But I am quite cautious that it might be a money pit.

I'm sure it's cheaper where you live but property taxes in SF are quite high. So you'll need to get a sense of how much that's going to be.

Our annual property taxes are almost as much as our total annual mortgage payments.

Also, if there's been a lot of deferred maintenance (as I suspect there has been) on an older property you would have to spend money to maintain the place.

But you can get an inspector to review all of that for you.

The bigger issues are: plumbing (Full Copper Repipe!), Electrical (you probably won't need to rewire the house but the outside electrical box might need replacing. Ours did.), Dry Rot (we had an issue where the water draining off the roof hadn't gone on its proper path and got behind the wood surrounding the garage door and that had to be ripped open and replaced), roof leaks, and mold issues. Also termites.

Highly recommend getting Roto-Rooter out and cleaning out all the interior plumbing of blockage, and then separately cleaning out the drains that go from the house to city sewer lines. That's something people should get in the habit of doing every 10 years or so.

Roto-Rooter isn't expensive and a good house inspection would be necessary anyway before you put it on the market (if you go that route). But in your case a house inspection would really give you important information on expenses going forward and help you make a cost/benefit analysis.

Happy belated to Vortex, even though I haven't seen her for a while. Thanks, Karl. I have seen a few things on TV about Pittsburgh that make it look...hipper than I might have expected, but given my preference for gritty urban drama I'd probably still like it, either way. Sometimes I think it sucks that I can't see more things for myself.

We should have had this place inspected...lots of issues with the electrical. My dad and That's How They Get You as the gift that keeps on giving. And I don't know what I expected from my friend...it's been a long time since we could be nine and giggle and stuff. It's hard how many of my relationships with other disabled people(Not really Buffistas, but most everyone else,) are so undercut with unspoken rivalry and competition and thoughts about measuring up because it seems like the greater society can only accept one of us at a time. I think we do it without even thinking.

One of the complicating factors over my grief about Mom is that, what with the house burning down and what with her dying before Dad, even the slight share of inheritance that would have come with selling the house after both parents passed is sort of never going to happen, AND we'll be out money from dealing with all of this.

So, you know. Grief, plus a side of just despair and frustration. And a currently homeless sibling (brother) living in my shed, as insurance stopped paying for the apartment he and Mom were in. And I just cleaned out the storage unit with all my sister's crap in it (did I mention her complete mental breakdown, blowing up of her life, and current status of group home resident? and that I haven't spoken to her since just after the fire?) that I'd been paying for since taking it over from my ex-brother-in-law in December. We'd been planning on moving it into the new shed we got (that currently has my brother in it), but when they went down to look at it, they found rats had got into everything, so instead, we had to rent a dump truck and throw out almost every single one of my sister's belongings (three dump runs costing several hundred dollars), which is how I spent my weekend.

Oh, and did I mention the drunk driver who at 2 AM a couple of weeks ago took out multiple parked vehicles on my street? Three of which were ours? (Two of those were totalled--Mom's old Miata and Paul's motorcycle--and the third needs $11k of repairs, which means our EV is out of commission while gas prices are through the roof, and also, the driver was underinsured, so that's fun.)

I feel like I should ask Job for therapist recommendations, except it's been an expensive last year and a half.

wow, that's a lot.

Oh Plei, that is just way too much. I'm sorry.

Plei, that sounds horrible. I am so sorry

Plei, that’s way too much. I hope you’re able to use some energy to take care of yourself.

Sophia, I’m so glad you have someone to help you figure out your Mom’s house. He’ll let you know what all needs to be done with it so you don’t have to figure it all out yourself. And that’s wonderful you found a place for your mom’s cat.

We are currently hanging out at the Detroit airport. Hoping to get home tonight but it’s looking bleak.

That is pretty far beyond enough for Plei, universe. Back off.

God DAMN, Plei. That is way too fucking much.

I feel like I should ask Job for therapist recommendations, except it's been an expensive last year and a half.

Your first therapy session will just be the therapist punching you in the stomach repeatedly, with breaks to punch you in the face.