a structure arises...

from the outside looking in...

finally, after many obstacles (i swear this house is cursed), 412 is on its way...demo happened!  

i see stars...

although stars equate to structural issues, i do like the look of them (please ignore that each of them are pointing different ways; in the end, they will conform).  they make a house look 'not so perfect' which is what i appreciate.    

i am loving the black windows! once the brick & marble is power washed...they will be striking...like a 'mini-me' brownstone.  the windows are to be the design focal point of 412, inside & out.  they cost a pretty penny but everything else will be simple to bring out their beauty.

p.s. construction permit was approved!... without having to meet with the neighborhood.  i pleaded my case with the zoning reviewer (basically, that i wasn't increasing 412's print; just constructing it safer and that the zoning map had the additional space not on my deed as mine).  i still have the real estate lawyer on retainer to correct the mistake.

going forward, 412 riverside will be more exciting with before & after photos!  please keep checking in.

shot down...

it turns out the entirety of my yard is NOT included on my deed...yes, NOT included.  not just a small portion, but about 28".  it was discovered by the architect when creating the site plans for zoning.  however, we never thought it would affect the construction permit approval. we thought wrong.  because zoning thinks my yard is smaller, according to the deed, they denied the permit for the kitchen extending 8" too far and the open space ratio does not conform to zoning guidelines.

a real estate lawyer has been retained and an appeal has been filed. it's a race who will get me my permit first.  the real estate lawyer believes there is no doubt that the 'missing' parcel is mine since the City map has it as mine... it is just the long process of including it on my deed which can take months & money.

as for the appeal, i am scheduled on the calendar to present to the fna on dec. 3rd & then I will need to present to the fishtown community on jan.14th.  hopefully, i made a lot of friends in fishtown.  

on the positive side (because you can't let the negativity pull you down), the front windows are in, the master & 3rd fl bedroom have been framed, & the bathroom & dining room brick walls have been exposed!  some progress.

3rd floor bathroom

master bath exposed brick

black window

permit nightmares to rear wall redesign...

i wasn't going to post until 412 had a permit (the construction one) but i think we should have it by next week (hopefully, i'm not jinxing it).  412 plans were submitted the week before labor day to amend the current permit because of having to rebuild the rear addition.  l&i sent it to zoning because of the demolition & of course, it was the friday before the labor day holiday.  zoning has 5 days to review and on the 5th day, which was really 2 weeks later, they requested site plans along with the deed which we submitted last friday.  so now we wait again & hopefully, not 5 days!

in the meantime, wallpaper scraping (still not finished) and redesigns of the rear wall have been happening.  originally, a small balcony was going to extend off of the 2nd rear bedroom.  however, due to value engineering of the budget (over budget of course!), the balcony has been nixed.  it's not necessary anymore since there is a roof deck right above.  also, my brother had brand new windows that i can use...the dilemma was how many 412 can handle.

mike palmer drew up the options below:

the favorite is #3 & of course, it is the one that can't be done due to space?  something like that.  so it looks #1 or #2 is the new 412 rear....maybe with some woolly pockets?

frustrating hiatus...

it's been almost 15 days since i posted.  the main reason is because 412 has been at a stand still & it has been frustrating.  it isn't anyone's fault; it takes time to coordinate contractors, get bids, permits, etc., and since 412 is basically a gut rehab, there is much to do. 

on the positive side, we have a basic permit (roof, facade, etc.) but we need a structural permit, which we knew from the beginning.  the entire back of the house has to be removed & rebuilt including installing concrete footings since the current kitchen was sitting on a pile of bricks.  

hopefully, we will have the amended permit by next week and things will begin to fly.  

oh, and another positive side to the delay is that we get to keep redesigning...412 will have a roof deck!

1, 2, 3...

all floor plans proposed...next up...permits.

demo finished (at least for now)...

chimney wall gone.

 

air conditioner gone.

 back stair almost gone.

open kitchen to dining room

demo begins....

