Two amazing things happened this weekend:
1) My first Woody Allen sighting!!! I have lived in New York for six years, plotted to stalk him for at least four of those years, and then magically, he sits one row in front of me at the Martha Graham Dance Company performance Friday night. Soon-yi was there as well as two children, both of whom did not look like his. Plus, he carried his floppy hat in his back pocket.
2) Less importantly, we met a new contractor over the weekend, he looked over the house, and said he could rehab it in our budget! We have to check his references, but he was very professional, knowledgeable, and extremely optimistic.
We also had lunch with Door Sixteen blogger Anna, and her husband, Evan. They've been living in Newburgh for four years, three in their amazing house. They gave us a little tour of their home and it looks more amazing in person than in the photos on her blog (which are still amazing). They also gave us a lot of great tips, so hopefully, we'll be able to speed up this process.
So...off to email the contractors our FHA 203K work write-up, documents the bank needs them to fill out, and some inspirational photos/clippings.
Okay, first: WOODY ALLEN SIGHTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have died. Seriously. Also, I'm pretty sure the kids with Soon-Yi are both adopted.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad we were able to meet up. :)
Here's hoping things work out quickly now that you have a contractor at the ready. Don't give up! I have a good feeling...
Hey! Jumped over here from the doorsixteen blog and wanted to say hi. We're about to embark on a 203k adventure too - only in Atlanta. It's pretty daunting. We're meeting with our contractor tonight to go over budget/design details so I hope we have similarly good news. Care to pass on any of those tips? Best of luck! Newburg sounds like an awesome town with some beautiful homes.
ReplyDeleteAnna - I'm so excited you're a Woody Allen fan, too! His adopted daughters are adorable.
ReplyDeleteCourtney - it sounds like you're as far along as us. One great tip was to really do the research and figure out your building philosophy. I like Anna's view that old material is infinitely more repairable than new materials...as long as they're still in good condition. Old windows, old plastered walls, old doors - they're made out of material that can be sanded, filled-in, repaired, etc. I know most of the contractors we've encountered favor new materials. It's less labor-intensive and cheaper for them. So, I'm definitely going to be more assertive about trying to reuse and repair. Good luck in Atlanta! the 203k adventure seems never-ending.
Hi - I found you at Doorsixteen too.
ReplyDeleteYour house is amazing! Best of luck to you - I can't wait to see it being renovated.
I ran into Woody Allen with Mia Farrow when I was super little (I think 5 or 6?) They were strolling down a NY street and holding hands. My parents were trying to get me to run up to them and ask for autographs. I was too shy so I refused!