SGTiger and BIAK found a house

[boy in a kilt]

In Tigard. I haven't seen it yet in person. But SGTiger has been calling me for the past two days telling me how much she wants it and was a little disappointed when someone else was putting an offer in on it.

So, she put together a better offer and we got the place.

We are so going to be 'burb rats.

[KnottedYet]

Whooo-HOOOOOOO!!!!

(but do you really have to leave Seattle? :()

[boy in a kilt]

When I lost my last job, we looked at each other and said "maybe this is a sign..."

Technically, my office is in Wilsonville and my boss is getting a little irate that we haven't actually relocated down there like I agreed to when I got the job.

Besides, where are you going to find a 1994 construction, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house on 0.2 acres in Seattle for under $330k?

But you always have a place to stay when you come down to Portland.

And oh, congrats. I heard you and Trek got engaged.

[KnottedYet]

Thanks!

(but I'm still bummed that you guys are moving)

[boy in a kilt]

It's gonna suck leaving seattle.

We should have a housewarming party. We are spending almost everything on the house and the move, so the furniture will mostly be folding chairs and a couple of small tables. But we'll have a backyard (with a deck) so we can stay out late and sleep in the grass.

[Trek420]

Thanks!

Pictures please. I am so bummed about the whole mortgage crisis thing ... cheer me up a bit and show us your new house. :cool: or maybe it will make me feel worse about real estate in CA

[boy in a kilt]

We were one of those couples watching and waiting. SGTiger has been grooming our finances and credit ratings for about 4 years to make this happen. I have my VA loan from active duty, and SGTiger borrowed some money from her aunt and cousin.

We've moved 5 times in the 11 years we've been together. This should be the last time for a very long, long while.


http://pics.hs1.com/picture.html?mls=RMLS&listingid=8054417&picnum=1&scale=f

I think this is what really hooked SGTiger:

http://pics.hs1.com/picture.html?mls=RMLS&listingid=8054417&picnum=7&scale=640

http://pics.hs1.com/picture.html?mls=RMLS&listingid=8054417&picnum=12&scale=640

[KnottedYet]

Oh, WOW!!!!!! :eek:

Party at TigerKilt's house!!!

[boy in a kilt]

That's what I was thinking. Everyone come out around late august. Ride bikes out and bring a tent if you want to sleep in the back yard.

[oxysback]

Welcome to Portland! Looks like you scored a great house! :D

[boy in a kilt]

Thanks. SGTiger found it. I haven't even seen it yet so I'm trusting SGTiger's judgement. Besides, if she loves it that much, I'm sure it'll suit me just fine.

We both grew up in the Portland area so it's more of a homecoming.

[sgtiger]

OMG! I was wondering who posted this thread when I first encountered it, as I just posted about our pending purchase in the OTA thread. LOL! I really do love it, and I hope that you do, too. Especially since you're paying for it.:p:D

[boy in a kilt]

I don't read the OTA thread. You told me not to.

If things go the way I'm planning, we'll have half of TE over at our place sleeping in the back yard.

[salsabike]

You guys are a hoot.

That is a NICE house!! Otherwise, I pretty much second everything KnottedYet said.

[boy in a kilt]

Oh, salsa. Remember that discussion we had about re-using waste water a while back? I work in wastewater treatment now and about 90% of the wastewater treatment operators agree with you.

And I've found out that properly digested poo doesn't smell bad.

[Trek420]

:cool:




I think this is what really hooked SGTiger:

http://pics.hs1.com/picture.html?mls=RMLS&listingid=8054417&picnum=7&scale=640]

Kitchens sell houses! At least that's what my realtor says

[KnottedYet]

I don't read the OTA thread. You told me not to.


Dude, you are well trained! (yeah, don't go to OTA. That's definite girl-territory.)

[Trek420]

Dude, you are well trained! (yeah, don't go to OTA. That's definite girl-territory.)


