Morning Gents!
So previously asked for prayers that we would be successful selling our house and moving to another suburb here in Chitcagoland so that our daughter can go to a quality High School instead of a satellite campus of DACA and Open Boarders! 3 month time frame to sell, buy and move to get daughter into school for the first day of Freshman year and wanting to try-out for volleyball.
Mission Accomplished! (almost)
Listed our place for a modest $15K increase in price over what we purchased the place for 18 years ago. During that time, planted beautiful trees (most are mature now = shade where needed), large composite deck I built you; can park a car on it. Weed-free landscape with hostas and wildflowers. New carpet in all but 3 rooms, new SS sink and granite counter tops, SS appliances 3 yrs old or less & a 3 yr old Trane AC/Furnace upgrade.
Due to the lovely schools and government dependent populace next town over - not a hot market so this wasn't a slam dunk!
33 days on the market, we get an offer for LESS than we purchased it for from a person re-locating from NC who wanted a contingency on selling their house which they insisted would sell quickly....we countered that the contingency would cost asking price OR they could purchase the home for 7.5K less without the contingency. They walked, basically saying their house wasn't going to sell that quickly.
Several showings with good feedback so we remained hopeful......crickets.....lowered price 5K and got more showings with continued good feedback.....crickets! So we decided that while being away in Detroit for grandson's first birthday we'd have an open house. My wife and I as well as our Realtor aren't big fans of them and she's only had 2 purchases/offers come from them in her 30+ years of holding them! Prayers and polish before we left and chilling the house via phone app. Big storm rolling in with agent and her assistant at start of Open House thinking they're gonna fold up shop early - bunch of people show up! A couple REALLY like the house and are there without their agent (who's on vacation outta state) and the call her next day. Our Realtor contacts her as well - back and forth drags on for a WEEK before they finally make an offer...not horrible, not great either, but it's obvious that they REALLY like the house.
We counter right away with 2.5K less and a 15 day increase in closing date so we can find a house. The agree if we included a 2.5K newer SS fridge which I really like......OK DONE.......almost! (fill that in little later) This was July 5th!
We schedule to look at houses the next day (July 3) and had 6 we wanted to look at, one that had been on the market for 6 days. Over half of what we looked at were unsuitable and one that would have worked was a flip that had nice materials and design, but was basically lipstick on the pig quality work! There was a new drive poured, but it was obvious that the lower-level garage flooded and they'd smeared new concrete BY HAND on the front steps (just waiting to start flaking off!) Well, of course, the 6 day place was the best option and quality gets snapped up quick in this area; we make an offer that afternoon, $100 over asking price with a sizable chunk for earnest money..........crickets......July 4th....crickets.....agent texts the sellers agent to find out that they're continuing to show as they've got appointments through the holiday weekend......OK I get that, they're hoping for another and better offer......here we are, selling our place and NOT having any where to be moving too!
That feeling sucks and given your daughter really wants to try-out for sports etc. and can't even register for SCHOOL etc. adds to the burden of being a father/husband - helplessness is a feeling I hate! Waiting is hard for me most times as I'd rather be working to make things happen.
Purchasers of our current home turn out to be "flaky" to say the least! Their agent was on vacation in Colorado the week of the 4th, without cell service where she was, and she left nobody in charge of her clients at her agency while she was gone. She drove in to town to get service and dealings were LESS than timely! Our agent gets in contact with the head of the agency team to help move things along. At this same time, our Realtor points out the fact that the agent representing our buyers AND the sellers of our desired new home are in the same office - the head of which is the listing agent for our new place. WELL, needless to say, this gums the works up on us getting an CONTRACT for our purchase. Those owners drag their feet waiting for another offer, without even responding to our offer! Getting answers was like talking to a teenager about what's going on at school!
While packing stuff in the basement on Friday, I discover a leak at the 1.5 inch copper main coming into the house, t-ed to the fire suppression back-flow valve and water meter! Thankfully it was all contained in a storage tub lid that I'd put down awhile back for some reason! My brother the plumber is able to come out the next day and takes care of it! Talk about timing!!!
