by Bria Marche
Saturday morning’s breakfast was interrupted by the ringing doorbell. Tina and Sasha were just finishing their French toast. They laughed, and agreed it had to be Karen. Tina yelled out for her to come in.
“Where’s Mia and Vic?” Karen asked, looking at her watch. “We’re supposed to be at Redmond Brother’s Realty at ten o’clock. It’s already nine-thirty.”
“Should I see if Mia wants to come? I didn’t ask her,” Sasha replied, now worried that she did the unthinkable.
“Well… duh. Of course, call her. Where’s Vic?” Karen asked.
“She should be here any minute. I’ll call Mia. Will I seem like a jerk doing this at the last minute?”
Karen and Tina grimaced at each other. “What do you think? We’re not one through four. We’re one through five, honey. Get used to it.”
“Well, shit, now I feel like an idiot.”
“Just call her, and see if she wants to go along.” Tina finished the last piece of French toast and stacked the plates in the dishwasher.
Mia’s phone rang as she and Aaron were enjoying the morning newspaper on his patio. The rain passed, and now the air felt fresh and clean. “Hello, Sasha. What’s up?”
“Mia, would you like to look at a few houses with us this morning? We’ll be right in Aaron’s neighborhood.”
“Who’s us?” Mia asked.
“Oh jeez, Mia. I’m so sorry. It’s everyone except you. I didn’t know if you and Aaron spent every weekend together, and… ”
Mia laughed. “Take a breath, Sasha. Can Aaron come too? Where should we meet you guys and Josh the slime ball?”
“Mia, seriously! Yes, Aaron can come, and the first house is only two blocks from his place on Pineview Boulevard. The address is 640 Pineview. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“That’s a beautiful street with gorgeous homes. Any street within five blocks of Aaron’s house would be similar to his. Maybe Josh knows how to do his job after all. See you in twenty. Out.”
Everyone, except Aaron and Mia, waited in their cars in front of the real estate office. Josh pulled up and was disappointed to see an entourage with Sasha. He secretly hoped to have her all to himself today.
“Hello again, Sasha. I see you have some friends tagging along. Tina, Vic, how’s it going? I don’t believe I’ve met this last young lady.”
“My name is Karen, and I’m thirty-seven, but thanks for the compliment… I think.”
“Okay then, I’ll lead the way. You can follow me to the first address.”
“You guys actually know Josh Redmond?” Sasha asked, once he walked away. She was surprised that he called Vic and Tina by name.
“Of course. You’re going to have to adjust to living the small town life. Tarrytown isn’t Manhattan, and yes, everyone that has lived here for more than five years is well acquainted with everyone else.”
“Oh, I like that idea already. I’m going to have so many friends soon.” Sasha was excited just at the thought of it.
“Just remember, Sasha, knowing everyone’s business and everyone knowing yours is a double edged sword. It will keep you honest, that’s for sure. Okay, we’re here. Just park behind Mr. Grossman, Tina,” Vic said, laughing.
Aaron and Mia were already waiting on the sidewalk in front of the house. They said their obligatory hellos to Josh. Aaron even shook his hand.
“It’s amazing,” Sasha said, realizing they were also acquainted with Josh. “It’s simply amazing.”
Since Aaron was familiar with this type of home, being similar to his own, he asked the questions. Sasha was grateful for his help. She took pictures with her cell phone and scribbled down notes as fast as Josh spoke the words. She had the listing papers too, as back up. The first house was a large red brick bungalow. It had a front porch similar to Aaron’s, but the backyard wasn’t any bigger than the previous home she already eliminated. Sasha was ready to move on to the last house for sale in that part of town. This was the most expensive house, listed at $907,000. It was three blocks to the west on Sunrise Avenue. They pulled up to the curb and parked under a row of ancient oaks that lined the street.
Sasha let out a gasp when she saw the house. “No way! This can’t be the right place.”
