# Buying a new home or torturing ourselves?



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

For those that haven't been following, we found a nice house, went clear to closing, then found out it had been moved twice... No loan. The next 2 we found had also been moved more than once, our broker got a clue and started asking that question first lol. 
We're at closing yet again, for the third time in 2 years. The very first house cost us $3500 in lawyer's fees to get out of a "goat property" that turned out to be within city limits. 
Anyway, so far on this one, we've had to buy a new manufacturer tag for the half of the double wide that was missing it, pay for inspections, well testing for flow and bacteria. The owner had to shock the well, another test courtesy of us, yeah. 
You all know what happens when a well isn't used for months right? The seller has replaced all the plumbing throughout the house, exterminated the carpenter ants, and put earthquake straps on the hot water heater. We're just waiting for him to get the new uv light filtration system installed so we can pay for yet another water test! 

Word of experience, if you ever sell a house with a well, turn the water on for about two days if it's been sitting. 
Everything still looks good, the uv system should work fine and we get a free whole house filtration system to go with it lol. 
So, delays and the bank account's bleeding but, it might be worth it. 
One side effect, we no longer have WiFi sorry, @ tothboergoats I have a first generation smart phone that's really really stupid. I do have a new one on the way because there isn't any WiFi where we're moving. 

This property is across the Willamette valley in the foothills of the Cascade mountains. The entire 5.8 acres is on an eastern slope. There's a large springfed pond, an acre or so of grassland, shop, barn, spring house or ice house, 3 bedroom double wide, neglected landscaping, a mature monkey puzzle tree, and three acres of timber. 
There haven't been any animals other than chickens and rabbits for many years.
On the interesting side, there's an old easement from 1938 for the telegraph still in effect. With the spring house and the random rose bush, I'm looking forward to finding the original farm house with my metal detector. 
The veterinary clinic has four large animal veterinarians, one of which grew up on an Oregon dairy farm, an alternative medicine vet, and OSU is fairly close. 
I don't know, I'm not getting excited yet (yeah right lol)


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

That eastern slope sounds good. HELLO, sunshine! Wishing you all the best to get in there! We will really be staying tuned in for your "collarding" when you get to that.


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## Sophie123 (Feb 18, 2019)

Good luck to you, hope you get your house!

We had to pay cash for our property, we would never in a million years gotten a loan for it, but it worked out for us, since we sold our property in Florida ( house in downtown Orlando) for way more than we payed for this. Can you save up cash to buy something? We got a huge property with lots of buildings for half the price we sold our single family house with small yard for because most people don't pay cash and it sat there for 3 years. The water comes from a spring off the mountain and supplies half our neighbors ( we got rights to the spring added to the deed) , nothing is up to any code, built by the Amish who knows when without proper permits, no utilities of any kind other than the spring water. But we are in the middle of nowhere and can have any animals and do pretty much whatever we want with the property. Oh , it did have goat fencing in place, needed repair but mostly it was fenced. 
Something to check into if this doesn't work out for you


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I understand the nightmare that is buying a house. When we bought ours it was nothing but one problem after another. It was a foreclosure and even with an inspection, we found way more problems. It was worth it in the end but it has been 5 years of hard work to get it where we wanted it and still not totally done.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

What a nightmare and no wi-fi, that really sucks. 

There is so much involved when selling and trying to seek a new home, especially being from another state. As I am trying to do now. 

I wish you the best of luck and hope things work out for you. :hug:


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Hugs! and Hang In There!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I got excited for you when I read 


goathiker said:


> I'm looking forward to finding the original farm house with my metal detector.


Oh how I love to learn history of old places. When we moved from Ca to TX we paid cash after the sale of our CA place..but still the head aches that we dealt with. This house came with a picture of the old home stead..so cool. Hubs is always talking about the next time...NOPE..Im fine here lol not sure I want to do that over again lol. Best Wishes Jill on your new place!!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

OH and no wifi? UGH..we pay through the nose for ours and it hardly ever works!!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Wow it sounds wonderful! I hope and pray all goes well and you can finally move in! I totally agree that moving and trying to find the right place can have it's tortures! We've been contemplating moving for a couple of years. We are torn as we love our location, love our neighbors very much, but only have a couple of acres, a creek runs through the middle of it, and it's too small for what we're trying to do with the goats! But land is so darned expensive here that it gets exhausting looking. We always end up 'just' missing out on a good deal. I want to keep my daughter in the same school system/county, and the only 'more affordable' places are on the southside of the county - my husband doesn't want to move south. We've considered a neighboring county, but it's getting expensive too.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I have never had the pleasure of house-hunting /purchasing. Everybody I know recounts how horrendous the process is but I can't help idolizing it!

