Thanks for the location. You have all the heat and none of the early morning fog that LA is noted for closer to the coast. Here is the picture that says the most to me. You have the Verde buff plug in the middle surrounded by bermuda. There's no crabgrass in those pix. It will be a challenge for the buff but I think you'll eventually be happy with it. See how much more dense the buff plug is than the bermuda? That is what will allow the buffalo to overtake the bermuda. Mow it high and see what happens. It will take a little while for the buff to get going. Once it does, you'll be happy. As for the seeds, the bermuda will overrun any seeded variety of buffalo. Bermuda is much more competitive. Verde, on the other hand, will give bermuda a good race. If you can return the seeds, do that. Wait for the Verde to get established and use the Verde to plug into the area you are planning to seed. In the mean time, keep the clover going. The clover makes a good soil prep plant. Good choice. I have a picture of the Tech Turf variety of buffalo. It looks to me to be very much like Verde. Note how dense this is. That lawn was mowed to 2.5 inches and was ready to be mowed. It is a very dense turf. You can see how hard it is trying to spread over the concrete. That was growth since the last mowing, so it will spread nicely for you once it starts.

Smart Money magazine published an article several years ago that argued against buying LTC in your 50s or earlier because the standard 5% inflation protection coverage would not keep up with the average 7% increase in nursing home costs. Basically, the earlier you buy the policy, the larger the gap that you will have between what your policy pays out and what the actual costs will be. Here are a couple of quotes from the article: "The 5% inflation adjustment is the industry standard, adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in the early 1990s. If the insurance industry were to adopt the 7% inflation figure that some predict, 'the cost would be prohibitive', says Tom Foley, an actuary with the North Dakota Insurance Department who chairs the NAIC's long-term care rate stabilization woking group." "The average age at which people buy long-term-care insurance is now about 65, and given the effects of inflation on your coverage, not to mention the uncertainty of health care costs and public policy 20 or 30 years from now, why buy it earlier than that? 'If there's a liklihood you might develop a health problem that makes long-term-care insurance expensive, you might want to buy it sooner', says Chuck Mondin of the United Seniors Health Cooperative, a nonprofit advocacy group. Otherwise, wait."

You will probably have to replace sub flooring to get rid of most of the odor. My mom/me had a cat 20+ years ago. She went in the corner of living room a few times, not many. carpet replaced 2 times, wood floor treated/cleaned in someway. Years later in real humid weather I swear you can still smell something. I am not sure if sealing alone will get rid of smell. Kitchen cabinets are probably a goner if they went in there, which they probably did. I have an area around cat box that my now cats missed, on cement floor. I have treated w/natures miracle, vinegar, straight bleach, by saturating a cloth and laying it on area for a day or so. Still an odor when I get down on hand and knees and put nose up to it.

I think I'd be careful how I spent it, but if you will enjoy the process and this is your "bucket list", then I'd go ahead (again, carefully). The longer the wait to do it, the shorter the time you will enjoy it. I have done things many times and wondered why the heck I did not do that sooner. I am very cautious and it sounds like you are too. I bargain shopped and am pinching pennies til they scream, lol. However, I have waited a long time to get a home that is done and is where I feel is our family nest for the long term. I work hard and save everywhere else, so this is our splurge. I think it may also make your dh happy to see you getting what you have waited for for so long. It would be lovely if he could enjoy it for a while with you. If he is with you on this and likes planning and working on it with you, this could be a project that gives you time together and it may be therapeutic to see tangible results. We can't always control our health, so maybe controlling your surroundings is a way to feel a little power again. I do like that your focus is on looking forward. I would just caution that you do not mortgage more than you could get for the house, although since most banks won't let you do that anymore, that is less of a concern. You don't want to find that you can't afford to live there and yet can't afford to sell later on. I'd also hate to leave any heirs with a financial mess. You do not owe anyone to make them rich, but I'd hate to have my passing make someone I love poor. I do like your plan for taking on a roommate or renting out an apt. It is a great fallback position and a way to generate money regardless of your health. We rented out part of our first house and it helped us be able to move along and gain equity enough to now be in our second house and in the process of fixing it up. Some people were aghast at having to live with a tenant downstairs, but then again, most of them are not as well off now as we are ;) I wish you and your dh all the best and hope you have longer with him than expected.