The prospect of house-buying, I have come to conclude, is a major distraction from anything and everything else imaginable. I had thought, when I first got serious, that my days of mental absenteeism would diminish once the excitement wore off, but I’ve found that the closer you feel you are to the actual event of buying property, 1) the more exciting it is and 2) the more there is to frantically research, and mull over in the mind.
I even slept distractedly, waking up the middle of imaginary debates over the design schemes of imaginary houses. I probably shouldn’t have watched 5 hours of HGTV last night. I really find that channel addictive these days.
My mind is particularly in left field (if working is home plate) because I have an appointment to look at more houses this evening, one in particular that I’m fixated on. I got out of bed (exhaustedly) at 7am, got into the office at 8:30, and have to stay here for another 2 hours and 20 minutes… It feels like an eternity. I know excitement about seeing this property is unwise, but if this one turned out to be what I want it to be, I would be really happy about it.
It’s in Natick, which would clearly be a great place to buy, and it’s an estate sale (the house was left to someone, and they’re selling it). It’s apparently zoned as a 2 family, and has been listed as both a single and a multi (weird flip-flopping) so I’m expecting something funky to be going on with regard to this… who knows what.
If this could be refined into a functional 2 family, given that the asking price is low even for a single family in this neighborhood (or any, really) it would pretty much be the smartest thing I could buy. The ability to fix up one area (unit) and rent it while fixing the other. And forever more have a second income on the property.
The major question mark and reason for skepticism here, is that this 3bdrm, 2 ba antique house is listed at nearly 200K less than the assessment amount. So, one must ask the beleagured question “what’s wrong with it?” I’m mentally prepping myself for a repeat of the Hough’s Neck abomination, since this house is also old, but if this one has things that house didn’t, such as a furnace and a kitchen, perhaps I could consider it. Natick is, after all, a better investment than Hough’s Neck.
Aaahhh, good brainpurge sesh. Hopefully I can get back to work now. =)