Wishing you luck & happiness & success in home buying!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

SalteyLove said:


> I have never had the pleasure of house-hunting /purchasing. Everybody I know recounts how horrendous the process is but I can't help idolizing it!
> 
> Wishing you luck & happiness & success in home buying!


It is fun to house hunt. The purchasing part is the torture.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> It is fun to house hunt. The purchasing part is the torture.


YES!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

House hunting can be hazardous though! One little farm we were looking at had a really gross room. It looked and smelled like someone just locked their dogs in there and let them pee everywhere. 
They hadn't even cleaned. It's not that hard to rent a shampooer from Wal-Mart.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

That place had weird vibes anyway. I walked part way into the forest and it was cloying. I felt like I was in the Blair Witch forest.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

No reason to pay good money to have to walk around with your hackles up...


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

I love house hunting, but buying is torture. I hope things work out for the best for you!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We went and looked at a place a month ago, really inexpensive. The land is okay, tall sloping hill going down to pasture, but goats would love it (not in the winter time with mud!). Modular home that was old and needed a TON of work. People are hoarders and the barn is completely full of junk - but cleaned out completely I definitely think has potential. Such a bummer. If it had been a house and not a modular home, and if they guaranteed clean up, it would definitely be worth it.

We bought the place we have back in 07' on contract with the seller, so it was really, really easy! We sat down with his attorney to draw up the contract and go over everything and paid him or his wife directly. We paid it off early, and they knocked a few thousand off at the end which was really nice of them to do.

This is our side of the county and the places available currently - 5 acres or more. We'd need to play the lotto and win in order to afford anything here!  









Southside of the county is about $400 but closer to $500,000 for something with a house maybe barn/outbuildings/fence. But too far of a drive for my husband. We've definitely considered going north, but I really want to keep my daughter in the same school as I mentioned before.

House hunting is fun, unless you find the right place and it's either the wrong location or when you inquire it's already pending! Nice places with good prices sell like crazy around here, they don't stay on the market long at all.
There was a place up the road from us that sold for something like $350,000 - 17 acres, house, barn & would have been perfect for the goats! But couldn't jump on it fast enough.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

If you’re moving your goats onto well water, well - don’t. Unless it’s not hard (which is rare), because you’ll be in for a world of problems.


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## elvis&oliver (Jun 28, 2018)

Good luck with all of it hope it works out for you


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> If you're moving your goats onto well water, well - don't. Unless it's not hard (which is rare), because you'll be in for a world of problems.


So on the ph scale 7 is considered pure water, below 6.5 is acidic, and above 8.5 is alkaline (calcium). The well tested at 7.4 which is very pure basic water.

On the hardness test 1, 2, and 3 are soft water and anything above 3 is gaining hardness (iron). The well tested at 2, again very basic uncomplicated water.

We're moving off of spring water, you want to talk about issues lol.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

We went and signed the escrow papers today. Since we know there's no one at the house except for the plumber, we went skulking around the property without any city broker hurrying us. 
We found at least 8 apple trees including a yellow delicious (my favorite and stores well) and a pie apple, an Asian pear, a Bartlett pear, a mature and bearing walnut tree, a mature filbert tree, a ginormous tree with about 2 tons of green figs, and 2 bing cherries. 
We also found bear poop lol. Looks like he enjoyed the cherries. 

Cross fingers, pray, dance naked under the moon...We're supposed to get the keys on Friday.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Sending positive thoughts to you! (And a prayer!).


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## Iluvlilly! (Apr 6, 2019)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> If you're moving your goats onto well water, well - don't. Unless it's not hard (which is rare), because you'll be in for a world of problems.


