Bruce, Emmie, and I returned to our current residence yesterday. That is, my in-laws' house, which we are no longer referring to as home. It feels less like our home than ever.
But not in a bad way! When we got back, Bruce's parents were thrilled to see Emmie. We chatted politely about what we did over the weekend, how the new house was coming along. It was all so friendly and cordial, like we are guests again. Bruce's mom made pizza for dinner and then announced that as a housewarming present, they would be buying us a lawnmower. Yay! That is so generous of them; we couldn't express our gratitude enough.
The atmosphere here has shifted. Four days being away will do that, but our impending departure is seen in other ways. The gate in the hallway is gone (Bruce's parent's said we could have that, too, though unfortunately it doesn't fit our stairs). We brought our TV to the new house. Our rooms here are messy with boxes and laundry and random scattered items. It makes me feel out of sorts, especially since it's the end of the term and I still have so much work to do. Moving times are always utterly chaotic.
One thing will be different this time: we are getting movers. Last year, our friends moved us in scorching heat. They were dirty, sweating, and grouchy by the end of the day. 8-Track's back hurt for three months afterwards. We couldn't do it again. We could see the dread on their faces when we mentioned moving. So, movers it is!
It's going to cost a small fortune, but it will be worth it to retain our longtime friendships. Now that we have our own house, we can have people over! In fact, 8-Track and Jeanette were the first friends to come visit us this weekend. It was wonderful, sitting out on our patio on a warm spring day, laughing and talking. Emmie played in the grass beside us. Life was good.
I am counting the days until we turn the page on this chapter of our lives. The new story promises to be full of adventures!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Homeowners and It Feels So Good
We've officially been homeowners for one week! If God created the world in seven days... well, okay, we can't really compare. But we've done a lot.
The day of the closing was the wackiest day; we will never forget it for so many reasons. We woke before the crack of dawn to get Emmie ready and drop her off with my brother. We then drove out to the house to meet the realtor for an 8 a.m. walk through. In Illinois, we had mad rain for days and days. Towns with rivers running through were overtaken. Roads were washed out. Schools were cancelled. We were trepidatious about the state of our beautiful, finished basement. Would it be a dirty swimming pool, like so many others on the news?
It was as dry as a bone. We ran through the rooms in the house, opening cupboards and inspecting medicine cabinets. The sellers left the house spotless - a huge relief for me. Even better, on the outside, all the snow from winter had been replaced with perky green grass. We were about to have our own lawn! On one side of the house, blushing hyacinths and shy daffodils bowed at our arrival from their beds. I was in love.
When we left to go to the closing, we started to have our doubts as to whether fate intended for us to really buy the house. What should have been a 25 minute drive turned into over an hour. All the roads into the town of our destination were closed due to flooding. Traffic was backed up for miles; we'd sit in traffic for aeons and then face a detour. Bruce and I started to get cranky. Then it started to hail. Little pebble sized balls pelted our car. While this chaos was going on, the manhunt in Boston was playing out over our radio. Was the world ending? We perversely joked that if we had to endure the terrible traffic and wild weather, at least we had something interesting to listen to.
I won't go into details about the raging emails that were flying back and forth between our lawyer and our broker. To put it gently, our lawyer felt like our broker was unprofessional because the closing documents were late. But to be fair, our broker secured a loan for us with a low rate and little money down in less than 48 hours from being rejected for the other loan.
We all sat down and then we were told that the sellers would be joining us. Awkward! I got a little nervous. I have this thing where I always want people's approval. Would they like me? What if they were weird and then I couldn't get their faces out of my head? When they arrived, I immediately liked them. They - honestly - could not have been nicer! Oh, I forgot to mention that they left us a "Welcome to your new home" card and a box of good chocolates on the kitchen counter for us to find at the walk through. They even wrote down their phone number in case we might have questions. How sweet! Turns out, they loved the house, too. They had two of their three children in the house. Their littlest daughter, they told us, was so sad to be leaving her "favorite" (only) bedroom.
"Oh," I murmured. "Well, tell her that our daughter, Emmie, will take good care of it."
They stared back at us a moment. "Your daughter's name is Emmie?!" The wife exclaimed. "So is ours!" All four of us laughed at the strange and fitting coincidence. Now they could tell their daughter that a "new" Emmie was moving in to the room. It felt like a sign.
