More House Hunting and Other Mundane Observations

On Saturday, my agent and I visited a home in a golf-course community.  It had been purchased in 2005 or so for $500k.  I consider an half million dollar home to be something (in my area at least!).  While the home was attractively laid out, and had lovely interior colors and hardwood floors, there were some glaring incongruities.

• Incongruity 1: The kitchen countertops were formica.  I would expect some sort of solid surface in a home of this expense--not formica.
• Incongruity 2:  All of the interior door hardware was cheap, builder grade stuff...just like I put in my home when we built and we had no money.
• Incongruity 3:  The bathroom tubs/showers were fiberglass with fiberglass surrounds.  The tile was cheap.

All I could think of is that whomever bought this home for $500k was bamboozled.   Sometimes flash and dash in a house, much like it is in people, occludes the underlying lack of quality.  I have my own magpie tendencies to be sure.  But I also have a severe dislike of paying too much.  Must be my Armenian rug-trader (goat trader) roots showing themselves!

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Over the last three days, the grackles have been migrating with our woods and yard a stop over. Yesterday, I was working nose to the grindstone at my desk when I heard a strange noise that I could not place.  I then looked out the window I could see them stuck on every branch of every tree.  Today, when I headed out the door to take a break from my desk work, I realized that I was on the cusp of a large migratory batch.  I'm glad I was on the cusp as I otherwise would have been covered in poop that is so generously speckling the ground and our vehicles.

Mark and I had a meeting of the minds regarding the strangely elegant fixture to the left..  This was one of my  LampsPlus Open Box purchases.  I have a pair of them to go over the stairwell.  He has been giving me no end of grief about how is anyone going to change the bulb.  We agreed, (finally!), on a place that would allow the next homeowner to change the light bulb without undergoing a near death experience. 

The stairs to the basement are protected by a rail, so the basement is a very integral piece of the house.  A pair of these lights will be above the stairwell, and I think give some visual interest (in addition to light) to the upper floor area as well as the stairwell.  The new owners mibht think them hideous, but I think that they will be quite beautiful.

And finally...our local paper has an eagle cam project.  This ornithological voyeurism has been done in years past with a pair of mating ospreys.  Now we are at the top of the bird food chain with our national bird.  Take a look!