Bye, Bye, Termites...

While over at the house today, I had a little look at what last week was a VERY active trail for the termites.  When the termite treatment bidders came in, they showed me these tunnels that the termites made.  One of the guys cracked one open, and you just saw a STEADY steam of termites going up and down, up and down.  It was quite disconcerting.

Well, the termite treatment was added three days ago ($900), and I am happy to see just how quickly it is working!  The termites are just falling out of the tunnel.

It's amazing to me just how quick it worked, but I am quite happy.

The broken trail of termites and the carcasses laying at the bottom.

Dead Termites!  Yay!!!

Give Me Grass!!!

If there is any thing that I have learned about my view on yards, it's this:  GIVE ME GRASS.  I just can't get enough of it.  To me, a yard is supposed to be just that.  So on a previous foreclosure, the first thing I tackled was removing the more than 100 hundred bricks and stones and pavers from the yard.

This house is more of the same.  I just can't stand for grass to be covered up!  So I took advantage of the fence being broken and backed my truck all the way into the backyard.  And I lifted up all the stones and wood from the ground.  It's time to see dirt and let grass grow (I will plant it later in the fall).

A mess of stones!

Everywhere you looked, you saw more stones!

I don't even know.  A flat area for a shed?

Get out of my yard!!!

Judging by the amount of stones and the shape, I have come to the conclusion that they had a swimming pool.  I cannot verify this with any aerial photos, though, so who knows.  All I know is I don't like stones on the yard!

Bye, bye, stones!

Just give me grass!!!

The mess of stones I pulled from the yard today.

I listed them for sale.  Someone else can have them!!!

So I removed them all.  I trashed the rotten wood, and I listed the stepping stones on a Facebook selling site for $2 apiece.

UPDATE:  On August 27, the stones sold!  I received $52 for what I considered junk to me!  This house has given back already!  Woo hoo!

I've Got Keys to a House That Smells Like Pee!!!

Well, that was simple.  It's pretty comical to me how the closings have morphed over the years.  With previous closings, several parties were present at the title company.  I remember especially with my first commercial closing, the banker and realtor were there, and we had a lengthy chat.

Oh, how the times have changed.  I walked in to the title company, grabbed a piece of chocolate, and waited...and waited for someone else to show up!  I just went ahead and started signing all of the papers with the closer.  My realtor eventually showed up, but I would learn that my banker just dropped off the papers earlier.  "Eh, he's fine."

Cracks me up!

But that's how it went!

I made small talk with the realtor about my properties, about the market, about selling my house, about flipping this house (he is SO interested to see it when it's done), and about the gorgeous woodwork in the title company house.  But that was it!

I got the keys, and I was out the door!  To the house!  It's a pretty good feeling.

But then I had another special trip!  I headed to PetsMart to buy some urine spray.  It is advertised as using enzymes to break down the urine and thus getting rid of the smell.  I had used a similar product with some success on a couch years ago in Cleveland.  But that ended up being an adventure within itself!

I had looked up the price of a gallon online at the PetsMart website.  $21.99.  Ok, sweet, I'll just head to the store.  But when I arrived, I found the price to be $32.99!!!  WHAT?!  So I made a quick call to Dad to verify, and sure enough, the price online was $21.99.  And if you buy it online, you CAN pick it up in the store!  I thought, "This is nuts."  If I had a smartphone, I would just buy it right there in the aisle and take it up with me!  Well, Dad couldn't figure out the website, so I called my brother.  He was able to get me a bottle within minutes.

But it wasn't going to be easy!  I went up to the front, and they said that even though I had purchased it, they could not release it until they saw the confirmation on THEIR computer.  Thinking it's 2016, I figured that would take a few seconds...you know, with the internet and all.  Imagine my surprise when he says it often take a couple of hours!!!  I decided to wait around for 10 minutes and see.

Well, those 10 minutes came and went.  I checked out all the animals in the store while I waited...and checked out the fish again!  It was back to the house.

I would eventually come back in a couple of hours and get my bottle.  But what a silly principle!  And all to save 11 bucks.  Hey, that's 11 bucks!

But I have a house.  And the house smells like pee.  Actually, to me it smells like a veterinary clinic when I walk in the door.  What have I done?!