Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[Baymule]

I'm on a mostly carnivore diet. I eat meat, fish, eggs, bacon!!!!! LOTS of bacon!!!!! WHOOP!! what could be better than bacon for snacks?? I can also have dairy, but I go easy on the dairy stuff. I started at 142, am down to 133-134. My goal is 128-130. I'm on a mild exercise, because I'm so flabby, I can't even do a sit up. I've been watching reels on FB, trying different programs.

NO CARBS! No bread, no sweets. None. If i stay on the carnivore, I don't crave sweets. If i go off, then the cravings for sweets come back. I'm doing a week on, a week off but not going nuts on junk foods.

 

[SageHill]

Oh man -- so sorry about the loss of lambs. A good working dog would certainly help - but we both know what goes into making one. I certainly couldn't do it without one.
Ahh a 14 hr fast -- easy peasy -- No food after 7pm and breakfast at 9. Pretty close to the fast for blood tests. I kind of make a rule for myself - nothing after 7 except of course water. Lost 20 lbs doing that.
Good decision on selling the CA house. I would imagine just handing over the keys to DS2 would eventually cause problems/bad feelings etc after awhile. Not that it has, but certainly could be an issue in years to come. Besides, TX is now your home.

 

[Ridgetop]

DH and I talked about selling the house t0 DS2 yesterday. I pointed out that this place was a LOT of work even if he didn't do any remodeling. DS2 has 3 babies under 5 years old, works long hours, and isn't really interested in doing the sort of renovating we did. DDIL2 doesn't know how to do any of that work either. I was a full partner in the building process and DH wuld ce home from d6 12 hour days working and spend his day off renovating.

Our first house was built in 1920. My grandfather bought it unfinished because he had to add more bedrooms. His parents lived with them and he already had 3 children. We bought it from my grandmother after it had been rented for over 20 years. The acreage was down to 1/3 acre but it was planted with fruit trees, incuding two 100+ year old orange trees. As we were moving in the windows fell out of the upstairs bedroom. We lived in the living room, kitchen and downstairs bedroom of that huge 2 story 3500 sf house with 10' ceilings, an attic and a basement. We LOVED that old house. First winter we had a major leak in the back room off the kitchen. Water was pouring through the ceiling. I shut the door and made a note that we would have to check the roof. An hour later I remembered that this was a two story house! I went upstairs and opened the door to the room over the back room. !!! 4" of standing water on the floor and water pouring in the ceiling like there was no roof!!! We spent the next 15 years renovating - new Hvac, (one unit in the basement for the downstairs and one on the roof with AC for the upstairs), new windows and doors, new plumbing, new roof, new electric, tore out the original ice box cabinet with the drain for the ice into the basement, and remade it into a washer/dryer cabinet. Repaired and refiished the hardwood floors, new carpeting and vinyl, etc., etc., New kitchen - DH used to laugh that when he came home from work I would have pulled down another portion of a wall to remodel. I finally spray painted the crowbar pink as a joke. LOL And then we started on the outside - DH laid in a huge brick patio in sand. I planted an enormous vegetable garden. We had fruit trees, vegetables, and added chickens and rabbits. When we sold that place it was going to be torn down for apartment buildings so we sold it with salvage rights and brought the entire brick patio with us as well as everything usable.

When we bought this Maude house renovating was not a prblem. We spent 38 years in this house renovating - doing the entire thing all over along with fencing 6 acres, building a barn, etc. The main difference was that instead of a vegetable garden and fruit trees (soil had a PH of 9 and everything died!) we brought in livestock. Dairy goats first for milk, and the promised ponies for the kids, then as they grew older and got more active in 4-H everything except beef steers. All the kids raised veal calves on goat milk, and DS3 raised 2 replacement dairy heifers. It was a wonderful life for all of us. Our last project was putting in faux grass around the patios. The dogs kept digging up the dirt to kill the gophers so that was necessary.

Times have changed here in this neighborhood. Where I let my 8 year old son ride his pny alone into the wash, I would not allow any of my children to do it now. This is no longer a horse and livestock area like it was. 4-H is gone, our Fair has folded, and housing tracts ae springing up. No to mention the homeless communities in the wash.

DH and I discussed the cost of work needed to keep up this property. Without the sheep to clear everything, it cost over $10,000 to have it cleared of brush and low hanging tree limbs to satisfy the fire regulations this year. Some things in the house need work, and the private road is showing signs of wear and tear. Although we have a new gas stove top waiting in the shed to install, the tile counters in the kitchen need replacing first. There are a few other items that need to be addressed as well even though the roof and HVAC is almost new. Lots of work in this place. With the price we would have to ask, and what DS2 could, or would want to afford in monthly payment, and the interest rate, his payment would be astronomical. Also the cost of upkeep on this place is high as is the amount of physical work needed to maintain it.

