We have the keys!!! :-)

Closing on a house sale in New York State is unlike anything I've seen during two house purchases and sales in California. Everyone--buyer, buyer's attorney, buyer's attorney's assistant, title person/notary, seller's attorney (and sellers if they haven't given their attorney power of attorney), buyer's realtor and seller's realtor, all sit around a big table and throw sheets of paper at each other for signatures. It looked like chaos, but it was organized in that none of the papers were lost, and I was only asked to sign one document twice (other than the required duplicates). Then everyone sat around waiting for about an hour until everything had been checked, approved, and checks issued--and I was given the keys to the house :-)

We went to the house (after a visit to KFC due to closing-induced starvation)... and found some unexpected dampness in the downstairs walls. Hadn't noticed this on previous visits, nor on the final walkthrough on Monday, when it was pouring with rain. So my priorities for remodeling work have shifted again--find the cause of the damp and fix it. It is possible that it is due to the lack of gutters on the house, but TBD. Contractor coming to investigate this evening.

The sellers kindly left me a set of new windows/sliding doors (need to replace the sliders to the deck) and other material that will help with the restoration work... it's going to be a long job, but the location and views are incredible, and will be well worth it. And it will be interesting to see what's in the garden as the flowers start to bloom... parts of Long Island are covered with blooming rhododendrons right now, there are sweet-smelling roses in my new garden, and I bought a new lawnmower yesterday.

We're going to spend most of today cleaning and mowing. And ripping up that dark-green carpet that seems to have been installed in all houses older than ten years. Don't know when the furniture arrives, it's still on its way from California.