I think we could nominate BIAK for honorary girl status (and I mean that in a good way) :D

[boy in a kilt]

I guess kitchens do sell houses. I've realized that housing is basically marketed toward women. When we were out looking at apartments, I remarked that the offices always smelled like cinnamon. SGTiger said it's because women find it homey and vaguely sensual.

When in girl territory, CYA and get out.

[Trek420]

I guess kitchens do sell houses. I've realized that housing is basically marketed toward women. When we were out looking at apartments, I remarked that the offices always smelled like cinnamon. SGTiger said it's because women find it homey and vaguely sensual

I've done a couple remodels before and whenever I showed a house would put apple juice on the stove with a few cloves and spices before the open house ... smells like apple pie. :rolleyes: Gets 'em every time :cool:

[boy in a kilt]

Too bad I didn't know that trick when I was single.

[Trek420]

It only works on houses. :rolleyes:

[boy in a kilt]

It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Other than the bathroom and the kitchen, my apartment was usually pretty messy. A messy place that smelled like apple pie would've just made dates wonder what meal got lost where.

[Wahine]

Ooooooo You'll be closer to meeeeeeee!!!

Congratulations. It looks great.:cool:

[boy in a kilt]

I was out your way a couple of weeks ago. Visiting one of my clients in Odell. Tomorrow I have to drive from Seattle to Portland, sign the offer paperwork and see the house in person for the sake of form, then drive to Hermiston.

[jesvetmed]

Congratulations on finding such a great place! The kitchen is nice, but the deck is even nicer! Good luck to you both on your move, and to your family in the new home! I am jealous -- I think hubby and I are about a year behind you guys on the waiting and preparing thing! Good to know it pays off!

Jes

[Trek420]

I think hubby and I are about a year behind you guys on the waiting and preparing thing! Good to know it pays off!

Jes

The bad thing about the sub prime mortgage crisis is, well it's a bad thing. :( The good thing is there's never been a better time to buy a home. :rolleyes: Wanna buy a condo near BART? ;)

[GLC1968]

Woohoo! Welcome to the neighborhood! I like the house and LOVE that deck. Very nice!!

We just bought a house in the Laurelwood/Bald Peak area due west of you and we totally understand the lack of funds issue. Ugh! Of course, we're coming here from Greensboro, NC where houses were dirt cheap in comparison. We downsized (by choice) so we now have a LOT of furniture to sell.

We're planning a garage/yard sale in July if you are shopping. ;):p

[Xrayted]

Welcome to the community!! :cool: I think you'll like it here. Lots of bike commuting, you have a main bus transit center in town and... the new train line is going through there to Wilsonville. It'll be a quick zip and no traffic to work. Easy to get to downtown Portland by mass transit too. (one parking space per 10,000 people is crazy :rolleyes:) Housing prices are better in Tigard than some surrounding areas and the quality of the town and schools is pretty good. Kit and I are in Tigard quite often as that is where our kitties' vet is and also Kit's MC shop. We live just on the edge of Tigard and Beaverton.

See ya soon!!

[uforgot]

It only works on houses. :rolleyes:

OMG! Thanks for my laugh of the day!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It only works on houses. :rolleyes:

Not true. National Geographic Magazine did an in depth study of the effect of various odors on humans. Thousands of people participated. The results were interesting.
Strawberry scent helped athletes perform better.
Sage helped people do better on tests.
Lavender helped calm people and made them think more clearly.
But the funniest result was the scent that sexually aroused men the most:
...the smell of cinnamon buns.

:eek: :D

Pretty Freudian if you ask me. :cool:

[boy in a kilt]

Thanks all. We're really looking forward to moving back home.
I finally saw the place in person today and it's weird how a place can seem both roomy and cozy at the same time, but it manages.

Move in date will be the first or second of August. Talk to the boss about furniture.

I'm not sure how cinnamon buns and sex relate. I guess it would depend on the age of the men in the survey. If they are a bit older, it might be that if she is making cinnamon buns to calm you down (or butter you up as the case may be) then you can probably get some sex out of it too if you play your cards right.

