Neak - Was the house just bought? In California there is a disclosure law. If the old owner, or realtor knew there was a problem, they would be liable.

We were the ones who put the house on the lot. The engineer drew up septic plans, the county approved them, and the builder built them. The builder DID do a very substandard job, and up till this point had gotten all the blame, but now that the 'experts' are saying that this property never should have been approved for that kind of septic, it also falls back on the engineer.

Morally, the county is also at fault, but our attorney says they have a great deal of leeway so it is tough to go after them in the first place, and that since they are our best witness against the other two parties, that it would be best not to make them mad.

Very sensible.

It just doesn't seem FAIR!

I know I got taken once on a house I bought. It was an FHA approved house, with appraisal and all. When I moved in, the roof leaked. When I called up a roofer, he said that the slope on the roof was not right for the new shingles that had been put on. It was supposed to be a gravel roof.

I thought that FHA was supposed to be sure the house was right. WRONG! I ended up having to pay $6,000. for a new roof.

Grrrrrr! I know how mad you must have been.

Tell me more about the house in Montana. I might want to move there some day. I went through Missoula once, and loved the place. Of course, the cold would be hard. It's in the 50's here at night, and I'm freezing.

OT, if there is such a thing here, I was remembering earlier something AJ told me a week or two ago. He said that one of the things he loves about me is that even if someone is unkind (to my face), that I don't at all say anything back in retaliation.

He said he thought it made people feel even worse that way, than if I got angry back so they could feel justified.

He sounded as if he was talking from experience. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> So chin up, any of you with WS, it is worthwhile to be consistently calm to them even if they don't deserve it. It will be one of the few things they notice, and they will feel BAAAAAAD.

Neak - Did you see my question about Montana?

The house is up in the northeast corner of Montana. Over the last year, a number of houses with only minor fixing needed have sold for $1-3,000. The last little bit they have had a boom, and some of the more expensive homes now go for $20,000+, but there are still a few supercheap ones left.

The one we will be looking at over Christmas was $3,500, though they just raised it to 5. It needs windows and some other small repairs. Best of all, it comes completely furnished and much of it is antique. (Neaksis has demanded that we bring her lots of pictures. She is an antique fiend.)

The cold would be hard, but being a homebody I don't think I'd mind too much being snowed in for a month or two at a time. As long as I could still write, it would be wonderful!

AJ wants to have a nice little commune, with Neaksis and Mom both living (in their own houses, of course), as neighbors.

Oh, did I mention it has 10 acres?

Whenever you want to find out more about what's available let me know and I'll put you in touch with my IL's. They keep a close eye on the real estate there.

I'm just a little slow. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Would ALL of you like to come to MT with us? PLEEEEZ??????? *batting eyelashes*

It needs windows?

Yeah, I was gonna ask that one also....but I didn't want to seem rude.. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Lem

They are boarded up and need to be replaced.


Bwaaaahaaahaaaaaa!!!!!!!! I know what you were thinking!

Neak - Sounds interesting. I'm getting close to retiring and might move some weird place. Actually I'm thinking of doing some volunteer work half of the year anyway.

I live just north of San Diego. The house prices here are unreal. The very cheapest you can buy is about $400,000. That would be a 40 year old, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 900 sq.ft. home in an area where there are gangs and drive-by shootings.

One nice thing about some of these homes is you could buy them now, pay just a few dollars in property taxes, and have them waiting for you when you are ready.

Imagine - owning a house outright! In CA, that is only for the very rich and the very old, lol.

OK, I have to ask this of you Believer....how does the "average Joe and Jane" buy even this crappy house for $400,000?

$400,000 is alot of coin, and unless you make $125,000/year, how could one even get a mortgage for that?

I always see the beautful houses in California that look like Tuscan Villas with the barrel tiled roofs, the tiles throughout, the arch ways and the like? What do those "puppies" cost? If a gang banger, dump in the hood costs 4 bills, what about the tuscan villas?

I am afraid, that even I would be priced out of the market in SD. I'd be in the bidding war to get a 3 bedroom ghetto home. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Lem

Don't know why I clicked on the last page of this thread...I haven't before...

I grew up in San Diego...then moved to Eastern Montana...got married and moved more west.

I am wondering where the land/property is that cheap in eastern Montana? Do you dare say on here? There are definately some places that you will get what you pay for! And it ain't much! But, it depends on what you're looking for. Ain't too many Wal-marts in them places! Or malls. Or McDonalds. But if it's peace and quiet, now you're talking.

Just curious...as I lived "over there".

LM -

The answer is the average person here can't buy a house. There are many people with money coming from out of state, and around the world for that matter, that CAN afford a home here.

People and families double up. I live in a mobile home, and don't own the land. My sons live across the street in one. They are each worth around $200,000. It only costs about $60,000. to buy a new one, but there is nowhere to put one.

We are in an unusual area though. We have LA to the north, Mexico to the south, the ocean to the west, and the desert to the east. There is no where to build.

In the nice areas here, an average no frills 3 bedroom, 2 bath home costs around $800,000. The really nice ones that you are talking about are millions.

But dang, aren't those homes beautiful.....I love them. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Lem <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, it's the land of milk and honey here. We live 3 blocks from the ocean and both my sons go surfing everyday after work, and it is almost December.