It wasn't smooth sailing from there, unfortunately. The problems weren't done yet - our wire transfer didn't come through to pay the sellers. We couldn't get the keys until the title company got the money. Normally, we were told, it takes roughly 40 minutes for the wire to go from the mortgage lenders through the Federal Reserve Bank and into the title company's account. We waited for three hours. Our realtor told us to go to lunch and come back. So we did. By then, everyone had left, including our realtor and lawyer.
Bruce and I sat in the title company's waiting room for two more hours. I exchanged many phone calls with my impatient brother/babysitter where I pleaded, "Just a little bit longer, I swear." I really wanted to have that moment, like on the HGTV shows, where Bruce and I are handed the keys, and we kiss, and are so happy because we bought our first house! But instead, I started pacing. I practiced my breathing exercises. What the hell was going on? Why was it taking so long? The lawyer and realtor came back after their afternoon meetings. Our lawyer, a bossy Italian lady, got on the phone and started yelling at people. In that moment, I really appreciated her brashness.
At 4:15 p.m., after over six hours of excruciating anticipation, the wire transfer came through. We got our keys! And kissed. And we were so, so happy to be first-time homeowners.
Since then, we've spent many nights sleeping on an air mattress in the new place. We go to Bruce's parents' house, fill up the cars with boxes, and come back. We've gone to every home improvement store in a 15 mile radius. Every night. We've bought a fridge and had it delivered. That was seriously so exciting! The same day, we had internet installed. That's how I'm writing this right now. Bruce is currently taping up the kitchen so he can paint. We picked the colors earlier this evening.
Every time I unpack a box, I marvel at our things: "My coffee cup! Our towels! Ooh, our garlic press!" We went to the storage unit and rolled the huge metal door open. It was like a revelation. There was our patio furniture, my china cabinet. It's all new again. It's all wonderful. Because they're ours. Slowly, this house is becoming familiar to us. We are making it our home.
Every night, we go to bed exhausted. Between our jobs, taking care of Emmie, moving and fixing up the house, we are left with just a few hours for slumber. We have bags under our eyes. But it doesn't matter. We might feel a little like zombies, but we feel more like ourselves than we have in a year.
The day of the closing was the wackiest day; we will never forget it for so many reasons. We woke before the crack of dawn to get Emmie ready and drop her off with my brother. We then drove out to the house to meet the realtor for an 8 a.m. walk through. In Illinois, we had mad rain for days and days. Towns with rivers running through were overtaken. Roads were washed out. Schools were cancelled. We were trepidatious about the state of our beautiful, finished basement. Would it be a dirty swimming pool, like so many others on the news?
 |
| *Our* flowers |
It was as dry as a bone. We ran through the rooms in the house, opening cupboards and inspecting medicine cabinets. The sellers left the house spotless - a huge relief for me. Even better, on the outside, all the snow from winter had been replaced with perky green grass. We were about to have our own lawn! On one side of the house, blushing hyacinths and shy daffodils bowed at our arrival from their beds. I was in love.
When we left to go to the closing, we started to have our doubts as to whether fate intended for us to really buy the house. What should have been a 25 minute drive turned into over an hour. All the roads into the town of our destination were closed due to flooding. Traffic was backed up for miles; we'd sit in traffic for aeons and then face a detour. Bruce and I started to get cranky. Then it started to hail. Little pebble sized balls pelted our car. While this chaos was going on, the manhunt in Boston was playing out over our radio. Was the world ending? We perversely joked that if we had to endure the terrible traffic and wild weather, at least we had something interesting to listen to.
I won't go into details about the raging emails that were flying back and forth between our lawyer and our broker. To put it gently, our lawyer felt like our broker was unprofessional because the closing documents were late. But to be fair, our broker secured a loan for us with a low rate and little money down in less than 48 hours from being rejected for the other loan.
We all sat down and then we were told that the sellers would be joining us. Awkward! I got a little nervous. I have this thing where I always want people's approval. Would they like me? What if they were weird and then I couldn't get their faces out of my head? When they arrived, I immediately liked them. They - honestly - could not have been nicer! Oh, I forgot to mention that they left us a "Welcome to your new home" card and a box of good chocolates on the kitchen counter for us to find at the walk through. They even wrote down their phone number in case we might have questions. How sweet! Turns out, they loved the house, too. They had two of their three children in the house. Their littlest daughter, they told us, was so sad to be leaving her "favorite" (only) bedroom.
