Tape

We've been pushing through the red tape all year, and there's still a little bit more of that to go, I'm sure (bank inspector comes Thursday), but now we're ceremoniously done with another sort of tape- the green tabs that we were using to open our cabinets and drawers.

The "before" : green tape tabs

Master of precision

Yes, we got around to installing the knobs and pulls. And while I felt that the green had added a fun hint of color, I do have to say that the doors and drawers open so much better with the real stuff.

The "after"

Island drawers sans green tape

Classy!

It's starting to be pleasant realizing we can now slow down and do things at our own when-we-get-to-it pace. Sure there's plenty to do still, but we're in. We're living here just fine the way it is. There's no dire rush anymore, and that's nice.

-J

We (and the neighbors) Like to Call It Improvement

Today we finally closed on a construction loan to help us pay for the hole we've (*literally*) dug ourselves into. Some might wonder about the wisdom of tearing down our house before fully securing the funds to rebuild it. I'd encourage these individuals to meet our mortgage appraisers to understand why this happened. What is bewildering about appraisers, the people who assign a value to your house (or potential house), is that the enormous sway they hold over the loan process is matched with near-zero liability. Couple this with the fact that they have completely no idea what they are doing...I think I've found my next career.

Speaking of 'value', as we were signing our lives away today, the attorney remarked that all mortgages have a clause that stipulates that the 'owner shall not act in such a way that decreases the value of the house' and that we likely violated this clause on our previous mortgage by tearing down the house. I, respectfully of course, disagreed and countered that, according to said appraiser, the land itself was worth more than the house and the land.

However, Jody later reminded me that metal stakes are holding up our new mailbox at the front of the lot... classy!

- A