The Fantasy House

Dear Diary,

Well Im back in California, had a weird feel upon leaving and not sure if I wrote here, but I feel “Lost” is the best way to describe it. Lost in the sense of not feeling like I have a HOME or knowing where Im supposed to be and how long it will take me to get settled and do something else. Everything seems so big to manage!

So we looked at homes half of Saturday with a realtor, we have no idea how much we qualify for and havent even done that yet, and she asked, and still she took us out and showed us 14 homes I had saved on ziprealty.

The main house I wrote her about in the first place and historical district I wanted to see, well we went out all day and she skipped it and drove to another area, I commented to hubby she skipped the main house I wanted to see and we were going farther away from it. I had saved this house in my listings, its stayed up for awhile and the price has been reduced, I wonder why it hasnt sold yet.

I figured its gotta be pretty beat up for the price of it in the area it was in.

Anyways once I informed the realtor we missed that one she said “Oh how could I have done that, we are going back”

We walked up in amazement, its straight out of a fairytale, artist dream, something youd probably go pay to see a tour of!

Its a probate, the man died and was an artist who made sculptures and artwork that adorns many of the homes in the area, wonderful metal copper pieces, toppers for chiminys, artwork on sides of homes, trees, roof tops, as you drive down the street you can spot his work on other homes. Everything around this house is immaculate and beautiful, its a tudor style home with the A frame type front with Ivy growing all over.

A huge dragon is sitting out front, and its all my husband has spoke about since . From reading stories online(the guys obituary and a blog a man wrote visiting the place) the dragons head used to move, it has an electrical box attached. Its fascinating, complete with large wings and metal work ivy drapped along the porch archway area with bulb lights as the flowers. The front door has a huge cast iron lions head door knocker.

I cant even begin to describe this place in words, its overwhelming, Ive never seen anything like it.

House, LARGE studio out back as he was an artist (and much of his stuff is still here from the probate sale laying around) sculptures and oddities galore.

Anyways, I asked the realtor “Is this a regular loan?” She said yes. I cant believe it, seems like theres some catch, its old, the inside looks like its had no updating. Its a 1932 house. I am quite sure the electrical is old, and have no idea the plumbing. Hubby and I joked, that we could live in the rental 1 bedroom carriage house if need be and the studio is so huge our house could be stored in it, and we could work on the house in the meantime if it was “that bad” although currently there is a renter living in the upstairs?

And the 1 bedroom apt in the back is currently listed on the street with a sign.

Not sure how that all works being a probate, he had 2 sons which are alive, Ive read all the stories on this guy and his one son who is also an artist is in Phoenix still.

His wife was killed in 2000 and it said on one blog, the huge butterfly sculpture out back is an URN he created for her????? Im all is she still there? And his funeral was held in the backyard of the home, the backyard is so beautiful and like a fantasy land. You could hold weddings, parties, you name it its so magical.

You could give tours of the place. There is so much detail and artwork, even for a passerbyer walking up and down the driveway and all the cement circles paving it that he pressed items into, signs, tiles, metal work, trivets, antiques, car logos and pieces, its just fantastic

Hubby said later “Its your dream home isnt it?” I said yes. He said “I cant imagine how an inspection would go on this place and what they would say” I cant either. I have no idea what we would qualify for on paper, doing the figures we know we could pull off the payments but we dont have much to put down, unless we got OUR house sold.

The idea has been to rent this house, cause Im guessing in the end I may walk away with $20,000 if we sold it and used it for a down payment, thats my guess.

The studio is perfect and huge to house my business, the rental property house could be used for income still, the district has farmers markets and street fairs IN THE DISTRICT on the city streets, there are Youtube videos on it and people selling their stuff, I said to hubby “Id be in the midst of it and able to just drag my goods out”

There is a neighbor watch, there is a website dedicated to this historical district of events, there are book clubs featured in several homes, there are home tours.

Sighhhh its a dream house

I didnt hear back from the realtor yet, will have to contact her tomm about info on who she recommended we pre qual thru, worth checking out right?

Hubby is in love with the dragon and the metal artwork and talking about going into metal work, hes mentioned wanting to learn and take a welding class in the past and talked about it again.

Then there is my sister,, she keeps saying “Vicky all you have to do is want it”

We are both christians, but she watches a lot of tbn preachers who I dont always agree with. She keeps telling me “If you want this house, claim it, its yours, dont doubt, it will be your house”

Her home was the same price as this one, and she worked part time, and she said “How on earth did I get this place, it makes no sense Vicky, it was God”

I listen to her, part of me wants to believe that, the other part feels that is not right.

I may sound weird to others, but these are things I think of, I think “Why would God give me a house, it could be like an idol, we are not to store our treasures up here on earth” and then I feel bad for wanting something like this, as if its sinful?

But why not? Today I said “Okay God if you can make a way I need to use this house for you”

But where does it say in the Bible to pray for material things like that?

I could see staying in this house till I die. Never wanting to move.

I had told hubby I would like to find a HOME and stay put, not that things dont happen which can change that, but its what I would really like, to create a HOME.

siggghhhh

Why do I love things like this so much? Hubby was making fun of me some about it, how I like things that are beat up and old, not practical and functional and easy.

But the dragon at least made that man of mine dream and fantasize a little! Which he rarely does!

We all loved it, at the end of the day he said “Which houses did you like?” I said “After seeing this house the rest seem like nothing to me”

Heck this home could be so many things, a tourist spot, used for special events, rental, the studio could be my work area… theres so many things, and to imagine being able to sit on that street, on the porch on in that backyard and call it mine would be amazing…