Every time I look at the pics of the outside, that yard looks bigger! How bug is it? Seems like a very sizable yard for that area.
Doesn’t the concrete place have any actual concrete samples to show what the colors actually look like?
I think you are right to be concerned about what that brown will look like.
That would require me to actually have to drive about 1 hr round trip to get to a concrete place to look at samples. 
I’m just too lazy to do that
They usually only have big samples laid out of their more common (less expensive) colors. They only have small little concrete samples that still don’t tell the big picture
The lot is unusually large for the neighborhood. The original 1800s parcel lot / development plan had 3700 sq ft skinny lots. The original owners purchased three of the lots, but the house is built kind of in the middle of the whole thing so there isn’t really any one side that is large. The deck takes up 15’ wide on the west side of the lot. And, some of the lot is down on the slope.
I don’t understand why the color should make that much difference in price… Aren’t they just adding some colorant to it?
There are two types of colorant, and, to get darker richer color you have to add a lot more to each yard of concrete.
I’ve loaded some photos from the big concrete pour today. 5 1/2 yards of dark brown concrete that just better stay dark brown. Really worried it is going to dry to some kind of purplish pink brown that I will hate.
I’m getting very frustrated with the engineer and the CAD plans. I had the initial meeting with them and made it very clear that time was very critical to me. They promised that they would get the plans into CAD ‘by next week’. Well, it has now been 2 weeks and they don’t have an answer for me on anything. I pretty much pushed that I need the plans done by Tuesday next week and we are scheduling a site visit for Tuesday. I know that there is at least another week after they get the plans into CAD before the structural engineering is done.
And now I am hearing that it is about 2 months review time at City for remodel/addition permits to get approved!!
That is not good. Do you have another option for someone to make the CAD drawings?
No, I really do not know too many designers/draftsman/structural engineers that are not busy right now. I need to find someone that is willing to work a couple hours of over time to get things done! You’d think since they are self employed they would bust their butts a little bit
Very Interesting
Back during the search I looked at a property on Adair Street that I decided not to offer on because I was worried it was historical. House was very small and dark but could possibly be considered Mid Century Modern. I find out that the buyers are trying to rent it (without one lick of paint or new carpet or anything) as a vacation rental.
Maybe this is a new business strategy I can do…???.. rent out disgusting houses as vacation rentals while waiting for the permits to clear?
Needless to say, calendar looks totally empty 
There was a sale on paneling!
You’d have to really be in love to not notice the condition of that place!
For some reason, the B-52s’ Love Shack is now stuck in my head!
Honestly DH and I have rented some cabins over the years that have been a lot worse. For $250 a night and close to the beach I wouldn’t be surprised if they get some renters for short stays.
I rented one that was worse, BUT, it was in Hawaii, on the beach, with a fabulous deck, which made up for it. How far of a walk to the beach is that?
It’s really not close to the beach. It is about 4 blocks down to the ocean edge, but there is no sand beach there, just cliffs. You really would have to get into a car to get to a beach with sand that is accessible.
Loaded some more photos of Day 2 of the front walkway. We did a ‘top cast’ finish which is blue acid stuff that sits on the concrete overnight and then it gets buffed and washed off to expose the small aggregate.
Not much else getting done. My laborer has been off all week with the flu and carpenter has been making a huge mess all over the house because, as has become very evident, the laborer follows him around all day and cleans up after him.
But the real question – have your hands recovered from the accidental dye job?
Yes, hands recovered. Back to normal. But, of course, I now need to do some touch up with the acid stain on the caps before we put the final stucco on the top of the walls where the grey mortar was put in to attach the caps. I’m going to search for some better gloves!