Dickering, long distance

Well, we are "in the midst of" a real estate negotiation, for real. Have got to the "faxing documents back and forth" part... I am waiting for K to come back with the fax that finally came in to Staples, as he went to get his car serviced this morning and Staples is on his way home.

We have decided not to take the option on the additional 20 acres, the guy wants $1500 for the year option and is only willing to count half that toward the purchase price. Instead I am going to put a "no see 'em" spell on that bit of earth... just a bit of misdirection sending attention to the nearly identical adjacent plot, for a while. Once I get settled, and see what the house on the 1.6 acres needs, there will be time to make an offer.

I have seen far to many folks who were "house poor" and who didn't have money left for anything... just had to work to support their house and that is not my idea of fun.

After having to prove my identity and worrying about not being able to supply a credit score, it looks like the seller has decided that I am a bona fide buyer since there are documents involved at this point. Now I need to choose a lawyer and decide if I want inspections and such. I am not represented by an agent in this deal, so I have to look out for our interests... I have had some discussion on the Maine online forum about such things and what I am hearing kinda confirms my sense that in this case inspections would be a waste of money, as those guys are used to looking at homes that are supposed to be in "move in" condition. LOL I worry an inspection might get this condemned or bring the inadequate sewage disposal set up to the awareness of powers who need to continue to over look it... (think cesspool, for those who have heard the term, as opposed to septic tank and leach field). Yeah it WILL need doing, but if there is a couple anywhere on the planet who use little enough water to not over stress this antique, it can be us.

The fact that there seems to be a deal proceeding does take a bit of stress off me.. though I will feel even better once there is ink on paper, $$ changing hands (earnest $$ and the $250 up front to put some oil in the tank to get the heat and hot water started up.) I know 100 gal won't last long but ... K has some familiarity with that type of system and says yeah, the thermostat can be turned WAY down... and we are prepared to mostly heat with the propane heaters we have been using here and a new kerosene one that can burn overnight, like I saw at a friend's place recently.

Packing is proceeding, constantly. My office is almost done, and I will be transitioning to using the laptop computer shortly, just to make sure I have everything on it I need for the transition. Last night I gave a talk on the Hex signs, it went well, and that is now out of the way and off my "stress burner." Afterwards I took the President and former president of the organization (which is also one of my clients) out for drinks and sprung the bombshell on them.. and this one client is staying. GOOD news.. as I like working with them...

I also re-did the reservation for the truck today, to apply the 12% AAA discount, as K had joined the auto club, for at least a year.

I have a lot to get done today as tomorrow I am taking a day totally off, and driving to Myrtle Beach SC, to meet a fellow artist, a woman who is a photographer, has been shooting every fall in the Bar Harbor area, and is planning to move up there for good this fall. She plans to try to sell her work (mostly aimed at visitors from other states) and continue working from home, as she does now. She emailed me some time back and we have discovered we have a lot more in common than just the love of photography, so this will be a fun visit and hopefully a new friend at not such a long distance once we have both moved.