[CHEAPPoem]

I bought a house that was, at the time, 6 years old. That meant it was pretty new and thus didn't need expensive upgrades but was old enough to have shaken out any new house issues (for instance, foundation settling/cracking, which the 1st owner had repaired). This is good, because I'm nearly hopeless with tools (I've improved from totally hopeless). My method of dealing with repair work is to start calling contractors for bids on the work. It's nice to have a civil engineer for a father-in-law, though See if you can swing that!

I can't comment much on low-maintanence lawn care - I have a big lawn and a rider mower. It is what it is. I'm happy to let the forest encroach and reduce the lawn, but I've taken no active steps to reduce the lawn myself. I let the lawn grow as it will. I have a friend who waged war with crabgrass. I won't. It's grass. It's green. Whatever. I don't water it or fertilize it.

-Arrian