The home was an enormous Victorian with gingerbread accents covering every inch of the facade. It was situated on a double lot with hedges calling out the property lines instead of boring fences. It was big, bold and worn out. It was in need of repair, and lots of it. The paint was peeling off the clapboard siding. The roof looked to be in bad shape, and the yard was overgrown. That was just the obvious problems from the outside.
Sasha stood on the sidewalk, her mouth agape, as she took in every inch of the facade. They stared at her, wondering what was going through her mind, if anything logical at all. A large smile erupted on her face and she began to giggle. “You guys, it’s happening. This is the house I’m going to fall in love with.”
“What?” they all said at the same time.
“Hurry, Josh, I have to see the rest of it. Open the front door pleeese!”
“Sasha, take it down a notch,” Aaron whispered in her ear. “Don’t show how excited you are, or you’ll end up paying full price.”
“But Josh is a buyer’s agent, Aaron,” she said, still completely amped up.
“Right, but he gets paid commission based on the price the house sells for. Point out the negatives and how much it will cost to fix this place up. You can get it for a much lower price if you do. Ask how long it’s been on the market. No matter how much you like the inside, stop acting excited about it.”
“Okay, if you say so. I hope you know what you’re talking about. Still, I can’t wait to get through the door. Josh, how long has this house been for sale? And how long has it been vacant?” Sasha asked. She made sure to turn her nose up when they passed over the threshold. “Eww… this place smells like old people and mildew. What’s that about?”
“Well, according to the listing description, the house has been vacant for fourteen months. It probably just needs a good airing out and cleaning,” Josh assured her.
Sasha had a hard time suppressing her excitement. She was falling in love, and falling fast. All the floors were original maple hardwood. The woodwork was ornate and intact throughout the house. Three working fireplaces adorned the library, dining room and formal living room. Stained glass windows were everywhere. The house was huge, totaling 3200 square feet in size. It included four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a library, parlor, formal living room, dining room and a kitchen large enough to entertain in. The square footage didn’t even include the attic and basement, which were gigantic. The inside needed updated electrical and plumbing, but otherwise only cosmetic work. Sasha visualized this diamond in the rough turning into a masterpiece. The dust and old people smell didn’t faze her. She just needed to act like it did. There wasn’t a way to access the backyard from the kitchen, but the wall was long enough to put in a nice set of French doors. The group walked around the house to the over-sized backyard and Sasha’s imagination ran wild. There were enormous oaks and flowering trees. The hedges followed the property line, creating a beautiful, natural border. All she needed to do was hire someone to trim things back to a reasonable state. She pictured in her mind a multi-leveled deck coming off the kitchen. Red brick pavers would lead to the flower gardens, and the deck would have wooden spindles for railings, matching the house. There was enough room in the backyard to have a gazebo and water feature. Sasha was smitten. Thanks to Aaron’s advice, she changed her attitude in front of Josh. She couldn’t show her hand yet. She’d put an offer on the table, but not until she went over things privately with Aaron.
“It has potential, but there’s a ton of work to do. I’m not sure if I have enough ambition to take on a project quite this size. I’ll have to run the numbers and get back to you, Josh. I’m sure the repairs and updates could get very expensive. Meanwhile, schedule at least three more houses for me to check out this week. I
’m busy next weekend so don’t set anything up then. Call me.”
They said good bye and watched as Josh drove away. As soon as his car rounded the corner Sasha let out a squeal of delight and jumped up and down on the sidewalk.
“Seriously, I can do this. I know I can. This is the house I’m going to buy. Even if it costs $100,000 to fix it up, I’m going to buy the Victorian. I’m already in love with it. Please Aaron, can we go to your house and talk this over? I really need your advice. I wouldn’t mind a glass of wine either to help calm me down.”
