Tag: realestate

Knitting · New House

Impact of Tariffs on Local Yarn Stores

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chunky varigated yarn in green and orange colors with knitting needles

With the stock market appearing to have recovered after spiraling into a tariff black hole the likes of which we had not seen since 1987 (and that time we lost half of our portfolio’s worth!), it was reassuring to learn that all of our lumberyard decisions – exterior and interior doors, door hardware, and windows – are already in a local warehouse. We had worried that the price of Canadian lumber might escalate to the point of making our construction project nonviable after the current administration insulted our nearest and “best-est” neighbor.

Up until now, I had only thought in terms of big-ticket items (appliances and roof tresses) as being affected by the roiling rhetoric in this uncertain trade environment. But, the instability in the market also has a negative impact on small entrepreneurs like local yarn stores (LYS).

  • Knit Camp and the 2025 Traveler’s Club – Marie Greene is worried that the future shipments for our upcoming virtual adventures to Germany, France, and British Columbia could be affected by shipping strikes, trade issues, or other disruptions. She will combine three quarterly packages into one box. While not a big deal, I will just have to be patient and open each package at the assigned time rather than acting impulsively when my box arrives, it is sad to think the American business environment is that unstable.
  • Yarnology in Winona, MN – Having weathered the global pandemic, they promise to make it through this new gale but they are urging customers to be flexible. Exact shades of favorite yarns may not be available and to buy an extra skein when purchasing for large projects as they may not be able to replenish weights, colorways or dye lots.
  • Stash in Charlotte, NC – Has informed its customers they are stocking up but to brace for the worst. Often yarn stores order directly from small companies and, in the past, were able to avoid tariffs due to the small size of the orders. “The de minimis exemption has been off, on, off, on and so on and no one knows what to expect.”

During the market swings, pundit noise, and alerts from different yarn and knitting sources, I find the Hokey-Pokey is the earworm in my head.

You put the tariff on, you put the tariff off
You put the tariff on and shake it all about  
You do the Hokey-Pokey…
New House

Major step with money due

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line drawing showing front and rear elevation of single story house

With the purchase agreement signed and two-days to deposit the earnest money, we are one step closer to owning the “villa” on Solstice Place.

While there is still a myriad of decisions to be made some details are known. We have a sketch of our new home. We know the exterior colors. A large portion will have horizontal-siding in a rich indigo reminiscent of new blue jeans. The gable peaks will be finished in driftwood-colored shakes (imagine sunlight on silvery gray wood washed up on a rocky Lake Superior shore.)

After several weeks of graph paper drawings using a scale ruler, we know exactly where the in-floor electrical plugs will be set into our slab-on-grade floor. I determined the “perfect” placement of our furniture (everything fits!) I even modified the bathroom layout to ensure we have sufficient space to easily accommodate the turning radius of a wheelchair (should one of us need this accommodation.) We have earmarked two media consoles as possibilities in the TV Room to hold a new 65-inch screen and our existing external sound bar. Between online wish lists and upcoming showroom visits we hope to narrow additional choices quickly and minimize expensive change orders.

New House

A time of lasts

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white and green house with large trees all covered in new snow
The first snowfall at our newly purchased house – November 1985

Even as we excitedly peruse electrical, plumbing, and tiling websites to identify possibilities for the new “villa” at 5314 Solstice Place, we recognize we will experience daily “lasts”. Our last Christmas is already a memory. And, while the garden is still being planned, we did not realize when we planted the garlic cloves last fall that we were beginning our last gardening season on First Street.

For a majority of our lives this has been our home – 40 of 42 married years; 40 of my 72 and 40 of Richard’s 78 years. It is tempting to simply look towards September, to focus on the myriads of decisions in an effort to make this shiny new building project and the move as easy as possible. Conversely, it would be easy to get lost in the memories. To reminisce about late nights spent with the steam gun and a putty knife as we removed seven layers of smoke permeated wallpaper in the dining room; the residual nicotine so heavy that the house smelled like an old-time beer bar. To laugh at the number of times we washed and moved buckets and buckets of river rock around our lot – raked from one garden path to another. Maybe, just maybe, we can manage a blend of something old and something new. But today, after yesterday’s blizzard, I will be happy to pack away my last memory of snow shoveling. Fingers crossed that winter weather cooperates.

New House

Location! Location! Location!

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saltellite map of new neighborhood with empty lots and a star at 5314 solstice place

We have a site! Specifically, Harvestview Third, Lot 7, Block 11 located at 5314 Solstice Place NW. After looking at existing side-by-side townhouses, we will purchase a new “villa.” This will provide independent living on one level with no-step entry constructed on a 50×100 foot lot. Interestingly, this parcel is slightly larger than our current property, with the added benefit of HOA provided lawn care and snow removal.

Given the already high-costs for construction materials post-Covid and mix in an unstable market due to ditzy rhetoric about on-again, off-again tariff threats and we thought the price of new construction might be unaffordable. But after weighing the pros & cons of 30+ year old properties in need of new appliances and remodeled bathrooms versus new construction with greater energy efficiencies and various warranties, we will build. Next step – choices, choices, choices.

New House

Looking for the right sized house

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light blue background with 3-D cardboard house, housekeys, and piece of paper

Our search for a new house has begun. With help from Alex Mayer, we are looking for the “right-sized” dwelling with living space on one-floor and maybe even a no-step entry. We have loved our quaint 100-year-old home in this well-established neighborhood, but we are ready to relinquish worries about exterior maintenance, snow removal, and lawn care to a homeowners’ association (HOA).

While there are a multitude of variables beyond our control, we hope the search will follow a steady linear progression: view homes for sale, make an offer, close on the new property, remodel and/or renovate to our taste, move, and then finally put our house on the market. We have already discovered that modern home shopping is certainly easier than 40-years ago. From the comfort of our sunroom sofa, we review online listings; dismissing one as too big or another as too small, all the while hoping for that Goldilocks “just right” dwelling. On a deep-freeze day last week, we visited a side-by-side townhouse on two levels – nice but not quite right. Today, with a sunny blue sky, we will visit another listing that just went on the market yesterday.

Late afternoon postscript – Today’s townhouse also falls into the nice but not quite right category.

Graphic credit: Alex P from pexels