Components of your dream house

[Sky]

The standard expansion for a cape is to add a dormer, bringing one of the sides of the roof from peaked to almost horizontal, expanding useable space upstairs.

Eh, I'm a purist to a degree, at least when it comes to additions. I like to drive around town and critique odd (and usually common) things like the bumpout you're considering. As you say, standard, and there's a shitload of capes in my town, most houses in my neighborhood are tract capes from the 50s, about half are bumped out. Main thing to consider is snow load, if you're in that area. Otherwise, it's just a matter of cost, taste and available space. Another peeve is adding a sunporch to one side of a federal without balancing the other side. Eww!

I'm hoping to have my second floor addition (crossing my fingers the engineers green light it for the whole footprint) actually create some architectural style for my house, which is a very odd little place.

If I had the budget, I'd go for the new construction on the land with the inlaws (but I like my inlaws). Also, at least around here, land is piddling compared to construction cost of the house.

[Nebu]

Couldnt you get a job teaching in Montana or Wyoming (Wind River Range) or someplace with mountains close buy? Or go back to practicing again?
Any place where medical schools and mountains co-exist?

There's only one university in Wyoming and it's in Laramie (high plains).  I'd give my arm for a job in the Tetons or Wind Rivers region.  My problem is a) finding a university with a cancer center, b) finding a university that needs someone with my area of expertise and c) finding a university that can afford to provide the infrastructure for my research. 

Believe me when I tell you that I've been applying for jobs in this region.  Unfortunately, most PhD level positions have HUNDREDS of applicants.  I applied for a position at U of Vermont last year and they had over 310 applicants for a single position.  Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado are VERY VERY competitive places to land a job.  Especially since I didn't get my PhD degree from one of the big 5 schools.

[Salamok]

looks like samwises pics are from Hearsts Castle.  Anyhoo my list would include an awesome view, a very large all weather type of outdoor living area, a nice pool shaped in such a way that you could swim 25 meter laps in it and maybe a racquetball court since they seem to be rare in Austin.

[Samwise]

looks like samwises pics are from Hearsts Castle.

Correct.  Very much worth visiting if you ever happen to be in the area.  It's a fucking impressive building and is pretty close to what I would live in if I had too much money and not enough sense.

Like Nebu said, though, location is the really important thing.  If I built my own castle I'd have to build it where I'm living now or it wouldn't be worth it.

[Yegolev]

"fuck you I know how to swing a hammer. You can't tell me how to build!  I do NOT need to put more wood under that load!" open their own small builder firm.

Yea, I really meant residential freelancers.  The people you mentioned are the people who refuse to hire many of the people who built my house; those are the guys who are late to get something built because they were in jail.  The guy who built my deck was nearly illiterate.  I could have saved myself a huge amount of hassle by picking a better general, but at least I saved a lot of money.

The best thing about my house is how I don't have any other houses next to me.

[MahrinSkel]

Reading these posts made me come to a clear realization.  I work in a field that you don't really get to choose where you live (well... unless you're a star).  I find that my ideal home is one based more on location than on construction.  Give me a small, rustic house on a lake with mountains in the background and I'll be a very happy man.  Anything else is gravy. 

Couldnt you get a job teaching in Montana or Wyoming (Wind River Range) or someplace with mountains close buy? Or go back to practicing again?
Any place where medical schools and mountains co-exist?

Most areas of both with both the scenery he describes and real colleges have been invaded by Californians with too much money to burn after they dumped their million-dollar crackerboxes in LA.  There's still some nice territory around Missoula and Dillon, and you can teach at Washington State University in Pullman and live just across the Idaho border (make sure that you're a good distance from the nearest white supremacist compound, there aren't actually *that* many of them, and most of them are north of Coeur d'Alene, but they turn up all over northern Idaho and far western Montana).  And I really have no idea if any of those might have a medical school, I never heard of one when I lived in that area.

Really, his best bet is *still* western Washington and Oregon.  Lots of accessible mountain valleys with small lakes, and most of the cities are strung out along I-5 with fairly wild country within 10 miles in either direction.  Even Seattle is 100 miles long and about 25 wide.

--Dave

[Abagadro]

Best bet would probably be the University of Utah with the Huntsman Cancer Center. There are plenty of cool places to live up in Summit County or up in the Uintas that still have pretty good accessibility down to the valley here. I imagine that is a VERY difficult place to get a job however.

As to the thread, I would really like a nice bar. And I mean a full on bar. I have my "bar" distributed through about three rooms right now as there is no single place to put all the booze, glasses, wine storage and mixing facilities.

[Broughden]

Couldnt you get a job teaching in Montana or Wyoming (Wind River Range) or someplace with mountains close buy? Or go back to practicing again?
Any place where medical schools and mountains co-exist?

There's only one university in Wyoming and it's in Laramie (high plains).  I'd give my arm for a job in the Tetons or Wind Rivers region.  My problem is a) finding a university with a cancer center, b) finding a university that needs someone with my area of expertise and c) finding a university that can afford to provide the infrastructure for my research. 

Believe me when I tell you that I've been applying for jobs in this region.  Unfortunately, most PhD level positions have HUNDREDS of applicants.  I applied for a position at U of Vermont last year and they had over 310 applicants for a single position.  Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado are VERY VERY competitive places to land a job.  Especially since I didn't get my PhD degree from one of the big 5 schools.

