Mosquitos! (and Screech Owls)

[altivo]

It hasn't rained now for six days, and believe me, we are counting the additional days until the mosquitos dry up and blow away. That usually takes a good three weeks. Right now they are the worst I can ever remember seeing feeling them. Even with long sleeves and drenched with DEET bearing repellent, you can't go outside without being swarmed. Open your mouth and they fly in. Breathe and they go up your nose. They are constantly trying to fly into your ears (why?)

The horses are bearing it stoicly, even Tess who seems to have the tenderest skin. No matter how much stuff I spray on her, she is covered with them as soon as she goes outside. Vampires would be easier to tolerate, I think. At least they might seem sexy somehow.

In other news, an obnoxiously huge house that was built just around the corner from us some five years ago is now for sale. My guess is they've hit the balloon at the end of their adjustable rate mortgage. However, I see little chance right now of their finding a buyer at or near their asking price of just under $2 million. Yes, you read that right. No other property around here is valued at anywhere near that. Most come in at 10 to 15% of it. We thought it was strange when the place went up. We thought it stranger when a couple of years later they added onto it, and built a second garage. The driveway always has two or three overpowered pickup trucks, an SUV, and usually a Hummer sitting in it. Who knows what's in the garages (3 bays on the house, two more in the separate building.) They put up a pole barn and fences, and had two good looking horses there for several years. Only once did I ever see anyone doing anything with them at all, though there was a round pen set up. Last year the horses vanished and the fence was removed. The barn is still there, but now it's surrounded by three acres of turf tended by a lawn company.

They put up an outdoor, above ground pool, and acquired a hot tub. They landscaped in front of the house with a pond and waterfall, with floodlights on it. When the addition went on, we could see a spiral staircase through the windows, but the only thing we could think of that would explain the huge addition would be an indoor swimming pool.

Found the real estate listing on the internet, and yes, there's an indoor swimming pool with waterfall and slide. The house has six bedrooms and 8-1/2 baths, two living rooms, kitchen, dining room, and basement. We've referred to it for years as "the yuppie house" but I suspect we may soon be referring to it as "the poorhouse" or else "the empty house". It stands on 40 acres of absolutely flat land with almost no trees, that used to be a cornfield. In fact, a large portion of it still is a cornfield, presumably leased out to the original owner who continues to farm it. Can you say "ostentation"? I thought you could. Can you say "stupid"? So can I. I suspect the teenage daughters, once they lost interest in the horses, were forever complaining how boring it is out here. No shopping malls, no hangouts to meet their friends. The wife probably didn't like it that much either. We'll probably never know the whole story, because they didn't mix with the locals at all, but it will be interesting to see what happens now. Anyone care to buy it? The listing says you can get a 30 year fixed mortgage at 6.25% if you put 20% down. That's a down payment of $400000 once you add in closing costs. Then your monthly payment would be "only" $9000 or so. Heh. There's probably no rush, but if you just can't wait, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the agent.

We used to have screech owls years ago when we first moved out here. I figured they'd been driven off by the increasing noise and traffic, but this morning just after dawn we heard one. Then we heard it again just after dusk tonight. I hope it sticks around.

Comments

[deffox]

Ha, I missed the mosquitoes! :-P

I've been mostly offline during our trip, but have heard about the flooding. Mostly by downloading 400 posts into my laptop to read offline.

Last year I got eaten alive by the mosquitoes when hiking in the mountains. This time I only got a bite or two. I came overprepared with multiple bottles of deet.

As for the house, sounds like people who may have (had?) a good job. But they probably still max out all the credit they can get their hands on. Some people seem to be poor with four times the income I make.

Three or four years ago I was looking at getting a house. The market was insane and I eventually lost interest. The one place I bid on went for above asking price.

The two banks I inquired at both pitched adjustable rates at a time when rates were at record lows. I cut them off that talk and stuck to the 15 and 30 year fixed rates.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, even 20 years ago the banks were pushing adjustable rates. I never understood it, but they promoted them and people took them. But 20 years ago, when that balloon payment came due the property was worth more than what you still owed. Now it may not be, with prices falling and interest rates rising.