1st floor design-done!

finally...some progress!  

to 412's advantage, the chimney wall between the kitchen & dining room is not load bearing...ahhh!  this means so much...basement stair don't need to be reconfigured (just reconditioned), patio doors replace rear windows, and dining room gets sunlight by not being isolated.  

also, the rear facade seems to be close to finish, including adding a rear balcony to the 2nd floor back bedroom (most likely in the future due to budget constraints).

i would love any comments, ideas, etc., especially from my architect friends

old school...

this pic of 412 is from 1958...looks like i own the largest house on the block...nice!

sweat equity...

who knew how difficult removing wallpaper would be?  since this is a fha construction loan, all work has to be performed by licensed contractors.  there isn't much i'm allowed to do except for painting (and maybe removing wallpaper).  

my first day at it didn't go so well...

however, by the 2nd day, i found my technique. it's all about the scores & working the scraper...

unfortunately, i ran out of water (discovered the water isn't turned on), but i was able to begin another wall in the living room that was peeling (somewhat) easily without the solution...

by my estimate, i have about 10.5 more walls to go.  holy manicure needed after this project ends.

to be or not to be...

a load bearing wall.

not much has happened at 412.  trying to figure things out, such as, if the above chimney wall between the dining room & kitchen is load bearing to finalize design.  this wall affects the layout of the kitchen determining if the kitchen will have an open layout with the dining room (first choice) or not and how to redesign these scary basement stairs... 

so these back stairs can go away to add more room to the kitchen & the 2nd floor back bedroom.

this week, the electrical, & hopefully plumbing & hvac contractors will be submitting estimates.  their input is needed prior to demo so we don't demo more than needed.

break...

needed one to get re-energized.  in the last week since i closed on 412, i met with joe palmer, contractor, and we walked through each room making decisions, such as, demo walls, move the door to the opposite side, expose roof ceiling, etc., etc., etc.  

we did decide that the first thing that needs to be done is demo so we know what we are dealing with which will lead the design process.  oh, and i get to be in charge of removing the wallpaper in the living room...so excited!  

in the meantime, since the exterior, most likely,will  follow after the demo or simultaneously, i had to decide on kitchen windows.

i really want this:



but I think i have to settle for one of these:

an ozzie must have...

Contemporary Pet Accessories

shout out...

412 has closed (& is mine all mine!).  i couldn't have done it without an awesome team so here are some shout outs to them:

michael garden, city space realtor &  proponent of the viaduct greene - since the beginning of my 'perfect house' search,  michael was patient with me even though i kept cancelling meetings with him because i am such a busy person (joke.. mostly, because i wasn't in a hurry).  finally, when 412 came around, michael realized i was serious.  he always provided great suggestions & kept calm throughout this process.

joel slutsky & kelly thomas of homestead funding - wow!  that sums those 2 up!  communication, which is key to efficiency & getting things done, is just one of their strong points.  i know i had to be a pain in the butt at times, questioning & challenging joel about things that he has been doing for years (type a personality), but he entertained my questions & provided great explanations.  as for kelly thomas, she may be similar to me, striving to get things done...no time for screw ups but she maintains a calm demeanor which helped me when i wanted to scream. and they did all of this from albany, ny...technology.

paul janaitis, 203k specialist - paul knows how to work the 203k process efficiently.  you read about him in my previous post, enters the 203k specialist, but he knows his sh**.  he was a key component in closing & will continue to be so as we rehab.  

francine d'elia wirshching, cltp, of community first abstract - francine's role was the title insurance agent brought on by michael garden.  michael couldn't have suggested a better person for this fast-paced closing.  francine possessed the stamina & resilience to keep the process moving forward.  she accommodated the last minute closing ( & i mean last minute...finally decided at 12pm to close @ 3:30 today).  

joe palmer, contractor - yes, i have a contractor! even though joe was (& still is) unfamiliar with the 203k process, he came on board (probably against his better judgement) because i nagged him but i hope because he trusts me & knows what a great project 412 will be.  a friend suggested palmer contractors to me when i needed to replace my roof & he did an brilliant job.  you'll witness first hand his craftsmanship in future blogs.

joanne meenan deely of meenan allstate insurance agency - i called joanne at 1pm today for home insurance for closing (because i wasn't told i needed it until then) & she had proof of insurance to my mortgage company by 2pm...the deadline for all docs to clear.  maybe it helped that she is my neighbor but i think she would have done this for anyone in my situation.  customer service is how businesses survive.

michael palmer, designer - i've worked with michael for over 8 years at Studio Agoos Lovera & knew he was the perfect match to be my designer.  he is professional & is enthusiastic about his profession.  i can't wait to hear his ideas for the house (that are within budget).

last but not least, my family - reds (my dad) who co-signed for me.  the poor guy had no clue what was going on but would do anything for his little girl.  my brother, bill heenan, my inspiration.  he was the one who had the great ideas of making this possible and never lets me down.  finally, his girlfriend, diane zemko, who was scrambling getting signatures (re-signatures when my dad signs his name wrong) & fed-ex'ing documents in a last minute scurry.

thanks to all above for all of your help!  if anyone needs a realtor, mortgage company, 203k specialist,  title insurance agent, contractor, insurance agent, designer...you can find them above.  you can't have my family.

now the fun begins...

more unicorn chasing...

