My wife and I had been talking about moving back to the Bronx, to be close to her parents, who are regularly gaining years, and, although they won't admit it, can use extra hands, and eyes watching out for them. Things happened in Chicago, and we left, quite suddenly. Now, her parents live in a 3 family Brownstone, a common house type in NYC. Her parents live on the top floor, their son and his family on the bottom floor, and the sister (and her family) of one of my wife's sister's ex husband on the middle floor. My wife then I wanted to purchase the middle floor, so we would be right there. The time wasn't right, but we were still able to help them out for things that needed the most attention. My wife's brother died a couple years ago, (that's another story). He was also looking out for their parents. Now the opportunity has come, for my wife and I to purchase the middle floor, by continuing to pay the mortgage (7 more years) and make payments to pay for the equity.
This was not a new house when they bought it. Actually, it was build originally in 1899. No, there was no one particularly famous who grew up there. Although Melissa's parents have done a lot to keep up on repairs, most of that was for their floor. The middle floor has been rented since the mid 90s, and can definitely use some help. You don't expect tenants to do all that stuff, and some things are difficult to take care of with people living there. But soon it will be ours, and we have ideas... many ideas that have been waiting to become reality for about at long as we've known each other. And we too have been renting, and I was reluctant to make major improvements to places that wasn't ours.
But now we will be owners, and can not worry about a landlord saying "You did WHAT to the kitchen?!?!!?"
