Hullo from the "there be dragons here" area of MA

[Lily left the valley]

{snip}Good luck, and stay focused!.........(why did 5 potential buyers back out..??)

Thanks! Honest to gosh, I went to the realty site for a reason having nothing to do with looking at Gardner homes. I'm firmly placing blame on Fate for this one...maybe...I'll get back to you on that.

As to "Where are the five that were bidding?*", spouse and I talked about how after we lost out on that house, we drive-by'd/viewed a few others, saw and bid on Allen, then the day we got the news we were 2nd highest bid we looked at Pleasant. All within roughly a month. The short sale Dutch is still on market, but all the others we looked at are now pending/agreement/sold (even 42 finally closed). Not sure what the odds are as to how many of those five bought or are in process elsewhere.

We are treading cautiously back into the Baker possibility. I don't know if our agent can find out what happened. I've not given up on Pleasant, I just haven't felt entirely right about it since I found out about the lack of permits. (It doesn't help that almost every single person I talked to about it said "Walk away" or "RUN"--I've not been able to shake the notion that it really is the best thing to do despite the pros if we can wrangle this.)

So seeing Baker come back on market just felt so...well, you know... Spouse is aware that although now that I know about Carpenter Gothics and think they are nifty and was looking forward to restoring one, my heart belongs firmly in Camp Bungalow. He finally admitted last night he's less than thrilled about the shambly asbestos insulation on the heating pipes at Pleasant after we priced out removal--and I told him flat out I didn't think the sellers would give at all in that regard, given that was prior, and we're struggling to get them to fix recent issues of their own making.

So for now it's just waiting to hear back from our realtor about Baker, and possibly to hear if there's an answer back from Pleasant's selling agent regarding our requests.


* Wretched Tolkien spoof, my apologies to any purists. That one line led to this:

Where now are the house and the owner? Where are the five that were bidding?
Where is the roof and the siding, and the wood trim lidding?
Where is the three over one pane, and the stained glass glowing?
Where is the cove and the chair rail and the bead board rowing?
They have passed like plans on the fire, like an age in the past tense;
The traits are weighed down from above beneath the formed plastic nonsense.
Who shall gather the coals of the dead bids burning,
Or behold the growing hopes from the soul returning?

[Lily left the valley]

Our answer regarding Baker has arrived...

I learned just shy of 9am today that our realtor got an e-mail yesterday about Baker being back up. He wrote back asking why, inspection or financing before letting us know. I also want to point out that in this same e-mail, he mentioned:

Haven't heard back from the Pleasant Street agent yet. I'll let you know when I hear.

Nine minutes later, this is what I got back about Baker in e-mail:

He said the boiler broke down and the buyer decided to back out.

What a difference in response time from a selling agent with whom we have an accepted bid with post inspection and we asked for nothing new beyond what we were clear on two weeks ago, and a selling agent who knows only 1/2 of our couple saw the home once, and did not bid because we would have been sixth in line at that point, and assumed the worst. Perhaps his agent I met that day may have told him how much I loved all the original details and had talked to a neighbor about the history of the home. We did have an ongoing talk during the viewing about what I knew about period details and restoration as I was taking pictures, and a bit towards the end when I forced my brain to wrap things up.

Still...boiler, major system that involves water. Hmm. First it was winterized pipe/possible sump issues, then it was un-permitted plumbing upgrades, and now this. I'm starting to feel like I must have wronged the water sprites in a former life.

So not the best news, yet there may still be some light in this tunnel, depending. They did not lower the price when the home was relisted, so I'm not certain what/when the plan may be as to repair/replace, or how bad the overall was related. I also don't know what the short term plan is for the heat of the home. I just checked the temperature, and we're at some pretty balmy days and a few nights dancing around freezing upcoming. I'm not sure when the real danger to the plumbing and steam system may start, given all the factors involved if there is currently no heat at all.

Our realtor has an out of town trip today, so until tomorrow, that's all the info I'm likely getting. I'll be sending him an e-mail shortly asking about what I just mentioned above.

Of course, Pleasant may come back and say yes to everything.
Lots to ponder.

[Lily left the valley]

Of course, Pleasant may come back and say yes to everything.

Oh, Past Optomistic Self, you are sooo silly.

Direct quote from the Pleasant agent:

We're really struggling with why the expectation for 150+ year old house would need to meet CURRENT plumbing code?

Umm, because you completely redid the first floor full bath and that's how the real world works? (I'm not even going to get into all the other things it's obvious were new this year that they refused to admit to as well...)

In other news...
Spouse finally got to see inside Baker today. Loves it.

Earlier today we had heard back from the Selling Agent (an agency ours knows well, and is actually in the middle of a sale with right now with their positions swapped). What happened was the oil ran out, and the boiler just needed a restart coax, which included a quick tune up. Still, the buyer walked. It ran like a champ the entire time we were there. I knew it wasn't likely to have just died. I don't remember the actual install date, but it's recent.

Knowing what I know about the tenants that lived there prior (and had to be evicted for non payment), they probably did what a former tenant I had to deal with would do, which is never remember to keep an eye on the tank, which would run dry, and the boiler would always get cranky after the delivery and need an air bleed and coaxing before running. I'm not overly worried given its age.

Everything was pretty much what I remembered from the last time. The second viewing did help me look a bit closer at a few things, like the support poles in the basement (two are the temps, the rest are solid with the fill). We also found a small pile of new replacement roof shingles and...gray backed wide asbestos cement siding. I tapped a few on the rear of the home I hadn't before, and it appears the home apparently has both. (Not a deal breaker.)

I did notice a few missing or knotted to stay in place despite being broken cords, but the windows I tried to open all slid open and closed smoothly.

