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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

Chilling Out on the Cheap

By Ellen McCarthy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 9, 2008; Page WE21

"It's a shame inner peace has gotten so pricey.

"Because certainly we need it now more than ever. The talking heads  
are yapping incessantly. The economists are brooding. The tailgaters  
are honking, the neighbors are squabbling, the Earth is struggling and  
the next family crisis is beeping in on call waiting.

"A desert retreat might be nice about now, but that would inevitably  
set you back a couple grand and multiply your carbon footprint with  
jet fuel. A day at the spa could do the trick, but only if you've got  
a few hundred to spare. Price hikes at the gas station will probably  
nix that Sunday drive in the country, and even the neighborhood yoga  
class suddenly costs $20 a pop. . . ."

There is lots more at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/08/AR2008050800920.html?hpid=smartliving

As for me, I will take breakfast to the front porch and view the  
surroundings here at Heartwood.
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Eh, I hesitate to put up the listing until we had a ratified contract.  
I am still not sure we have one, I need to see what Roy comes up with  
when he shows up sometime this afternoon.  Apparently there's a roof  
issue and I don't know whether he agreed to take it as-is or not.

The soil, I did not have it tested. It's in pasture, orchard grass and  
fescue. I didn't see any signs of over-wet spots, or the worst of the  
weeds that come up in overgrazed and sour land. I did see some  
volunteers because it hasn't been kept down but that's easy to  
rectify. The biggest drawback is no hardwoods, but the truth of the  
matter is I'd really like to focus on renewable solar or wind *anyway*  
and hey, Roy's an electrical engineer first and foremost and if we  
can't figure that out we're doomed.  It looks like the middle paddock  
which was used as a run-in to the Morton barn has been overgrazed and  
reduced to weeds. I might just make it a dry lot.

Seller pays survey, septic and water. We asked for and paid for a home  
inspection, to include radon (which I ended up waiving, I'm not too  
worried about that right now). We waived lead. One stupid thing I did  
was to forget to ask for an appraisal contingency. I am so used to  
that being covered by the financing contingency, which we did not  
include in this contract, that I just forgot it and so did the  
realtor.  *eye roll*  Anyway, I know we are right in line with the  
comps because I did research them, so if we are off, it's not by much,  
and I don't think we are anyway.

It's 20 acres, +/-. Did I say that already?

Oh man I cannot wait to live there.  :)

Whoooohooo