Well in all sincerity Im sad to hear that for you. Its definitely an eye opener though. Its funny how you always hear, "get a job in healthcare and work anywhere you want."  I guess once you become specialized though that might not necessarily be the truth such as in your case.

Have you thought about leaving your current field and doing wilderness or high altitude? Maybe look for a staff position with the Wilderness Medical Institute which is part of NOLS in Wyoming? Or doing work as an expedition doctor for high altitude climbs?

I have my "bar" distributed through about three rooms right now as there is no single place to put all the booze, glasses, wine storage and mixing facilities.

Three rooms? I think you need to start going to meetings or something. 

[Nebu]

Have you thought about leaving your current field and doing wilderness or high altitude? Maybe look for a staff position with the Wilderness Medical Institute which is part of NOLS in Wyoming? Or doing work as an expedition doctor for high altitude climbs?

I'm not licensed to practice and am a dedicated researcher.  It's common for PhD's that went to med school.   My choices are to a) find a job at a med school or research center and continue my research, b) Leave research and take a purely teaching position, or c) leave my field altogether and do something new. 

I've been talking to Abagadro about law schools for reason c).  A guy with my background can make pretty nice money as an intellectual property attorney in the pharmaceutical industry.  I figure I could work 10 years and retire early.  Yeah, those 10 years wouldn't be much fun... but it's nice to be young enough to enjoy retirement.

Sorry for the derail.  Back to houses!  PM me if you want to discuss this more.

[Polysorbate80]

There's still some nice territory around Missoula and Dillon, and you can teach at Washington State University in Pullman and live just across the Idaho border (make sure that you're a good distance from the nearest white supremacist compound, there aren't actually *that* many of them, and most of them are north of Coeur d'Alene, but they turn up all over northern Idaho and far western Montana).  And I really have no idea if any of those might have a medical school, I never heard of one when I lived in that area.

There are no white supremacist groups around Pullman/Moscow and different ethnic/religious/sexual orientation groups are treated fairly well, but once you leave those two areas and get into the smaller hick towns there's no shortage of garden-variety redneck assholes.

This is the closest WSU and UI have to a medical school, though.  Got to get over to University of Washington for a good-sized medical program.

[Yoru]

Personally, I'd like a two-story cottage of modern construction, but with a faux half-timbered facade, in an alpine environment, near a small pond and conifer forest, far enough from civilization that light pollution wouldn't fuck the view at night. The kitchen would need both a modern gas range and a wood-fired open hearth, with a small wine cellar beneath it. The rest of the first floor would largely be taken up by the dining room and drawing room, decorated in a blend of Shaker, ski-lodge and Victorian styles. I'd put a guest bathroom down here as well.

On the second floor, I'd like a traditional study, with a nice wooden writing desk in the corner with a window flanking either side of it - one looking up towards the mountains, the other out onto the pond and trees. Proper armchairs and an array of books are a must. I'd have some sort of modified armoire that opens up to reveal the computer workspace, and I'd get one of Nerf's dad's awesome steampunk cases for it and inset the monitor into the wall, framed to look like a painting. Two bedrooms and a bathroom as well, natch. I'd finish the attic, but use it for storage.

About a quarter of the basement would be the wine cellar. I'd put in a small utility room for the usual washer, dryer, other appliances. In the remainder, I'd have a workout room, with a stairwell leading up to the back yard so I could exercise in the outdoors on nice days.

Out back I'd build a low deck, half-shaded by an overhanging section of the second story.

Back in reality, it's pretty much all about location for me. I've a highly specialized skill set in a small industry that demands a lot of mobility, so it's unlikely I'll own a house or settle down for a long time; when I do, I probably won't get much choice in terms of cities, and I hate commuting so I'd live in-town anyway. One of the nice things about Iceland, though, is that I can find summerhouses that meet some of the basic criteria above and rent them for not terribly much money in the off-season. Makes for a nice getaway weekend.

Currently, I tend to rent with an eye towards short commutes, quiet neighborhoods and decent proximity to stores and nightlife; the actual contents of the place basically need to let me sleep, shower and shit - anything beyond that is just extra, although I do prefer places with decent kitchens.

[Righ]

Rooftop observatory.

[Righ]

Storage for the CD collection.

[Signe]

Oh dear.  That's not what I had in mind at all!   

[Hoax]

-in a real city that doesn't suck
-high up, at least 8 stories off the ground
-the roof is designed to have lots of people on it and I have exclusive access
-infinity pool on the roof, looking out over the Pacific Ocean
-put a hot tub up there as well
-also a glass enclosure for days when it rains of reasonable size, enough room to seat say 4, in nice comfy chairs, can be opened up on sunny days

That's pretty much it.  Basically I want to own an income producing tall building with unobstructed water views of the Pacific.  I want to turn the top floor into a penthouse and redo the roof into something amazing where I can spend most of my time.    That is pretty much heaven in my mind...

/sigh

[stray]

Well, you're pretty much in the best city next to the Pacific (from what I recall?), so you've got that covered at least. 


I've always liked the look of dark wood, like a nautical thing going on maybe. That and lots of red and black. Basically just give me a house that a Pirate Dracula would live in.

[Righ]

He's also living in exactly the wrong sort of place geologically to be placing hundreds of tons of water on top of a tall building.

[Salamok]

Rooftop observatory.

welcome to west texas where neighbors are 50 miles apart and they all have 1 of these.