Thu Dec 19 09:01 EST 1996
House(s) update

Okay, I should update you all at the same time on what's going on or not
going on with our housing situation.

First the Pepperell house:

  Radon levels in the worst part of the basement are 4.8 which is .8
more than the EPA recommends for living space.  Mitigating factors:
(a) It's okay for storage.  (b) there's a lot of cheap ways to bring
the level down. (c) Radon rating drop by 30-60% with each floor it
rises (d) it isn't an immediate concern, and (e) radon readings increase
during the colder months especially when snow is on the ground (like
there was when the tests were done.

  We haven't closed on a purchase and sales agreement (PSA).  Massachusetts
is funny.  The sequence of events is this: (a) you see a house, (b) you
negotiate a price, (c) you in$pect the house, (d) you renegotiate the
price/agreement for the PSA.  Oh well.  We're dickering on what's
explicitly included in the price now.

Next: Our current Nashua residence.

  As most of you know, I've called on anyone and everyone in the area
to put the word out that our house is for sale at a priced-to-sell rate.
I am sincerely grateful for all of your assistence.  To date we've had
five *contacts* but read on:

  Contact 1: a single guy here at Cadence in the market for a house or
             condo.  Good for me; not good for him.  He needs less upkeep

  Contact 2: a man from the Nashua day care 3x5 card: needs to rent for
             a year; we do not want to be landlords.

  Contact 3: Realtor calls and wants to know if I'd give her a cut if
             her clients are interested.  I tell her that I'd be interested
             in talking with her.  She says she's from ERA: The Massiello
             Group - the same office we fired for the broken promises of
             one of their agents.  Don't know if she made the connection.
             I didn't tell her the story (yet) and will try to keep an
             open mind if something starts to transpire (not hold her
             against the other guy who screwed us up).

  Contact 4: Tom Cook calls Joy; doesn't realize who he's called until
             three quarters the way through the conversation.  Joy got
             angry with him on the phone for saying he had clients to
             show our house to but would only take a minimum of 5%.
             Joy told him that she'd be interested in making a deal for
             the standard 3% commission for the buyer-broker.

  Contact 5: Last night on the answering machine: a woman with 4 young
             children and a husband who works at Digital at Spit Brook
             Road where I worked for 8 years.  They've made arrangements
             to see the house on Tuesday at 1pm.  The only apprehension:
             she's a lawyer.  (And the owner of the house we want is also
             a lawyer!)  I suppose I should be glad to have The Judge on
             my side!!!  0:-)

Our buyer-broker and several others have strongly urged us to list
in MLS and secure an agent.  We'll likely succumb to this pressure
after Christmas or New Years with the caveat of anyone who comes to
us by recommendation or result of our personal advertising is our sale.

One of the kids joked at the dinner table last night that God was the
Great Realtor, and Joy thought it would have been real neat to have
"The Great Realtor" on one of the signs that the children paraded around
in church during the musical performance proclaiming the names of God.

Thank you again for your assistence!  Keep at it because someone out there
needs a home like ours and you may be able to help put them in there!

Mark
  .+*+                .....Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
 ***+*+.        __..'''    270 Billerica Road             A house is made
.*+*+**.   _____[]_        Chelmsford, MA 02184           with hands.
'**++**.  /___/\___\    ^  (508) 446-6451     ,
 '*I*'.::/___/__\___\  /*\                    \_0__,      A home is made
 ..I *..: |[] [] []| .:/*\                      M         with hearts.
 ######==################### ._/__=_.          .|\.
 -------------------------- 'O====O='   metcalfe@cadence.com