the bad rap of mastic beach

After doing a drive-by to show my in-laws our potential house, the response was positive. My parents were driven by it weeks ago and they had the same response. When people ask me what town I am moving to, people react less-than-enthusiastically. I have even found myself making little jokes about that I am moving from one white-trash town to a white-trash town with water views.

The town has a lousy reputation for being laden with drug dealers, dog-fighting rings and sex offenders. This gets perpetuated by others, including myself up until recently, through poking fun at the area. I have since stopped, not only because I am choosing to move there, but because I am getting a different perspective. Driving through my soon-to-be town, I have only come across friendly people who are quick to give a smile and a wave hello. They proudly keep their properties nicely landscaped and loved. The houses, though on the smaller side (it's a beach-bungalow type area), are unique and beautiful; a far cry from the cookie-cutter suburban towns that have cropped up all over Long Island in the past twenty years.

After a bunch of research of local and wider news sources, I could not find any evidence of dog-napping or fighting in the area. I had spied this rumor in the comment section of an online news article, which gave me a moment of panic thinking that someone might try to nab my sweet Boddington, but my fears were eased with the lack of evidence in news sources.

As for the number of sex offenders, yes the extended area has quite a few. However, looking at the levels of their crimes and their related victims, these are not high risk of recidivism SOs. I have worked with sex offenders in a lock-down program as well as a few in outpatient treatment. I do not harbor any unnecessary fear. I also believe that it is not the registered offenders you have to worry about as much as the ones that haven't been caught or haven't committed their first offense. I don't believe a parent should trust anyone they don't know with their children.

The town does have it's share of problems but that is why they recently voted to become an incorporated village. There is a large portion of hard-working, good honest people that want to improve the town in actuality and in image. So do I. No longer am I going to joke about the town I am moving to. I am proud to be becoming a resident and I am going to use my camera to start sharing the beauty that is within the borders. No longer will I perpetuate negativity, only joy.

surrealism

Being officially "under contract" for the house feels surreal and wonderful. Thoughts of decorating and spring planting are bursting from my imagination. I can picture Boddington chasing squirrels in the yard (he never does catch them but keeps them away so no need for THIS). I imagine Sherman doing extra "binkies" (happy bunny hops) because he gets more daylight. Hooray windows! Never before have I wanted to be "settled" in one place, but this completely feels right. I am brimming with excitement and jumping with joy. I cannot wait to invite you all over for a barbecue.

one step closer

We are so close to being fully under contract for the house we are trying to purchase. Ideas of interior design have been rolling around in my head. And yes, something WILL be fuchsia, even if it is just the ceiling of a closet. (I always joke that I am tired of being a renter, that if I want to paint the ceiling fuchsia, I want to be able to paint the ceiling fuchsia.) That's the fun part. The not so fun part: moving again...during the winter. We moved from Denver to East Providence the day after the first snowfall of the season. We moved from Rhode Island to NY on a very chilly week in November. I will just have to look at it as an adventure. I wonder how sparse my friends will make themselves on moving day? Maybe an offer of pizza and Irish coffee will be enough to lure them into helping with the move. Hee hee hee

i spoke too soon

Post the last post, the stress hit with the home buying process. A slight bump in the road due to different advice from the Realtor and the lawyer. Groovy and I discussed and decided what WE felt comfortable with and got the process moving again. Whew! The stress has subsided a bit but I think I won't be able to fully relax until the contracts are done. Until then, I will keep breathing and asking my guardian angels for some help. Oh, and I am still the Happy House Hunter.

I cannot wait to be settled in our own home... then I can focus on blogging about things that are actually interesting to you, dear readers. What ARE you interested in reading about?

house

The home inspection was complete on Saturday and it looks like some plumbing and electric work needs to be done, the air vent for the dryer needs replacing and the deck may or may not have been built with a permit. There are some other things that can be improved upon but many of which can wait.

We didn't expect perfection and are still interested in moving forward. I am sending the lawyer the report and we will take it from there. It is amazing how quickly this is happening and even more amazing that I am not nervous about this process.