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

Can't even imagine owning a place like that. I like the big garage workshop idea, but the rest of it is overkill. Why on earth would you want all that in a house? They probably didn't even enjoy it much spending all their time working to afford the payment. I'm all for keeping it simple and affordable.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

If they weren't Mafia, then they had to be lawyers or stock brokers. That's all I could ever imagine that would pay for such a white elephant. Well, gray elephant, since that's the color it's painted. And to make that kind of money in either field, they'd have to commute to Chicago, which explains why a couple of the occupants would be gone all the time. I used to do that myself, so I know. Eight months of the year you leave before dawn and arrive home after dark whether you take the train or drive a car. As for why they needed more than eight baths for what couldn't have been more than five people, I have no idea.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Weird, why would anyone need 8.5 baths ?? Someone has to clean that lot.

Sounds like someone went overboard, got in over their heads and now that place is going to sit empty for quite awhile by the sound of it.

As to the mosquitos they can get very bad around here, but its been ages since it rained enough for them to get bad. Also being in the suburbs most of the water is drained away plus they spray the drains everyso often with a organic insecticide which breaks down fairly fast.

I'm going to start drawing up the design of the house I live in to see if the house could be renovated or if it's better to rebuild the sucker.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm? You think you need more bathrooms? ;p

I can't explain it, certainly. There was rarely any sign of anyone living there at all, other than cars in the driveway. And those seemed to be there more because they were "extra" than as a sign of occupation. All we ever saw were hired crews working on stuff.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I rather like the sounds of that house, but not at the price. I would never pay that much for a pre-built house. If I was going to max out my own material/elitism qualities, I'd build, not buy. I suspect people around there aren't looking for much additional water to play in right now, so among all the other things, yeah, that may be sitting there a while. I'll be happy when the housing market starts dropping off here. They just built a new sub division not long back, smallest houses I've seen in years, and they're starting in the $180K+ range.I think we need a nice upheaval in the market. Time for the economix cycle to be a cycle, one with rises AND falls, and not just steady "rises" thanks to government "influence". But that's a whole other soap box. I expect theb real estate prices here will stay high for a while, and people will still buy. We actually have a housing shortage.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It all really depends on availability of mortgage funding at low rates. That appears to be drying up pretty quickly now, which is bound to affect both prices and new building. We are seeing a lot of foreclosures around here, and a lot of new building that isn't finding buyers. Not because there aren't people to move in, but because they can't get loans to pay for it.

The "housing shortage" being trumpeted in many parts of the country is fake, I think. There is a shortage of affordable housing, but no shortage of housing. Far less rental property is available than what there was 25 years ago, for instance, so people who don't have the funds needed to negotiate a purchase have trouble finding places to live.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

No, it's actually a housing shortage in this immediate area. Most finance companies in the area offer below average rates on loans here too, and that's mostly because the local foreclosure rate has actually gone down. We're a little calm bubble in a stormy sea.

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

Like yourself, I would rather bats than mossies, cornfields than megahomes and owls than traffic.

Anyone who has visited that much high finance should purge by giving away everything to the needy

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Something like that, yes. Though I suspect that the persons responsible for this monstrosity are now in trouble and about to do major penance for it. ;p

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

if only the rich (or as appears to be in this case, the transient rich) would show that downsizing is the only way forward; there are those out there that follow and try to mirror the every move of rich and (in)famous.

aint dat de troof

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm inclined to agree. Did you see the photos linked to my next post?

I really don't care if someone is that wealthy and wants to build a fancy house. But this just wasn't the location for it and they are going to find that out now when they get no offers.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Ridiculous house. :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

For a single family? Yes, I agree.

On the other hand, it would be a nice house for one of your group living environments, or the one daikitsune proposes. But the location is no good. There's a similar one a couple of miles south of us that was put up slightly earlier and looks more like a western style bunkhouse. It is also located on a big chunk of empty ex-cornfield. It also has a for sale sign, though we haven't looked up the listing.

Here's the listing, with photos ;p

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Hells yeah! :D

I'd say it's a wee bit pricey, considering location, but this kind of domicile is absolutely ideal for my plans. Several of them, in fact. In the Vancouver area, I could see this going for at least 3mil, and it would be worth every penny. But not out there, sadly enough.

Not, at least, unless I get my gyrocopter fleet up and running (or whatever happens to fill that tech slot at the time). But that wasn't slated to enter reality until after the houses.