Chapter Fourteen
Aaron and Mia walked back to his house. The girls piled into Karen’s car and met them there. The group gathered around Aaron’s kitchen table with the house listing in front of them, each babbling anxiously. On the cutting board, Mia sliced fruit and put together a pitcher of Sangria while everyone took turns offering their take of the house. Aaron poured Sasha a glass of Merlot to hold her over, told her to sit still, and listen to what everyone had to say. Karen began, and was in total agreement with Sasha. The house was magnificent. Tina was against it, being the rational woman she was. The house was far more than Sasha needed, being only one person. Aaron thought it would be absolutely beautiful when completed, but the cost of repairs could sway him in either direction. Vic was for it, as long as Sasha hosted most of the house parties from now on. They all looked at Mia, waiting for her to speak her peace.
“What? I’m giving this serious thought,” she said, with a devilish smile.
“C’mon Mia, I need your opinion. We have one no, two yeses, and Aaron’s on the fence. What’s it going to be?” Sasha asked, begging for Mia’s answer.
“Are you out of your mind? Is this really the house you want, with all the work you’ll need to do?” Mia asked, shaking her head from side to side.
“Well… yes it is,” Sasha said, standing her ground, even though the pouty bottom lip was coming out.
Mia couldn’t hold back the excitement in her voice any longer. “That’s my girl. You’re damn right this is the house for you, and we’re all going to help you remodel it. But we do need to find out what the costs will be first. You can reduce your offer substantially based on the work it needs, and how long it’s been on the market. Tomorrow we’re going to make the calls and have a few contractors give you estimates. Of course, Josh has to meet us there, but you can still act like you haven’t decided on anything yet. Keep him guessing by viewing other houses until we have a firm price in mind to offer.”
Sasha bounced around the table hugging everyone. She was overjoyed at the idea of making the Victorian her very own. If she could recreate the vision in her mind, this worn out Victorian house could turn into a stunning home.
“Karen, you should sell your house and move in there with me. It’s plenty big. Pretty soon we’ll all be living within five minutes of each other. How great is that?”
“That’s pretty great, Sasha. It really is,” Mia said, with a wink in Aaron’s direction.
***
Tuesday afternoon, Sasha and Mia were again standing on the maple floored foyer of the Victorian. Josh, Bob Anderson, the plumber, and Frank Diaz, the electrician, met them there. The contractors went from room to room checking every water pipe and electrical wire. They informed Sasha the estimates may take a few hours to put together. Josh followed Mia and Sasha around like a lost puppy. He was dying to ask Sasha out, but never had enough courage to do it in front of other people. Sasha was never alone either, and by the look of things, she probably wouldn’t be any time soon.
“Josh, don’t you have something to do, like call clients?” Mia asked, becoming irritated that he was tagging along like a dog in heat.
Sasha and Mia had plenty of ideas to talk about alone as they walked. Sasha didn’t want to give Josh any indication yet of how interested she was until she got the numbers from the contractors.
“Yeah… I guess I can wait in my car,” Josh replied, somewhat deflated. He was doing everything possible to appear wholesome, funny and charming in front of Sasha. Right now, he was scoring a big, fat, zero.
Two hours went by while the girls planned the colors schemes for each room. They agreed on the way the deck should be designed for the best traffic flow coming off the kitchen. Mia scratched out diagrams as Sasha picked areas in the backyard to start flower beds and the perfect spot for the future gazebo and water feature. The contractors left after handing Sasha the estimates. The girls followed them outside, said good bye, and noticed Josh was sound asleep in the driver’s seat of his car.
“Josh!” Sasha yelled, trying to startle him. He jumped, and they laughed. “I’ve got the estimates from the contractors, so we’re going to take off. I figured you would want to lock up before you left. Call me Thursday and tell me where to meet you. We still have a few houses to view this week, right?” she asked, while tucking the estimates safely in her purse.
“Yeah, we sure do,” he said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “I’ll call you Thursday morning. See ya.”
“Bye,” the girls said together, and left.
Mia drove to Hair Brained. They found Vic and Tina on the patio behind the salon taking a break. They huddled in a group to review the estimates.
“Hang on, I’ve got to tell Jennifer where we are in case anyone needs us,” Vic said. She left and returned a few minutes later carrying two small four packs of Merlot and plastic cups.
