I have a small journal of my home buying experience. Unfortunately I never finished it. So, if that ever gets done I'll put those details right here.

Most of my time, since buying the house on 15 December 2000 and moving in on 29 December 2000, has been spent on getting the little things fixed. Like fixing a couple leaky faucets, replacing disposer, getting insulation installed (floor/ceiling), ducts cleaned, locksmith, address changed, etc. With a house comes a lot of bills and the realization that it is a hell of a lot more expensive than living in an apartment ( about 2.5 times as much for me). Since I have a few people wanting to see pictues of my place I've decided to show them off this way since it is a lot easier for me to e-mail a URL than 17 pictures and provide a story about the pictures.

Front side--facing east

Don't let the picture fool you. The roof is a redish tile and the outer wood (T-111) is a grayish blue in color. There is also a gutter that runs the length of the roof line in the front. There is some grass but not much. Much of the front yard is bark dust. I don't have a view of Mt. Hood but if I walk about a block away I can see the mountain on a clear day.

North side

Nothing but bark dust on this side of the house. I have since fixed the down spout to keep the gutter runoff from eroding into the crawl space. The back yard is fenced in.

Back side--northwest corner

Looking at the master bedroom and living room area. A part of the deck can be seen.

Back side--stand at southwest corner photographing northwesterly

The deck takes up a majority of the back yard (70x100 lot). There are actually quite a few trees in the yard.

Front--southeast side

The big tree blocks my chimney. I call this the broadband picture because of the fire hydrant, mailbox, telephone, water line, and lamp post. How did I miss all this crap when I first saw the house? The front yard contains two huge trees and a couple moderate size trees plus maybe a rose bush or so.

Two car garage

As you can see the garage is unfinished. I have yet to understand why that do that around here. I plan on undertaking the project of finishing the garage myself--adding insulation, drywall, and painting. Hopefully this is something I will accomplish within the next year. The furnace is original to the house and not very efficient. I'll probably replace it within a year or two and add a gas furnace and A/C. The house doesn't have A/C because the Northwest has mild summers with only a few weeks of the year reaching the 90's or above.

Laundry room

There is a lot of space in this room. Perhaps enough for a dual set of washer/dryers. Unfortunately it didn't come with a utility sink. The laundry room is off to the left after entering from the garage.

Family room--looking south

Just past the laundry room is the family room. It is a big room with vaulted ceilings. This is where I plan on putting my home theater.

Family room--looking north

There is a sliding door window in this room and small light coming from the ceiling--perhaps a good place for a fan. The kitchen is off to the left.

Kitchen

The cabinet on the left looks a little lonely, perhaps out of place but it really isn't or at least it doesn't seem that way when I'm in the kitchen. I guess it is due to the angle of this photograph. The blinds are probably original--from 1977--as are most/all of the light fixtures. I plan on replacing all the blinds this month (March). I'm working on the light fixtures. Trying to get away from the 70's look. These type of blinds must have been popular in the 70's because I remember my family having them growing up. The photo does not lie, the house is about 4 feet lower than the street out front. The back yard drops perhaps another six feet to a creek out in the back. Possible future remodeling would include lighter counter tops and cabinets I suppose and flooring.

Dining room

Lots of cabinet space for the kitchen and dining area. There is a lot of light in this part of the house. Again, the fixture is a bit dated and something I will eventually replace. Possibly with a fan/light. I suspect if I ever remodel I'll put wood down in this dining area.

Living room--looking north

If you look the other way from the dining room you will be in the living room. The living room has a sunken floor which I don't believe is evident. It sinks down about 8 inches. There is no wall between the two so depending on where you stand it might seem like one large room. My friend Todd is standing to the left.

Living room--looking west

If you entered the front door this is the first room you would see. Vaulted ceilings and a large window/sliding glass door. To the left is the kitchen and family room and to the right is a hallway to the bedrooms/bathrooms.

Main bathroom

At the end of the hallway is a bathroom. It is about 45sqft (5x9). To the right are two bedrooms. To the left is the master bedroom.

Bedroom

There are two bedrooms of similar size and style. This picture doesn't show much--closet and window--but at least it gives you an idea. The closets are between the bedrooms which will provide a little extra sound buffer if ever necessary.

Master bedroom

Here is the master bedroom. Again, this picture doesn't do justice to the size of this room--it is quite large.

Master bathroom

This is a little smaller than the main bathroom and contains only a shower. It does have a window--the only window facing the north. I don't like the counter top which is another potential remodeling project.

That is about it. I've since moved in so now the rooms all have something in them. I use one bedroom as the computer/gym/office, another bedroom for storage, and the family room for storage until I get a home theater. I still need a couple bookcases and filing cabinets to get things better organized.