Busy...

I apologize for my absence- getting married and preparing for a honeymoon will do that. I've also continued working on my yard. So far I've planted most of the garden and put out most of the planters and such.

Lawnmower Conditioning

Last weekend I got my mower ready. I changed the oil, cleaned the air filter, put gas in it, and charged the starter. All I need to do is either sharpen the blade or buy a replacement (depends on price). I had planned to do that on Sunday, but I forgot it was Easter.

This was the first time I really followed the directions for getting the mower ready, as I only used it a couple times in 2007 when I bought it, and thus felt it wasn't necessary last year. I hope doing these little things extends the life of the mower, because in my past I haven't had much luck with their longevity.

House Search

About once a week I look at online listings of houses for sale. I’m not looking to move right now, but if I see a great deal, I might take it.

I found a house that is located in one of the more upscale areas of my town, and it was listed at only $400,000, about $200,000 less than the average home in that area. It only showed this one photo of the exterior, and it seemed to be owned by a bank. I did some more research on it by looking up the deed and mortgage filings. It was bought for $320,000 in 2004, with a mortgage of $280,000. As the next few years went by and the real estate market went crazy, this house apparently was valued at nearly $700,000, because the owner kept refinancing until he owed $682,000 on it!

Very curious as to whether all this extra cash was put into the house, I made an appointment to take a look at it. The house was evidently added on to, and it now sports a terrible layout. It has only 2 bedrooms and a kitchen with literally no counter space, yet the house is over 2,000 square feet. It has custom cabinets and wainscoting, which is complete overkill. I hope that some of that refi money was used on things other than for the house, because what was spent on it was surely spent foolishly.

Even at the low list price, I did not see how this house would be a good purchase, unless you wanted to try to flip it in five years. I left with a first-hand view of the mortgage crisis going on in this country.

Driveway Landscaping Completed

First, a couple of apologies for my lack of posts (I've been very busy) and the image's quality (taken with cell phone because my camera is not working).

I'm able to cross something off my spring to-do list: the landscaping beside my driveway. The driveway was completed about six months ago, and since then I have cleaned up the 5-foot wide area next to it (which gave me poison ivy), and planted and finished off the look. Here are the total costs:

• fabric weed barrier- $30 (and I have extra)
• thuja trees (for eventual privacy)- $60
• azaleas (evergreen shrub)- $50
• solar lights- $20
• mulch- free from local recycling center

So I spent $170, and if all goes well, it will be extremely low maintenance and should cost very little to keep in this condition.

Mouse Update

So far I've caught two mice. Fortunately, I think I have the problem solved. I bought metal rings that fit around my pipes to cover the holes in the cabinets. I never knew it, but these things are called either scutcheons or flanges, depending on who you talk to. I just need to screw these things down, and then I'll consider myself mouse-proof.