Friday, July 23, 2004
Geez, I didn't post for 2 weeks, and now I feel like so much has happened.
The structural engineer left his own firm, which meant load calcs and drawings to help Mabel and Galusha stand up (kinda important, yes?) were on a desk in an office in Southwest, and no one could go fetch them. I asked my architect if perhaps it was time for Mabelgate.
One of the other principals, though, decided my contract was worth keeping so he came out to meet us, all nervous in his squeaky new shoes. These engineers, they're so geeky they're sweet. So I think other than losing a little time, Mabel and Galusha will stand up after all.
I went and paid the city to move my lot line 13 feet, so now Mabel has an itty bitty front yard instead of space for just a shrub. Even with the change, Galusha's still on an oversize lot, albeit by about 25 or so feet.
More and more, every time I'm out back -- which is often in this summer heat -- I walk the land and feel where everything's going to go. In fact, with the beautiful new fence installed on the south house, it seems almost as if the land is shaping itself to the vision. You can see where the turn will be to go into Mabel and imagine the way the road slopes down and out of the middle of the block. I like walking to where the Brussels sprout forest is and knowing it will, in a year or so, open up into the tango bindery, a place I imagine as a wide-open room full of light, music, art, and fun.
I'm still leaning toward building both houses, and the builder's new, lower numbers today bolster my ambition.
The structural engineer left his own firm, which meant load calcs and drawings to help Mabel and Galusha stand up (kinda important, yes?) were on a desk in an office in Southwest, and no one could go fetch them. I asked my architect if perhaps it was time for Mabelgate.
One of the other principals, though, decided my contract was worth keeping so he came out to meet us, all nervous in his squeaky new shoes. These engineers, they're so geeky they're sweet. So I think other than losing a little time, Mabel and Galusha will stand up after all.
I went and paid the city to move my lot line 13 feet, so now Mabel has an itty bitty front yard instead of space for just a shrub. Even with the change, Galusha's still on an oversize lot, albeit by about 25 or so feet.
More and more, every time I'm out back -- which is often in this summer heat -- I walk the land and feel where everything's going to go. In fact, with the beautiful new fence installed on the south house, it seems almost as if the land is shaping itself to the vision. You can see where the turn will be to go into Mabel and imagine the way the road slopes down and out of the middle of the block. I like walking to where the Brussels sprout forest is and knowing it will, in a year or so, open up into the tango bindery, a place I imagine as a wide-open room full of light, music, art, and fun.
I'm still leaning toward building both houses, and the builder's new, lower numbers today bolster my ambition.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
After several nights of loan calculating in Coronado, I'm ready to face the lenders, mostly with more questions. Banks make their money somehow, somewhere, so it's just a matter of finding their sweet spot; sometimes it's the "foundation survey," draw fees (oh, so you _want_ the money we said we'd loan to you? It'll cost you each time we issue some ...), whatever.
My flight was delayed out of PDX for a couple hours, so I went to the Powell's and got the only development-related book I could find: Building Real Estate Riches!!!! It's hokey for sure, but I learned some things. The writer aimed at the McMansion builders of the world, advocating somewhat cheesy cost-cutting measures of all kinds, but he did come through with a great for-dummies chapter on financing. And there were some good laugh-out-loud sentences, like "Great landscaping is nice, but don't go crazy" and "Build to match the neighboring homes [not sure how McMansions fit into all of that]. For example, people talk about 'that bubble house,' 'that George Jetson house' -- don't be that house."
The bigleaf maple looks awesome with the dead wood taken out of it, like a fresh haircut. The arborist took a bunch of pictures while he was climbing around in the canopy, too, so I have an idea of the potential views.
My flight was delayed out of PDX for a couple hours, so I went to the Powell's and got the only development-related book I could find: Building Real Estate Riches!!!! It's hokey for sure, but I learned some things. The writer aimed at the McMansion builders of the world, advocating somewhat cheesy cost-cutting measures of all kinds, but he did come through with a great for-dummies chapter on financing. And there were some good laugh-out-loud sentences, like "Great landscaping is nice, but don't go crazy" and "Build to match the neighboring homes [not sure how McMansions fit into all of that]. For example, people talk about 'that bubble house,' 'that George Jetson house' -- don't be that house."
The bigleaf maple looks awesome with the dead wood taken out of it, like a fresh haircut. The arborist took a bunch of pictures while he was climbing around in the canopy, too, so I have an idea of the potential views.
