Saturday, October 1, 2011

A Week of Stress and Turmoil!

Many of you know the old adage that anything that can go wrong, will.  You may have also heard that if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.  This week tested many things.  My husband said it best:  I know now that my heart is strong for I didn't have a heart attack.  I know that my brain is strong because I didn't have a stroke.  I also know my mind is strong as I didn't go postal and kill anyone.

You may think I am being a bit melodramatic, but I am not.

Our closing was scheduled for Wednesday. We had planned to move out of the house on Tuesday, spend Tuesday and Wednesday in a hotel and move into our new home on Thursday.
Tuesday began and we still didn't have a set time for our closing.  The movers came and at noon as they were finishing up our agent called to say that no one was answering her phone calls.  The buyers agent, the bank or the lawyer.  She also spoke to the buyers agent the night before and in broken English he convinced her that everything was alright.

At 5:30 we heard that our buyers loan was denied.  WTF?

So here we sat in a hotel room thinking what are we supposed to do?  The only positive was that the bank stated that they could get a loan if they put 3% down (they were trying to get 100% financing) and that they were quite able to afford it.  The only problem is that it could take another 3 days putting closing on Friday.

Everything seemed ok.  The only problem was that the buying agent was never available to talk.  We were left blind by all parties.  Our sellers were freaking out since they had moved to Maine.  We were freaking out because we were without furniture, power or water (at our old house) and we couldn't move into the new house until we closed on the old one.

Chris and I moped about on Wednesday. We scheduled another night in a hotel and planned the movers to come on Friday. We didn't do anything else so we just slept  and watched tv.   Per the buyers agent, when he felt we were worthy to know, all was moving forward.

On Thursday, my agent received an email from the buyers agent.  They felt because they would be required to spend more money down on the house, they wanted us to pay another $1000 in closing costs.  SERIOUSLY?  ARE YOU HIGH?  I am paying an extra night of hotel, kennel, storage and meals out and you want us to pay more?
My agent refused to answer the email.  She did finally get in touch with the bank who stated that things were sent to the lawyer.  She did mention the $1000 that the buyer asked for.  The lender said ABSOLUTELY NOT!  He was not going to write up another loan packet on this house.  This was taken off life supported and it was done!!!
We asked for an early signing.  We didn't want to deal with the buyers.  Their lawyer was an odd man.  He babbled on a bit but  he was nice enough.  He made mention that it was in a lawyer's right to "fire" a client.  He was known to raise rates or be too busy for certain agents and he felt this agent may be one that he won't have to work for again.
He also stated that if a bank was stupid enough to give these people a loan, they would be really dumb to walk away from the purchase.  
The closing on the old house was scheduled for 10am.  We could not move into our new house Friday until our new house signing which meant the movers would have to come another day, charging us more money for storage and a loading/unloading fee.  We were bleeding money.
We asked if we could move in early and we would "rent" our new house.  We thought we would just camp out until the movers came.
Our sellers came back by saying that if we wanted to move in early we would have to relinquish our contingency.  If our buyers bailed we lost $2000.  SERIOUSLY?!?!   Can no one cut us a break?
I was terrified.  I had no confidence that this would happen.

My gf and her husband offered a room to stay at their home.  Another friend offered to keep our 2 dogs at their home and we signed off on the contingency late in the evening to get into our home early.
We scheduled a dry closing for 8 am, around the time the movers would show up.  Our friend who watched our dogs, came to hang with the dogs and kids as the movers came and we headed to our closing.   Ours went smoothly and we were home in about an hour and a half.
We just had to wait.   And wait we did.  11am, as the movers left, our agent called to say that the buyers never showed up.   No one called.  No one notified the lawyer.  Nothing.
The lawyer had called up the agent about quarter to 11.   Our buyer's wife went into labor and delivered her baby early in the morning yet the agent didn't feel the need to communicate that with ANYONE.

So now I am sitting in a corner not wanting to do anything.

The lawyer told the agent, get the buyer in and have him sign.  The lawyer then would go to the hospital and have the wife sign.  He would then go back to the office, re-write the HUD, which had changed twice and then send it to our lawyer.  If he didn't make it in time, he would have to file on Monday.

