hunter@hlwimmer.com, Author at Red Neck Modern

Contrary to the popular mantra: location, location, location — when we moved to Concord, we moved for the house… not the location. The thought of living this far outside our former comfort zone was frightening — and leaving our old neighborhood in West Oakland was bittersweet. The Eichler-built home was the brass ring — not the ZIP code. We moved on the 4th of July… an auspicious date and easy to remember: "Our independence from West Oakland!"

However, each day we're away, we find a new thing we love about Concord. Yesterday, it was the fact that there are 6 supermarkets in 2 mile radius — and 2 Home Depots (soon to be 3). Tonight it's tree-frogs… or crickets — I can't tell. But not gunshots… or the thump-thump of an 86 Olds with a blown subwoofer and rims worth more than the rest of the car… or drunken crack-addicts yelling at each other in the street. Instead it's a cool jasmine-scented breeze and the chirp-chirp of summertime. Nice.

But back on track… in reference to the title: when we lived in West Oakland, we kept a blog about living there as well… and compared to where we came home to this evening, it's a world away. I'm beginning to like it.

Christmas night, 2004, a stolen run-away van full of porno crashed into the front of our house in West Oakland. It took the OPD more than three hours to respond.

Renovation // Transformation

I am rubber

hunter@hlwimmer.com / July 11, 2007

So, there’s this rubber tree growing in the atrium. It was likely beautiful 25 years ago (at 20 years old)… but today, at 45, it has to go — it’s literally growing into the roof. This is one of many odd landscaping-neglect issues to work with over the next few years… but it’ll be fun.

Lesson learned = plant the right tree in the right spot and take care of it.

//red

(the beginning), This Modern Life

Closing is the new Opening

hunter@hlwimmer.com / July 11, 2007

So, we closed today — meaning we "closed" on the house… we think. We were s’posed to and the bank did cash the very large check we gave them, so we think the house we’re living in is actually ours now. Wish us the best… it’ll be an adventure.

// red (+ pink)

(the beginning), This Modern Life

Step One…

hunter@hlwimmer.com / June 14, 2007

The first hurdle was cleared… an accepted/signed offer from the seller.

We’ve been really hush-hush about the whole process as the house was caught in probate-limbo for some time… and good-ol’ southern superstition gets the best of me every time (we didn’t want to jinx it).

So, short story is that we’re set to be the newest owners of an Eichler-built home in the Bay area. Until we close, we’ll leave it at that… it will need a lot of work… thus the blog.

There were, however, some great photo-ops in the house during the first few visits (lots more to come):