"Oh," I murmured. "Well, tell her that our daughter, Emmie, will take good care of it."
They stared back at us a moment. "Your daughter's name is Emmie?!" The wife exclaimed. "So is ours!" All four of us laughed at the strange and fitting coincidence. Now they could tell their daughter that a "new" Emmie was moving in to the room. It felt like a sign.
It wasn't smooth sailing from there, unfortunately. The problems weren't done yet - our wire transfer didn't come through to pay the sellers. We couldn't get the keys until the title company got the money. Normally, we were told, it takes roughly 40 minutes for the wire to go from the mortgage lenders through the Federal Reserve Bank and into the title company's account. We waited for three hours. Our realtor told us to go to lunch and come back. So we did. By then, everyone had left, including our realtor and lawyer.
Bruce and I sat in the title company's waiting room for two more hours. I exchanged many phone calls with my impatient brother/babysitter where I pleaded, "Just a little bit longer, I swear." I really wanted to have that moment, like on the HGTV shows, where Bruce and I are handed the keys, and we kiss, and are so happy because we bought our first house! But instead, I started pacing. I practiced my breathing exercises. What the hell was going on? Why was it taking so long? The lawyer and realtor came back after their afternoon meetings. Our lawyer, a bossy Italian lady, got on the phone and started yelling at people. In that moment, I really appreciated her brashness.
At 4:15 p.m., after over six hours of excruciating anticipation, the wire transfer came through. We got our keys! And kissed. And we were so, so happy to be first-time homeowners.
 |
| As good as a five-star hotel |
 |
| Bruce Almighty |
Every night, we go to bed exhausted. Between our jobs, taking care of Emmie, moving and fixing up the house, we are left with just a few hours for slumber. We have bags under our eyes. But it doesn't matter. We might feel a little like zombies, but we feel more like ourselves than we have in a year.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
At the End of the Day
WE GOT THE CLEAR TO CLOSE!
Bruce and I have had a hell of a day full of international phone calls, floods, and finances.
We got the news a few minutes ago. Now we're off to get a cashier's check. After that, dinner out, just the two of us, for our four-year anniversary.
As Bruce puts it, we'll be "toasting the night away!"
Bruce and I have had a hell of a day full of international phone calls, floods, and finances.
We got the news a few minutes ago. Now we're off to get a cashier's check. After that, dinner out, just the two of us, for our four-year anniversary.
As Bruce puts it, we'll be "toasting the night away!"
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A Reversal in Fortune
Nevermind about the loan. Forget about the down payment assistance. Our wish isn't granted. Just like that, it was over.
IHDA, the program that was supporting our mortgage loan and providing us with down payment assistance, decided we weren't worth it after all. Two days before we were set to close. The worst part is, they based that decision on the time off I took after giving birth to Emmie. Because I wasn't working those months in 2012, we didn't make enough to be eligible.
We are devastated.
The broker has offered us an alternative, a loan with a .25% higher rate, but credits to make it more affordable at closing. Still, we thought we'd be able to retain most of our savings, and instead most of it will be gone.
It's not the worst scenario. We didn't lose the house entirely or our earnest money. But we're disappointed and dispirited. Why did we think we were deserving of a chance? Because we were told we were. Because we had emails proclaiming, "congratulations" and "we have received approval for the IHDA loan."
Yet, I knew it was too good to be true. Everyone has to pay their down payment, why would we be any different? I have already learned the lesson that money doesn't fall out of trees. Apparently, I didn't learn it well enough.
We're scheduled to close in less than 48 hours. The walk-through will happen right before, at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. Right now, I have no definitive answers as to how much money we will have to pay at closing. My confidence is all but lost.
Our dream of owning a house is growing smaller in the distance again.
Tomorrow is Bruce's and my four-year wedding anniversary. I'm pretty sure we won't feel like celebrating.