One overhead light wouldn't light from either switch, but it's possible the bulb blew. I didn't have a ladder to check that. I did unscrew a bulb to test out one of the downstairs bathroom sconces, and it worked perfectly. Didn't test them all, but knowing at least one does made me happy.

We tried the doorbell, and didn't hear anything. I'm wondering if that odd bit in the dining room might be a type of doorbell I'd not seen before, but we couldn't find the usual chime box anywhere either, so I'm not sure.

We set a time to meet back with our agent at his office, grabbed early dinner, and went to the office to put down an offer. We then agreed on what to tell Pleasant as to why we're walking away "There were other issues on top of the permit issue, and we think it's best to let this one go." Our realtor seemed keen on mentioning we'd looked at another place, but my comment on that (which spouse agreed with) was that it's none of their business what we do outside of the transaction for Pleasant. Pleasant was a valuable learning experience.

Now we wait a day to find out if our offer on Baker gets accepted. If so, I'll call back the inspector we used for Pleasant. I'm actually looking forward to this second inspection, as it will be interesting to see how it is different or similar to the first. If he still doesn't have his modem issue resolved, at least this time I know to say "Just fax it this time, okies?"

I do know that our mortgage agent will be relieved to hear we walked from Pleasant. He was one of the ones who immediately asked, "You're walking away from this then, right?" when I told him about the permit issue, then sort of sighed when I responded, "Well, we're waiting to see if they'll remedy."

If nothing else, thanks to Pleasant, I now know about Carpenter Gothics, and have another style I'm fond of as well.

[Gothichome]

Lily, having trouble keeping up with the story. It reads like an afternoon soap.Many homes all part of the cast, a few long term actors and some that go int a coma for a month or two only the be miraculously revived. A quick summation for for those of us hard of hearing, no don't I will tune into tomorrow for the latest twist. I'm hooked,

[Lily left the valley]

Lily, having trouble keeping up with the story. {snip}

Your response made me think of many of the long standing webtoons I read where they have a cast list page for new and returning readers.

Maybe some day I'll have time to do something similar for the "cast" of our home search process.

Related, yesterday when we were at Baker, we saw a thick file our agent had with him sitting on the counter. We realized from the neatly written label on the tab that it was our file, with all the paperwork from the various homes we'd viewed.

When we were back at his office later to make the offer on Baker and discussing walking from Pleasant, I mentioned I felt bad we were making him do so much, and he just chuckled a bit and said this is just how it is sometimes. I could tell from his look that we're not nearly the worst he's dealt with, which made me feel a bit better.

[Lily left the valley]

In-laws made a special trip up today to visit us since they were visiting family in RI. Sadly, spouse got slammed with work (holiday off days can do that), and wasn't able to get home until after they left to head back south.

I mention the visit because I was doing my best not to keep pulling out my phone to check it since the hour until the "yes/no" deadline was growing nearer by the hour.

Just after 6, my phone rings and it's our realtor. He first wanted to let me know of a conversation he'd had with the selling agent earlier in the day (minor stuff that just needed base touching, nothing to worry about) before telling me he didn't yet have an answer.

One of the two current owners (inherited by daughters) lives in CA, and the agent hadn't yet heard back from that side of the affair. However, the selling agent did tell ours that he recommended they accept our bid, which I thought it was nice that he 1) did so and 2) mentioned it to our half. We do know there was at least one other showing today, but our agent feels that even if any other bids were made, none must have been nearly as strong as ours or their realtor would not have made that recommendation.

Since one of the sellers is in CA, there's also a possible wait for an electronic signature even if they verbally say yes, so we're not sure exactly when we'll know for sure tomorrow. Our agent said we should feel confident and not worry about it tonight, and he'll get back to us as soon as he hears word.

I've been trying to patiently wait to contact two Craig's List Posters about items they have that spouse and I have agreed we would like to have in Baker if it works out, and I hope they don't go before we get the official yes.

So if nothing else, tonight I'll be dreaming my hopes of bungalow living, a player piano in the dining room, and a really nifty stove for the kitchen, even if it isn't gas.

[Neighmond]

They may be selling a player piano somewhere, but the photo I see is a beautiful old Reed organ. They are fun to play as well!

[Lily left the valley]

They may be selling a player piano somewhere, but the photo I see is a beautiful old Reed organ. They are fun to play as well!

Wait, so it's not a player piano? Or it's a player organ and they didn't think some folks would know what that meant? Maybe so....(more below!) I actually feel a bit silly because I noticed the pulls, but in that small image I just buried it away and didn't put 1+1 together...

From the ad...

player piano works. make is "1885 Chicago cottage organ and piano company." good condition. all original. would like to see gone before winter! can deliver within reason. call or text logan at

I did a quick search, and apparently there are player organs. I had no idea.

Edit: Found an ad for one that looks just like it, save the detail on the facing under the keyboard. They want a lot more money for one that does not work!
One of these things is not like the other....


Good grief, I feel like I just crash coursed in organs tonight. I'm remembering a bunch of things I used to know about organs and forgot.

One sad bit, though not unexpected, piano rolls and organ rolls are not the same, due to the natures of the instruments.

All sorts of fun facts about organs: http://www.pumporganrestorations.com/general_pump_organ_information.htm

The page that talks about player pump organs, towards the bottom of the section, there's one clip by its lonesome after the info: http://www.pumporganrestorations.com/video_music_clips.htm

[Lily left the valley]

Offer accepted! 260 Baker St.
https://youtu.be/dU6w56epBdc

(I admit I was going to save that song for closing, but...why wait?)

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make two phone calls to some Craig's List posters. (How much does a cast iron stove that size weigh, I wonder? )

[Nicholas]

Congrats and at that price (and offer?) I think you did very well. Hubby has a nice man cave in that garage