Blue

Finally got to meet my real estate agent in person. While she'd been highly recommended by friends I was a little leary about her for her lack of availability lately. But then it turns out she's had some mitigating factors: She's moved about 2 hours away, her husband through his back out and can only half-help with their move, and the water heater in their new place (which is only 2 years old) broke and flooded. I actually feel very good about her now that I've met her in person.

Now the area I've been looking in is not prime real estate, but I've lived in worse places, so no problem. But the places had a nice look to them and I'm willing to go down just a little bit in "neighborhood" as long as I can have my own little island and that in looking at the neighbors they seem to have concern for their property.

So the agent walks in, I look at the place and say, "Looks...ok... floors are a little bouncy". She points out that it's a little worse than that; it seems that certain parts of the floor are slanted. Also, as I look along the wall at the floor it becomes evident to me that the floor may be bowed to some degree in areas where there's no direct support underneath. My mom, who was along for the ride, points out the lack of craftsmanship in the moldings they put up along the ceiling. There are areas that may be cracks in the wall that have been plastered over and painted, which gives you question about the structural integrity. And one roof spoot that may have had a leak. The roof is flat, she notes, which is something I hadn't even gotten around to considering.

This had been my favorite of what I'd self-patrolled, so I was a little sad to pass it over, but that's ok, let's go check the one with the pool...

Well, we spent less than 5 minutes in there. Yes, it's newly painted, the front, looks great, it's gated, in all, a nice veneer. We get inside and it smells like urine. Well, okay, maybe they had cats. I can see from teh back window that the pool is GREEN. Yup, nobody has come to tend it. "Let's already cross this one off," I say, and as I'm about to turn and walk for the door, the agent says, "Eww," and too turns for the door. Seems that squatters have holed up there recently and one of them threw up in the hall. We bailed immediately.

Such is my first unlocked tour. I sure know how to pick 'em

I should get some updated listings today, in theory, then I can go do some more prowling. But I am definitely targeting another area. I might have still considered that first one if the inspection came back good, but sorry, the one 1.5 blocks away that had squatters was a killer for the whole zone for me.

Time to spread outward from work a little further.