...closing is still not scheduled...could be tomorrow or thursday.  what is missing?  the appraisal!  it has been promised for the last 2 days which is annoying because the rest of the team kicked a** getting their stuff in and i have no control over the appraiser because i didn't hire him...ugh.  i can keep complaining or share with you the other reasons why i'm trying to buy 412. 

i have lived in fishtown since i was in my 20s (a long time ago)...right down the street on wildey at 218, before johnny brenda's was bought by the standard tap.  then i bought 619.  and now i hope 412 becomes mine.  my friends joke that i want to be 'queen of wildey.'  

the riverside appeals to me...it's not as busy and congested as the heart of fishtown.  smack in the middle of delaware ave & girard ave providing easy access to the river & highway.  a short stroll to the never-ending gastropubs & eateries popping up, such as kraftwork,  lloyd whiskey bar, milk crate cafe, to name a few.

another positive feature of the location of 412 is the cross street of columbia ave being rejuvenated as the columbia ave connector .  i think this is huge for fishtown...all of the i95 underpasses are neglected and dark and scary.  i just hope it won't end at columbia ave.

via naked philly

via naked philly

the never-ending mortgage closing...

ugh, i am mentally exhausted from trying to close on 412. just when you think you are almost finished submitting documentation, another 5 documents are needed.  

since my last post, the closing has been pushed to july 31, one day later which isn't bad at all.  today was supposed to be the deadline for the outstanding docs but, luckily, my mortgage loan processor was able to get an extension until 12 noon tomorrow.  

i don't want to bore you with my complaining so i will share a few pics of inspiration that are pulling me through...









& just because I had to...

back to the 203k process...

the last two weeks have been a race to get all of the documents needed for closing submitted to the mortgage lender, homestead funding.  looking back, the majority of the documents related to a normal mortgage closing process...bank statements, income verification, etc.  

the 203k portion of the loan did add another layer.  an estimate of the construction costs needed to be submitted.  this is where i left off before (enters the 203k specialist).  the other items included a contractor agreement providing proof of license & insurance, property condition disclosure statement,  fha amendatory clause & real estate certification, an identity of interest form signed by the 203k consultant, & last but not least, the appraiser needed drawings showing any structural changes of the house.  the appraiser verifies that the property will 'appraise' for the total amount of the mortgage (purchase price + construction costs) once the work is completed.  

closing is july 30th (i did receive the mortgage commitment from homestead this past friday...perfect way to end the work week).  

all of the above items need to be submitted to the lender by this friday, july 26th (2 more days!).  as of today, almost all of the 2nd paragraph is outstanding minus the drawings and construction cost estimate (needs to be signed).

luckily for me, i didn't have to bid the project which has saved a lot of time.  the contractor (to be named later) i asked to be involved said yes...thankfully!...because he did exceptional work at my current house.  however, he didn't have experience with the 203k process and has been a bit hesitant with submitting estimates until he gained a level of comfort (understandable).  conversations were had today and i think we are all back on track.  paul, 203k, told me his loan doc package will be sent tomorrow.  

keep your fingers crossed...

chasing unicorns...

i believe in fate...because i had it happen a few times to me. 412 is another time. i have been eyeing this house for a long time. it was listed with a sub par real estate firm for almost a year before the sellers switched to century 21. although the prior firm never posted pics of the interior, my gut instinct told me this was my next house (& because every fixer upper for sale had no character). i had the same feeling of my current abode. 

the first time i saw the spiral stair pic, i knew i had to have this house. i wasn't in the best financial condition to buy this house (coming out of a recession for the past 3 years), but i knew i had to make it happen somehow, especially with interest rates at record lows. long story short, when the sellers accepted my offer (which was surprising), i had to write a check for the deposit, but...i had no checks left, heading to the shore in a 1/2 hour, it was a saturday & the banks were closed. i was panicking & began nervously looking through old check books just in case i may have missed an unused check & miraculously there was one lone check...fate. 

yesterday, when i met the designer at the house, we were brainstorming about the bathroom and what do i see hanging on the wall but a framed picture of a unicorn. unicorns are an inside joke with one of my best friends because she knew how much i loved them when i was young...they were on my bedspreads, pictures on the wall, school folders...they were my hello kitty. i know it sounds bizarre but seeing this picture, once again, confirms that 412 was meant to be mine.

more before pics...

why was this exterior material ever invented?

alleyway

back stair

throughout the house

stairway to heaven

the grand stair

the bathroom for this big house

they didn't like to center

 

eventual roof deck?

scary basement