Wow, it has been a very long process.  Had a partner who was a contractor, moved from CA to Chapel Hill, NC.  We drove up and down the streets searching for an area of Durham that we knew would appreciate.  We found a great area that was close to downtown Durham which was just beginning major renovations and new construction.  (Durham has a bad reputation, much of it undeserved.) It was equally close to Duke, so we thought this would be an area for young professors and professionals, medical residents, grad students–people willing to take a risk on a transitional neighborhood. It was obvious that the area was changing because we could see the number of houses getting a face lift and the demographics of who was moving in.

The house we bought was listed at a ridiculously high price, $72k yet wasn’t habitable.  No kitchen, bathroom or heat.  Truth is, it was really a tear down but the contractor/partner didn’t suggest that.  Built in 1920 but wasn’t historically significant.  We bought it for $40k in the Fall of 2007.  Yes, we paid too much.  It was my first experience buying to renovate.  The contractor said we could renovate it for $30k, maybe a bit more.

Oh was he wrong.  Why did I listen to him?  Why didn’t I insist that I have more involvement with permits, design, budget?  Ok, I’m trusting and stupid, and my husband loves me so he agreed to do it.

Future posts will cover:  partner going bankrupt and some dos and don’ts with partners, contractors, inspections–legal vs non-legal (we won’t say illegal), insurance, design, choices all along, and money