DH and I discussed the matter. Although he wants DS2 to have the house (great memories of our family life here) I suggested that the reason DS2 and DDIL2 wll not commit is because they really DON'T want the house but feel pressured to buy it. DH finally talked to DS2 last night about everything and DS2 said he didn't think he could afford the payments, let alone all the work involved in keepig up this place. He said DDIL2 had been looking at houses to see what they could afford. He likes the privacy, but I think a smaller lot with a nice medium size house would be better for them and easier to keep up and afford. In fact, I told DS2 to check out rentals since the interest will go down during Trump's presidency. Also, DDIL2's parents are talking about spending 6 months in the Philipines each year now that he is retired. DS2 and DDIL2 may decide to leave this area, or even leave the state.

D2 finally told DH that he could not buy the house which took a huge weight off my mind. I was really worried that he would not be able to afford it, and also that the amount of work here would be hard for he and DDIL2 to take on. I think a nice little 3BR 2BA (possibly with a pool) in a newer tract neighborhood would be a nice fit with just the front yard and pool patio to keep up. DH and I talked about the reason that they would not commit to buying the property was that they really did not want to buy it but felt pressured by us.

DH and I will come back in October and clear out everything from the storage areas to sell or keep. (Not much left to keep.) DS3 said he would buy one of the Connex containers and we have a buyer for the other one. DS2 and DDIL2 will look for a rental while they decide where they want to move. They can put their extra stuff in a storage unit. So relieved to have this settled! No more stomach pains and tranquilizers. I feel remarkably stress free.

When we come back in October, we will do minimal work on the house. I will patch any holes in the walls, fix any screens, paint, then have a cleaning crew come in and wash all the windows, etc. Any problems the inspection turns up we will haggle over for form's sake, but can afford to come down a bit because we have so much capital gains equity. All expenses for the 6 months before listing the house are deductible from the taxable amount of the house too. Although I hate giving any $$$ to the government it will be worth it to be done with California.

Trailer is finally packed, truck has room in the bed for the suitcases, and I will pack the cab to leave room for the kids and cooler. Saturday the kids arrive in the am, load their suitcases, etc. and pull out. Home by Tuesday.

 

[Baymule]

What a load off your mind. Now yall can move forward with what you need to do. That one sentence, it will be worth it to be done with California, says it all.

 

[SageHill]

That is a huge weight off your shoulders!!! With the payment and upkeep sounds like 2 strikes against it for DS2 --glad he agrees with you.

 

[fuzzi]

DH and I talked about selling the house t0 DS2 yesterday. I pointed out that this place was a LOT of work even if he didn't do any remodeling. DS2 has 3 babies under 5 years old, works long hours, and isn't really interested in doing the sort of renovating we did. DDIL2 doesn't know how to do any of that work either. I was a full partner in the building process and DH wuld ce home from d6 12 hour days working and spend his day off renovating.

Our first house was built in 1920. My grandfather bought it unfinished because he had to add more bedrooms. His parents lived with them and he already had 3 children. We bought it from my grandmother after it had been rented for over 20 years. The acreage was down to 1/3 acre but it was planted with fruit trees, incuding two 100+ year old orange trees. As we were moving in the windows fell out of the upstairs bedroom. We lived in the living room, kitchen and downstairs bedroom of that huge 2 story 3500 sf house with 10' ceilings, an attic and a basement. We LOVED that old house. First winter we had a major leak in the back room off the kitchen. Water was pouring through the ceiling. I shut the door and made a note that we would have to check the roof. An hour later I remembered that this was a two story house! I went upstairs and opened the door to the room over the back room. !!! 4" of standing water on the floor and water pouring in the ceiling like there was no roof!!! We spent the next 15 years renovating - new Hvac, (one unit in the basement for the downstairs and one on the roof with AC for the upstairs), new windows and doors, new plumbing, new roof, new electric, tore out the original ice box cabinet with the drain for the ice into the basement, and remade it into a washer/dryer cabinet. Repaired and refiished the hardwood floors, new carpeting and vinyl, etc., etc., New kitchen - DH used to laugh that when he came home from work I would have pulled down another portion of a wall to remodel. I finally spray painted the crowbar pink as a joke. LOL And then we started on the outside - DH laid in a huge brick patio in sand. I planted an enormous vegetable garden. We had fruit trees, vegetables, and added chickens and rabbits. When we sold that place it was going to be torn down for apartment buildings so we sold it with salvage rights and brought the entire brick patio with us as well as everything usable.

