First Texas Home

[clarionite]

I've lived in the great state of Texas now for 15 years. As the saying goes, I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could.
My family line is from Texas, before it was a state. Best I can tell, they got here sometime just before or right after it became it's own country.

On August 9, 2021 I'm scheduled to close on my first house that I own here. I own a three lots that I bought about 10 years ago, intending on building a home on but decided I didn't like the neighborhood shortly after I bought them. So I've been a Texas land owner for a little bit, but I'm excited about the new home.

It's a barndominium. Started life as a Warehouse and manufacturing facility for a metal building company. It sits on an acre, has 10,000 sf of area under metal roof, and 3200 sf of living quarters. Of the 50x90 warehouse, I still have 50x50 of useable space. And I have a 60x70 garage with two bays, each has a 12x12 roll up door. I have a 40x80 18ft tall covered parking area that will nicely accommodate my pontoon boat, my double axle trailer and my 5th wheel RV. There's plenty of back yard space. And the best part is that it's surrounded completely by cattle fields. 85 acre, 83 acre, 27 acre and 400 acre farms are my neighbors. I can see two hay barns and one house on the other side of the 400 acre farm up on a ridge. But it's far enough away I can't make out anything in their yard and they can't in mine.

I finally have room to set up my office how I want. I have room for my reloading bench. I have quite a bit of remodeling to do on the living quarters, but I'm excited. And I've been a Texan at heart for quite a while now, but I feel like I'm a real Texan now.

[ELB]

Congratulations!

[SewTexas]

yay! congratulations!

[Paladin]

[K.Mooneyham]

Sounds awesome, congratulations!

[TxRVer]

When's the open house/party? Congratulations and welcome home.

[clarionite]

When's the open house/party? Congratulations and welcome home.

I have some remodeling to do. But I've told my wife that we need to have a party for our friends right after we close. That way when they say "This looks nice" when we're done remodeling we can say "No, this is fantastic. You saw what it looked like before" LOL

I have at least a dozen friends who have claimed they'll come help move and with the remodeling. But I've moved enough to know that those claims usually end up with, oh I didn't realize it was this weekend. I can't make it.

[clarionite]

Thanks everyone. To say we're excited is an understatement. I turned 49 in June. So I'm planning on this being my final house. And as such, I'm remodeling it to how I want, not how we think resale will be best. The kitchen and pantry will be massive with counter tops that are a few inches taller than standard as we're both very tall. The master suite will be very large too. It'll have a walk in shower with a rainforest style head. His and her walk in closets, with lots of storage and a dressing station with vanity in hers. Mine will have plenty of lockable storage for my toys. And she wants a large tub in the master bath. Either a claw foot, or a large European style tub. Heated stone flooring. She also wants a nice area she can have coffee and read in the mornings built into our suite. An on demand water heater will be put in so I never have to worry about a hot shower. And our bedroom will have it's own zone in the AC.

I may be dead before we finish all the modifications, but it will be ours.

Edit: And I'm thinking ahead, all the master suite stuff will be on the first floor. And all first floor doors will be wide enough to accommodate a wheel chair.

[ELB]

Thanks everyone. To say we're excited is an understatement. I turned 49 in June. So I'm planning on this being my final house. And as such, I'm remodeling it to how I want, ...

Wait, I didn't read "walk-in combination gun-safe/tornado shelter" in there any place.

[clarionite]

Thanks everyone. To say we're excited is an understatement. I turned 49 in June. So I'm planning on this being my final house. And as such, I'm remodeling it to how I want, ...

Wait, I didn't read "walk-in combination gun-safe/tornado shelter" in there any place.

The walk in gun-safe will be combined with the Server room. Access to it will be off of my office, and it will have secured access and climate control.
The shelter will be classified info.
I thought I'd have to convince my wife we needed one. But she brought it up first, wanting to know where we were going to put the bunker in.

[clarionite]

We should be closing Wednesday. Before putting in the offer, I researched the utilities. Internet is a huge deal for me. I'm a programmer, and work remotely often. I also need a static IP, to access my server and view my security system. All 3 ISP's I talked to prior to the offer said no problem, and they sell Static IP's. Trying to get service scheduled today. First one now says that I'd need an 80' tower to clear the ridge between their tower and mine. I have a 60' tower. Second one (dsl) says they won't sell me a static IP as a residential customer. Their 25/3mb service is 56 a month. Another 29 if I get a phone (haven't had a phone at home in almost 15 years). But they'll give me a static IP if I do the business service. Exact same speed, comes with a phone line and one free static IP. For 139. So $55 for the static IP. Third company now says they can't reach that location for the same reason as the first. Tower's not tall enough to clear the ridge. So now I need to see what adding another 20' section to my tower will cost me. The first one was very interested in putting equipment on my tower to extend their coverage area. I'd get my service for free. Now I have to figure out how many month's it would take of $139 per month to pay for the tower extension. And if they put their equipment on it, that'll probably nix my plans for putting a discone antenna up for Ham and aviation radios.

[philip964]

Congratulations!!

Is you new home in the country or is this located inside a City limit or in an urban County that might be fussy?

[Soccerdad1995]

It sounds like you've got the space for a nice indoor range on days when it gets too hot to shoot in the back yard....

[clarionite]

Congratulations!!

Is you new home in the country or is this located inside a City limit or in an urban County that might be fussy?

It's out in the country. Wild west rules... no rules.

[clarionite]

It sounds like you've got the space for a nice indoor range on days when it gets too hot to shoot in the back yard....

I'd love to set one up, so I could teach and shoot on site. But there's a range just across the freeway from me. So I won't be in a huge rush to put it in.