IHDA, the program that was supporting our mortgage loan and providing us with down payment assistance, decided we weren't worth it after all. Two days before we were set to close. The worst part is, they based that decision on the time off I took after giving birth to Emmie. Because I wasn't working those months in 2012, we didn't make enough to be eligible.
We are devastated.
The broker has offered us an alternative, a loan with a .25% higher rate, but credits to make it more affordable at closing. Still, we thought we'd be able to retain most of our savings, and instead most of it will be gone.
It's not the worst scenario. We didn't lose the house entirely or our earnest money. But we're disappointed and dispirited. Why did we think we were deserving of a chance? Because we were told we were. Because we had emails proclaiming, "congratulations" and "we have received approval for the IHDA loan."
Yet, I knew it was too good to be true. Everyone has to pay their down payment, why would we be any different? I have already learned the lesson that money doesn't fall out of trees. Apparently, I didn't learn it well enough.
We're scheduled to close in less than 48 hours. The walk-through will happen right before, at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. Right now, I have no definitive answers as to how much money we will have to pay at closing. My confidence is all but lost.
Our dream of owning a house is growing smaller in the distance again.
Tomorrow is Bruce's and my four-year wedding anniversary. I'm pretty sure we won't feel like celebrating.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Castle in the Sky?
Bruce has certainly picked up the new-house slack, due to my current work overload. He's packing boxes, ripping away at tape and writing "Fragile" in thick, black marker while I hole myself up in the study with books and the laptop.
While he was at work, he called and set up our electricity. He works for the gas company, so he took care of that, too. He's also been researching the best internet company for us.
The tables certainly have turned. When we decided to move away from the city, Bruce was commuting over an hour each way to his job in the suburbs. He was gone most of the day, so I was in charge of all those details. I remember setting up one service while riding the public bus, whispering my social security number into my cell with my hand over my mouth, eyes darting back and forth with paranoia, trying to gauge whether any of the other riders were listening in on my conversation.
Not this time. It's all Bruce, that wonderful, equal partner of mine.
The only problem is, we haven't gotten the clear to close. We were assured by our mortgage broker that we would have it by yesterday, then by today. So far, nothing. Our lawyer is getting impatient, continually drafting contingencies and copying us on the emails to the sellers' lawyer. In this last one, she actually wrote, "They expected the clear to close today and see what happened. Nada."
This does not leave us with a good feeling.
Are we getting a house in three days? Nobody seems to know...
While he was at work, he called and set up our electricity. He works for the gas company, so he took care of that, too. He's also been researching the best internet company for us.
The tables certainly have turned. When we decided to move away from the city, Bruce was commuting over an hour each way to his job in the suburbs. He was gone most of the day, so I was in charge of all those details. I remember setting up one service while riding the public bus, whispering my social security number into my cell with my hand over my mouth, eyes darting back and forth with paranoia, trying to gauge whether any of the other riders were listening in on my conversation.
Not this time. It's all Bruce, that wonderful, equal partner of mine.
The only problem is, we haven't gotten the clear to close. We were assured by our mortgage broker that we would have it by yesterday, then by today. So far, nothing. Our lawyer is getting impatient, continually drafting contingencies and copying us on the emails to the sellers' lawyer. In this last one, she actually wrote, "They expected the clear to close today and see what happened. Nada."
This does not leave us with a good feeling.
Are we getting a house in three days? Nobody seems to know...
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Homeowners-in-Training
We started tentatively shopping for the house this weekend! Yesterday, after Bruce got home from work, we went to an appliance store and walked around. It was fun imagining this new fridge or that new stove.
Today we went to a huge hardware store that we've frequented before. This time, everything emerged around us in a new light.
"Let's go see how much his-and-her sinks would cost us," Bruce suggested.
I turned to stare at this man, to whom I have been married for almost four years. He seemed taller; I was acutely aware of how handsome he is. I think I blushed a little.
"What?" He laughed. "I think we can do a lot of the home improvement stuff ourselves."
My parents are serious do-ers. I grew up watching This Old House with Bob Vila. There was always a Do-It-Yourself book laying around. I always wanted a man who could work with his hands. Bruce's family was always more of the why-do-it-when-we-can-pay-someone mentality. Over the years, Bruce has become more handy, but I never thought he'd be up for big projects.
