Where I've been and what we've been doing... (you know me, this is long ;) Oh - and LOTS of picture

ldg

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Anybody miss me? ;) :lol3:

I'm not exactly sure when we found out. I think it was early August. The RV park is closing for the winter. Actually, it started with - "I think I'm going to close the park for the winter." All the contractors told us not to worry, all the contractors will be back come fall, the park won't close.

Well, he decided to close, so we started looking for a new place to call home. Of course it's complicated by the feral cats we have to bring with us.

And as we searched, we found that "open all year" doesn't mean they have running water in the winter. And we had to look further and further and further away. In fact, this is not the only RV park closing for the first time EVER over winter this year. After two hurricanes and last winter, it seems to be the thing to do.

It never occurred to us we could live in an RV and be effectively homeless. :dk:

Of course, we're tied to this location because of Gary's medical situation and our business.

LONG story short, someone for whom we've done a lot of work stepped up to the plate, and we are in the process of buying a HOUSE. Yep, a home to call our own. A feral cat haven!

With our budget, we weren't very excited at what we were finding. Either that, or the distance needed to travel to where we need to get to on a regular basis wasn't exciting. :lol3:

But I guess the universe decided it's time to break up that little black cloud over our heads. Well - first is the events that transpired to cause us to stop looking for a place to park the RV other than at our own home. ;) But it gets better! Because last Wednesday (Sep 17) a home went up in our town as a new listing. I saw it Thursday, and asked our agent about it. She looked into it, it's not a short sale. I went to see it with her Friday. We drove up, I wasn't excited (didn't expect to be, the pictures weren't anything special). We walked up the steps. I looked down as she opened the door. Hunh, that's interesting. The stoop wasn't just cement, but had lovely stones. My interest was piqued. She opened the door, we walked in, and... it felt like home. It's what we've been looking for. No carpets. Beautiful wood floors. The rest? Just bonuses. The home was custom-built by the owners in 1974. They had no kids or pets. It is in amazing condition, they took very good care of their home and things. And? And it is in our town. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was left three years ago to the couple's nephew, a Dane. He's used it as a vacation home, traveling here twice a year. Sadly, he is older and his health is now failing. So this trip, he hired an attorney, gave him power of attorney to sell the home and everything in it. (Bummer it's bundled and being auctioned - we wanted a few things. If we want them, we'll have to go to the auction. But the giant hutch is out, can't bother to transport it back to the house).

Gary has to see it. We make arrangements to go back Saturday. The agent calls, and says the seller is motivated, and she'd like his original signature on the contract, be prepared to make an offer.

Gary saw the place, and we did. We signed all the paperwork. Our offer was accepted that night.

Got our lawyer on board. Contract modifications were sent to the seller's lawyer by Tuesday, accepted with ONE minor modification that day. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wednesday - the home is under contract and delisted - no longer for sale. No more showings!

Inspections are all set for tomorrow. PLEASE KNOCK WOOD. Closing - if all goes well (KNOCK WOOD), is October 8.

The home needs a little landscaping. But it's not too much house for us (a ranch with 5 rooms), it is not too much lawn for us, and it is not too much driveway! :clap: And yet we have privacy - the house is in a little clearing in the middle of our own forest. The property is 2.89 acres, up against what was a 600 acre game preserve that is no longer used as such.

The furniture in these pictures is obviously not ours, it is what's currently in the home.

Enter the driveway:


The house:



The stoop, LOL



The front hall - Vermont slate:



The living room:


Gary's fireplace (KNOCK WOOD!):


Turn left, this is the dining area of the kitchen. (Yes, those floors are really pegged!)


Stand in the back of the dining area, this is the kitchen (custom built cabinets - SO STURDY/SOLID!). Yes, that door on the left of the cabinets is a LARGE pantry.

.
One of the bedrooms:



Master bedroom (has a huge walk-in closet and another large closet). I LOVE the view - it's at the back of the house. The home has LOTS of closets.



Tour of the property. :D

From the front stoop, looking out:


If you walk to the far edge of the lawn and look down through the forest, this is what you can see of the NOT busy road:



Around the house...




From the other side of the house, in the back:


What will hopefully be "our" forest:



There you have it. We would very much appreciate your vibes that there are no major issues that would prevent this from happening. The RV park closes October 19.
 

peaches08

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OMG I am SOOOO excited for you!!!  That is an awesome house (LOVE that kitchen) and the property is nothing short of amazing and perfect for you and your feral colony.  Major vibes sent that everything goes well!

 

swampwitch

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This is such great news, if anybody deserves a break, you guys do! Thanks for the whole story, I've been seeing bits and pieces. It looks like a great place, will be nice with the fireplace on cold evenings, I'm sure the inspection will be fine (or you can lower the price to fix a few things).  I'm so so happy for you! 

Love the floors and that crown headboard (not yours) is hilarious. 
 
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pinkdagger

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Wow, how awesome! It looks gorgeous! The area around it looks great for ferals too!
Best of luck that everything goes smoothly!
 
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ldg

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:hugs: We've gone from insanely nervous with cold feet to REALLY excited. Please, please, please let there be no major issues with the well or septic system or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're sweating the move of the ferals. Being 20 minutes from our current home is going to help a LOT though. Everything else we could afford that we were willing to live in was 45 minutes to an hour or more away.

Thanks to a TCS angel, we now have four crates. And in chatting today, a local shop owner that rescues is going to lend us the two she has - one is one of those multi-level things. (I wonder if we can put both Baloo and Smokey in there together? Hmmmmmm ). We are moving six for sure (Baloo, Smokey, Khol, Froggie, Treebie and Dottie), and up to 10 (additionally would be Peanutbutter, Tommy, Bean and the new black kitty that as of a week ago is around for almost all the meals).
 

fhicat

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Oh my, I'd give a kidney to live in a house like that!

