Photos from The Beginning

front entry

kitchen, note the three triangle planters (they were rotted from termites and had to be removed)

kitchen master bedroom

cast bottle wall behind wet bar

ripping out the shag carpeting in the conversation pit; note the wonderful/terrible pond outside the window. The pond attracted lots of wildlife and neighbors told us one of the previous owners had an alligator at one time until it got too big. The pond attracted lots of wildlife and was stocked with over 100 koi.


West fence


Back view right after we purchased, picket is gone! Giant Oleanders over the roof on North side are gone - their root systems screwed up our sewer line.

Termites again

So, we knew the house had termites, that history came with the purchase. We had a warranty that came with the house but the company sucked so we let the warranty expire. Lo and behold, we noticed tubes hanging from our kitchen ceiling.

We interviewed about 7 termite treatment companies and finally settled on the one who works with borates and bait systems. They come out Monday to do the treatment. In the meanwhile, we are tearing out areas to make sure we get these buggers thoroughly.

We pulled out some of the acoustic tiles and found that the ceiling has been replaced in the past. It is part plywood (old ceiling) and part drywall. This area in the ceiling is the only drywall we have seen in the entire house.

So, tomorrow, we are tearing out the paneling in the middle bedroom to access the wall above the expansion joint that we think they are travelling up. We will see.

Our home was designed and built in 1959 by one Frederick Griffin, who was also the first resident. The second owner was the President of a local bakery. The third owners were a son and his mother. Then there's us.

We bought The Griffin House in 2002. It was love at first sight. And then we began to find all of the problems. However, even with all of the trials, we love this money pit.

We are trying to get motivated to begin interior renovations. We have put a lot of money into things that needed urgently to be done: block wall, irrigation plumbing, new roof, new windows. But nothing that we can "live in" thats shiny and new, ya know? Unfortunately (or fortunately?) nothing has been renovated or touched. I am hoping that if forced to chronicle our process, the process will get moving...