Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Ownership

Boys,




Last winter your aunt and uncle were attempting to sell their home and actively looking for land in an area we already loved and had dreamed about in the past.  Since land is pretty scarce in the area and ridiculously unaffordable we had not had luck in closing a deal ourselves in one previous attempt. 




However, Auntie and Uncle were thinking outside the box and calling people (without any active listings) to see if they were willing to sell.  One particular land owner had 5 acres next to the new park and said he'd sell.  Auntie and Uncle went and looked at the property and even had your architect grandpa look at it too, but they were deterred by the only flat land being in a flood plain.




Somehow we heard about the property and decided to take a look too.




As soon as I stepped foot on the property I had the elusive "this-is-it" feeling and I was picturing you boys as teens camping out and canoeing down the creek and a house on the hill.  It had a creek along the back to kayak, a small creek on the side and running through the property to play in, it had loads of glorious trees, a view, it was next to the newest and best park in the city... we were smitten.  I was especially smitten. 


I was standing on my own childhood dream lot!




When your dad turned to me and asked what I thought I shared that I was practically moving in already in my head!


Well-- being that we still owned a rental house.  Ugh.  That we had tried to sell a few times.  Ugh.  A whole other story.  Ugh.  Your dad suggested maybe the owner would trade us.  Yeah right, I thought.


We made an offer on the land.  Between an accepted offer and closing, your dad did all kinds of foot work to the various governments.  Checking on sewer, power, water and on and on...  everything seemed to check out and any red flags were turning green.  We even made a pact with each other than if this turns into a very expensive camping site, we'd accept it.


Fast forward... the owner not only traded us -- he paid us too (the house was worth more than he was asking for the land).


So we became land owners to a beautiful and super steep 5 acres of land.


Stay tuned to follow how this story unfolds.


~Mama