<p>Keeping my fingers crossed for you!</p>
<p>House #10 Hoarder House</p>
<p>I got it!!! I got it!!!<br>
Had to make a very strong offer to beat out the competitors, but I know the neighborhood really well and I think the views will sell this house. The house has a lot of issues that cannot be solved; small one car garage under house that cannot be expanded, it’s grandfathered by the city. Steep stairs to front door, no other way to get to house. And, I just cannot figure out where anyone can put the City trash cans for collection. I need to find ways to mitigate some of these issues.</p>
<p>I created an attachment with my offer that listed the items I am willing to do to help the Seller (see post above). I really wanted the Seller to know that I would help him with any issues and help him transition out of the house with the least amount of stress.</p>
<p>I also wrote a cover letter (similar to Spanish Bungalow purchase) explaining who I am and that I have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years and we are a family business, not a big corporation.</p>
<p>Once again, my cover letter did it!!</p>
<p>When the listing agent called he focused on some of the critical issues - we are closing in 5 days. But, then he started right up again about how he hoped I would list it with him in the future. Wanted to set up a meeting to review the potential listing. Uggggh!! the guy never stops</p>
<p>I won’t be able to get inside until next week, but I will definitely post a lot of BEFORE pictures</p>
<p>P.S. turns out there’s a 1999 Buick stuck in the little garage. Darn… it’s not a 1965 vintage Porsche or something.</p>
<p>Congrats!!! :)</p>
<p>Congrats!</p>
<p>Should be a fun project, after a few dumpsters’ worth of cleanout.</p>
<p>Who knows, maybe you’ll find a few sacks of cash the old guy forgot about. ;)</p>
<p>I love reading this thread and so appreciate CB sharing with us – hoping this works out for you! And I really love how you tailored your terms to the benefit of the seller. You have a good heart!</p>
<p>AWESOME! So glad you got the house! You really are going out of your way for seller…that’s so nice of you.</p>
<p>Congrats! Can’t wait to see pictures!</p>
<p>cb: You mentioned the problem with finding a place for the trash bins. Is that a problem you have to solve, or is that something the buyer will simply discover on his own, his first or second night in the house?</p>
<p>I had the same trash can issue on a beautiful home on Mt Helix that I did about 3 years ago, trash cans needed to go down a steep driveway on collection day. At first I stressed about it, then I just realized that “it is what it is”. Most of the buyers who viewed that house didn’t even realize the problem. But, the one who did end up buying it noticed the issue. We discussed and they were fine with trying to solve the problem themselves.</p>
<p>Simple solution is to put the trash cans in the small garage down on the street and live with the fact that you cannot put a car in the garage. Other solution is to modify retaining wall along sidewalk for a little cubby hole to keep the trash cans, but then they are right out by the sidewalk for everyone to use and vandalize. Would probably need to build a little gate around them. Best solution is to build an exterior dumbwaiter system along side of house that mechanically/electrically raises and lowers the large cans on trash collection day.</p>
<p>For now I have to ignore the problem because I honestly cannot even see the yard, property boundaries or anything because everything is so overgrown. Cannot even walk around the house. Last night I went over for sunset to see the views and I just literally panicked. This house is going to be a money pit and I am really worried that it will not sell for what I need. Buyer’s remorse!</p>
<p>cb, you will do well with this house. Given the views, you’re going to find a special buyer who will love it. Just don’t find that buyer before you do the renovation, or you’ll be going nuts again!</p>
<p>ETA: Eager to see pictures.</p>
<p>coralbrook - we live on a long private drive (no views or anything special) and have to take our 3 cans (trash, recycled stuff, and yard waste) down to the main road on garbage collection days. So do our neighbors. In more than 14 years we lived here, it was not an issue! A buyer interested in a great place with a great view will find a solution! Perhaps, they will consume less and produce less waste. :)</p>
<p>Regarding the trash cans. It would be OK if there was a driveway, but house is raised high off street and the only way to get down to sidewalk is steep stairs. No way to take City cans down those stairs. So, I need to find a place where the cans can live down at the street.</p>
<p>Have you asked the guy you’re buying it from what he did about the trash cans?</p>
<p>Is there an open area under the front stairs? Granted whoever lives in this house would need to carry their garbage down to the cans (I think that is your concern, yes?). Personally, we have everything in bags so it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. We also have a small recycling covered container next to our kitchen trash can. Very easy to remove the lid and carry that out to the big recycle can which rolls out to the curb.</p>
<p>It’s weird that the alley doesn’t connect with the street. From the satellite photos it looks like there is a second garage off of the alley.</p>
<p>How big are the city garbage cans? It doesn’t look like it would be that hard to carry a garbage can down the front steps, but then I am a studly man.</p>
<p>Or they can put them in the back of the garage and just move the car on garbage day.</p>
<p>I just looked at the street view on Google. I don’t know how much is feasible nor whether it’s economically appropriate, but it seems to me you could re-do the stairs in a less steep manner if you’re willing to re-do the entire yard. Like, reroute them back and forth, with a short set or three or four stairs, then a little landing, then three or four more stairs, twisting and turning in the front yard. That would let you do little terraces filled with green stuff at each level. Then, somewhere in there, you could put a little niche or dugout to hold the garbage cans. </p>
<p>It appears that there’s a board – like, 8’ x12" or so – across the garage door. What’s that about??</p>
<p>That board is right at bumper height.</p>
<p>I’'m guessing someone hit it with the car and dented it or poked a hole in it, and “repaired” it by slapping a board on it.</p>
<p>^^^You may be right.</p>
<p>Interesting that the alley isn’t paved at your end. That, plus the way the house on the other side of the alley is set on it’s lot, means your house has privacy on that side. There’s something on the alley side of your house in the back that almost looks like a garage from the aerial view…</p>
<p>You guys are so much fun and great… Looking at the Google views and trying to help out. </p>
<p>First, I am definitely going to change the stairs and the front yard to try to make the access to the front door more inviting and less treacherous. Very Happy’s idea is exactly where I was going, although it has been a very stressful week and I haven’t been able to even start thinking about too many changes.</p>
<p>The garage is hilarious. It’s locked up so I cannot tell if there is even any room for a car plus two large trash cans. But I finally figured out that crazy board is there for a reason. At first I had no idea what was going on. Then, when the Listing Agent finally found out that it is a 1999 Buick in there, I know what happened!! That Buick was probably about 6 inches too long to get into the garage. The guy (obviously when he was younger) actually took off some boards and has built a box ‘extension’ on the garage door. Exactly where a rear bumper would be. I’ll take some pictures when I get access to the garage.</p>
<p>Regarding the alley. I cannot figure out why the City never finished the paved alley down to the street. I’m guessing that they will not pave it because it is too steep. I have walked the end of that alley. The alley ends short of the neighbor (above) property. You have to go through the dirt/bushes to get to the top property line of the little white house. That little building there is kind of some ‘shack’ that someone put behind the house. The back of it doesn’t have a garage door and it backs up to the dirt/bushes/hillside portion of the ‘alley’.</p>
<p>Ideally, I would go into the City and have a big discussion and try to purchase an easement for the dirt slope. But, it is just too steep to get a car up that slope and create a small garage in the alley. Plus, could you imagine starting some long drawn out City process while I am trying to sell this thing? Been there, done that, No Thanks! I can guarantee they would come out with a bunch of surveyors and suddenly my little property is encroaching somewhere and needs to be torn down.</p>