Howdy from Rancho Limbo.

Well, it's a done deal. Kris and Roy are homeowners! After almost three harrowing months, we finally were able to close on Rancho Limbo in June of 2002. Why is it called Rancho Limbo? Well, one day at work, after eight or nine weeks of offers, inspections, follow up inspections, loan applications, counter offers, insurance shopping, more loan applications and a whole lot of worrying, a coworker took a look at the bags under Roy's bloodshot eyes and the new gray in his beard and the hair fallen out of his head and delicately asked, "Um, so how's it going with Rancho Limbo?" Kris agreed the name was fitting and so it stuck.

A few details about Rancho_Limbo...

-We are located 17 miles up a mountain road from Livermore, California.

-After the 17 miles, there is a dirt road to the house that is two miles long. There are about 15 mailboxes down on the paved road so I guess that is about how many other people live up there full time (as opposed to being vacation or property owners). The reason we are down a dirt road is because it takes us into a different county, with different zoning laws, than the paved road. There are very few sites that are built on the paved road since Alameda County zoned it so that one must have something like 100+ acres before one can build. Our dirt road takes us into San Joaquin County where one can build on much smaller properties.

-The house was built by the seller. He is a roofer and quite handy and we expect the house to last a long long time (okay, who would buy a house and not expect that?) Anyway, he is building his new house on the property right next to ours so he is our neighbor and if you don't think that is going to be really handy then you must be way better at fixing stuff than I (Roy) am.

-We are off the grid! This means our electricity comes from batteries which are charged from solar cells on the roof and a gas generator.

-Yes, we do have phone service but it is goofy. though we are quite far from San Jose, our number is a San Jose area code.

-Rancho Limbo is 17.3 acres on a rectangle. I don't know what the actual surface area is since we are spread on the sides of two hills.

-It's difficult to describe the lay of the property but basically there is a dry creek bed that runs from one corner to the other. There are steep hills rising from the bed on each side. The "creek" is dammed and there is a pond there. The house is above the pond on a flat spot (pretty much the only one on the place).

-The lower floor has two bedrooms, an open kitchen and living room area and a bathroom. Upstairs is sort of a finished attic with a laundry area and alot of floor space. There is one big window all the way down to the floor on one end of the house and three large skylights that open for lots of ventilation up there. We aren't sure what we are going to use that space for yet but we'll think of something. Ping pong anyone?

-The pond has been named "Lake Kandew." If you can't figure out that name just say it aloud a bunch of times and you will understand our mantra for getting this place purchased.

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