The Steal of the Century?

Let's face it, people. The days of buying a $17,000 house are over. Oh, how I rue progress. Hick has no more buddies willing to offer him a house for $5000. So we've been in the doldrums while casually seeking a new flip house.

The Pony often sends me listings he's seen. Nothing has been under $65,000. That's not worth it for us to purchase and put money into for flipping. You have to know what you're buying, and Hick has a head for renovating. Even that foreclosure that he was interested in with a couple hours of notice was not right for us. I told him that something will come along when it's meant to be.

Monday when I sat down at the kitchen table and turned on HIPPIE, I went immediately to realtor.com. I usually don't check it every day. And when I do look, it's before I go to town around 2:00. But here it was, 11:45, and I saw a listing that had been up for 1 hour. It was a $35,000 house. Only one picture, from the outside, from Google Earth. It actually looked like a big tree ball. You could barely see a sliver of front door and mailbox in the foliage. I knew the general area of the street, and the town.

I sent Hick a text about it, telling him there were no inside pictures, which was suspect. But that on his way to the auction that afternoon, he might want to drive by and look to see if it was a stinky hoarder house, or what was wrong with it. He didn't respond, so I called.

Hick was on the way to his SUS2.5 (Storage Unit Store 2.5) to meet with a bunch of local law enforcement officers to draw the winner of a raffle they were holding for an item he donated to raise money for Shop With A Cop. They raised $613 with Hick's item! Hick even wore a button-up collared shirt for the occasion! He couldn't get away until after the drawing.

I sent The Pony a text. He remembered that area from delivering mail there when he first started. Said the neighborhood was good. 

Back to Google Earth. A 360 view revealed some roof that looked metal and fairly new. It was 2BR 1 Bath. A four-room house, with a cellar, on a corner lot.

Hick sent me a text at 2:15.

"It don't look bad from outside ill run buy realtor's. There is some inside pictures now"

I was getting ready for town, and told him I'd look later. At 2:45, Hick called me while I was in T-Hoe at a stoplight.

"We went and looked. Two more people had appointments after me. I'm heading back over there to offer the full amount and sign papers! I have my auction cash if she wants earnest money."

Hick was in a hurry. Not a problem this time. The Pony and I were both all-in for going after this house. Of course then Hick went off to the auction, so we were left in the dark. I told The Pony I was afraid there might be a bidding war. Houses this cheap don't stay available for long. The last one like it, Hick waited three days before driving by, and it was already under contract. The Pony sent me a text on his way home.

"I guess we won't know until tomorrow at the earliest..."

Ain't that always how it goes?