This Way To My Blog

This Way To My Blog

Friday, November 21, 2008

From Plants To Auctions




Sorry this picture is so bad but you know I don't claim to be a photographer. I do have a great appreciation of nature so I couldn't resist taking a picture of a cactus that was so eager to pose in spite of it's dire surroundings. you can see the top is so crowded with blooms there is no room for another. Also something I found odd recently when I stepped out the back door I noticed there was an Indian Paintbrush blooming a few feet from the back door. Just one lonely plant with one bloom. They usually bloom in the spring when the Bluebonnets bloom. When John bought this house the back yard was covered with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes. We tried to always let them go to seed before mowing and that is a hard thing to do in the city where everyone keeps their yard neat because it looks pretty shaggy before the seeds can be mowed. You start getting dirty looks from the neighbors. Finally John gave up and mowed early last year so this year we had only Indian Paintbrushes and the Bluebonnets didn't survive. We have been told this housing area was a farm. Someone sold off some of the land and a low income housing development was erected. This house was one of them orginally. When people started defaulting on their payments houses went up for sale at auction on the court house steps for what was owed on them. John saw this one advertised in the paper so we started driving by. Then we started thinking, then we got out and looked in the windows. You were not allowed to go inside but this house had taken such a beaten there was no problem getting inside to look. Alot of the windows were beaten out, the door knobs were missing, holes in the sheetrock in the garage etc. etc. It was three bedrooms, one bath, one car garage, central heat but no air and no carpet. It was brick so the outside was sturdy and in fairly good condition. When I was young I wasn't low income, but I didn't have a house this nice and couldn't have. Why would people not take care of a house like this with low payments? I doubt if very many of the people in this area are the orginal owners. We know of several more that sold at auction. Maybe that is why they stopped building them. People didn't appreciate, didn't take care, and didn't keep up the payments. We went to auction on the court house steps, a new experience for us. We were nervous, we didn't know what to do. There was only a hand full of people there and we were all eyeing each other. We all wanted a three bedroom brick house for $30,000 even if it did need repairs. When the man in charge arrived he made a little speech. He told us the highest bidder would have to have the entire amount of money and he would give them about an hour to come up with it. Whew! That put some sad looks on faces. John bid one dollar about the minimum amount that was stated and got it. We were running around like chickens with their heads cut off afraid we wouldn't come up with the money in time. Well he got it and the work started. One day I was here alone working sitting on the floor trying to put some shelves together. I saw a man walk past the windows. He just stepped in the door and introduced himself. He wanted to know if we were going to live here or rent it out. I should have told him where to go and how fast but I didn't. He told me we were lucky he was out of town or he would have bought this house. We later went to some more auctions and he did always run the bid up until he bought them for rent propery. It was several years before I would wave at him when he passed by going to collect rent. I will say he does keep them up and moniters the type of renters he rents to. Ha how did I get from there to here? Okay I'll go back and change my title.

14 comments:

barb said...

you got the house for a dollar???? or did i miss something?? anyhow you sure got a good deal!!

Ally Lifewithally said...

this was interesting Paula ~ glad you managed to come up with the cash in time to get the house ~ I loved your photograph ~ Ally x

How I See It said...

great story and congrats on the Marie Antoinette award. You deserve it!

garnett109 said...

Congrats on the award!
I'll buy your house for $2.00

Martha said...

I've always wanted to go to those auctions - there sure are some good deals out there right now, wish I could afford to buy.
Have a great weekened Paula :-)

Heli gunner Tom said...

God Bless Texas!

Regards,
Tom
tschuckman@aol.com
Disabled Vietnam Veteran: 68-70.

Alice said...

Bluebonnets & Indian Paintbrushes are so pretty. I think they like to grow wild but I did have them in my yard many years ago when I lived in Nacogdoches. Have a good day :)

jack69 said...

If you do not require the BEST & FINEST in the beginning, and you can see a finished product through the trash and damage and if you do not mind hard work, you can have and keep your house. I love people with the ability to dream and see a gem, in the midst of rubbish.
I too wonder why folks will not take care of a nice place that is basically provided at very little expense to them.
Yes, and we all sometimes wonder, why didn't someone do that for me, I would have taken care of it.
Jack (as usual great entry)

Paula said...

I've always wondered about the auctions they do outside the courthouse, heard about them but I didn't know you had to have $$ so fast. So John bid $1 above the minimum, how is the minimum set, is that the taxes owed? REgardless, you got a good deal!
Great post!

Anonymous said...

i love that green mossy tree..roberta

Rose said...

those auctions are really popular these days.

Amelia said...

I'm glad you guys came up with the money. *HUGS* -Missy

http://learningtoadapt.blogspot.com

Kelly said...

Lone little plant, but so beautiful to see. Enjoyed the story about the rental house, glad y'all got it too. :) Kelly

Gerry said...

I am glad you got that house. Auctions have always fascinated me ever since we got Grandma, our best old milk cow from an auction. We finally had some real cream. But I was always afraid I would bid some astronomical sum without realizing it and have to come up with the money. Lots of auctions around. Gerry