Soo happy for you though, Laurie! Kitty haven, too from the looks of it. Here's some vibes! 
 
 

mschauer

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Laurie that house and property look amazing! 


You and Gary and the kitties are going to love living there. And being surrounded by woods? That is just beyond fantastic.

Don't worry about the inspection. I'm sure all will be fine. I have a strong gut feeling. 
 

denice

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That looks like a beautiful, private property.  I hope everything goes well with the inspection and closing.  I think you will be much happier there especially if we have another winter like the last one.
 

Docs Mom

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Looks like kitty heaven! Lots of jingles & purrs that all goes well with the closing and getting the fur family moved...more photos when you guys get moved in!

Lisa :)
 

furmonster mom

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Oh my goodness, what a beautiful place! 

It looks very well built and cared for. 

What wonderful karma for you and your colony.  
 

Norachan

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OMG, it's amazing!!!!!

You're not going to know what to do with yourselves having all that room after living in your RV for so long. And your cats are going to LOVE IT!

Are you going to let them roam freely all over the house? Or have a special kitty room for them? Are you going to fence off your patch of forest or can you trust them to come home again once they've got used to the place? We can trade cat-proof fencing ideas if you like.



Mega vibes that you get this place. 



Keep us posted on how it goes. I'm, looking forward to regular updates on how Pawley and the rest of the gang settle in.
 

ondine

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Oh my!  I'm speechless - what a peaceful, lovely place.  You know I'm sending vibes.

The whole place just looks - well, serene is the only word that comes to mind.  It will be a place of healing for everyone.

Having been through this a couple of times, I would say don't worry about the particulars.  If the inspection reveals something - decide to fix it  and move on.  The whole process is so fraught with tension, I am not surprised people aren't buying homes.

My son is in the middle of buying his first home.  He swears it will be his last just because of the paperwork! 
 
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ldg

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Let's see... since moving out of a house, we've rescued Billy, Chumley and Pawley. Pawley is fully integrated at this point (!!). I think Chum will have the hardest time adjusting. Tuxedo will think we bought the home just for him. ;)

We'll do the same as we did before for the indoor kitties: put them in our bedroom for a day and night, bring lots of their beds unwashed, and dump our unwashed sheets and blankets in the middle of the floor for one night. Lots of comforting, familiar scents. Keep to the feeding schedule, but feed in the bedroom until everyone is comfortable moving around the house. That's probably a few weeks in a ranch style home.

The outside kitties, we're sticking to plan. No enclosure. They will be caged for a few weeks to a month, and the cages kept in a large tent in the back yard facing the forest. We'll bring all their scents: the feeding stations, the shelters, the boards under the RV. I am going to have our animal communicator talk to each of them before we open the cages. But we want their scents there, and we want them to see and smell their new home while we establish (or confirm ;) ) their feeding routine. :heart2:
 

feralvr

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YAY a thread on your BIG MOVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You certainly HAVE been missed too. :hugs: I have been so very, very excited about this whole process for you, Gary and ALL of the furbabies. :hyper: The home is absolutely gorgeous and I love, love the whole property and the views. Yes - your own little forest. :cross: :cross: At first, I thought using the garage would be good for the feral cats BUT then realized that using the tent in the backyard facing the forest is so much better because that whole backyard and forest will be there new territory, not the garage. :lol3:

MAJOR ENORMOUS VIBES and prayers for today's inspection to go very, very well and that if anything is found out it can be easily and swiftly rectified. I am sure the seller wants nothing more than to finally sell the property and home so will work hard for you. :cross: :nod: :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes: AND AND AND GINORMOUS HUGS to you both today. :grphug: :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: :grphug2: to help get you through the inspection. ;)

p.s. AND... :woohoo: that you will still be so close to the RV park just in case you need to go back and snatch up any straggling kitties. :D No worries, it WILL (KNOCK WOOD!!!!!!!) work out one way or another. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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lorie d.

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Laurie, I'm so happy for you and Gary!  I can't wait for your next post where you tell us the inspection and closing went well and you're moving in!  
  

I remember a few years ago when you and Gary rented a house for a while.   At that time, din't you buy some furniture and put it in storage when you moved back to the RV??? 
 

goholistic

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@LDG, as I sit here reading your update and looking at the photos, I'm at a loss for words (in a good way).  
  I'm SO happy and excited for you and Gary and all the kitties. I knocked on wood over here (actually, a co-worker came over and said, "Were you just knocking?" LOL). I absolutely love the house and the outdoor space, and you're right, it does look immaculate. Yeah, no carpet!  
  The master bedroom is huge (which I, personally, would selfishly claim all for myself).  


Sending lots of vibes for the inspections today! 
 

ondine

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The master bedroom is huge (which I, personally, would selfishly claim all for myself).  
Now goHolistic.  Everyone knows with kitties, no room is available for humans to claim as their own! 




I see a future filled with lots of kitty snuggles in that bedroom!
 
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goholistic

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Now goHolistic.  Everyone knows with kitties, no room is available for humans to claim as their own! 
LOL! Sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant all to myself vs. sharing with other humans.  
  The cats are ALWAYS allowed to be where mommy is! 


@LDG, hoping everything is going okay today. Knocking on wood! 
 

ondine

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OK - there is a slightly larger chance that having a room without humans will happen.  Without cats?  No way!

I had to get up and sleep on the sofa last night because our two oldest (and biggest) cats decided THEY wanted the bed to themselves.  I swear, what we don't do for them!
 
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