I’m going to the Evil Empire next week (not that one - the other one).
I reckon I’ve got the last annuity in place and so there’s only the house sale pretty much.
i’ve been to Sagamore Hill (TR’s summer home in a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island), Dostoevsky’s last residence in St. Petersburg and Ilya Repin’s last abode in a town coincidentally called Repino. That was actually, when he died, in Finland which may or may not say something political about an artist born in Ukraine and is of course well known and beloved in Russia (where Repino is as of this writing). The fascinating thing about Ilya’s last place is it’s been entirely left just as he did. Brushes here or there - some charcoal or half-painted thing on the easel, Like some crime scene that he walked outside and hasn’t been seen since.
From what I’ve heard (and my decision that I needed to return to New York after nearly 11 years) is that nothing was being done. HOA fees, taxes, insurance all would be piling up. I can’t even claim to have written, read or taught a class in Real Estate 101, yet curb appeal + clean and mostly empty house, sparkling clean bathrooms and kitchen and at least decently cleaned carpets can make for a quick sale. And of course, if the house stays on the market for months, those fees pile up and potential buyers wonder, “What’s wrong with it?”
Today I bought stuff like hand trucks/carts from Home Depot to help me and my team (me) move all this stuff at least out to the garage so the house can be cleaned by professionals (fortunately not me. Once a landlord described to me: There is a male way to clean a (flat) and a female way.). I’ve seen (twice been required) to use the services of professionals and this is why you hire them.
I’ll leave the house in as sell-able condition as can be. For extra intrigue, I have psycho brother 100 yards away who gives not one shit and smart brother who lives in Queens and has not figured out that driving out to Long Island on a Friday might incur some Hampton’s traffic - might make a cameo appearance a few days into my stay.