Weighing Pros and Cons

So I went and looked at a house this past Wednesday...and then I went and looked at it again today with a contractor friend (thanks, Scott!!).

I'm weighing the pros and cons of making an offer.  Scott says I'd probably have to pick between repairs and fencing/animals the first year or two.

I really like the house itself...but it needs a lot of work and only comes with 5.5 acres - about half of which is a pond and some marshy area.

Some of the cons:

-I'd have to pay Maine income tax (yep, no income tax in NH!)

-I'd have a 30-minute drive to work/church (currently walk, lol)

-Th house would need a new roof before too long

-I'd have to get flood insurance (the river is right across the road)

-Not nearly as much acreage as I want

-Upstairs needs carpet or flooring (stripped to the sub-floor right now)

-Upstairs has no heat, lol

-I'd need to look up whether the "wetlands" out back limit what I could do with the property, as wetlands and bodies of water are sometimes protected

-Only one bathroom...unless you count the attached two-seater outhouse!!  :P

Some of the pros:

-I really like the layout of the house, especially the first floor

-I really like the antique style of the house - the dining room has a crystal chandelier and a tin ceiling!!

-The drive, though a bit long, is at least a very pretty drive

-Limited acreage limits the number of animals I can have, lol...might be a good thing.  ;P

-Washer and dryer included

-Fairly low property taxes

-There are cows next door!!!  :D

-Nice big kitchen

-Nice big barn (though it'll need some work)

-I would have ridiculously huge, amazing trees on my property!!  I'm not kidding - Scott is 6'7"!

So yeah.

I have no idea.  I'm about 78% leaning toward passing on this one, and waiting for something else.  I'm working on praying and trusting that God will make it clear whether this is the right house for me.  Maybe talking to the mortgage guy will clear that up in a hurry, lol.  :P  

Anyway...I hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday!!  :)  

Thea at 3.5 Weeks

It's amazing how fast little Thea and her littermates are growing up!  It's only about 6 weeks now until I'll make the trek down to South Carolina to pick her up.  Helen, her breeder, says that Thea is calm, friendly, and people-oriented so far - exactly what I wanted!  

Anyone else ready to add a puppy to your family?  Thea's tri-colored sister is available!

Enjoy a few puppy pictures; photo credit goes to Helen Holbrook.  

Helen's keeper pup, a sable female.

Thea in the middle, available tri girl on the right.

Thea on the left, showing how light she is compared to her brother.

Anyway...Thane is moaning in his crate right now - a clear sign that he wants some attention, so I'd better play with him for a few minutes.  

I hope everyone is having a great start to their week!!  :)

What's Been Going On

Sorry I haven't blogged much lately...I feel kind of like a lot has been going on...but at the same time, I also feel like nothing has been going on.

I drove to Moultonborough, NH this morning and met a nice lady who sold me a pair of hand carders for wool.  She was kind enough to drive 45 minutes to meet me, and even refused a few extra dollars for her trouble.  

I've met several nice people through Craigslist so far - Wayne at Paradise Farm, who sold me the fleeces and some goat milk...Linda and Gordon, who needed help shearing alpacas...and today, Ann.  I know you have to be careful on Craigslist, but it's proving to be a very good resource so far.  

Not much else is new...I talked to the mortgage guy, and the physical manifestation of Butterscotch Farm may take until at least the spring to come into being.  I can't afford much house, and the first-time homebuyer programs limit the acreage quite a bit too...and people are starting to take houses off the market for the winter.  I keep looking at the houses for sale, then getting frustrated...and then I have to remind myself that if God wants me to have my own place, He'll direct me to the perfect house...in HIS timing.

Anyway.

Thane and I still loop through at least a little corner of the woods almost every day.  Today I brought the big camera along and got a few decent pictures.  

  

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!