At 4:31 he was able to make it to the court house and file the sale of our house.

I am now sick.  I am self diagnosing a sinus infection.   I was scheduled to volunteer for a 10k/5k run with my daughter this morning.  My alarm never went off and we ran out of the house without coffee for me.  I cheered those runners on.  Had lunch and then came home.  To Wake Forest.

It will be at least another 16 years before I am stupid enough to go through this again.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

At a Loss

So the big move came.  We knew that there were issues.  Supposedly our buyers loan was taking a bit of time to come through.  The person in charge of their loan left and the new person was trying to get things put together in a very short period of time.
Our agent diligently called and emailed to get some idea of what was going on.   We scheduled our change of service, set the move date and off we went.

Yesterday, the movers came and cleared out our house.  When the house was at it's 90% we heard that there would be a 50/50 chance that the loan would NOT go through.  Well, it was denied.
Our house is back away, I am in a hotel and in several hours the power, etc will be shut off.

I cried, I curled up in my fetal position and just wondered "What do I do next?"

At 5:30pm we received a call saying that the buyers still have options (but what of ours?) and that if they can get them to agree to a few things, the loan "may" go through.

So now we wait.  If the contingent plan goes through, we can "rent" our new house, move in and keep moving forward.  If not, I have to move BACK into my old house and start over.   I so don't want to start over.

Please keep the positive thoughts headed this way.  I really, really need it.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Moving boxes and anxiety

We are one week away from our closing date.

Chris and I have been slowly transferring utilities and packing boxes.  We have been sending in the last few items for our mortgage and have scheduled the moving van, reserved a hotel room and reserved 2 spots at the puppy motel.  

Unfortunately, not all is moving smoothly.

Our buyers are having issues with finalizing their mortgage.  

We have had to re-sign for due diligence twice.  The buying agent states that all is fine and not to worry.  Unfortunately, we are.   I guess that due to "cultural issues", the bank is having a hard time verifying credit.  I don't like to hear this 1 week before closing.  It does not increase my confidence!!!  Supposedly, the person handling their loan left the bank within the last week.  A new loan officer is now on the job and he seems to be working at his own pace.  Meanwhile, our sellers are moved out and on their way to Pennsylvania.


As I am typing away I noticed a email alert.  My MORTGAGE IS FINALIZED!!!!   WOOOhOOOOO!!!     I have a mortgage for my new house!!!!!! Now all we have to do is get our buyers one!!!!

So….say a little prayer that our buyers mortgage goes through.  I would hate to be sitting in my old empty house with no power or water come next Tuesday night.  

Friday, September 9, 2011

Reminiscing nature and things….

This morning a twitter feed made me think of some of the good times and bad in our soon to be former home.  So I felt the need to share.
Some of the stories friends have heard a billion times and I apologies….

Chris and I built this home.  It was our first and by no means were we planning to be in it 16 years.  We were very lucky that the "seller" liked us.  She went on about the property that she had and how she thought the one next door didn't have a premium.  Because of her, we saved $5000.

Our property is definitely worth a premium.  It is butt up to a large common area that now holds the playground.  It was perfect for sitting on the deck and watching our kids play.  It was very close to the house so we could take the children there when they were very young.  It has also has been frequented by an array of neighborhood teens late at night.  My bedroom window opens to the playground.

I have spent time over the years catching neighborhood children practicing cheerleading, smoking pot, drinking and occasionally having sex at all hours of the night.   I have witnessed a girl hike to the back of the gazebo to cop a squat. One neighbor, committed suicide in the woods behind us (thank GOD, I didn't see that). You name it….

The back of our house has a large wooded area.  It is home to a lot of wildlife.  Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night to screaming fox?  My dogs have been sprayed by toads, bitten by copper heads, tormented by deer.  We listen to cicada, owls and a multitude of beautiful birds.

