SO, we were supposed to close on Thursday this last week. Now did that happen? No. Of course not. That would be far too easy. Now we have a leaky roof to have patched up and then we might possible have our closing scheduled. I wouldn't be so infuriated if this wasn't the buyer's lender's fault. We did everything we're supposed to do, but their laziness has cost us more money. I can safely say that I would prefer not having to sell a house again for a very long time. I know we will, but it doesn't have to be anytime soon.
On the other front, we have completed another step in buying our house. We went to a pre-wiring meeting and to the design center to pick a few things out for the house. That was fun, so to speak. It's neat to pick out some colors and where your wiring will go, but it isn't like going to on a dinner/movie date. Hopefully, this week Steve will have the pre-construction meeting to get a tentative timeline on how things will pan our for our new home. As of right now, the frame for the first level is in and we're well on our way to having a brand new townhouse.
It's been stressful to move. However, there are so many great things that wait for us here. We just have to get over this hurdle and things will start to ease again and we'll be able to relax and enjoy life.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Happy Birthday Arabella!
Today is a great day. Two years ago, I gave birth to my sweet girl. It really is hard to believe on some level. I feel like it's been two years, but that's mostly because it's been a long road. We've never had any major, life altering problems with her, but many things have taken quite a bit of work. However, what child ISN'T worth all of your strength and energy for years to come? Not one!
Arabella is my petite ballerina. She's just a sliver bigger than her brother, she has more energy than five toddlers, and she's smarter than Steve and I combined. She hates new foods only to love them three months later. She still wants her bottles, because, damn it, Jude has one too! She sings everything she can remember and she shakes her booty while she does it. She kisses her family and tells us she loves us. She's everything I've ever wanted in life and more. And right now, she's throwing apples on the floor :).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Arabella Nicole!
Arabella is my petite ballerina. She's just a sliver bigger than her brother, she has more energy than five toddlers, and she's smarter than Steve and I combined. She hates new foods only to love them three months later. She still wants her bottles, because, damn it, Jude has one too! She sings everything she can remember and she shakes her booty while she does it. She kisses her family and tells us she loves us. She's everything I've ever wanted in life and more. And right now, she's throwing apples on the floor :).
Happy 2nd Birthday, Arabella Nicole!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Worst Waiting Game Ever
We sold our house. That's definitely exciting. HOWEVER...now we begin one of the most miserable waiting games in the history of mankind. To sell your house, you actually have to close on it to finish the deal. That will not happen for another 30 days (actually, October 27th for us).
There's a number of things that can go wrong in the meantime that can cause the contract to fall apart. We have to have our house inspected. Once that happens, the buyers will create a list of things they want taken care of before the option period is over. That option period is 10 days. Then we have to have an appraisal to ensure that we are selling for what the house is worth. Really, what our house is worth is up for interpretation. The first person might say something and a second person will suggest it's 10K higher or lower than the first person. Either way, whatever the appraiser says can cause things to fall apart. Then there's also the fact that the buyers can just change their minds. Isn't that a bunch of sh......poop?
All in all, things look good. These buyers are getting the house a great price and in great condition. Still, jumping through hoops to be sure the house is acceptable and constantly waiting for update phone calls and emails is not my idea of fun. One thing this does afford us, though, is the opportunity to get serious about where we want to live up here in Maryland. Some of you may know that we have been considering living with Steve's parents. It would help us pay down some debt by having a smaller housing cost and it would help them afford a bigger (IE nicer) house. Our other option is to look at housing in our own price range.
The market here is very different from Texas. You get less house for your money, but there are different amenities that come with a house here, as well. You may be buying a townhouse and it may have smaller rooms in general, but you also tend to get a deck and a basement (many of them actually are finished). There's also more affordable housing on the water, although I'm pretty certain we aren't really interested in living on the water. Also, taxing is different, so while we'll buy a more expensive house, our monthly payments won't change very much. So, tomorrow we will go look at some houses in the area to see if it is worth buying our own house or if we will go forward with living with Steve's parents for a couple of years.
Even still, buying a house here is contingent on closing on our house in Texas. And so, we wait.
There's a number of things that can go wrong in the meantime that can cause the contract to fall apart. We have to have our house inspected. Once that happens, the buyers will create a list of things they want taken care of before the option period is over. That option period is 10 days. Then we have to have an appraisal to ensure that we are selling for what the house is worth. Really, what our house is worth is up for interpretation. The first person might say something and a second person will suggest it's 10K higher or lower than the first person. Either way, whatever the appraiser says can cause things to fall apart. Then there's also the fact that the buyers can just change their minds. Isn't that a bunch of sh......poop?
All in all, things look good. These buyers are getting the house a great price and in great condition. Still, jumping through hoops to be sure the house is acceptable and constantly waiting for update phone calls and emails is not my idea of fun. One thing this does afford us, though, is the opportunity to get serious about where we want to live up here in Maryland. Some of you may know that we have been considering living with Steve's parents. It would help us pay down some debt by having a smaller housing cost and it would help them afford a bigger (IE nicer) house. Our other option is to look at housing in our own price range.
The market here is very different from Texas. You get less house for your money, but there are different amenities that come with a house here, as well. You may be buying a townhouse and it may have smaller rooms in general, but you also tend to get a deck and a basement (many of them actually are finished). There's also more affordable housing on the water, although I'm pretty certain we aren't really interested in living on the water. Also, taxing is different, so while we'll buy a more expensive house, our monthly payments won't change very much. So, tomorrow we will go look at some houses in the area to see if it is worth buying our own house or if we will go forward with living with Steve's parents for a couple of years.
Even still, buying a house here is contingent on closing on our house in Texas. And so, we wait.
