(Whale) Death & Taxes

While I'm glad that we were able to make use of the 1st time homebuyers tax credit, here's one deduction that I was bummed we didn't qualify for...

From page A8 of the 1040 instructions:
"Certain whaling captains may be able to deduct expenses paid in 2009 for Native Alaskan subsistence bowhead whale hunting activities."

I'm sure the 5 people that might actually qualify for this appreciated such specific instructions in the tax code.
-A

Architects and Dog Groomers... Things That We're Not

With our apologies to Zippy, the last few months have shown us two important things about house design.

Number one: we need help with this.
Number two- this is going to cost us, so we need to "trim" our budget in other places.

The pun there was intended since poor Zippy became one of our budget savings. "We don't need to spend money on a dog groomer, certainly we can cut the one and half pounds of hair off you ourselves."

Four hours later and he's happy and skinny, the bird and the squirrels are happy, but man is he scrappy-looking!
Let's hope since we're putting the dog grooming savings into the house pot, the house will come out looking much better than he does.
-J

Architects!

So, we've finished our final round of meetings with potential architects. With few real recommendations to act on, cold-calling random people to see if they would be willing to help you with a 'low' budget project has been grueling. I think I've had phone and/or in-person meetings with 20 or so. These have garnered a large range of responses. From big firms, fancy firms, single employee firms, design-and-build firms, to the architecture student that we met in the Barnes and Noble we've gotten responses from 'I can't help you, I only do $350/sf homes.' to 'You guys seem nice, and I'd like to help you but you'll have to double your budget.' to 'Sure, I know some guys.' and only a few 'These are the types of projects that we like.'

Apparently, its really easy to build an expensive house, but much more difficult and time consuming to get a well-built, inexpensive house, especially one with lots of 'issues'. What with the economy and all, you'd think that more would be interested...

Also, all of these guys have made the same comment: 'Wow, you guys have really done your homework!' This seems odd to me. How are you supposed to find someone that will fit your situation if you don't know what your situation is?

-A

"Good Fences Make Good Neighbors..."

However ours was rotting and would fall over one way or the other whenever it got too moist or windy around here, so we decided it was time to take it down.

Pros- it opens up our yard and street view.

Cons- Now you can really see our shack (and all the other stuff that needs to be done on the property). And that open street view?

Zippy is having a field day with that!

However it's our little slice of the cape and slowly, but surely, we'll transform it into something wonderful. (Right??!!)

-J

"To Do" List

(In no particular order, although I'm numbering them for my own love of structure.)

1. Build house (sub-categories: choose architect, builder, go through committees, move out, tear down pre-existing, non-conforming (PENC) structure, build a new one that might be slightly less non-conforming but at least will have insulation, move back in.)
2. Buy a car.
3. Find out if I still have a job next year. (Would greatly help with #s 1 and 2)
4. Have a baby!!
5. Get my dog to stop barking randomly.
6. Figure out all the sub-categories for #s 2-5.
7. Start blog to help organize the chaos that is rapidly descending on our lives. (check on #7)

Timeline ticking...

-J