Well, on a positive note, our buyers decide to get things in gear, and last Saturday, after my brother finished, while we're starting to pack and go through 18 years of accumulated "stuff", we get a call that the Radon testing company wants to come and place a recording sensor....OK, no big deal. We also get a call from our Agent that they'd like to do the home inspection the next day, Sunday. Obviously, God blessed us by my stumbling upon that leak that wasn't major, did no damage, but COULD have flooded the basement if it'd have grown! Imagine a long weekend away and coming home to THAT!
Well, having grown weary of the cricket's song on the offer we've made to purchase, we decide to look at more houses, since CLEARLY we have no home to move into! Spend 2 hours looking at junk and go to lunch......agent calls asking us to return home to move a car blocking access to attic in the garage (forgot there even was one there!) which is empty (12 feet off the ground with no drop-down) so having just ordered lunch we tell them we'd be back within the hour.
Roll up to our house with one car blocking the middle of the space to park, 4 more cars parked on the wrong side of the street! WTH? Open garage, and walk in to my house to find a couple walking down from the upstairs (bedrooms) with voices clearly in the basement performing a home inspection......pissed, I walk downstairs and introduce myself to the inspector, agent and couple buying the house and ask the parking hog to move the car so I can give them access to the required space......(here's where it gets really wonderful) Calling upstairs, one of them says "dad, move your car" and as I walk up to the main level from the basement, here come two more people! Both sets of parents are wandering around our bedrooms unsupervised! WTH do these people think this is? I'm seething at this point - who brings 7 people to a home inspection IN ADDITION to the inspector? Well, this shouldn't make a difference, but lets frame it that you'd expect to see them owning Quick Marts, Motels titled "American Inn" or a Hospital saving your life! Now I understand what the "flaky" behavior is from, I'm not selling a house to a couple, I'm selling a house to THEIR WHOLE FAMILY regardless of who lives there!!! This crew would ask for a discount on a free glass of water and expect to keep the glass!
We decide that we're not leaving the house at this point, so I grab another beer and we sit out on the deck enjoying the heat while the AC is cranked inside.....
Thank God that he's made that tree I planted flourish and provide shade!
To speed the story along:
While parents are apparently lounging on our beds, they spot some old water spots (painted) so a ROOFER has to come out to check-out the roof.
Their home inspector comments to me that this is a VERY well maintained home; minor issues. Inspector went in attic above house and discovers NO LEAKS OR SIGNS OF THEM. Mother/In-law gets into HEATED argument over it!
I get a GREAT Attorney who my former neighbor/buddy and also my mortgage broker recommended instead of going with my Realtor's guy.
Radon levels come back higher than limit allowed so there goes a minimum $700 to handle that!
Did I mention that I was still seething?
AFTER 3.5 Hours, the circus finally leaves!
I relayed all of this information to my Realtor and hear nothing of significance until Monday. The lawyer and I hit it off IMMEDIATELY - you know that feeling you get when you first talk to someone and fell connected and on the same plane of existence? Just like many of us, who've never met face to face, feel here?
Monday, our Realtor calls stating that the buyers now want to put the whole thing in JUST the husbands name....OK, no big deal...we have to go and re-sign (digitally) and expect to get it back....OH, by the way....we are supposed to be getting a signed contract on the home we put a bid in on by the end of the day.......crickets!
Find out from our Attorney, that the buyers of our home, FIRED THEIR ATTORNEY! This delays things...somehow connected to the resigning? Games......little more on that in a bit!
