Sold my grandma's house today...

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
07/16/2017 at 00:29 • Filed to: None

Guy called about it, seemed serious enough about buying to warrant me going down, so.... 150 miles south to a town close to the Washington/Oregon border in the Miata. House was shown, paperwork was signed, and I drove back to Seattle. Oh, the things I saw, oppo.

I was hauling ass, went past the manufacturer tested top speed multiple times and managed to get there well under two hours. But good god was it rough. My exhaust is loud around town, on the freeway droning on at 6000 rpm.... Absolutely brutal. Kept having to turn the music up because my hearing kept going down. Speakers eventually blew (thank God I have a nice, new set of speakers going in!) and my hearing is slowly recovering.

The crazy thing is how stable the car is at high speeds now. I’m amazed how big of a difference the rollbar makes... Before, I could hit 110mph, but it was a bit sketchy. Not white knuckles sketchy, but definitely required a fresh mind ready for anything. Now, 120 feels perfectly fine, the chassis is not Squirrely in the slightest. Still not a GT car by any means, but man I love that rollbar more and more....

Whenever I do long drives, there’s always a couple other cars—also speeding—who I feel like I bond with over long stretches of tarmac. Spending 50 miles with an RS4 on a mostly empty stretch makes the drive more bearable, and I end up feeling like we’re a team. One person checking for cops in front, one person guarding the rear. Some occasional pulls to kill time, but mostly just a fast pace to eat up the miles. I’m genuinely curious if it’s just me, or if some of you feel the same way..?

There were a lot of those moments driving to—and from—Longview. The RS4, a debadged Audi wagon from out of state, a red 350z, a newish Infiniti... I was never alone on this trip.

The Audi wagon. Looked like a younger couple on a road trip. Thumbs up were exchanged

This guy tried to race on the way back, but there were a lot of cars so I just got behind him. What is this car..? Actually looked pretty cool, minus the stickers. Sounded fantastic too

I wonder which one of us has a better car for highway driving...

Nice

NICE

All in all, I’ll give the trip a 6/10. It went much quicker than normal, but still took up a Saturday, and left me feeling trashed. Every time I do a longer drive like this, I think about getting another car. But like... A NEW car. Something that isn’t sporty... Something... With an AUTOMATIC. 300 miles in a Volvo s90 would be heavenly. Might be time to call up Tom Mcparland and get him looking for deals.

It’s strange saying goodbye to my grandma’s home. Bittersweet. Along with her husband, she did all the work herself fixing the place up, and making it perfect. I remember them buying it 11 years ago... It was an absolute dump. Now it looks like it’s straight out of Martha Stewerts wet dreams. There was nothing that needed to be done to get it ready for listing because it was kept up so well. Lots of memories there, but it hasn’t been the same for her since her husband died two years. She’ll be moving from Longview to Vancouver Washington, and with any luck will love her new home just as much as she loved this one.

DISCUSSION (36)

Nibbles > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:41

That white car that wanted to race. Reminds me of a Fiero, too hard to tell from the pic tho

AestheticsInMotion > Nibbles
07/16/2017 at 00:44

That’s what I was thinking, but I’m not very familiar with them. The rear glass was vertical, and there were flying buttresses (with glass windows)

fintail > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:50

I think the mystery car is a late run Fiero GT with a custom rear light unit.

That haul between Olympia and Portland can be pretty boring. Just think, that little old house would bring 3-4x as much in some areas up here.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:50

When my grandma sold her house 2 years ago, (owned it since 1967, custom built). I walked through it one last time. Damn, so many memories in there. The new owners cut down the apple trees in the back yard last fall. My grandma babied those trees, he grafted on some beaches in the 80's. One tree had 3 kinds of apples on it.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:52

6,000 rpm on an NA?!?!!? My assumption is that you were going really fast for long distances?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:54

I wasn’t thinking Fiero too, looks like the tailights have been modified to look more like a newer Grand Prix.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 00:57

The last time I drove through Minneapolis I played around with a WRX wagon and a tough looking Crown Vic. It was fun, not crazy racing but we all passed quite a few other cars, the funny thing was I was in my Wife’s Fit. With 115hp hustling through traffic.

AestheticsInMotion > fintail
07/16/2017 at 00:57

Oh I know. She wanted to move back to the Seattle area, but couldn’t afford the type of home she wants.

On the plus side, the buyers are a young couple who fell in love with the place. The wife has been talking to my grandma about gardening and decorating tips, etc. So at least it won’t be a teardown like it would be on the Eastside (3 bed, 1bth)

AestheticsInMotion > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
07/16/2017 at 00:58

It’s tough. I wish I could have moved the house closer to my current location and bought it

AestheticsInMotion > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/16/2017 at 01:00

You understand! I feel like it’s equal parts performance-oriented cars, and normal rides.

The things I would do for a Fit with a high revving bike engine...

