Well, it turns out my neighbor really IS moving! I'm glad I was out trimming my lawn this afternoon, because it turns out he was making his last trip. I saw him glance over at me and I waved. He waved back. I went over and asked if he was moving. He said he was. I told him I thought he might be, but there was no For Sale sign, so it might have been his daughter was leaving for college or a place of her own.
It turns out that after failing to refinance his mortgage twice recently, he was turning it back over to the bank and just walking away! That is very sad... He says he has rented a place across town. Says he never really liked the place; his wife chose it.
Not to be gossipy (I can't; I never KNOW anything), but that was a real mess! I only found out a year later. And I didn't know that I didn't want to know until AFTER I was told about it by a neighbor woman. But YOU will never know any of them, so I suppose it doesn't matter.
About 8 years ago, my neighbor guy had an affair with the woman next door, her husband found out and filed for divorce, she shot herself, and and his wife left him. Unusually, the daughter stayed with him. Tragic all around.
Of COURSE he didn't "seem like the type". Who ever does? I knew so many guys who cheated (and wives who made passes at ME) that little of that surprises me. But it is still sad... Whenever I hear about stuff like that, I'm glad I am happy living peacefully alone!!!
But I do not judge, not knowing the situations. He has been a good quiet neighbor (at least since he got rid of his motorcycle years ago), no loud parties, no barking dogs, etc. The next residents may be loud and annoying. He said I had been a great neighbor (I merely helped out with a couple small projects, but I suppose I'm quiet myself and keep the house and yard looking decent).
I asked him why he couldn't just sell it himself and he explained that he owed WAY more than he could get. Personally I think he is looking at things short-term, as housing prices are rising again, but I don't know his finances of course. Divorces and child care can be brutally expensive. I mentioned that I was thinking of a rental property and it couldn't be more convenient than next door.
But since he was just abandoning the house and the mortgage, the bank will be selling it free of the old mortgage, and cheaper. I would have an appraiser go in and estimate renovation needs and current real value, of course. And of course it might not make financial sense. But I'll see. I mean, since he's gone, it all starts fresh. I wonder if the bank knows yet?
I did ask him about some troublesome trees along our property line. Mostly a mulberry tree that started from seeds from one *I* had and cut down years ago. The roots and sprouts and shade are causing me grief in my main flowerbed. Then, just before I asked if I could come over and cut it (and 2 other saplings that will only grow larger) down he offerred to come back this weekend and cut it down himself and haul off the debris. WOW!
It will certainly be interesting seeing what happens...
4 comments:
Thank heavens that it went that well. I hope he indeed does show up.
That is quite the neighborhood gossip. It would be nice if you could buy the house at a reduced price from the bank. Mulberries are so good- don't cut it down.
That sounds like a very unfortunate situation for everyone involved, Mark. Interesting prospect about buying the house next - might be worthwhile if it's going to be sold at a discounted price.
Megan
Sydney, Australia
The owner has a trailer sitting in the driveway while he gets permission to have it at his new place from the Homowners Association. Others do, so it seems a formality.
He seemed perfectectly happy to cut the mulberry tree down, so I expect he will. And when he arrives, I will go over and help. Mulberries are nice, but they are messy. This one is dropping thousands of seeds over the fence into my flowerbed and it seems like they all sprout. And the roots are a problem.
Buying the house would solve many lingering problems. There are trees sending surface roots toward both foundations, the property lines are misuderstood (some neighbor fence on my property), and there are several junky trees shading my garden. I would like to clear those and would be willing to plant smaller specimen trees like dogwoods and star magnolias that will never grow so high to shade my yard.
And future control of who my neighbors are would be worth something.
Depends on the price of the house, of course. But housing prices are moving up gradually here and I can wait 10 years for the value to increase enough to make it all worthwhile.
One good thing about having some contrsctors do work on my house is that I've gotten side offers from the guys who actually DO the work to do same stuff cheaper directly between me and them. And there are many things I've learned to fix on my own.
Having the rental next door would be about as convenient to keep reapiared (and keep an eye on) as is possible to imagine. And I'm here 24/7!
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