Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Done Deal
My broker emailed me today, forwarding an email from the title company. Since my house was an all-cash deal, I don't have to go in and sign documents. The company will send him the stuff I need- title, title insurance, etc. But it's a done deal.
I'm a homeowner. Oh, sure, for four decades, I've been IRS's version of a "homeowner," a person paying a mortgage and having the tax benefits thereof. But as of today, I own a home free and clear.
I have been trying to wrap my brain around that concept, but it's still new. I can live in this Stockton house without a mortgage. I'll always have taxes, but those have always been rolled into the concept of a mortgage.
This house needs a lot of work, and a few big-ticket items are in my immediate future. I'll have to buy a pump for the well. And I've got to get about $2900 worth of termite remediation. Beyond that, the whole house will get a make-over: paint, rugs, tile, maybe some new kitchen cabinets. And since the house is lacking a garage, I'll have to get a couple of storage containers to be my workshop.
But these are details that I'll deal with later. The good part is, I still have a bit of money with which to pay for these repairs. My original goal was to get a home for $100,000, all told. I don't know if I'll make that goal, but I think I'll be close.
Today I've got other things to take care of. And Friday I have a dentist appointment. But tomorrow I'll go out and collect the keys to my home. A couple of immediate repairs seem a good idea- the gate to the driveway is off the hinge, so I'll have to fix that. There are a couple of sections of fence that have fallen, so I'll try to do something with that as well. And we can't go out there without a few bottles of water so we can drink something. Even if we don't shower there, we'll need to flush the toilets, and that'll require water from our well.
Yep, lots of things to worry about. But for the moment, I'll try to get used to being a homeowner, someone without a mortgage.
I'm a homeowner. Oh, sure, for four decades, I've been IRS's version of a "homeowner," a person paying a mortgage and having the tax benefits thereof. But as of today, I own a home free and clear.
I have been trying to wrap my brain around that concept, but it's still new. I can live in this Stockton house without a mortgage. I'll always have taxes, but those have always been rolled into the concept of a mortgage.
This house needs a lot of work, and a few big-ticket items are in my immediate future. I'll have to buy a pump for the well. And I've got to get about $2900 worth of termite remediation. Beyond that, the whole house will get a make-over: paint, rugs, tile, maybe some new kitchen cabinets. And since the house is lacking a garage, I'll have to get a couple of storage containers to be my workshop.
But these are details that I'll deal with later. The good part is, I still have a bit of money with which to pay for these repairs. My original goal was to get a home for $100,000, all told. I don't know if I'll make that goal, but I think I'll be close.
Today I've got other things to take care of. And Friday I have a dentist appointment. But tomorrow I'll go out and collect the keys to my home. A couple of immediate repairs seem a good idea- the gate to the driveway is off the hinge, so I'll have to fix that. There are a couple of sections of fence that have fallen, so I'll try to do something with that as well. And we can't go out there without a few bottles of water so we can drink something. Even if we don't shower there, we'll need to flush the toilets, and that'll require water from our well.
Yep, lots of things to worry about. But for the moment, I'll try to get used to being a homeowner, someone without a mortgage.
# posted by rich @ 12:09 PM 
