Roller Coaster

Kendal visited with our cousin, Rusty, today about the house. He is very well versed in Real Estate. He gave some good advice and helped with some of our questions. After speaking with him we decided to put a little more cash into escrow so the seller's would know we are serious. Kendal then called Kayce (our Realtor) and told her what we wanted to do. Through a couple phone calls, we did get a response from the seller's attorney. He said, if we can get everything taken care of with no more paper work (don't ask for anything else, etc.) he will sign. Yes, he will sign! Kayce is in the process of working out the details and writing up our contract. We hope to get a final signature to be in contract by early next week. Like we mentioned yesterday, the repairs of the wall and the sills are being finished today. The only thing we had to compromise on is the appliance package that we had to downgrade in hopes that we wouldn't have trouble with the appraisal.

...So now we wait...what a roller coaster this is.

Timeline

Wednesday, 10/12/2011, we received a memorandum stating the attorney would fix 3 of the 6 repairs needed if we put $4,500.00 into escrow. According to our loan terms, we aren't even able to put that much in. We responded with that we wanted him to go forward with fixing the 3 items but we can't put that money into escrow, because of the loan terms.

Thursday, 10/13/2011, the attorney responded with "let me sleep on it and get back to you on Friday."

No call on Friday. Original offer expired and he has not signed an extension.

On Monday, 10/17/2011, we finally heard back from the attorney and he does not want to work with us any more stating that he gave us ample time to get everything completed (appraisal). Here's the thing...we were always waiting on him to respond to our counters and addendum's. Our hands were tied with completing anything because we had to wait on him to get back to us to know if he was going to fix the house problems that needed to happen.

Tuesday, our Realtor sent a letter showing when everything was signed and sent back. Proof of getting everything in ASAP.

Wednesday, no response.

Thursday, we drove by the house, and the repairs we asked for are being completed. The message from the attorney is that after seeing the estimates, he would make the repairs because that is what it would take to sell. Neither our Realtor nor even the seller's Realtor knew of these repairs. He still hasn't responded to our extension or shown any interest in working with us.

So this is where we stand with the house. We don't really feel like it is a door that is completely closed. This attorney is not working for the best interest of his clients; The beneficiary or the estate. Our loans are ready, we just have to wait for the appraisal to go through. We are ready to purchase, I am sure "Safe Haven" and the Redmond humane society would enjoy to each receive $100,000, but this attorney isn't wanting to budge with us.

Please be praying for peace and for wisdom for us. Also, a whole lot of discernment as to what to do next and be able make decisions and whatnot.

We are seeking advice from those that know their stuff and are trying to be patient in the meantime.

Stay Tuned...

Denied

Our close date has been extended because we added a repair addendum to our offer. Just now, we found out they have denied it and we have to purchase the home 'as is'. That is very disappointing for us because A) we don't have extra money just floating around to cover these repairs and B) we don't have a bunch of time to put into these extras. It was going to be difficult enough just to work on the kitchen and painting and carpet. Now we have to add masonry work, reframing a couple windows and I can't remember what else that needs to be done.

Here's the second part to them denying taking care of these repairs. If the appraisal doesn't come back at what we need it to, we may not get the house all together. The way they are not willing to work with us, if the price doesn't add up to what they need, they could just walk away from the deal unless we come up with the difference...still more money. It feels highly unlikely that they would lower the price to match the appraisal.

Would really appreciate prayer for peace in our hearts and that all these details would be worked out for our benefit.

UPDATE: The seller's in all their "lawyer" speak, are needing us to deposit $4,500 into our escrow for the repairs so we don't walk away from the deal if they fix the busted in wall in the garage. The wall is literally knocked off the foundation and they won't fix it unless we come up with it. We don't have $4,500!

Martha, Martha, Martha

In 13 short days, we will own a house. Honestly, Kendal and I keep waiting for the walls of this dream to come crumbling down around us. How could we possibly own a home this awesome?

We put in an addendum to our offer for the sellers to fix a handful of things and are still waiting back to hear if they will do so. We also have the appraisal in our near future, so we aren't out of the woods yet, but so close.

I have done a lot of window shopping for rugs, carpet, paint, craigslist f

urniture, new furniture, appliances, and everything kitchen. I day dream about everything coming together, waking up in my morning sunlit master bedroom with the ri

ver rock fireplace, stepping onto the clean, new carpet, walking downstairs and turning the kettle on my new gas stove. Seriously unreal.

Like most of you, I really have never had new things. We buy used qu

ite often, we borrow when we can, we take your free chairs and kitchen appliances, buy from the mismatch paint table, clean that horribly stained carpet one...more...time, and paint or uphol

ster what we already own.

But this month, I get to experience something that I never thought I would get to. I get to go to a store, pick out what I want, in the shade I want and place

it in my new home. Can you hardly believe it?

We just got back from Home Depot and here are some choices that we are hoping to make official.

We are ripping out the lower cabinets and replacingthem with Martha Stewarts: Dunemere, in Ocean Floor.

We are painting all the upper cabinets solid white. I know, I know, those of you wood fans are booing me right now.

We are deciding between Martha

Stewarts Corian countertop in either "sea salt" or "shoreline"

(sea salt)

(Shoreline)

These are the decisions I enjoy to make, live for, really.

I think we are leaning towards hardwood in the kitchen (maybe do hand-scraped, wider planked) to match the majority of the main floor.

We are still trying to decide whether or not to keep the original faucet and tile backsplash. I could go either way, Kendal wants new, but we'll see. I am thinking we will go ahead and re-tile with a white subway tile if we do knock it all out. Using a grey grout to help with the look of the old cottage farmhouse. I want to paint the window sills to match the lower cabinets in that muted grey.

Oh man, I can't wait!