We did have an opossum that used to like to frequent our bird feeder that was placed on our back deck.  Our deck is about 10 feet off the ground and the ugly thing would eat the seed and drool all over our railing.  My husband finally in annoyance, asked a co-worker by the name of "Redneck" what to do.  Redneck stated that if you were to hit it with a broom it would play dead.  You could then pick it up by the tail and walk it back to the woods.  It would play dead for about 30 minutes and then wander away and never come back.
So one morning my husband saw the nasty thing at the bird feeder and attempted to scare it away.  He tried to spray it with water, yell at it and the thing just hissed.  So Chris grabs the broom and with my children at the window, marches out to try and get rid of it.
Chris felt extremely guilty in regards to hitting it, so instead he whacked the handrail.  The opossum sat straight up, went completely stiff and fell over…..14 feet off the rail to the yard below.
Chris and children were hysterically laughing by this time.  They ran to the rail to see the ugly beast lumber away into the woods never to be seen again.
Our neighborhood backs up to a farm that has cows, goats and horses.  Several occasions calves and cows have found themselves through the fence and wandering through the neighborhood.  One morning we woke to a calf on my neighbors front porch.
One night about 2am I heard one of the cows just mooing in distress.  As I dozed I noticed the mooing getting louder and louder and then quieter and quieter.  I thought in my confusion of sleep "I bet if I sat up I could see a cow!"  Well, I was on the mark because the next morning we woke up to cow patties on our neighbor's driveway!!
My last story….
I was coming home from work early one afternoon with both children.  As they went to the front of the house a truck came full throttle down the road.  It slammed on the breaks in front of the dead end near the farm.  A man jumped out of the truck, grabbed a rifle, and hopped the fence.  I yelled at my kids to get in the house, I grabbed my phone in preparation to call 911.
The man came back over the fence and asked if I had seen anybody go over the fence?  As I looked down the road I noticed several boys hop the fence and sneak back around a house.
Turns out that the bull was rutting and was not very nice.  The man basically told the boys "Now that bull would kill you and I would have to kill him.  Now he is a very pricey bull and although I would shoot him, I wouldn't be happy about it."  Ahhhh…country living!!!

Our home has been through ice storms, hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.  We have brought 2 babies home and raised them.  We have had 4 dogs and a multitude of neighbors.  Although I am ECSTATIC  to be leaving….I'll still be sad just the same.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Inspections and Repairs

We have been slowly plodding through the action of buying and selling.  Our latest endeavor is the process of having inspections performed.  Our current home's inspection went fairly well.   We had several items that required repairs but they were relatively minor.

The most difficult of the repairs entailed fixing dented gutters.  The gutters were damaged when a tree came down on our house.  Chris took on the repair prior to Irene coming to town.  The gutter outside our bedroom window tended to dump water in front of our window.  I had been complaining about it for some time and with the hurricane heading for a direct hit to North Carolina, it appeared to be the best time.



Although the actual gutter looks a bit worse for wear, it held up fantastically during the storms over the following days.   Chris continues to take care of the few issues and we now have to deal with the new house.
For the record, our current house is 16 years old.  It has been through SEVERAL hurricanes that had resulted in a few repairs over the years but Chris has always dealt with these things.  Chris also, being a HVAC tech, has maintained our major equipment throughout the years.

The house we are purchasing is 4 years old.  Although there were only 4 items requiring repairs, one has reared its head as a potential major problem.

It appears that there is a foundation issue causing water to drain under the house.  Structurally the house is sound but the potential for major foundation issues is a real issue.   Not a couple hundred dollar quick fix but a MAJOR problem.

We have asked for the sellers to repair professionally.  We have opted for a re-inspection and if it isn't performed correctly we will terminate the sale.

I could be homeless in less than a month.  Oy.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Buying and Selling

So.....
84 days and finally we have sold our house.  The couple who showed up on our doorstep have finalized the contract.  We have just received the inspection report and the fixes are fairly minor.  Unfortunately, now comes the difficult searching of homes for us.

If I haven't stated before, we have very tight criteria for buying a home.  We are moving my father in with us.  So we need a 4 bedroom with one bedroom on the first floor with a connecting bathroom.  We need an area that my father can call his own.
We wanted a neighborhood that had a pool.  We wanted a house that has flat property and few stairs to enter.  We hoped for a fenced yard for the dogs.  A house that has busing to my daughter's high school and better base schools for when my son enters middle school.

