Kanha and I, along with contractor Nick, went to see the red house last week and they both liked it a lot -- he because the present owner did an excellent job of improving the infrastructure and systems of a very old New England house (they made all the unexciting updates that the artist owners of the "house with a view" skipped), she because it's a house, not a tiny one bedroom apartment where she has to share a room with her mom. I think they both had very intelligent analyses of the situation.
I liked it too: the space is good for us -- not too small, not too big, the yard big enough to play catch with the dog but not too much to mow and can be made more private with some strategically placed trees, it doesn't need a huge amount of work -- is, in fact, livable as is -- but has places where we can make our mark -- finishing the top floor, opening up the kitchen. The biggest negative to me at this point is its location -- it's not quite in a neighborhood like our old house in Cambridge -- it's unlikely Kanha will be running back and forth to the house next door because there essentially isn't one. In addition, there's a day program for the mentally ill around the corner called Amistad that attracts a slightly unkempt and sometimes rowdy crowd to the neighborhood, Monday through Friday, 9-5. But as Stephanie, my guru/therapist, pointed out to me, Kanha, just ten and growing older by the minute, will soon have little interest in running next door compared to her excitement about being able to run around town, which this house will certainly afford. And I've been by the house at many times of day and seen little from the activity at Amstad that looks much different than average city living, and after all, the red house is in the city.
I wish I felt swept away by it, like I did with the house with the view. But perhaps it's like a love affair -- since I'm planning on making this a long term thing -- ten years or perhaps longer -- it's probably better for my feelings to begin slow and steady, with affectionate and a sense of potential, rather than explode in an intense passion that, sadly, had to be set aside once the realities of the challenge ahead were brought into full view. In any case, I've drafted my offer letter and am getting ready to press "send."
Before pressing "send," I decided to take one more breeze through the New England Moves website and, of course, found something of interest -- a cool looking row house on Park Street -- very shishi address (is that how you spell it??) -- for a reasonable price ($380K), all fixed up, with enough space, a large (shared) yard and... a shared pool (yikes -- this might be better than the yard for the dog from Kanha's POV), on top of views of Portland Harbor from the highest floor. I guess it was preordained -- something had to tip me off my even-keeled perch one last time. I emailed Nikki about it, but am not so sure I even want to go to see it. It seems fabulous in a way, but on the other hand, it's not as financially attractive as the red house due to the lack of tenant income, there's no place to easily have dinner outside (the kitchen is 2 floors away from the deck), and it's in a condo association with all the related difficulties that brings. But it makes one think....
Decision will have been made by the next time I write. I promise.
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