This was an interesting day to say the least; though most of it was errands.  All of BP’s office workers work a 9/80 schedule, which means we work 9 hours a day Monday thru Thursday, and work 8 hours one Friday and get the next Friday off.  Today was my 9/80 Friday off, and made a lot of it.

I awoke at 4am, no idea why, and couldn’t get back to sleep.  So, awake and alert I intended to begin the day with a thing I wanted to do for a while … try out the BP Fitness Center.  A sweaty half an hour in an empty (and nearly dark) gym and I was off.  By now the dawn had cracked and the day was beginning.  Had breakfast at Denny’s (Reindeer Sausage Omelet), and then on to the DMV to register the RAV4 as an Alaskan RAV4.  I will be getting personalized plates, something I had been considering, but now convinced as my new plates include “911”, not really favorable if you ask me.  They aren’t on yet, because Alaska is a 2 plate state (unlike Kansas) and I have the front bracket on order through Toyota.

Today, though, was “time to get serious about house hunting” day.  Through my realtor, I set up visiting five homes that was my short list.  The five were, in order of worst to first:

5) The Murder House (see post earlier this week) is officially out.  Financing was my excuse to duck out – they could not let anyone own it on a mortgage as the property covenant had too many mortgages per their land deal.  They had offers already, so it was a no go anyway. But while there, I did confirm it was THE murder house (missed mail from the victim inside the door).

4) The Drunked Architect house is out.  A 3 bedroom duplex where rooms were placed in awkwardly bad locations throughout; including one bedroom that was smaller than the master walk-in closet (and the walk in was not that big), a separate room just for the fireplace (yeah, it was a fireplace and no room for a place to sit).

3) The Reliant Duplex.  This is still on my “I can live here” list.  It’s actually one building over form the Drunked Architect house, and in a very nice neighborhood within a couple miles of where I work.  Three bedroom with a sunken floor living room and a nice deck.  It’s right off a bike path that will take you to a number of nice hikes.  But it is a duplex, and there is a need for some work on the outside – meaning you have to get your neighbor to buy into doing the work.  But overall, it’s a good place.

2) Highway House.  This is a close second.  Downside is that its needs some cosmetic work done on it, nothing that a coat of paint and new gutters will fix. It also is short of some appliances (needs a fridge, washer, dryer).  While I don’t mind it, the house butts right up against a highway, but when I lived in Milwaukee I lived next to an airport and know how to get over noise with time.  The yard is huge, though; the lot is over 10,000 sq ft.  I’d have good healthy trees of all different types (apples, pines, cedars, ash) and a nice size deck (though that may need work).  Big garage and nice storage – the rooms are good size too.  But, work would be needed right away when I get in.  Not like …

1) Baxter Terrace.  You would think it would be a turnoff to walk up to house and see roofers working on it, but my first thought was “wow, new roof”.  Wood panel flooring was just installed this year too, and new windows on the first floor.  New appliances, new deck in the backyard, and new carpet on the upstairs.  The yard isn’t as big as the highway house, and it is far from being as private as the highway house – which maybe an issue as the big plus of Baxter Terrace was all the windows and natural light (hard to use light when there is so many houses right on top of you).  But this was the first house I visited since arriving that was in my price range and made me say “if people came to visit, they would say ‘this is a nice house’”.  It’s on the east side, close to the mountains, but not really the part of town that jumps out at me as my part of town … that’s what I have to get comfortable with before I pull the trigger.

Have some financing things to work out this week, but I have the feeling that if Baxter Terrace or the Highway House is still on the market come time for the financing to be worked out, I could be making an offer.

Oh, and near the highway house, I saw another moose.  This was a biggun … With a full rack and everything.  Deep into a residential area, eating from a tree in someone’s backyard.