It started here back in 2006 when I had been blogging only a few months. Helen and I had “met” on the internet, and somehow one day we joined forces and took up the real estate business, having lots of fun along the way and making many new friends. We focused on buying a 21 room Victorian house in New York State that was up for auction on EBay. To this moment that post gets hits every day; checked a minute ago, and it has had a total of 6,402 page views.
Couple of days ago in the comment section of one of my posts, Helen (being bored, I suppose) wrote this:
Sometimes I think we get too serious, Shirley. Wanna buy another house?
This has been our exchange to this point:
Helen, I wish you would look and find us a good deal to work on. Was that not the greatest fun. I will never forget those days.
I haven’t found a house, Shirley. Will a purple grill do?
Helen, I don’t know. I sort of hate to see us going from being established Real Estate Brokers to second-hand purple grill dealers. Not sure that is a good move, not only because of individual self-esteem issues, but in consideration of the global respect and admiration we have previously acquired. I’m really busy today (important person that I am,..and all that, you know…)so I can’t commit the time that is needed at the moment, but I don’t think I’m for the purple grill business, although I must confess I did not check out the link (important, time starved person that I am…and all that, you remember…). At the least we probably should stay in the housing market, maybe a mobile home, a high line RV, or…maybe even a trailer in a trailer park.
Now, I haven’t heard from Helen in several hours, but I’m not holding it against her, for she’s probably busy, (important person that she is, and all–you know) and in the meantime I’ve found us a house. A bargain of a house: Total charge? One dollar. Is Helen ever going to be surprised when she reads this.
“Finally, a mortgage I can afford.” That was more or less the thought of thousands of people around the country who read online about an old, sprawling two-story farmhouse in Leesburg on sale for a dollar.
There is a catch: The buyer must be able to afford to move the house. But after The Washington Post reported on the house last Sunday, Yahoo.com linked to the article on its home page and suddenly, it seemed, the whole world wanted in.
The article received 1.47 million hits on washingtonpost.com that day.
“I have to get there first,” said one man, adding that he would have no problem towing the more than 2,500-square-foot structure to California.
Full details here. (Just don’t try to buy it out from under us, please.)
Hang on, everybody, for I’m sure we’ll throw a housewarming party and invite every one of you, or on second thought, maybe you will want to throw the party for Helen and me. That’s probably the proper thing. If Helen doesn’t show up soon, we’ll get together–you and I–and plan one swinging party as a surprise for Helen and our new house. I’m sure she will want us to buy it. Has to be moved, though. Hope she has a big lot, for the house is in Leesburg, Va–much closer to her than to me. Besides I live in a motor home, remember…and at my house in Crestline, I just don’t believe there is room for that beautiful house you see pictured above.
Exciting, huh?
Stay tuned for all the action, and if anyone sees Helen, tell her to get over here. We have lots of work to do. For one thing, I need her 50 cents, then there will be closing costs, escrow fees, maybe even attorney charges…not sure.
Shirley Buxton 