Tuesday, I loose my patience and call our Agent asking her to turn up the heat on whether we have a contract to PURCHASE a home or not? We need to get moving or my daughter will be attending her Freshman year at a sudo-reform school, assimilation facility! Still sifting through 18 years of crap, carefully stacking the garbage into the wheeled tote and the recycling into a similar yet smaller one. Sweating, cleaning in the garage, removing anything of worth as these people aren't getting anything more in there other than the door openers and a couple of nails!! Agent calls stating that the aforementioned roofer was coming to inspect the next day between 8:30am - 11am, will I be home and ok to supervise? It's a damn good thing my wife and I are teachers and it's summer! How stressful this must be if your WORKING and doing this?? OH, by the way, the buyers agent would like a call when he gets there so she can be there......at this point, I loose it on my Realtor, dropping the F-bomb several times. In no uncertain terms is anyone else coming and other then me and the roofer, nobody is coming into my home!
So yesterday, sweating away stress, aggression and frustration while finishing off the garage......no roofer...at 10:15 I text my agent that nobody has shown....evidently, she informed the buyers agent (why it matters in a sec.) and low an behold at 10:30 a roofers truck rolls up. Nice guy, typical roofer, Aztec Roofing....climbs up on roof after seeing spots of concern inside. Discovers 3 flashings (silicone) are cracked/torn from age, declares that's the source of the leaks. Buyers agent shows up as he's finishing - turns out to be a very nice young lady and says this is the SECOND roofer she called as the original one was hung-up, but still coming (called another when my agent informed her of no-show) as they want to work with me to make sure that if there's an issue, I don't incur out of pocket expense. We have a cordial chat, and it becomes apparent that her clients are "flaky" in her opinion as well! She seems to be working with her boss to make sure all deals come off, including our purchase. (things looking up!) I tactfully mentioned that when doing a home inspection there should be an entourage, and if there is THEY SHOULD ALL BE TOGETHER! Second roofer shows up around noon - small compact car. I greet him and joke that I wanted to see him pull a 12 foot ladder out of that car! He pulls out a telescoping 14 foot ladder! It wasn't any bigger than a large suitcase! He climbed up the ladder, pulled it up and climbed up off the garage on to the house! Great personality, did a full check of the roof and we discussed that I don't want a new roof, there is hail damage (shown in photos that ARE my roof) and he could probably get one for me. I asked him to write it up asking for just the vent flashings that obviously are faulty and not going to be covered by insurance, without a re-roof; I'm not taking a hit on insurance for something I'll see no value in as the purchase price is set!
While relaying all of this yesterday to our Realtor, I again asked her to turn-up the heat, as my daughter is stressing (silently) about sports/high school and not wanting to miss out on trying-out for volleyball. Heck, this is the MOST stressed I've ever been in my life! Little over a 11 days of festering ups and downs with all of this and it seems like a MONTH. No worse feeling as a parent than being unable to help out your child, and to be at the mercy of others without a sense of your urgency to get things done! Never, in my entire life, have I experienced difficulty in obtaining a place to live like this! Wife and I both have been praying about it. "Be concerned, but don't worry - God's got this".......is difficult to put into practice, and I've CERTAINLY failed in this instance!
Finally, last evening, we received a signed contract to purchase our new home! We are/were actually hesitant to rejoice over it - that's how crazy this entire ride has been so far! We cancelled plans to get away this weekend before my wife and I snapped over the stress - for a great reason - but now starts the new ride! I thanked God for answered prayer -
Scheduled home inspection for this Sunday and got a mutual friend of my mortgage guy and our attorney for the inspection. I know him too so there's a comfort level there.
Gotta get Realtor to schedule Radon Test.
Picking up a new 4.5 month old pup out of my National Champion at the Airport tomorrow am - too hot to ship from Georgia - Missouri with available flights. Was going to just go directly to the trainer in MO where all the other dogs are while this crazy roller coaster ride continues....house breaking a puppy.....yeah! At least I've got a friend handing me a decent envelope of cash to have breakfast with him near the airport - brokered deal to sell my old trumpet - actually held it's value plus a bit over 40 years!
Frantic packing for move to happen middle August or sooner if possible - paying to have this crap moved - more $ than muscle at this point of life and nobody over the age of 50 is going to say, "yea, I'll help you move!".
So far, retirement has been ANYTHING but smooth! LOL! That's another story........I un-retired, so I could make a transaction and then, retired.....well, in the process anyway!