So close to moving above ground!

whew!

A beautiful whirlwind of events have lead to potential home ownership. I feel so calm through this whole process. Wait, that is inaccurate. The very first morning after we discussed making an offer, a two minute wave of nervousness hit me when I woke up. Then it passed and this amazing feeling of clarity took hold and has not let go. Things are falling into place.

Groovy and I have been house hunting and researching for close to a year now, going to open houses, online searching home buying info, gathering experiences of friends who have been through the process or are in the real estate business, and looking at areas we can afford that are less likely to have gang gunfire. We considered getting a foreclosure and a 203k loan. We considered small bungalows. We created a list of things we must have, things that would be nice and the "definitely nots" that helped eliminate a bunch of homes we saw. We have taken knowledge passed on to us by our parents over the years to help us make a good choice.

Then we went to the most recent few open houses. We opened our possibilities to an area that we hadn't considered before and were pleasantly surprised. A two bedroom raised ranch. From first in-person glance, something was different about this house compared to all the others we saw. The yard was close to perfect. Just add a fence for the dog and it is ideal. The house is a great size, not too opulent and not too "cozy" (real estate lingo for "small"). Quiet neighborhood where people maintain their properties and no through traffic zooming on by. Everything in good repair and many updates on the house, inside and out. And a price that is within our means.

This house was lovingly taken care of for the past eight years by this nice old man who sadly lost his wife and will be residing with family henceforth. This obviously was truly a home for them. He tended to a sweet little vegetable garden. I can imagine him and his wife sipping tea in the kitchen, enjoying the sun on the patio and sitting in quiet bliss in the living room. I believe we will love this house as much as they must have.

So now we are up to the inspection part of the process. We hired an engineer to check out the home this Saturday and I cannot wait to show this house to my family. I am hoping everything goes well for we might be in our own home before we know it (and can maybe move when it is not snowy out...which is an unfortunate habit we have).

Breathing deep and slow.
Namaste'

settle down, you nomad

Many of you know that, for a major portion of my life thus far, I have resided on Long Island (or The Island of Long, as I like to refer to it). This has not been a continuous thing. I spent many years moving around to various apartments in Colorado and Rhode Island. Having landed back on the shores of my birth (two more apartments worth) thoughts of finally living in a place where I can paint the ceiling fuchsia on a whim if the feeling grabs me have filled my mind. House hunting (sounds so barbaric) is in the forefront of my mind.

Being of limited funds (I'm not working as a therapist for the riches) causes limited options. After a few weeks of looking in affordable, non-gang infiltrated areas, I posed a question to myself: If money was not a factor, where on Long Island would I live? Well, frankly, I stumped myself. There are many places I wouldn't mind living, but what town would I WANT to live... none of them. Please don't misunderstand, there are some really lovely places, towns, attractions, and activities on the Island that are wonderful. Additionally, I love being close to my family and friends. It is just that this query made me realize that I do not particularly want to be living here.

The traffic, rudeness, overabundance of inhabitants and the lack of quiet spots to just be with my thoughts all make me question being back here for the long run. Public transportation is not well designed and is pricey, bike paths are often dangerous to travel on and it is difficult to live here without a personal fuel utilizing vehicle. Let us not even talk about the exuberant cost of living. Despite all this negative, the idea of having a place to call home that is truly home makes me salivate. Thankfully, we are not on any sort of deadline to move. There is ample time to figure it all out.

I posed this question to friends who are or were from the Island, most of them focused on the negatives of living here, but I am still curious to keep asking others the question, so please comment and share your thoughts:

What town on Long Island would you want to live in and why? (If you do not know the Island personally, go by what you know about it.)

Where off the island (other places in NY, states, or countries) would you want to live and why?

a house as home

The next step in this journey of life may involve home ownership. We have been keeping our eyes open at the market in the area, watching trends and oo-ing and ah-ing at pictures of available abodes and thinking "hmm what we would do with this yard or that kitchen." I am ready to finish my life as a renter, I am ready to once again live above ground, I am ready for the yard for the dog to run around in and I am ready for a place to call home.