trip has been great so far! I've taken a ton of pictures, but will have to share those when we get home (and I am not blogging from my iPod, which seriously limits things!).
Anyway... We landed in Boston early yesterday morning (7am Eastern/4am Pacific) and had a jam-packed day. We met up with our friend Min at the airport, who had landed an hour and a half before us. Then we made our way to the rental car place, got our car, and dropped Min off at his hotel downtown. From there, we hopped on the Pike and made the drive out to the middle of the state, where we met up with our realtor after a quick (but very necessary) Dunkin Donuts run. Ahhh, coffee! When you have barely slept, it really is your best friend.
So once we were feeling semi-human again, we went to our realtor's office. She took us to see a few more houses, including that nice yellow house I posted a picture of a while back. Truthfully, it seems to be a very nice house. BUT... it is not as far back from the road as the photo made it look, and the rooms are actually pretty small. Also, we couldn't see the yard or deck since everything was covered in several feet of snow, but we COULD see the edge of a pond right at the back fence. And while that could be very cool, it also makes me incredibly nervous about how much more water could really be there (buried under the snow). Lots of water + basement = not the best combination. Anyway, that was the nicest of the homes we saw, and even that made us feel more confident about moving forward with the red house. I won't even talk about the other houses we saw, except to say YUCK!
Anyway, we wrapped up our tour at around 2pm, then zipped back to Boston to check into our hotel and get ready for Ramzi's wedding. Our preparations were interrupted by the fire alarm going off, and everyone in the building had to evacuate (in the freezing cold!). Luckily, it was a false alarm, but the fire department had to come anyway and declare it all clear before we could go back in. We finished getting dressed up, hopped in the car, went to pick up Min, and headed to the Four Seasons.
WOW, what a nice wedding! There were only about 50 guests in all, and everything was super classy. The ceremony had me in tears more than once. It was also fun to visit with Gus and Ramzi's old college suitemate, Evan, who took a bus in from New York City for the occasion. All in all, the food was great, the company was great, and Ramzi got married! We are so happy for him and his new wife, Amanda! Hooray!
After it was all said and done, we drove back to the hotel and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows. On a side note, driving in Boston is insane. I just needed to throw that out there. Central Massachusetts and the suburban areas aren't bad at all, but Boston is seriously crazy. Intersections going off at a million wild angles, confusing traffic lights, impatient drivers who don't follow the rules, etc. I was the one who drove us home after the wedding, and never have I been so relieved to get off the road! Eek!
This morning, though, we had to hit the road again. We first drove to where Gus' new office will be located, and then drove from there to the red house to see exactly how long it would take. For the record, it took 45 minutes... not much more than his current commute, which is 35-40 minutes. Then, JUST as we crossed into the town, it started to snow!!!! Not hard at all, just little flurries of tiny flakes, but it was so beautiful! I can't even remember the last time I saw snow falling from the sky. Anyway, we made it to the red house, where we met up with our realtor and a home inspector.
The home inspection was really interesting. It just drove home the fact that I know NOTHING about things that are totally common in New England. Like boilers, wells, and oil tanks. And snow. But the inspector (Adam) did a thorough job, and told us that these are the biggest areas of concern. Otherwise, the house is in good shape!
-The potable water pipes throughout the house need to be replaced. The original builder used a certain type of copper pipes, which do not react well with the minerals in the well water. Over time, the pipe corrodes, and tiny leaks can form. He showed us a spot where the pipes are already leaking in the basement (the homeowners rigged up a way to catch the water and funnel it into the line leading out from the washing machine, so it isn't causing damage). Adam says it's only a matter of time before we start seeing these leaks all over, so the pipes need to be replaced with flexible lines. We're seeing how much this would cost.
-The boiler is old, probably near the end of its life expectancy. It works for now, but will likely need to be replaced in the near future. He also told us that if we sign up for annual service contracts with certain oil companies (agreeing to buy our oil only from them), they will also perform all the service on the boiler, or even replace it if it finally dies. This might be a better move for us than just replacing it outright. But it does work fine, at least for now.
-The well and the oil tank both have valves that need tightening, because a little bit of water and a teeny-tiny amount of oil are leaking out onto the concrete right now. (easy fix)
-The attic needs more ventilation (again, an easy fix). But because it's not ventilated adequately, the snow has really built up on the roof, which is causing a very small amount of water to come through to the ceiling around the edges of the house. Adam says that this is mainly happening because this is the snowiest winter they have had in many years, and that the small ceiling spots should dry right out as soon as the snow is off the roof. He didn't think it was anything to be overly concerned about. I guess it's pretty common when the snow is this crazy!
-There is what appears to be some serious rot in the wall beneath the greenhouse window. But since the greenhouse is a sort of weird addition to begin with, it's not something we would feel the need to fix immediately.
Anyway... We want to get a few estimates on how much the new pipes would cost, and we are still waiting for the results of the well water and radon tests. But it looks like we will probably move forward and enter into a contract! Eeeek!!!
Oh, and I forgot! We had a little time to kill in town before meeting for the home inspection, so we really drove around and checked things out. The road the house is on is just awesome... Huge, beautiful houses, all set back from the road on large lots, all beautifully maintained (at least outside), surrounded by beautiful forest. I am certain we will have instant equity, if and when the short sale gets approved, which is reassuring! Plus, it's just a short drive to all the schools, the town center, and the town swimming pool/playground. The nearest major supermarket is less than 10 minutes away. And one of the preschools I was curious about is just a few minutes away, and is located in the cutest old house! I could totally see myself taking my kids to that happy place. Of course, I still need to see the INSIDE and actually talk to people who work there, but it's definitely promising. It made a good first impression, anyway!
So... Have I written enough yet??? Maybe so! :) We are spending the next two nights at a really nice bed and breakfast in another small central MA town, and it's time to relax! Yippee!
Prepare for an overload of pictures upon our return! :)
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