I’ve been living at my condo for a few years now, and in the beginning, there was rarely anyone at the pool. The past couple of years have seen a lot of families move in, and now it’s quite crowded at certain times of the day. I’ve developed a love of swimming laps for exercise, … Read more
If you’ve been following my real estate adventures (follies?), you may recall that I had an extended dalliance with the idea of buying a farmhouse with a barn in Upstate New York last summer. I fell in love with the idea, but researched it and estimated costs of repairs and was overwhelmed with the idea … Read more
Here’s the list of ingredients for my current mindset: I’m thinking about moving; I’ve always loved New Mexico from time spent there in the past, and I’ve spent my whole life living either in cities or suburbs. So if I’m feeling restless and have a desire to shake things up, how about looking at 20 … Read more
I drove up to Wurtsboro, NY yesterday to see an open house that seemed too good to be true: the listing describes “Nestled on over eleven acres of serene, wooded land in a peaceful Sullivan County community, this classic six bedroom, one bath Victorian stands as a testament to timeless architecture.” A reasonable price with … Read more
I had pretty much let go of the idea of pursuing the old house in the country in Upstate New York, when on a recent Sunday morning, I was minding my own business, drinking coffee, and reading the Sunday Times … and then I was triggered. There was an article about a dance studio building … Read more
I’m considering the purchase of an old house, and the phrase “this old house” came to mind, which I see is a television show on PBS that perhaps I should start watching. You can see my back-and-forth debates with myself as to whether this is a a good idea or not here. I’m still in … Read more
… and that is the question. What is the more-likely thing that a person might say: “I took on a historic house that needed a lot of work as a new chapter in my life, and it’s the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done,” or: “I bought a historic house that needs a lot of … Read more
I have a property tax payment coming up on May 1st, and it always seems to trigger an escape mentality, as Essex County taxes are notoriously high – in fact, 2024 data shows that Essex County had the highest property tax rate in the state of New Jersey, higher than Bergen County, Morris County, and … Read more
As I mentioned the other day, I reserved a couple nights at a tiny house in upstate New York via Airbnb, and I found it to be a very pleasant experience. As soon as I got there, my fascination with tiny houses in general had me investigating everything in and around this particular tiny house, … Read more
I’ve had a fascination with tiny houses for probably a couple years now, and have looked at countless pictures on social media and watched some YouTube videos and tv shows, and I’ve always thought it would be something I’d be interested in. I like the idea of minimizing my environmental impact, and certainly like the … Read more