When we bought this Maude house renovating was not a prblem. We spent 38 years in this house renovating - doing the entire thing all over along with fencing 6 acres, building a barn, etc. The main difference was that instead of a vegetable garden and fruit trees (soil had a PH of 9 and everything died!) we brought in livestock. Dairy goats first for milk, and the promised ponies for the kids, then as they grew older and got more active in 4-H everything except beef steers. All the kids raised veal calves on goat milk, and DS3 raised 2 replacement dairy heifers. It was a wonderful life for all of us. Our last project was putting in faux grass around the patios. The dogs kept digging up the dirt to kill the gophers so that was necessary.

Times have changed here in this neighborhood. Where I let my 8 year old son ride his pny alone into the wash, I would not allow any of my children to do it now. This is no longer a horse and livestock area like it was. 4-H is gone, our Fair has folded, and housing tracts ae springing up. No to mention the homeless communities in the wash.

DH and I discussed the cost of work needed to keep up this property. Without the sheep to clear everything, it cost over $10,000 to have it cleared of brush and low hanging tree limbs to satisfy the fire regulations this year. Some things in the house need work, and the private road is showing signs of wear and tear. Although we have a new gas stove top waiting in the shed to install, the tile counters in the kitchen need replacing first. There are a few other items that need to be addressed as well even though the roof and HVAC is almost new. Lots of work in this place. With the price we would have to ask, and what DS2 could, or would want to afford in monthly payment, and the interest rate, his payment would be astronomical. Also the cost of upkeep on this place is high as is the amount of physical work needed to maintain it.

DH and I discussed the matter. Although he wants DS2 to have the house (great memories of our family life here) I suggested that the reason DS2 and DDIL2 wll not commit is because they really DON'T want the house but feel pressured to buy it. DH finally talked to DS2 last night about everything and DS2 said he didn't think he could afford the payments, let alone all the work involved in keepig up this place. He said DDIL2 had been looking at houses to see what they could afford. He likes the privacy, but I think a smaller lot with a nice medium size house would be better for them and easier to keep up and afford. In fact, I told DS2 to check out rentals since the interest will go down during Trump's presidency. Also, DDIL2's parents are talking about spending 6 months in the Philipines each year now that he is retired. DS2 and DDIL2 may decide to leave this area, or even leave the state.

D2 finally told DH that he could not buy the house which took a huge weight off my mind. I was really worried that he would not be able to afford it, and also that the amount of work here would be hard for he and DDIL2 to take on. I think a nice little 3BR 2BA (possibly with a pool) in a newer tract neighborhood would be a nice fit with just the front yard and pool patio to keep up. DH and I talked about the reason that they would not commit to buying the property was that they really did not want to buy it but felt pressured by us.

DH and I will come back in October and clear out everything from the storage areas to sell or keep. (Not much left to keep.) DS3 said he would buy one of the Connex containers and we have a buyer for the other one. DS2 and DDIL2 will look for a rental while they decide where they want to move. They can put their extra stuff in a storage unit. So relieved to have this settled! No more stomach pains and tranquilizers. I feel remarkably stress free.

When we come back in October, we will do minimal work on the house. I will patch any holes in the walls, fix any screens, paint, then have a cleaning crew come in and wash all the windows, etc. Any problems the inspection turns up we will haggle over for form's sake, but can afford to come down a bit because we have so much capital gains equity. All expenses for the 6 months before listing the house are deductible from the taxable amount of the house too. Although I hate giving any $$$ to the government it will be worth it to be done with California.

Trailer is finally packed, truck has room in the bed for the suitcases, and I will pack the cab to leave room for the kids and cooler. Saturday the kids arrive in the am, load their suitcases, etc. and pull out. Home by Tuesday.

Time to turn your back on the past and look FORWARD!

 

[Ridgetop]

Yes, I am so happy that both DS2 and DDIL2 have decided to look for a smaller place that will be more maneagable. They love living here, but when we were in Texas I think they realized that this large property that was maneagable with 5 adults was no longer maneagable with 2 adults and 3 little babies. In fact I have been recommending that they rent for a year or so. DS2 doesn't know from job to job where he will work so this way they can move to where the work is.

DH is sad to sell the house because of all the wonderful memories we made here. Me too.
We had a wonderful 38 years with our kids and grandkids here. We love the view and privacy but it is time to move on and we already are making more plans for our place in Texas.

We will be back in October to clear out everything and get the house ready to sell. Leaving tomorrow.

 

[Baymule]

Its 7:30 AM here, too early for y'all to be hitting the road, but you will be on the way soon enough.

The next meeting of the NE Texas Land Grazing Coalition is June 24. It's on that 10,958 acres of wildlife restoration. I am going to that! It will be fantastic. Check your email to see if you got it.