What is wrong with Hard Well Water?:shrug:


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Spades said:


> What is wrong with Hard Well Water?:shrug:


More mineral interactions. The minerals in the water are usually antagonists to other minerals. The further away from pure water we go, the harder it is to balance minerals. Same goes for humans as well. Drinking mineral water for our health, instead of pure water, is silly. But better mineral water than sodas... so, yeah.

I do think it an overstatement to sweepingly put most all well water into the hard category. Most well water isn't hard.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Hooray for everything but bear poop! I woke up one morning to a three hundred and something pound co-worker in my fig tree, thought he was a bear. LOL! "your" bear may think of the fruit trees as his, or hers. Good luck!
Our water is really soft ,except for the lime amd chlorine added for treating, and get used to using a lot less soap. If you really lather up, it seems like you cannnot rinse it all off, and dishes slide out of your hand while washing them.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good luck.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The keys are ours as if 10:30 this morning. Let the mad frenzy begin lol.

@Dwarf Dad 
I'm not too worried about a fruit stealing black bear. He would look real nice wearing mason jars in my new pantry.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Congratulations! Have fun moving!


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

Congratulations.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Congratulations on your new house! I hope your move goes smoothly!


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Wow, what a journey getting your new home! It sounds wonderful! Congratulations. I hope your move is easy and trouble free. 
Enjoy your new place!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

That is awesome! Congrats on your new home!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

goathiker said:


> The keys are ours as if 10:30 this morning. Let the mad frenzy begin lol.


:greatwoo):gottago:


goathiker said:


> I'm not too worried about a fruit stealing black bear. He would look real nice wearing mason jars in my new pantry.


:funnytech:
Never heard it put like that!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

A big congrats.


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## elvis&oliver (Jun 28, 2018)

Congrats and good luck with all the moving! Let the work and fun begin!(woot)


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

goathiker said:


> The keys are ours as if 10:30 this morning. Let the mad frenzy begin lol.
> 
> @Dwarf Dad
> I'm not too worried about a fruit stealing black bear. He would look real nice wearing mason jars in my new pantry.


Yay yay yay! And i bet that bear would look marvelous wearin the mason jars!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

3 loads out, wow I'm already tired. We have until the 19th to move the entire farm. We have over crowded goats, adult children camping in our backyard, and kind friends with flatbed trailers and horse trailers. 
On the last load I went on I found two plum trees and two more pie apples, a defunct fish pond, and a quail house.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm so very glad this has happened for you. Really, Really.


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## singinggoatgirl (Apr 13, 2016)

goathiker said:


> I'm not too worried about a fruit stealing black bear. He would look real nice wearing mason jars in my new pantry.


(rofl) I've never heard anyone put it that way!

Congrats on the house! I hope the rest of your move goes as smoothly as possible!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:haha:


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## moonspinner (Oct 5, 2007)

It's so exciting to be moving into a new place, especially with all the nature discoveries. I'm glad I can't afford much, so I get pretty much bare bones properties. It doesn't take much to please me - just peace and quiet and watching my goats graze in the apple orchard!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The first load of animals went today. 7 mice, 2 hamsters, and a hedgehog. The half wild baby mice are still here. They will be given the choice of freedom or cage on the last day. 
The flatbed will be here Saturday. Much to do.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Your rodent blow by blow has bated my breath....

Will-they???? Won't-they???? Tune in... Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel!

I just dated myself SO BAD!!!!

Seriously though, Take care of yourself. We can't do without you!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

@goathiker - is your current homestead up for sale already? I know that can be another level of stress!

*Fingers crossed* the meeces choose to go along!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Gadzooks! Which will it be?


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

mariarose said:


> I just dated myself SO BAD!!!!


(rofl)


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

SalteyLove said:


> is your current homestead up for sale already?


Already Sold! And closing date was closing in!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:haha:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Still alive


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you fully moved in? I hope the move went well.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

But, But, But, The fate of the half wild baby mice???? You are torturing us!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

mariarose said:


> But, But, But, The fate of the half wild baby mice???? You are torturing us!


Oh gee whiz, the baby, half grown mice were in a critter trail cage. When the guys were moving the love seat out they knocked the outhouse components off. All sprang for freedom before I even knew. 
Unfortunately, the mama mouse hitched a ride in said love seat , so, she's now running around our new house.