We went house hunting with our agent on a Sunday.  We had about 14 homes to view.  Some houses had a first floor master others a "guest" suite.  Some were in established neighborhoods, some near friends.

Lord.  You can never trust what you see or read online.  Some houses were dumps.  Some were in horrid locations.  Some the property itself was a nightmare.  Examples:  One house was located literally on an expressway.  Yeah, no.
One, the floors were like a fun house.  Another home had a driveway that appeared to be at a 90 degree angle.
My husband and I picked out our top 3.  2 were in the same neighborhood in Wake Forest, the other in an established neighborhood in Raleigh.  We left with our heads spinning!

I went back with our children and my father to check out our 3 favorites.  Our number 1 was still number 1 and my dad and kids agreed!!!
We let our agent put in the initial offer.

The response was not good.   "We are not dropping the house any more and will consider renting the house out if we don't get our asking."

Really?  I just dumped my house and you are going to be this way?

We counter offered again, receiving less than stellar response.
As I sat on the beach, visiting my college roommate, my husband and I decided to give one final offer and if they didn't take it, walk away.
I was angry and a bit depressed over the whole experience.  I was frustrated with the loan process and I just wanted something to go MY WAY!
We finally received the call that said our offer was accepted.  We were able to drop the price 2K and get 5K in closing.  
The house is move-in ready and really lovely.  They have done a lot with the yard, which is fenced in, and it's in a large growing neighborhood.
Dad has his space and we have ours.   I will be stuffed in a small bedroom for the time being but that's ok. My daughter doesn't have neighborhood bussing but I will deal. My son will be in a great school district when the time comes.  Things are definitely moving in a better direction than before.

Wow.  I'm moving!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Happiness, Sadness and Everything in Between

84 days.

That is the time my house has been on the market.

On Saturday, a hispanic couple showed up at my front door.  The woman was pregnant and asked most of the questions.  She introduced herself as someone who had viewed my house *warning*.
She stated her agent wanted her to ask a few questions about the house *warning*.

Woman: We heard you were dropping your price, is that true?

Me: Uh….no.
W: Oh, I have the house confused.  Ignore that I said that.
M: Uh…o.k?
W: Do you pay a lot in electric?  We don't want to pay a lot in electric.
M: I'm on an EPP.  I pay the same amount every month.
W: Do you pay $200?  We don't want to pay $200.
M: I don't pay $200.  But it's equal payments….they average it out.  I don't think we pay that much.
W: Will you pay closing costs?
M: Um…that's what negotiations are for.  Our agents should be dealing with this.
W: Will you make any repairs to the house?
M: That's something we need to negotiate with the agents.
W: Will you leave the refrigerator?
M: That's part of the negotiations.
She then spoke to her husband in spanish and they left.  I immediately called my agent. *DANGER WILL ROBINSON*
What we have determined is the woman is the most fluent in English.  This includes the agent!

The offer came as such:
Drop the price $5K and pay 3K in closing.
No Due Deligence
$499 for a home warranty.
Counter:  Price dropped 3K and pay 3K
Due Diligence of $250 and 350 for Home warranty
2nd offer:
Drop 5K and pay 2K closing.  Due diligence and home warranty as we asked.
Counter : drop 5, pay 1 due diligence and NO HOME WARRANTY
This was accepted with us making any home repairs as found NECESSARY and within reason by a licensed home inspector.

PHEW!
Papers  are signed.  YAY!

I had mixed emotions.  I have been in my house 16 years.  Both children were born here.  It's a bittersweet feeling.
Panic ensued….Am I going to be able to afford what I want and most importantly NEED?  Oh yeah…BTW: Closing is scheduled for September 27!!!!!!!!

To get prequalified I need papers.  I need 2009 and 2010 tax returns.   I found tax returns from 1994 to 2009.  Hello? Where are my 2010 returns?  My fear is that they are PACKED IN THE POD!!!  Remember that thing?

Lord help me.

I still need prayers lifted up for me.  I REALLY appreciate all of your support!

Holy Sh*t.  I sold my house!