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What a mistake. What if this sister says yes and Sarah ends up a co-owner with this woman? NEVER make an offer that you can’t live with.
I have been working on a response to this post all day. So many layers of complications, and I sense that Sarah is unwilling to loose her connection with this sister completely.
Bwahaha. Love it (as a way to shock her and make her think of what she actually said and how it sounds to me). I think it was the audacity that shocked me. And how I was in the wrong because I got upset that she thought I should have a large family consultation before deciding on a way to help support my family (and that our family history has also used in the same space).
There is no way, no matter how much I disagreed with my family, that I would question the decisions they made regarding their homes (unless it was physically/mentally harming someone). And yet since I happened to buy the house that we all grew up in, they all think it’s okay to make comments about how I run things, or change them. Should I have checked before I painted my daughter’s room because once all 4 of my siblings had that room as their own?
Well, in many ways I am now hoping that her family decides to move to another state as all these family gatherings lately have been more stressful than they’re worth and it makes me almost miss living 45 minutes away instead of 10 blocks away from most of them again…
…yes…I can picture you stopping mid-bite of potato salad and saying “Oh, hold on, I’ll go get the tax bill; what portion will you be paying?”
I think your sister underestimates the emotional and financial investment you have made to bring the house to its present condition. Perhaps she is bitter that you were able to buy the house and she didn’t. Ask your sister if she would hesitate staying at a five star hotel. Chances are she would love to spend some time at The Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons. Then explain to her that staying in the guest house after so many airbnb guests have stayed there is no more gross than staying at The Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons. In fact, reassure her than staying at your guest house is better because you do a better job than a maid at a fancy hotel. Does she think that the guests at fancy hotels don’t poop in the bathroom or get frisky in the bedroom?
Sounds like time for Tough Love! “You didn’t want the place, so we bought it. You didn’t help clean it out, or fix it up. It’s ours now, and you have NO say in what we do with it. Get over it!”
BTW I would have had a similar situation with my siblings had I been able to buy “the old homestead” as I wanted.
Sarah, my only brother never asks me how I’m doing in my airbnb business; never, ever a word. It’s kind of ironic because I bought the first apartment so that he could move closer to me and would have a place to live at no cost. When he changed his mind about moving I had to think what I’d do with the apartment and then thought about giving airbnb a try.
I can’t believe my only brother would not show any interest in how I’m doing at work and in my side business (airbnb).
Yeah, my siblings talk about their work all the time. This is my work. And I’m turning the family home into a brothel, lol.
From kettles and duvets to religion and families. You got to love this…
Gotta pay the bills some way. 
Ha must be an Aussie term? means putting my ‘sticky beak’ into your business
“busy body”
“nosy parker”
yep, apparently it is!
AUSTRALIAN/NZinformal
noun
plural noun: sticky-beaks
1.
an inquisitive and prying person.
verb
3rd person present: sticky-beaks
1.
pry into other people’s affairs.
“I don’t mean to stickybeak, but when is he going to leave?”
Exactly what I was going to say @dcmooney … “hey, I’m so grateful for your interior design input - let’s chat about how much you can contribute financially so we can put a plan together”.
Then wait for her to backtrack and suddenly decide that she can cope with it after all…
Yes. Yes, I’m evil. No, I probably wouldn’t ever say it. But sometimes it’s fun to imagine what you’d really like to say.
Hi @Sarah_Warren,
I find it strangely gratifying that Indians aren’t the only ones who are concerned about unmarried couples. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I regularly get queries (but only from Indians) about whether I’m willing to have unmarried couples stay. Apparently it’s an issue, at least around here.
What? More context, please. (Sorry, it’s my uncontrollable curiosity at play again…)
Well it is the same story as with guests.
Be nice to them and give them one finger, and they will take the whole hand.
I am in business with my family. I bought it from my parents (but still paying them off), at the start it was a bit of a struggle, because my mom wouldn’t let go. She kept sticking her nose in everything, interfering, talking to guests, move stuff around. A lot of stress, a lot of arguments between my wife and me, and a lot of extra work.
I had to be very harsh. Telling her it is not her business anymore, she sold it, and now I am the boss here. She is allowed to help when we ask her (like we agreed long before), and she is welcome to give advice when we ask her, and the rest of the time she should stay out. She is welcome to visit us, but she should stay out of the daily operation.
She was not happy, not at all. She has not spoken to me for several days.
Since then things have improved. Less stress in my family, less arguments. She now spends a lot of her time with her grandchildren and friends.
So my advice would be to tell your sister and brother, 1 on 1, alone (No family, husbands etc etc), it is your place now. You are the owner, and will do as you see fit. They are welcome as family, but comments about how you do your things is none of their business. Tell her, she should be happy that the place is still in the family.
Remember you have a family of your own now, they are more important then your sister or brother.
I believe it refers to Westboro Baptist Church. It’ s an organization that sends people to protest at soldiers’ funerals, holding up offensive signs that say that the reason the person is dead is that God is punishing the US for allowing gay people to exist…or some such. They are considered to be hate group. That’s the short answer.
I don’t think they are an accurate representation of real baptists and are not affiliated with any real baptist church.
Ok, so adding to the drama. (I do feel bad because this one is my fault)… According to my husband I did let one of the many angry swirling thoughts out of my head that night. I don’t remember saying it, but he did quote me: “well remind me to consult the family when we redo the kitchen next winter.”
