Sunday, August 25, 2013

How Damned Fool Punks Killed The Real Estate Dream


Come on over to "No Pattern Required" to see my newest featured home.  It's a real stunner and unfortunately, one quick visit to Crime Mapping killed the dream of living there.

Behold one month's worth of crimes around the property: 


This used to be an incredible area when it was in its heyday of construction in the sixties and seventies and it's chock-full of original masterpiece homes. I'm talking the "looks like day one" kind. Never before have I wished that I was an action-movie vigilante so that I could go in there and restore the neighborhood to it's original splendor and solitude. I remember muttering "damned fool punks spoiling my American dream!" like some kind of drunken Clint Eastwood when this map came up.

We looked at a couple of houses yesterday. One that looked waaaay worse than the photos so we didn't even look at the whole house, which is totally strange for me because I love snooping around houses. The other home is a little dream between walls so we've got until six o'clock tonight to decide whether we make an offer or not. Talk about no time to think it over. That one promises to be a buyer feeding frenzy. Will we be sharks? Minnows? Bystanders on the shore? Only time will tell. Time that is ticking down fast. 

Last night, the real estate search got on my last frazzled nerve so I had to go to my happy place. No, not McDonalds, you sillies! (though my cardiologist would probably call me a liar) Nobody but my friend Sara knows that my "happy place" is listening to the same Adele songs over and over and over, like dozens of times. She is a total bad-ass and brings me strength. Not to worry, I have plugged in the earphones so that the Mister doesn't have to hear it, even though it would be a great way to pay him back for all those repeated playings of that old "Slap Her Down Again, Pa" 78 record in his collection.

 
In the words of Adele:

"Should I give up...or should I just keep chasing pavements...even if it leads nowhere?"

Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha



9 comments:

Kim Campbell said...

NEVER GIVE UP!!!! ;)

Sara In AZ said...

That crime map....bonkers!

LOVE Adele! Is it weird that people tell me I look like Adele???

Surely something has got to pan out for us soon girl!!!!!

Rita said...

That house is amazing. I swear, I fall more in love with the 70s every day.

But I hear you on the crime map thing. One reason we bought our house is that it had almost zero crime going on around it, especially in comparison to other houses we looked at. And part of me wants to say--hey, just move there! Be the change you want to see in the world! But another part of me knows how nice it is to feel safe where you live.

My only advice on all of this: Wait for what's truly right. It will come.

Dana@Mid2Mod said...

We have a neighborhood here like the one you described. It's full of gorgeous mid-century homes, but the neighborhood so near a high crime area that no one wants to move there. The houses are still in good repair, but they probably won't be for long.

Such a shame!

Katie said...

Now, just change "pavements" to "penguins" and the song takes on a whole 'nother badass identity.

OP SHOP MAMA said...

I've never seen the crime mapping thing before. Boo.
That house is amazin - most intrigued by that couch that is half couch half table.

Just keep swimming!

Jen said...

Oh, that is too bad about that neighborhood. Happens far too often. :( You probably remember all of those photos of grand, magnificent homes in downtown Detroit that I posted a couple of winters ago! Outstanding homes, killer gorgeous, but you'd need snipers on your roof at night. So sad.

Don't rush. You'll know the one when you find it if you're really ready to pick up and go!

Hope Thompson said...

That crime map, NOOOO!! I'm having a panic attack just looking at it. That house was so beautiful though!

A similar thing happened during our house hunt- we would find the MOST BEAUTIFUL little '20s bungalows, all restored and shiny, but then oops. They're in nightmareland. It's so unfair!

Melissa said...

House shopping is the biggest pain in the arse! We had that happen to us a few times too. Great house, terrible neighborhood. Sometimes other people just freaking suck!