[Trek420]

... served with strawberries so's you perform better ;) :D :p

[boy in a kilt]

Maybe a bit of sage to help... concentration.

[Trek420]

Just walked outside and smelled the lavender in front of my condo, now I'm thinking more clearly. I'd better watch it before the SGTiger & BIAK thread gets locked. :rolleyes: ;) :p

[boy in a kilt]

Or moved to the OTA thread where I'm not allowed.

Besides, I don't think my biggest critics read this forum anyway.

[dex]

Congrats on finding a house! :D



Lavender helped calm people and made them think more clearly.


Heh. Lavender just makes my fingers and hands swell up and go numb, and gives me a raging headache to boot.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm not sure how cinnamon buns and sex relate. I guess it would depend on the age of the men in the survey. If they are a bit older, it might be that if she is making cinnamon buns to calm you down (or butter you up as the case may be) then you can probably get some sex out of it too if you play your cards right.

Fun with frosting.
Confectioner's glaze....... :cool:

[NbyNW]

.

We've moved 5 times in the 11 years we've been together. This should be the last time for a very long, long while.



Moving all the time sucks. (My husband and I did the SF-Boston-NYC-Seattle move in three years . . . and we thought each one was the last for a while) I'll drink to staying in one place for a long while!

Congratulations, and may you spend many happy years in your new home. And enjoy many beers on that awesome wooden deck.

[sgtiger]

The kitchen was nice, but there were some other houses that had bigger and nicer ones. I just overall liked this place better than any other. It was nice and bright. The last 3 out of 4 places we lived in were pretty shady which meant they stayed cooler in the summer but just felt gloomy. Also, of all the places I looked at it needs the least amount of work. It also has enough room for us to stretch out. The back yard is wonderful. I don't think the picture of the deck really shows how big it is back there. The deck bisects the space which I think will be nice because the runts have their space, and I will have my veggie/herb garden without having to chase them out of it.

Their side:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/sgtiger3/SGz5hQSF0jI/AAAAAAAAApo/vIqIebaauO0/tigerfamilyhouse%20003.jpg?imgmax=912
It needs a couple trees. Maybe a bean teepee too.

Garden:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/sgtiger3/SGz5huyeeQI/AAAAAAAAApw/tHC_Xwj4hZ8/tigerfamilyhouse%20004.jpg?imgmax=912
Planting us some 'maters next year!

ETA: Thanks for all the good vibes. The inspection went well. Only a few minor issues. Yippee!

[GLC1968]

Wow, you weren't kidding. That backyard is much bigger than it looks in the other photo! I couldn't see the new photos in your post, but copying the url to a new window worked.

Oh, and the moving all the time? I can relate there, too. H and I have been together for 6 years (married for 5). We've moved 6 times since we've known each other including one across-the-country move. Ick. I hope we get to stay put for awhile, too. :)

[boy in a kilt]

There are plans for that yard already. I'm putting a willow tree in there somewhere because I like trees in general and willows in particular.

One of our goals is to catch and store as much rainwater as we can from the roof and store it in an underground tank for irrigating the garden and maybe the lawn. I'm guessing the footprint of the house is somewhere around 1000-1200 square feet. If my math is right, we could catch upwards of 20,000 gallons of water a year. I don't think we need quite that much.

We are thinking that next year we'll tear up the grass, level the yard a bit, bury a couple of 250 gallon tanks to store water and rig piping, then replace the grass with something that doesn't require much water.

[Wahine]

That sounds like a great idea.

If you want to keep some "lawn" space for the kids, creeping thyme is a good option. It doesn't need mowing and you can get drought resistant species.:cool:

[bmccasland]

There are plans for that yard already. I'm putting a willow tree in there somewhere because I like trees in general and willows in particular.

Just make certain you keep your willows FAR away from water pipes - your planned rain cistern, or city plumbing. Willows love water, and will clog your pipes.