'Homeowner' looks damn sexy on him.
 |
| Lavender for Emmie's room, green for ours. |
We strolled around, checking the prices on locks, discussing what style cabinet handles we liked, comparing lawnmowers. We chatted with the paint mixing lady about chalkboard paint.
We were positively giddy! Soon, we are going to have a place to call our own. It sounds so good, it almost doesn't feel real. But soon enough, it will be!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wish: Granted
Wonderful news! We got the IHDA loan, including down payment assistance! That means that we can buy a refrigerator, cans of paint, new locks, a lawnmower, and then keep the majority of our remaining savings!
I just want to say, for those who despise their tax dollars going to programs designed to help people: Suck it. We are hardworking, tax-paying, contributing members of society and this loan is helping us. We are not freeloaders or leeches, drug addicts or system-scammers. I had a better paying job but left it to pursue my passion, give back to the community, and to work the kind of hours that would allow me to stay home with my children. Yes, we overspent in our younger days. But we are clearly doing what we can to make our situation right and to not repeat our mistakes.
Sometimes, people deserve another chance.
I'm so happy we got one.
I just want to say, for those who despise their tax dollars going to programs designed to help people: Suck it. We are hardworking, tax-paying, contributing members of society and this loan is helping us. We are not freeloaders or leeches, drug addicts or system-scammers. I had a better paying job but left it to pursue my passion, give back to the community, and to work the kind of hours that would allow me to stay home with my children. Yes, we overspent in our younger days. But we are clearly doing what we can to make our situation right and to not repeat our mistakes.
Sometimes, people deserve another chance.
I'm so happy we got one.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Moving Right Along
I hope you had a Happy Easter! We had a full one, as usual. Bruce and I were up late the night before, preparing our contributions to his family's brunch. The next morning we woke up, got ready, and then the house was descended upon by all his relations. Later that afternoon we went to my folks' house. I was still mad at my mom, but I decided beforehand to forgive her (without her asking) and try to learn from the situation. We had a nice time; they always love to see Emmie. Emmie got tons of presents from the Easter Bunny. He was a busy rabbit this year!
If I've had the chance to be on the computer recently I've been devoting my time to my online class. Teaching four classes at once is the most I've ever done, and it's particularly challenging because two of my classes are new to me, and I'm hanging out with a little toddler all day. Thus the infrequency of blog posts.
I do have an exciting bit of news to share. One is that the appraisal came back right on the money - meaning that the house is worth a little bit more than we are paying for it, because we added closing costs into the final price. Phew! That was a major step that could've been rocky, but wasn't.
We are still waiting for our financing to get finalized, though. Our lawyer just filed for an extension, which she assured us was pretty common. I think it's taking a longer time because our broker is trying to get us that IHDA grant. Our closing date is set for April 19th and we've been told that it shouldn't be a problem. It's getting 'closer' all the time, haha!
Bruce started packing last night. Last year the sight of boxes was disheartening. Now I'm thrilled! Every day my level of excitement grows. Come on, April! We've decided not to move until the beginning of May, when three of my classes will end. That way I can devote myself to moving and unpacking. Can it really only be a month away?! Pinch me!
 |
| Too many gifts to put in one basket. What a generous bunny! |
If I've had the chance to be on the computer recently I've been devoting my time to my online class. Teaching four classes at once is the most I've ever done, and it's particularly challenging because two of my classes are new to me, and I'm hanging out with a little toddler all day. Thus the infrequency of blog posts.
I do have an exciting bit of news to share. One is that the appraisal came back right on the money - meaning that the house is worth a little bit more than we are paying for it, because we added closing costs into the final price. Phew! That was a major step that could've been rocky, but wasn't.
We are still waiting for our financing to get finalized, though. Our lawyer just filed for an extension, which she assured us was pretty common. I think it's taking a longer time because our broker is trying to get us that IHDA grant. Our closing date is set for April 19th and we've been told that it shouldn't be a problem. It's getting 'closer' all the time, haha!
Bruce started packing last night. Last year the sight of boxes was disheartening. Now I'm thrilled! Every day my level of excitement grows. Come on, April! We've decided not to move until the beginning of May, when three of my classes will end. That way I can devote myself to moving and unpacking. Can it really only be a month away?! Pinch me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
