The Saga of Big Pink

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By that time, the house had to be moved off its vacant lot to make room for county highway equipment. Obviously, the basement wasn't going to be built fast enough to suit the county, so the house had to be moved onto our land, where it would be reset on blocks to await the completion of its new foundation.

THE BIG MOVE

Moving day came none too soon for us! Though the house was only three miles from our property, we had to follow a moving route six miles out of the way to avoid unusually low power lines and narrow bridges. Nevertheless, it was a proud day when our parade headed down the highway: the police escort ...the boys and I in our car ...then Craig arid the mover in his car ...and, finally, the truck pulling Big Pink, which attracted its share of incredulous stares from oncoming motorists! As you can imagine, I breathed a sigh of relief when I watched the truck and house making the final turn into our meadow.

Unfortunately, during the ride the chimney (which the moving crew promised us would be disassembled before the move) had broken loose and fallen through the living room ceiling. Our feelings of elation at finally bringing Big Pink home quickly turned into despair when we saw the pile of broken bricks, insulation, ceiling tiles, and glass. Worse still, under the whole pile of debris lay two oak doors with etched windows, which Craig had put on the floor for safekeeping during the trip!

The basement was constructed in July without too much ado, even though our plan called for it to extend under both 9' X 12' porches, as well as under a 12' X 20' solarium that we'd eventually build. "Eleven corners!" the basement contractor exclaimed. "This place has 11 corners!" Apparently, cracking block to fit corners is hot a mason's favorite job, but—in spite of heat, horseflies, and 11 corners—the crew built a fine basement.

At the end of August, the house was moved yet again, to its final resting place, and throughout the fall we were to a race with winter to make the place habitable. The interior mess had to be cleaned up and a new chimney built. A cap had to be put over the basement addition until we could afford to finish the solar room. Electricity had to be hooked up and a phone line run in. Stairs and doors had to be built, a well drilled, and some sort of septic system installed.

A MANAGEABLE MORTGAGE

During this entire moving process, it had been my job to secure financing ...not an easy proposition in a community of 1,500 people. It was a little scary to owe contractors more than $6,000 and to have no loan secured, even though I'd been working on the problem since March. That odyssey took me through one savings and loan association (twice), one mortgage company, and one state-financed home loan program. Finallv, in October, we settled on a $12,000 loan on a 15-year-note at 13% interest from a local bank. Our payments are just $150 a month, less than the average car payment or monthly rent.

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