The old place closes on Monday, thanks to the generosity of the buyers. Goats are here, dogs are here, still have loads to the dump and a few more things to do. It's not easy moving 20 years. 
The dog kennels are up. The goat pen is hokey but holding for now. 
Going to be another long day today!


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

:dreams::goodjob:


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Maybe mama mouse will start a new family in the new digs for you.lol 
Glad the hardest parts of the move are over.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:goodjob:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> Maybe mama mouse will start a new family in the new digs for you.lol
> Glad the hardest parts of the move are over.


No no, no mouse infestation here.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Found 5 almond trees and the pond is full of trout fry. 
I'm loving all the big gray squirrels here.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Are the goats settling down yet? How do they like it? When does the grandchild start school?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

We still need to check out the schools. We have one more weekend of moving then on to more mundane tasks. 

Oh, you all are going to be so jealous. We went to the little feed store here in town. The whole thing is geared towards goats. They have everything we could ever want and will order anything else we might want to try. 
Apparently, the FFA and 4-H goat programs are huge here.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The goats are in temporary makeshift pens and doing okay. Here's some pictures of the house.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

And here's what happens when you leave my grandson alone with a sharpy


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

goathiker said:


> And here's what happens when you leave my grandson alone with a sharpy
> View attachment 161521


Haha.

That house looks really nice. I love the bathrooms!!

I hope the goats settle in well. A good friend of mine moved her entire herd of goats just like you did, to a barn and house she designed herself though.

I could imagine that. I moved 2 goats and one got diarrhea from stress so I don't know how all yours are doing but I hope they are adjusting well!!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Very artistic on the dog! Kind of like our border collie looks after she rolls in goose or turkey poop! 

Glad the move is progressing well.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Place looks great! What luck to have a great feed store. I guess the pup needed more color.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

You are right. I am jealous. I love the feed store, and I always wanted one of those Under The Sea shower curtains!

When my oldest son (now almost 40) was learning to spell, we were painting the house. My son spelled the word NO on the sidewalk leading to the front door in blue paint. His then-stepfather was not happy. I simply said, "Great Job, but let's not tell guests NO before they even get to the door. I'd like you to practice your spelling and printing in a notebook instead, OK?"


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

goathiker said:


> And here's what happens when you leave my grandson alone with a sharpy
> View attachment 161521


Great job lil guy! My thought was... i could see my husband and grown boys bein bored and doin this. Hahaahha. That is just how they roll.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I just told him that might not be good for Mocha and went to my room to laugh. It still cracks me up. 
This will be our kidding barn


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

That's an old pigeon house behind it. The pump house and the workshop.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Behind the workshop and down is my 2 acres for my goats. 
My daughter took the forest side. Her goats are in the calf shelter under the trees.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Not sure what this is lol


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Took my grandson to the feed store today.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

goathiker said:


> Not sure what this is lol


"A Shrubbery!!!"




from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

ROFL guess I have to name the darn thing Neek now.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Or... Sell it to a passing monarch...


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Looks like you ended up with a great place!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Nice place. 

And too :haha:


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

goathiker said:


> Not sure what this is lol
> View attachment 161547


Looks like a special treat for goats! Haha


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

mariarose said:


> Or... Sell it to a passing monarch...


It's too ostentatious lol


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

Every time I think about looking for a bigger place, further out in the country I remember the whole process of actually buying and closing. Add to the the hassle of selling our home, I'm cured of that pretty quick.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

It's been worth it, frustrating and expensive, but, worth it. 
The buyer seems to accept the last cleaning so, we'll see today. .
There is much to the story of the scam of that place.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:great:


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The last papers were signed this morning, the old house is sold and we are officially moved. The grandcritter is enrolled in his new school, tiny school, 15 employees for 6 grades, 2 grades in every classroom. 
The Asian pears are ripe, the granny smiths need picked, the goats need pastures, there are boxes and stuff that go through everywhere and I'm exhausted. 

The goats are shiny shiny shiny though. The clean water and Sweetlix Magnum Milk is agreeing with them very well. They ate up their range block in 2 days  
3 day weekend coming up and now a new thread I think "building a goat farm".


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

goathiker said:


> the mama mouse hitched a ride in said love seat , so, she's now running around our new house.


(headsmash)


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

The place looks great! Have a good life there, all of you!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

One sigh of relief. The next one when you are more settled in. Sounds like a great place.


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