Imitating Tim Hancock
 

Went and saw this house on Friday. House is in good shape and has been taken care of, but the inside is dated. It's 2400 sq. ft., which is only 800 sq. ft. than we currently have. (We've mostly been looking at houses in the 2800 - 3500 sq. ft. range.) So this house is much smaller. It has a 2 car garage with the 3rd/4th bays converted into a workshop. (Would take some work to reconvert to a 4-car garage.)

It's 5 miles from town and sits on 4 acres. There are neighbors on either side, but farmland behind and across the street. There is a "shed" (about the size of a 2-car garage) in the back that is falling apart. I think if I bought the property, I would replace the shed with a metal building and put a lift in it, and extend the driveway out to the shed. (Eventually.) I'd probably add on behind the garage. Dig a basement and put a new kitchen and a dining room above it. (Eventually.)

I'd like to put a berm against the back of the property to shoot into, and put a trap house closer to the house (for shooting away from the home).

http://www.bnrealtors.com/idx/search/details.html?SID=2249&MLSNUM=2100876&PID=3

My wife hates the house. She thinks it's too far from civilization. (5 minutes to the edge of Bloomington, 10 minutes to work for her, up from 2 minutes.) She also wants to live in a neighborhood. This house sits in a small, unincorporated town called Bentown, that consists of a whopping six houses. (The less people, the better as far as I'm concerned.)

Looks great Chris. For years I've been trying to get the wife to agree to sell our place and we move further west to a farmlette where I don't have to deal with the neighbors. Unfortunately she likes the subdivision life for the kids...who (since we have enough) really play amongst themselves more that with the other kids in the 'hood. The other kids in the 'hood are not great influences anyhow....and the ones that we like we drive them to for sleep overs and such. But she still won't move!

It's probably gonna be 20 yrs before I get the farm...then I'll be too old to want it.

Good luck on the hunt....a backstop would be cool to have if the neighbors don't mind.

Well, I guess as long as you'll enjoy living there alone, you're on your way!!SmileWavy

Keep looking.

Ian

She will probably find that she enjoys it more out there.... I grew up on 10acres with a few neighbors.... I HATE living in town now... I liked the quite out there... The ability to take a piss in my front yard... The ability to step out the back door with a 12ga and level whatever had the dogs upset....

Unless you want to get single, keep looking...

+1 on the keep looking

1 Sounds like there's no way in hell you'll ever end up living in this house.

2 What the hell is wrong with your wife?

Just do it. I can't even imagine living life back in a city, town or subdivision. To me, living in a place where I am not allowed to do what I want on my property (shoot, ride dirt bikes/ATVs, fly airplanes, park cars, have bonfires etc) would feel like prison to me. When I read stories on here about guys in living in subdivisions griping about their neighbors and silly rules about what they can or cannot do on their property.... I just shake my head and count my blessings that I live in a part of America that still allows a bit of freedom.

I drive 37 miles to work and my wife drives about 15. I would not have it any other way and I intend live out my whole life at what is now my HOME.

There is NO convincing her otherwise, trust me.

Have you guys made a list of what you want and what you need? It really does help.

Each of you make a list of three things you NEED, and three additional things you WANT. Put them on paper, and use the list to eliminate houses that don't match your NEEDS.

Plays out like this:
You *want* a large garage. In absence of that, you NEED the space for a garage and a price that will allow you to build one after the house is bought.

Your wife wants a nice looking modern home, but NEEDS a nice family neighborhood.

Make a commitment that you'll only look at the homes that have what you both NEED, but you'll both compromise and look at ones that may not have the additional things you WANT. It will save you a lot of frustration.

Enjoy!

Also: Get a good buying agent who does a lot of business. Once they have a sense of what you're looking for, they should be able to show you properties that aren't even listed on MLS. There are always people who want to sell, but don't have their homes actively for sale. A good agent will be able to dig those out for you.

I like it. Nice place.

We drove out there last night. It was quite literally 11 minutes from our current house. She kept saying that it "feels so far away", even though it is closer to town than other houses she has liked. Suddenly, she's concerned about getting pizza delivered (which we only do 1-2 times a year). There are some restaurants on the East side of town that are a 5 minute drive, but suddenly that's too far away.

I think she's scared of the low population density. I really like it myself. To get a 4-acre lot in town (and there are a few), it would cost $400,000 - $2,000,0000, depending on the house that sits on it.

I want my closest neighbor to be at least 1/2 a mile away. Some people want them 10 feet away.

Takes all kinds but I will live out in the boonies again before I croak...

When she talks about 'pizza", you hear "pizza."

It's not about pizza.

What she means to say is that

She doesn't like the house.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...boldyellow.gif

My father convinced my mother to build a new home on a family farm in rural so GA. She was semi-warm to the idea and agreed. Within 6 months she began to complain about the isolation. Its not a daily conversation but at least once a weak she will complain to my dad and express her desire to move back into town. Not nagging but a certain persistance.

That was 20+ years ago. She has made it clear that upon my father's death she's buying a condo in a more urban area.

My dad apparently has gone deaf:D

I like the property. House exterior is okay, interior is ehh but looks like plenty of potential for remodeling. Nice piece of land.

Apparently your wife has no interest in having "land"? I can see why garage, workshop, and shooting space would have no appeal for her. Is there anything that can be done w/ the acreage that would appeal to her? Pool, tennis court, big veg garden, fruit trees, ersatz English country garden?

My sister-in-law lived in a big house on 3 acres amidst the apple orchards in a farming community, about 10 minutes outside of town. They were a bit isolated, but it wasn't a problem except in the winter when the roads were really icy - and then the 10 minute cruise into town became a dicey crawl on unplowed roads between ditched SUVs. Still, they liked it for 10+ years, then they were ready to move back into town.

I understand that. I'm just trying to get her to make rational arguments, rather than throw everything out she can think of and see what sticks.

I also pointed out that she loved a house with an identical layout that was equally dated IN TOWN. (I didn't like that house because it had some issues that were thinly disguissed.)

Even that isn't a problem for this house. While is on a thinly-traveled county road, it is half a mile from a well-maintained (and plowed) county highway that if taken a half-mile north, leads to a state route that can be taken into town. We drove this way home from our outing.

Why?

Which tells you...

Seriously, it's a tough one and I feel for you. But I see it every day. You're not going to win this one, nor should you. Even if you DO convince her, through intense lobbying and gradually wearing her down, you will pay for it BIG TIME. Time to move on to the next house.

Three NEEDS, three WANTS. Put 'em on paper.