It seems like can afford the repairs, so long as they remain basic/non-fancy and don't spiral out of control. The project will require us to be less Smaug-like with our savings, but we will be fine, so long as we keep things simple.
I spoke with a couple of potential collaborators on the project to get a sense of how things work.
The first was a design/build firm. These are folks who seem to be thoughtful about things like architecture, landscape, every detail and finish, etc. They would work closely with us to help us figure out what we want to do with the property. As you might imagine, this boutique-type experience is expensive and might be overkill for some of the more basic work we need done, like roofing and electrical.
The second was a general contractor who called me back right away. He was like, "Right after you close, I roll up with my crew and a dumpster! We start demo ASAP and can be done in a couple of months!" I had to slow his roll with regard to completely sledgehammering the whole place, but he was affordable, and he could start quickly. We were glad to know that our timeframe and budget COULD be achievable.
Then, a wrinkle!
I googled the contractor more deeply and learned that he is a convicted sex offender!
!!!
On one hand, this happened many years ago, I would like to believe people can be rehabilitated, and also the offense has nothing to do with home renovation.
On the other hand, not gonna lie, I'm really weirded out by this!
If he were just the guy laying tile or installing a faucet, I wouldn't mind so much. Sex offenders need to work somehow. But he would be the person in charge of everything. I need for him to be trustworthy and am applying a higher level of moral scrutiny.
I'm now ruminating over other potential red flags. Like WHY is this affordable, experienced contractor available when all the others are busy?
Just when you think things could start to sail smoothly, there's always SOME wrench in the works.
Gonna make some more calls just to see what other options we might have. Feeling a little harried here!