We found it!

(Originally typed on January 31st, 2017) I couldn't be more excited to say that we found our new home :)  After the heartbreak of the fall, I was hesitant to get too excited too quickly, but I finally feel confident that this is really happening!  We should close in 2 weeks. We have plans to paint before we move in but the countdown is officially on!

Home Is Where My Family Is

It’s hard to explain these last almost 4 months, or truth be told, the last 8 months but I’m going to try {one} because it’s been a roller coaster and I feel it needs to be documented and {two} because I miss blogging.  Actually, maybe I don’t miss the blogging itself, but it makes me sad to think how much I had documented previously only to have this huge break due to, well, life.

So these last 6-8 months.  Here is the timeline version:

Spring 2016 – We have always known this wasn’t our “forever” home.  We love it and actually would probably make it our forever home if we could move it to a different location.  The house itself is good and the backyard & pool have been awesome.  We have a great neighborhood full of kids but the town itself leaves a little to be desired and we made the decision to send our kids to a private school about 25 minutes away (2 minutes from where Wally teaches).  We have always known we wanted to move within the district that Wally teaches.  We would be closer to the kids’ school, their and our friends, where we participate in most activities and just basic life necessities (like having a grocery story 5 minutes away rather than 15).  So this Spring we decided to list the house and see what happens.  The market had started to pick up a little in our town so we figured we’d test it out.

May 10, 2016 – Listed home for sale

The rest of May – we had an open house and a few showings here and there, but pretty quiet

June 7, 2016 – reduced the price

The rest of June – radio silence

Mid to end of July – before leaving for our Disney vacation, we buried a St. Joseph statue and had 3 or 4 showings while we were gone

Early August – we received an offer (super super low), negotiated back and forth but we couldn’t come to an agreement

August 12, 2016 – another showing and received feedback right away that we would be receiving an offer that evening.  Offer is received and is oddly similar to the first offer.  It turns out it was the same buyer with a different agent.  The guy already knows where we want to end up and so we eventually come to an agreement there.

August 16, 2016 – our home goes contingent – holy crap!  Time to start looking for a new house!

August weekends – We spend the next few weekends and evenings looking at homes. 

August 28, 2016 – We find what we think is THE ONE! We immediately sit down to make an offer.  Seller’s accept the offer but aren’t crazy about us being contingent on the closing of our home since they have already purchased another home. 

August 31, 2016 – I drive by the house we have a contract on after picking the kids up from school and see several people walking into it.  It looked very much like a “showing” to me.  I immediately call our agent to ask what’s going on.  She calls the seller’s agent and learns that they are continuing to show the house even though we have a contract.  We are freaking out!

September 1, 2016 – We receive the devastating news that there is another offer on the house and the seller’s have accepted it.  It essentially bumps us from our contract because they came in non-contingent (meaning they had no house to sell first).  We are seriously heartbroken and wondering now what?  We had basically seen all of the housing inventory in the area we want to move to so were we going to be homeless come the closing of our current home?

September 6, 2016 – We receive word that our appraisal came in $10,000 less than our agreed to price.  Say what???  We are so mad.  How could this happen?  But then we start to think it’s all part of the plan and the reason why we were bumped from the other house.  And then after talking with everyone (attorneys, agents, etc.) we decide we still need to move forward with the sale of our home.  The area we live in isn't a hot market.  We have a buyer so we need to make this work. The agents both gave some in commission and the buyer dropped a few items from the inspection and the home warranty.  We were still out some money, but not the full $10,000.  But still, where are we going to live?  We have 3 kids…we need a roof over our head!  So after looking at a few more homes for sale but not loving any of them, we decide we don’t want to settle on a house so we will rent for awhile until the right house comes along.

Most of September – I am looking at and inquiring about rentals.  We meet a guy that flips houses and rents them out.  He says he may have one ready to go about the time we are ready to close on our home.  We check it out and it is small, but we know it’s temporary.  We keep in close contact with him to stay updated on the how the rehab is going.  We do not want to sign a lease until we know for sure the closing will happen.

October 3, 2016 – We learn that our buyer is changing lenders 3 weeks prior to closing.  WTH?  Our first question is why.  Are there underlying finance issues and his loan wasn’t approved?  We learn that the buyer doesn’t believe that the first lender was being honest with him.  We don’t know what to think?  We are wondering if this sale is really going to happen.

Most of October – We spend our time packing up our house under the assumption this will all still happen because one can’t pack up a house in a day.  We had to stay positive and keep packing.  We get a storage unit and start selling off furniture that we never intended to bring to a new home and certainly don’t have space for in our small rental home.  Our home is becoming more and more bare.

October 19, 2016 – The buyer has asked for an extension because the new lender can not process the loan in 3 weeks.  We agree to this extension to November 4^th so long as we have notice in writing from the buyer’s lender no later than October 28^th that the loan is approved with no conditions.  Meanwhile, we have to make accommodations for a move the weekend of October 29^th that we aren’t sure is actually going to happen.

October 25, 2016 – We receive a loan commitment letter from the buyer’s lender stating there are no further conditions and it was sent for final approval.  Woo hoo!  We are starting to breath a little easier.  We confirm with our landlord that the house will be ready for us to move on the 29^th and he sends us a lease to review.

October 26, 2016 – The words we have been waiting to hear CLEAR TO CLOSE!  The final approval of the loan has been made.  I guess this is for real.  Holy crap!  I feel extreme relief but a rush of sadness.  This means we truly are leaving the house we brought all of our babies home to, where our family began.  It’s bittersweet!

October 30, 2016 – Moving day!

November 2, 2016 – Officially closed! (and the Cubs became World Series Champions - a day we will never forget!)

Wally and I say we have both aged years over these last few months.  There have been many sleepless nights wondering where we are going to live, wondering whether we are making the right choice by moving forward with the sale of our home, wondering if this is all happening for a reason, wondering if we are handling this all the right way with the kids.  So many sleepless nights – not to mention the Cubs are in the playoffs so that is a priority for us too J

A bittersweet picture for sure.

 

And hopefully, in the not too distant future, I will be able to share a picture of us in front of our forever home!

One thing I know for sure is that Home is Wherever My Family Is!