Based on the advice of friends and a gut feeling, I DID jump on a plane to North Carolina on two days notice. Of course, I couldn't just bite the bullet and pay $800 for a ticket, I had to noodle around and totally inconvenience myself (and unknowingly endanger my life by some of the driving...) and fly out of Tampa (2 1/2 hours from home) into Greenville SC (1 1/2 hours from my destination). The remarkable thing was--if I had flown into Charlotte and driven from there (2 1/2 hours), it would have cost $600. Instead I flew into Greenville, changing planes in Charlotte, and it cost $200. Go figure 'cause I can't.
I looked at the two houses, one I had seen, one I hadn't, and was very glad I went. It is true: there is nothing like being there. At the one I hadn't seen, the pitch of the property surprised me (not a problem, but surprising), even having driven down the road before and having seen tons of pictures. The kitchen seemed smaller than in the photos. The bottom line was I really liked it. The only problem was the location--and the one thing I know is I can't change that. Well, I could or rather it could be done, but I ain't gonna do it. It was too far from town, no walking on the road with a dog or a friend (too windy and narrow), too easy to be reclusive which could be an issue for a recluse like me. While buying that house seemed like the right thing to do: it was a good price, it was in "move in" condition, it would have been easy, it would have stopped me wasting hours looking at real estate websites, it would have answered one of the zillions of questions bobbing around in this silly little head of mine, I really liked the owner and she needs and wants to sell now; it was not really right, and so the search continues.
Oh, I went to the other house which I had seen before and which is my first (house) love in the area and which is "under contract" but a reportedly shaky one, and I still love it--it's old and funky and has some structural problems that need to be looked at but still, I love it. Apparently a bright shiny low maintenance house does not seem to speak to me. Too bad about that, but we are who we are...We also drove around and looked at a few new 'hoods and I did some poking around and found some other interesting areas and some other interesting houses. But for now, I am going to wait for my next visit at the end of September.
That's all for now. Thanks for your input. I will keep adding as responses come in.
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