Eighteen years ago today, on May 22, 2006 Susan and I drove from Rock Harbor to Essex to meet James R. Gibb from Pro-Spec Residential Services, LLC at Rosslyn for our much anticipated home inspection.
Originally recommended to us by our friend and realtor, Bruce Ware, for the Lapine House home inspection the previous year, Gibb is an understated but consistently impressive resource when evaluating the condition of real estate for purchase. Thorough and methodical, level headed and smart, he has been instrumental in four home purchases for us over the last two decades.
And the day that I spent with him at Rosslyn eighteen years ago was eye opening. I was still getting used to his disciplined, no-drama, hyper detail oriented process. I thought Susan and I were pretty perceptive, pretty critical, and not-so-easily bamboozled. But during our Rosslyn home inspection, Mr. Gibb revealed the answer to a mystery I’d been poking around (and opened a Pandora’s box in the process!)
For now I’ll postpone the almost-deal-breaking discovery that Mr. Gibb disinterred (yes, that’s a subtle-ish hint) during the home inspection. Instead I’d like focus on this anniversary of an event that set the next couple of decades in motion.
Rosslyn’s home inspection confirmed some concerns and allayed others, but more than anything it sketched out the first semblance of map that would guide us in the months and years ahead.
The photo at the top of this post memorializes our morning start. Inspector, tool belted and ready to decrypt Rosslyn. Future homeowner, curious, excited, and slightly anxious. Shortly thereafter we began exploring the interior of this handsome old home in need of TLC. A whole lot of TLC!
The snapshots accompanying this post remind me of the AI generated song I shared a couple of months ago, “Lakeside Rehab”.
“Lakeside Rehab” isn’t quite the anthem in my head, but it’s a start. (Source: Lakeside Rehab)
I adapted some of the photos used in the Instagram reel (included in that post) from our home inspection. feels like yesterday…
Thanks to James R. Gibb for helping us understand and purchase four homes over the year. And to the late Bruce Ware who showed us many dozens over several years as we tiptoed up to this wild and woolly adventure. You are missed.
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