Dan Gould Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) I tried to give a hint that something was up by changing my profile "Location" to "We're Closing On Wednesday, so watch this space!", just to see if anyone noticed, but ... I guess I'll have to be a bit more direct! My wife and I just closed on a Townhome in the lovely city of Delray Beach, Florida. Here's the front (if you can't guess, we're on the left): And here's one of the best features, the actual backyard (most townhomes have less than a postage stamp spot to call a "backyard," this one, being built in the mid-80s when builders weren't quite so greedy, so they included a backyard instead of building a second unit!) That's a star fruit tree on the left, there're also papaya, mango and banana trees. Now we're going to have a Media Room with TT, Changer, all the CDs and LPs and a big comfy leather recliner. I may never leave! (my wife gets Direct TV, so she may not even notice that I'm upstairs Edited March 1, 2004 by Dan Gould Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Damn! That's a serious backyard for a townhouse, Dan! Congratulations. You've now joined the ranks of the "uh oh...can't call the landlord for this one!" crowd! Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Ah, home ownership! It's a beautiful thing! I'm sure you've seen my "tiling" thread by now! I take it your townhome isn't almost 100 years old, though? Congrats! And enjoy! Quote
jazzypaul Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 yeah, congrats, man...thats awesome! Quote
brownie Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 This looks beautiful! And that Media Room! I've got something like this but it tends to look more like a junkyard these days. Well done, Dan Quote
king ubu Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 That's a star fruit tree on the left, there're also papaya, mango and banana trees. Would love to have all these fruits grow in my own backyard (which is non-existing anyway...) - cool, Dan! Congrats! ubu Quote
Dan Gould Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Posted March 1, 2004 Damn! That's a serious backyard for a townhouse, Dan! Congratulations. You've now joined the ranks of the "uh oh...can't call the landlord for this one!" crowd! Tell me about it, Mark! Yesterday was spent stripping the wallpaper out of the bathrooms, a truly horrid job. I think that's what Bob Villa will spend eternity doing if he ends up on the express elevator south when his time comes. And to top it off, I went home to take care of the dog and left my wife with the last bathroom to work on, and she called to say that the sheetrock near the toilet was black with mildew, so now we've got our first repair job to deal with and we haven't even moved in yet! B3-er, I saw your tile thread but I have stuidously avoided it and intend to continue to studiously avoid it. Seriously, thanks for the good wishes, everyone! Quote
Peter Johnson Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Fabulous news! When's the barbeque? I'll be there... Ready for some Florida weather about now!!! Congrats! Quote
vajerzy Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Congratulations!! Nice to see green this time of year... Doing taxes for 2004 will be a lot of fun deducting closing costs and interest paid and all sorts of good things that home ownership allows you to do. And if you're like me- your new favorite channels will be HGTV, DIY, and various PBS shows, all dealing with home improvements and gardening tips! Quote
Dave James Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Dan, Welcome to the ranks of the heavily mortgaged. Congragulations. There's nothing quite like owning your own place. I don't think it should take you more than an afternoon to show the wife how to run the lawnmower. Up over and out. Quote
Dan Gould Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Posted March 1, 2004 Dave, She's already said she will handle the yardwork. She likes it. I got over that as a child. No wonder I love her so. Vajerzy, I don't plan to start watching those shows anytime soon, though we are getting DirectTV so God only knows what she will find off the satelite. But while I may be abducted into working on the projects, heaven knows I won't start watching those shows. Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Dan, inquiring Norahs want to know--does it feel like home? Congratulations. Good thing you've got a large backyard, too. The house looks nice & roomy, but you know in a few years you'll need to be adding on the "Jazz Annex 2" wing. Quote
vibes Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Very cool, Dan...especially the fruit trees and all the space. Congratulations. Quote
JSngry Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) Way to go! Keep an eye on your escrow account - mortgage companies can legally put you through some changes about it. Don't necessarily believe the numbers you were quoted at closing - it's not unheard of for the "estimates" for taxes and insurance (mostly taxes, since you probably lined up your own insurance) to be lower so the monthly payment looks more appealing. Do some reserach ASAP to find out what your REAL tax bill will be, and get the momey into your escrow account so you can avoid a surprise escrow shortage next year. Mortgage companies are allowed by law to have a full years + two months worth of tax and insurance calculated into your monthly payment. They are also legally allowed to "estimate" future increases for same. If you overpay, you get a refund at the end of the annual cycle, but if your escrow account is "underfunded" at the time of the annual analysis, they give you the option of paying in a lump sum or spreading the increase out over the next twelve months. This catches a LOT of people off guard, because if the mortgage company underestimated to a significant enough degree, your monthly payment can increase quite a bit. And it's all legal. Also, if you haven't signed up for some sort of automatic payment plan (a wise idea if practical, I think. Eliminates the chances of those pesky late fees), make sure you understand EXACTLY how your mortgage company (or, in all liklihood, the company that will soon assume your loan, either outright or through servicing rights) handles their payment processing in regard to coupons, automatic distribution of any excess funds paid, etc. I've been working in the payment processing department of a major mortgage company, and the problems I see created by the combination of an uninformed customer meeting an automated distribution system are seemingly infinite. Every company has a procedeure, as well as a way to override it, but unless you know how their system works, you can end up spending hours on the phone w/the customer servive department trying to straighten things out, and knowing your, uh, "low tolerance" for apathy and ineptitude, I'd think that that would be something you'd want to avoid for the sake of everybody concerned. A bit of a hassle sure, but that's just the cost of doing business. Home ownership is a beautiful thing, no matter how much hassle is involved. Forty acres and a mule it ain't, but it's the next best thing. Congratulations again! Edited March 1, 2004 by JSngry Quote
catesta Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Congratulations Dan! The place looks great, a townhome with a backyard like that is a real find. Quote
Jim Dye Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 (edited) Congrats, Dan! Is your new home far from Del Boca Vista? Oh, I'll be sending out BT8 today and tomorrow. Would you like me to send it to your new address? Edited March 1, 2004 by Jim Dye Quote
Dan Gould Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Posted March 1, 2004 Oh, I'll be sending out BT8 today and tomorrow. Would you like me to send it to your new address? That's OK, Jim, you've got my work address, so its safe, and we won't be in residence til March 14 anyway. Quote
catesta Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Is your new home far from Del Boca Vista? Phase II of course. Quote
Jim R Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Dan, congratulations, and thanks for sharing the photos. Nice looking spread! Those yards look really nice... kind of like how ours... used to look when we first moved in. Long may you be comfortable and happy there. Quote
Tim McG Posted March 1, 2004 Report Posted March 1, 2004 Congrats, Dan! Welcome to the last real tax write-off in the country... Quote
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