Congrats on the new house, looks wonderful. Will join the house warming in spirit!

[salsabike]

Oh, salsa. Remember that discussion we had about re-using waste water a while back? I work in wastewater treatment now and about 90% of the wastewater treatment operators agree with you.

And I've found out that properly digested poo doesn't smell bad.

That's uniquely gratifying since my statements about that came from the vast depths of my ignorance on the subject. AND I can't believe, given that conversation, I didn't tell you about this place Chris and I visited in April---a constructed wetland using filtered wastewater that is incredibly rich with birds and turtles and fish and gators. I would teleport there every morning with my morning coffee if only I could. See: http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/

And here's what we saw:
6475

[salsabike]

PS I'm glad you guys are on the way to being settled. The transition period--where you know a change is coming but you don't actually get to make it yet--is pretty uncomfortable. Glad to hear we'll get you two for periodic TE stuff, but also just glad you got your house part done.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Looks like a wonderful house!

Might want to reconsider that willow though- willows are fast growing and have very big and invasive roots and can literally drill their way into your foundation. Most people don't plant them anywhere even remotely near their houses for that reason.

[elk]

Cool. We'll be neighbors....I live in SW Portland. Where in Tigard is it?

e

[boy in a kilt]

May have to re-think the willows. I knew they liked lots of water. Maybe that's why I always associate them with watery places. There'll be a tree in the back yard. Species to be determined.

The house is off scholls ferry road in the bull mountain area.

[sgtiger]

You can always go visit the weeping willows in Greenway Park. I promised DS, who is currently into Indiana Jones, that I would take him there to swing on the willows.

Picture from the Tigard/Tualatin Parks website:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t241/YourLifetimeAgent/Greeway%20Park/100_5005.jpg

[bmccasland]

May have to re-think the willows. I knew they liked lots of water. Maybe that's why I always associate them with watery places. There'll be a tree in the back yard. Species to be determined.

BIAK - stay away from Cottonwoods and Sycamores too. Actually you need to be carefuly about planting any trees near water pipes. But hydrophyllic trees are the most troublesome - if they grow along western streams, especially intermittent ones, you don't want to plant them anywhere near your pipes.

[boy in a kilt]

I'll need to call in locates before I start digging things up anyway. That'll determine whether any trees get planted in the back yard.

Sycamores aren't really common in Oregon. Cottonwoods are farmed for paper in a few places.

[jesvetmed]

Great pic, stiger! Makes me want to be young again. We used to swing out over the creek near my house when I was growing up! Very cool.

[GLC1968]

The house is off scholls ferry road in the bull mountain area.

Wow, you guys are truly due east of me - by about 20 minutes...maybe 30 with traffic. Small world!


Oh, and I'm pretty sure we have a willow - your kids are welcome to come swing on it if you'd like! :)

[sgtiger]

GLC1968, thank-you for the offer. The tiger cubs would love that. How is your move going BTW? It is soon isn't it? Or are you in the middle of it now? I can't remember: my brain is fried.:confused::o

[GLC1968]

We are still in-transit. We've moved everything out of storage and out of our apartment garage. We will move the rest (basically, the apartment) on the 19th. Ugh!

Plus, we are leaving a few things, that we plan to sell, in the apartment. We are paying rent there until mid-Sept anyway. We figure that people would be more willing to drive to Hillsboro to see our stuff than out into the boonies! ;)

[MM_QFC!]

Hey Sgtiger and BiaK - congrats from me...and Linda too; that is awesome news and I'm very happy for you (although I join Knot in being bummed about losing you to Oregon :( ), but it's good that you found a great place and will get to settle in with family nearby too.
Mary

[Pax]

I missed this earlier...congrats on finding your home!

[sgtiger]

Thank-you, Mary and Queen.:) MM, I'll miss you too. I hope that Linda's and your recovery is going well. I wish I had time to take the two of you out before I move, but I'm not sure time will permit. Boo.