things fall apart

...november 22, 2010...
This was the day we were supposed to open escrow.  This was the day that I had been waiting for for 7 months.  And it never happened...

I got a call from Jim as I was leaving work around 6:45pm on this night, and he wasn't calling with good news.  Jim explained that escrow did not open today, and that the bank had made some changes.  He said that the bank had decided to move up the closing date to December 6, and that this was just not possible to close in that amount of time with the type of loan I have.  Basically, the deal was null and void after the 6th, and I'm assuming renegotiations would take place or they would find a new buyer.  I was so disappointed, because I had no idea that they were allowed to do something like this so late in the game.  However, Jim pointed out there was no point to have an inspection and appraisal done and lose out on that money if the deal was not going to go through.

He advised me to start looking again.

I laughed, I cried, I was dumbfounded and angry all at the same time. All this work, by all these people, for nothing...

She was going to be a good house!

back to the grind

...april 15, 2010...
A week later, Jim and I busted out the Garmin and got back out there.  And yes, I am comparing this situation to having to start dating again after a break-up, because that is pretty much how it felt.

Again, forgive my memory, but I don't remember what we saw this day.  I remember being generally unimpressed, as Kent was now the standard everything was being measured up against.  We did see one house, Nielsen, that was flat-out gorgeous, but was missing 2 of my top necessities...

Nielsen was about 1350 square feet, 2 bedroom (ouch) / 2 bath for $124,900 I believe.  The kitchen was upgraded, the master bedroom was HUGE, the backyard had a fire pit, and there was tile throughout the house.  There was an office off the living room that had no doors, but an option to close off a section for a closet (which is why they listed the property as a three bedroom).  The MAIN thing that I didn't like about this house, was that the living room was tiny, like teeny-tiny and there were not three bedrooms.  I saw Nielsen twice this day before deciding to offer on it, and we went lower at $122,500.  I was already nervous about this house, and felt I was settling...and in hindsight, I was.  Looking back, I have no earthly idea why I put an offer on a home that was THAT expensive without meeting a major requirement--living room!


Long story short, this went quickly, and we got the offer in the next day.  Jim called me almost immediately after submitting it, and said there was another offer on the property as well, and that if I increased my offer to $125, 250, I would definitely out-bid the other offer and most likely get accepted.  Well, I freaked out about this.  I remember driving in my car, crying, because I knew this wasn't my house and I didn't love it enough to even continue with the offer.  I felt terrible, because I knew Jim busted his ass to put the paperwork together, and Tom did the same with my loan documents.  When I told Jim I wasn't going to increase because I just didn't love the house, I knew he was frustrated with me.  But, as Jim always does, he understood.  Tom reassured me as well and told me not to settle, and that  I would find my house.

This was the last time I picked a house just to pick a house...