stephawalker's Profile

We did this! When we removed the 80's wet bar and MIRRORED wall, we installed Elfa shelving over a desk that fit snugly in the space. It was the best "Office" I ever had because it was so compact and kept me really organized. You can always hide it with curtains or closet doors when you're not using it. But I think if you leave it open you'll be more likely to keep it neat.

I hear you, Gregory! I've been reading all of our L.A. friends' Facebook status updates about being w/o power and feeling a bit jealous. Strangely.

Only a few weeks after moving to San Juan Island, we lost power in a major wind storm. We were in a drafty old farmhouse in the center of the island. We built a fire in the fireplace, huddled in our sleeping bags and read by candlelight (I didn't have a headlamp.) And, though we were freezing by the time we got power again and so grateful for the heat to return, I did miss that same feeling you write about here.

Forced electronic fasts are just not the same. Though, I probably should institute those more often anyway.

(by the way, genius speaker idea!)

Steph Walker
Author, Love in the Time of Foreclosure
www.loveinthetimeofforeclosure.com

I love this chair. There are so many amazing giveaways today!

I agree with everyone who has said to borrow less than the lenders say you can afford. Have a year of mortgage payments and taxes socked away for the worst case scenario. Above all, make sure that the house doesn't end up owning you. Try your best to separate the emotion from the buying process.

We fell prey to the thinking that in a worst case scenario we could just sell the house and get ourselves out of a jam. This is not a good back-up plan. It's not a plan at all.

Apartment Therapy is a wonderful testament to the beauty of small spaces. Don't buy a house that's bigger than you can afford or take care of. The bigger the house, the bigger the problems. The bigger the house, the more you accumulate.

Sigh. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Austinjohn-

Hi, I'm the homeowner and I just wanted to respond to your post to say, NO.... we're not flippers! Not at all. We really don't want to sell, but my husband and I are both in the middle of job transitions and might have to relocate. We love our home and our neighborhood and I would prefer to stay forever. Thank you for your comments, everyone. I'm so pleased that everyone loves the house. Not a day goes by that we're not thankful to call it our home.

-Stephanie

This happened to us. Our house is on the market right now in Silver Lake and a Google alert alerted my attention to the fact that someone was trying to rent our house out for $7,500. You gotta love Google Alerts. Anyway, we caught it right away and brought it to Craigslist's attention. They were immediately responsive- flagged and removed the post within about six hours. You can read about it here on our house's blog: http://2471silverridge.blogspot.com/2008/08/being-pimped-out-by-craigslist-against.html