“Okay, the electricity update will run $27,478. That includes outdoor lighting and the garage too. The plumbing estimate is $44,916. What does that total, Mia?” Sasha asked, as Mia opened the calculator icon on her phone.
“Hold on, it’s um… $72,394 for everything.”
“Okay you guys, the house has been vacant for friggin ever and it stinks like hell. Sure, it’s on a double lot which is a bonus, but it isn’t like you’re going to sell that to someone to build on. You wouldn’t want another house up in your grill anyway. So, the fact that it’s on a large lot is nice, but not necessarily beneficial to you. They’re asking $907,000, right?”
“That’s right, Vic. What’s a fair price in your opinion? I’m going to run it past Aaron too, but give me your take,” Sasha said.
“I’d offer $775,000 and not a damn penny more. That price would take the total investment with repairs to around $850,000, give or take. Mia, run the exact numbers quick.”
“Okay… it’s $847,394 exactly. Close enough.”
“That’s a fair price, Sasha. Anyone else would offer $50,000 less right out of the gate, and don’t forget how long it’s been for sale. The owners must be desperate by now. Start out low with a crack head offer, and see how it goes. You can always negotiate,” Tina advised. “Shit… hold everything. We totally forgot about the roof and exterior paint,” she added.
Sasha pressed her temples. “I’m getting a friggin headache. How much would the outside repairs add to the cost?”
“Probably fifty grand. Here’s what I’d do. I’d offer $700,000 and see if they bite. Like Tina said, you can always negotiate. Remember, the owners live somewhere else, the house isn’t bringing in rental income, and they’re stuck paying the utilities and property tax. I bet they’d be stoked to get that monkey off their back. C’mon Sasha, let’s go over to the camera store and see what Aaron thinks. Later guys.”
“Adios, and good luck. Keep us posted.”
Aaron listened to Mia’s suggestion and agreed that $700,000 was a good starting point based on the appraisals and the work needed on the exterior. Several customers entered the shop, so Mia and Sasha left and walked to Bottoms Up to talk.
“Mia, do you really think I can get this house? I’ll admit it’s going to be a huge project, but I can’t stop daydreaming about it.”
“That’s a good sign, honey. Be realistic, but also be true to yourself. We know what the repairs will cost. Your apartment is going to close in a few weeks. It’s just about a wash when you consider the selling price of your apartment, and the price you’ll pay for the
house. Believe it or not, your insurance and property tax will be much lower here. Can you imagine how beautiful the house will be when it’s fixed up?”
“That’s all I’ve been doing, Mia. I’ve been dreaming about it, and sketching out ideas. I haven’t even bought it, yet I’m putting all this energy into it. I’ve found my future, and it’s all because of you.”
“Sasha… that isn’t true. If Jack hadn’t cheated on me, we would never have met.”
“That’s right, but you’re the one who rescued me from him. You could have divorced Jack and been done with it. I wouldn’t have known he was ever married. You got in the middle of it, maybe with different intentions originally, but look how it’s changed me. I was a self-indulgent, spoiled brat when we met. I’m so grateful now. I love you, and this town. I love the girls and Aaron. I’m happy now. I have friends, and that says a lot for me. Who would have ever thought my life would do such a turn around. I’m so blessed.” Sasha’s eyes teared up, and she hugged Mia. “We’re like sisters, right?”
“Yes, Sasha, we’re like sisters.”
Chapter Fifteen
After looking at several more properties that week, Sasha hadn’t changed her mind about the Victorian. She wanted to do the responsible thing and compare properties, but nothing could come close to the house on Sunrise Avenue. She liked that street name. It sounded happy and optimistic. A thought entered Sasha’s mind as she spoke the name Sunrise Avenue out loud. I’ll have a balcony built off the second floor master bedroom. It faces east, so I can watch the sun rise every morning. That in itself was an epiphany to Sasha. The house was destined to be hers.