So, we moved....

After more than 30 days of back and forth with the banks to negotiate on an 'appropriate' purchase price, we ceded and were proud home owners. Well not proud yet. By September, seeing that Jen's business is highly mobile, mine is... well, let's say mine is too, we cracked and decided to move. We said our 'temporary' goodbyes, packed up and left our favorite city in the world, San Francisco....

...to settle in the middle of the desert ... for a year or so.

The move happened before the end of 2010... and we love it! The next 12-18 months will be dedicated to looking for work and giving Linda a makeover. We will make her fabulous once again.

The not so fabulous reality of Linda...

With the good comes the bad and by that I mean baaadddd. Our first impression when we visited Linda with the real-estate agent was the following. Walking through the front door gave us this gorgeous view:

Linda circa 2010 (July more precisely) - from the entrance

By turning our heads to the right, we were able to see the ... 'kitchen':

The kitchen is between the first wall and the second. Nice stainless steel and granite!

But then it got better, between the two bedrooms (see map of property in case you're lost) there was a full bath, in perfect condition... for 1950.

Brand New bathroom with swankin' wall paper at the entrance. We'll see about saving that fabulous pattern.

Hopes were still high by that point... until we stepped out into the 'yard':

Linda's back-side. (nothing a few million $$$ can't fix!)

Of course, after this first walk-through of the property, i was sold! I had a vision. I could see the amazing potential! I knew right away that this was the right property. I think I had a heat stroke.
Jen was horrified and probably passed out somewhere hoping I was joking about this potential purchase. (guess again)

Linda the Fabulous

Well, we did it. We purchased an old, down to the studs, mid-century house in Palm Springs. I'm not sure how the decision came about, whether it was an educated and researched purchased or a love at first sight. But it's done and there is no going back!
Linda sits on a quaint little street in a great Palm Springs neighborhood. She faces North but has a fabulous backyard facing South. Her frontal lines are clean and simple.

Linda in a full frontal position (yes, she has palm trees!)

View from the top, it is obvious that the property has been left unattended for a couple of years. The pool is empty and cracked, the landscaping looks more like a desert/dump than anything. The only living thing on the property, other than the palm trees, is a grapefruit tree which still produces amazing fruit.

Linda view from above (hanging off a palm tree!)

The floor plan of the house is simple. You walk into the main room (dining/living) and have the two bedrooms on the left. What is labeled as bedroom #3 below is actually where the breezeway (examples here) once was. That section of the house was built illegally and will have to be completely redone.  The house is only 1440sf on a 10,000sf lot. 

Linda - the layout of the property

Well, that's Linda.

Now, how do we begin? Where do we begin? We live 480 miles away... what to do....