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:

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...

inspiration glimpse...

because the 203k process is boring, here is a glimpse of inspiration pics for 412...

bathroom

rear facade

kitchen

concrete floors