December 6, 2014

DAY
           JZ made it up here a little behind schedule. Six hours, but we did manage to get up to West Palm before dark. That’s the property for sale for $46k that I had to find out what was wrong. I knew it was something, but the seller was not saying. So we went over the place (exterior only) and other than some serious dusting off, could not really find a thing wrong with the structure. And the amount of land is seriously huge. Big tree in front of the six-car circular driveway, shown here.

           So, what is wrong with the place that it is forty grand less than surrounding properties? The place is occupied but nobody was home. Whoever lives there is a scrounge. The back yard is overgrown and full of junk, like old canoes, scrap metal, and god knows. Still, that is not enough to explain the price drop. So I brazenly pounded on the neighbor’s door and asked for the scoop.
           There is a squatter on the premises. Ah, the oldest Florida scam. The owner dies, the relatives go to sell the property, and the guy renting it claims he had a verbal agreement with the dead owner to buy the property. He quits paying the rent and ties it up in court as long as he can, sometimes years.
           The one way out is for the relatives to sell the property deed. Then it becomes a matter of eviction, but one has to be ultra-careful here. I will e-mail the seller, but I am not too cheerful about him not stating up front what was wrong with the place when I asked. Then again, it was unmistakable he was covering something up and now we know what it is.
           Other than that, it is not that great a neighborhood to begin with. Working class, you know. Welding trucks in front of one place, women with tattoos mowing the laws, the odd punky-looking teenager. But the place is also very, very rentable. It’s beside a canal and is actually in West Palm Beach, which surprises me. There is one house in the middle of all these mobile homes, indicating it is a Texas style division. Where the city grows around the old farmhouse and the family sold the last ten acres by the parcel.

NIGHT
           On the way home, we stopped in Boynton to show JZ the area I really want to live in. He is really taken by how nice the area is--much nicer than home parks in Miami. We met an old guy who told us what all the properties were selling for a couple years back and for the most part, I guessed it right. Spring is the next buy opportunity and by then I will have a down payment that can’t be ignored. Here’s another picture of the first place, where the squatter lives. Yes, a bay window. There is nothing wrong with the building.

           Back to Boynton, the surrounding area is much nicer. It’s better situated near shopping and services. No airport in the vicinity. For the price, it is a better deal so now JZ is gung-ho about one spot along the canal. Personally, I don’t like that waterway, the banks are artificially built up some 25 feet high. Should you fall in, you are not climbing up that embankment without some help.
           The other influence here is that JZ has been talking of getting out of South Miami for years. His old area, well, it is just old and not getting any better. He lives along Snapper Creek which has been flooding its banks regularly for years now. Global warming, they say. We shall see, since between us we can afford anything we looked at today. The round trip was 120 miles from here, and JZ lives 33 miles further. So we stopped at Wendy’s, the only fast food place that serves food on my diet. And free coffee.
           Back in Hollywood, we parked and walked downtown. It’s been years since I’ve been there, but I played most of the places at some point. The Octopus bought me a couple free Buds to stay and chat. Which I did because the new waitress reminded me so of Beverly Gillingham, the first “older lady” I ever dated. I was 17, she was 19, see. JZ and I toured the street but didn’t stop in anywhere, since no place had any live entertainment. There is a game on TV, but who goes out on a Saturday night to watch TV? Besides jocks and other hopeless delinquents?
           We also talked about a possible day or two out of town. Remember, except for our excursions to the Naples area, JZ has never left town except with his family.
           Last, I know that photo of my tiny cut-off saw last day was bad, I’ll get you a better one. The scroll saw is set up on my work desk. No, not bench, desk. It is surprisingly quiet and I like it. No doubt I’ll quickly break the el-cheapo blades that came with it during my learning phase. And we earlier stopped at the old club to pick up a set of the bar chairs. Not barstools, but the chairs from the lounge area. They were practically new since I’m the only person who sat back there anyway. These were to replace all the armchairs in my Florida room, as armchairs made it awkward to play guitars.
           Return tomorrow after I have more time to investigate this property.

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Today’s Togla Treat
Don't you know this guy?

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