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
07/16/2017 at 01:02

Yes, but. Really fast for a Miata, this is no M3. Put another way... 100% ticket speeds, but not lose the license/car speeds.

fintail > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:05

Yeah, moving away and coming back would be tough unless you invested the house proceeds very well. In Bellevue, houses that were 100K 30 years ago can be 1MM today. And that place would likely be a teardown no matter how nice it is, yeah. I see it a lot here west of 405, nice old places just knocked down and thrown away.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:05

I would looove it if Honda would take the Stcik out of their butts and put the 1.5 turbo in the new Fit. If they did my wife’s car would get traded ASAP.

slipperysallylikespenguins > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:05

I love getting in a pack of cars going fast, used to happen a lot on the interstates in CO. Seems to happen a lot less in the Puget Sound area as traffic rarely allows it.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:05

Her old house was also in bad shape, so I think it was best for it. Shortly after she moved her mental health went down. We’re she is now lunch, & dinner are provided, a psw helps with her breakfast, bath, & meds in the morning, there lots of activities for her to do, her apartment is also very nice. She does always talk about missing her big garden. She will probably be in assisted living by next year with her memory issues. So sale of the house could not have come sooner.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:07

Obviously the drive from here to Portland does not agree with me. There are long stretches where people will run you off the road for going less than 75 once you get past Olympia.

wafflesnfalafel > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:07

Vancouver is really booming - big new waterfront redo, gigantic destination casino just north of town, plus you are close to the gorge, Adams, St Helens and the ocean beaches...

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:08

Am I the only one who finds cruising at 120 on a public highway incredibly stupid? Anyone? Bueller?

AestheticsInMotion > slipperysallylikespenguins
07/16/2017 at 01:09

I90 or highway 2 once you’re 30 miles out from Seattle are good. I5 is hit an miss, again once you’re far enough from Seattle. But yeah other than that.... It’s tough

RallyWrench > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:12

Is that a Fiero with late Bonneville taillights? Interesting.

I feel the same on long road trips, if you “hook up” with another car that’s driving at your speed and doing so intelligently for extended periods, you sort of become wingmen. More than once I’ve given or received a wave when we part ways. Doesn’t matter what the car or truck is, either.

AestheticsInMotion > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/16/2017 at 01:15

I was cruising at 85-95, with occasional higher speeds. I mean, obviously driving faster is always going to have more risks than driving slower. That holds true whether it’s 70 compared to 100mph, or 15 compared to 35mph.

For what it’s worth, the speed limit is 70, flow of traffic is 80, the roads are designed to be safe up to 110 for the average automobile made ten years ago, and most new cars can comfortably cruise well beyond even that speed. That plus Washington has (as of a few years ago at least) the best maintained roads in the country.

AestheticsInMotion > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/16/2017 at 01:17

Wouldn’t that be glorious? Bring back the volume knob too, while they’re at it...

NojustNo > Nibbles
07/16/2017 at 01:17

Yup 88 fiero gt. Weird it doesn’t have the center price though.

If it sounded great it probably doesn’t have the stock 3.1 v6. Maybe a 3800 v6?

Kinja'd!!!

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
07/16/2017 at 01:19

To be fair, I’ve done the drive a few times where it took 6+ hours one way due to traffic and construction. I’d be tearing my hair out if I had to do that more than a few times per year

AestheticsInMotion > wafflesnfalafel
07/16/2017 at 01:20

My cousin lives there, working for Nike. Sounds pretty great from what I’ve heard, I gotta head down at some point!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:21

Ok, that’s different. I’ve been on plenty of interstates were traffic flows at 85 or a little higher. But of course the most dangerous situation on any freeway is a large difference in speed, be it faster or slower. My old A8 would happily cruise at 130 all day long, and the straight, flat, smooth Nebraska highways would certainly allow for it. Those two factors do not in any way make that a good idea.

Chariotoflove > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/16/2017 at 01:33

That’s what first jumped into my head too. Grand Prix.

Chariotoflove > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:35

Every once in a great while, I’ll get a team up. Hasn’t happened in forever though. Maybe Texans dont go in for that, I don’t know.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 01:44

If that applies to city roads, I don’t know that I believe it. Our city roads are thrashed.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
07/16/2017 at 01:47

I can’t do that well up here. So many slow posted roads and I rarely exceed 60 anymore because nothing anywhere even marginally close to me is marked above that. I hate our low limits, but now I’m so used to them that other places feel foreign and scary.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
07/16/2017 at 01:50

I was kind of surprised it was that expensive even today in Longview. That’s one rough little town that used to be very cheap...

jasmits > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 02:09

I know Longview! I’m from Portland but had a good buddy in high school from Rainer(catholic high school, he commuted all the way there). Interesting little towns.

E92M3 > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2017 at 12:56

That was easy. Don’t these typically go through a real estate attorney?

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
07/16/2017 at 14:21

I wouldn’t be surprised if the place is picking up long distance PDX area commuters now, as that market has also gone insane a bit (although tax-wise, I guess that would be troublesome). I had a friend who lived there years ago, I seem to recall the place had one nice area around a park in the city, maybe this is there.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
07/16/2017 at 18:47

It’s the worst tax situation I could think of. You live in OR if you are close to it and have the option. The best deal is working in WA and living in OR...

That’s true, the very center of the city is alright. This does look like it is there. The area outside that is really rough.

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
07/16/2017 at 20:01

I have to imagine there is some kind of legal way to compensate for the double taxation. But maybe not worth the work or commute. I can’t see how Longview would be more expensive than say Aberdeen/Hoquiam other than its distance from the interstate.

Still, 250K for a nice grandma’s house in Longview, not for me.