We're homeowners!

So, it's finally happened: we bought a house! We closed on October 17, but not without a few mishaps along the way. We didn't know until the afternoon before whether it would even happen. We had to rush through the process of finding insurance (no easy task in FL). It was very stressful. And since then it's been a whirlwind.

We cleaned, we painted, we got to know Home Depot and Linens 'n Things pretty well. The previous owners left the place in a disgusting condition, so it took us about a week to get it looking halfway decent. This past Sunday we moved all of our stuff over, with the help of some friends. Now we are just trying to figure out where everything will go and adjusting to the new surroundings.

We are the kind of people who like to unpack and get things done, so I anticipate that the house will be put together pretty quickly. Of course, there is already a list of projects for the future, including the back yard, the porch, the utility room, etc. All in good time....

So, I guess this blog comes to a close. We are no longer desperately seeking a house. We've found it!

Thanks for reading.

-- Yana and Pete

Closing day came and went...

So we were going to close on the 10th, right? The seller's bank wanted to do this quickly, so they suggested October 10th. Eh, not so much...

It seems as you may already guess that we (the buyers) are the only ones interested in closing this deal with any speed. And by speed I mean we began this in May of this year! I think the banks/agents etc. could let this drag on indefinitely, it's only money.

We finally got the go ahead to get our inspector in the home for Monday. We also had a "pest" guy inspect for infestations, wood rot etc. Everything went fine (a few minor things to watch for in the future), overall the house inspected really well. So we can still make it to closing on the 17th, right? We can close on Friday and spend the weekend cleaning and painting! Nope!

Funny thing about seeing the home mostly empty and almostly yours, you start adding up everything that you and only you will spend in the future! Apparently this house does not come with a landlord to call!

Our bank has completed their appraisal/survey and shipped it off. I will say that our bank has really been pushing to get all this done and has been a great help. The title company does not seem motivated enough to pluck a fax or or whatever it is that they do (or not)...

Moving forward

We have finally come to an agreement on the price with all parties. In theory, we are moving towards closing. Can I get a cautiously optimistic "yay"?

-- Yana

The world is coming to an end!

Our financial system is on the brink of collapse! OK, maybe the situation is not quite that drastic. At least not yet... But it does make one pause in one's house-buying process and wonder, how will this affect us? Will our bank still be able to lend us money? Will the current mortgage holders be more or less likely to want to get rid of the burden of this house?

In the meantime, we got a call from our realtor last night. The first bank offered the second bank $1000 in the contract. The second bank has decided that they need $2500. Frankly, when you're losing almost $30,000, I don't see how an extra $1500 is going to make any difference, but that's just me. So, the sellers' agent wanted to know if we would be willing to spend that to close the deal. But then what's to stop the first bank from coming back and asking for more money, too?

Our realtor recommended telling the sellers' agent to go back to the first bank to negotiate, which is what we're doing. If they are so keen on making this deal, they will work something out. And if that doesn't work, maybe the two real estate agents can take that $1500 out of their commissions. It would only be $750 from each!

My hope is that we are getting closer to the end. This really, really needs to work out because we need somewhere to live! We have begun packing, because in either case, we're going to have to move in 31 days, whether it's into this house or an apartment somewhere. Keeping my fingers crossed!

-- Yana