Searching for Mrs. Welby

House shopping (AKA online stalking)

A reader, Herb, asks: And just out of curiosity, why do you use all three (Listingbook, Zillow and Craigslist)?

Dear Herb,

I am, at best, a learned novice at this homebuying stuff. However, with the help of my agent and master house shopper B.R., wife of Dr. Gas, I have learned the following:

• Listingbook: have to get on through an agent, has great info and can do comparisons, totally MLS based though so no FSBO's
• Zillow: free and public, compares homes along same street, can see trends on a graph, lists FSBO's as well as "make me move" homes, however, may not take certain neighborhood characteristics into account--only looks at zip code for average prices, can make your own estimate by entering additional data like kitchen upgrades, etc.
• Craigslist: the occasional FSBO and loads of suprises, always a good option for Plan C (getting a rental)

Another good resource is your public property tax office. The town where I'm moving has this online. You can see last sale date and price paid, tax bills, property facts and get a satellite photo of the lot. You can also check out the neighbors or other creepy stalking activities.

If you are really jiggy like me, you will take all of this data, open up Excel, and go nuts with $$ per sq foot scenarios, annualized appreciation on last sale dollars, and % of asking price potential offers.

Of course, I still have no house. So it's a bunch of B.S. to fill the void of time and space.

Thanks for asking Herb,
Mrs. Welby

Buyerzilla

I am....Byerzilla.

Kinda like Bridezilla, only someone who is shopping for a house. I've lost it. I'm on the ledge. I've enlisted an army of friends to do drive-bys, sending emails with subject lines of: "NEW ONE!!!!", or "DRIVE BY ALERT." It's all I can talk about with Dr. Arm. He's afraid of me. I'm on Listingbook every hour, scouring Zillow.com and craigslist.

I'm even tired of my own drama. Friends have told me to find something else to think about. But when you've spent the last 7 years in transition, this is THE LIGHT, this is THE REWARD. And I just want to KNOW when I can find out if my wedding china was smashed to bits 2 years ago when the movers put it in storage (I wasn't there, my dad "supervised" that one).

But God has saved me. He has given me the flu. Now, even a dorm room is fine with me if I can just get well and repair the red chapped skin below my nose. Nothing like your 4 year old saying, "Mommy, why are you sleeping on the floor?" when you have lost even the energy to push a 3 inch wooden train on a track.

It is 8:35pm. I have been in PJs since 5:30pm. Off to drugs and la-la land.

Animal Warning Signs

WARNING: If your dog quits drinking out of the toilet, call a plumber.

Our dog stopped drinking out of the toilet 2 days ago. I thought it was strange but was glad.

And now, I suddenly have black water rising out of my shower drain and the one in my children's bathtub. He knew before we did that there was some bad shit rising.