House for Sale

[JamminR]

Bit of an update.
Tomorrow, if people show as planned, will make 4 showings in 4 weeks.

HOPEFUL news.
(I don't have false hopes, but the thoughts are nice anyway)
We had a showing yesterday. Our realtor gave us feedback today that SUPPOSEDLY the other realtor says its between our house and the same floorplan house at the end of the street.
I don't know if this is proverbial realtor smoke blowing or not. (On the part of OUR realtor OR the other)
1) We've heard similiar feedback before. I say 'similar' because previously we were told outright 'we're second runner up if first offer falls through'
2) I'm a skeptical realist. I hope for best, expect worst.

The other house we're supposedly tied with uses more of its space. it has an additional two car garage to its side, and a larger downstairs.
Our floor downstairs is half thiers, because it is instead a one car garage.

That being said, we heard from the neighbor of another house for sale that the viewer's realtor told THEM that the people looking would be stretching to afford the other house. We're a good $15k cheaper.

So..pieced together.
1) People are deciding on which of the two houses to go for.
2) We're more affordable.

That means they'll make an offer on the other house, right? At least thats what all the HGTV "home buying show" people end up doing, buying the house they originally state they can't afford.
Skeptical to the end. I won't lose sleep tonight.

We do have a showing tomorrow.

[JamminR]

Last update for the year.
Only a few showings during October. Back to school seemed to kill the 'looking'.
We had ~8 showings during the first 3 weeks of November.
No bites.

We took our house off the market today.
We're on travel/out of country from Dec 6 to Dec 16th, and didn't want our house to be shown while away, nor do we want to show during the Christmas holiday with all the family plans we have.

Though wife may change mind, I believe we're going to try again sometime early next year. I say January again, but I don't know for sure.



Golden-Death, save the quarters you get for Christmas, perhaps you'll have enough by the time we put it back on the market.

[Golden-Death]

Sweeeet. 

[JamminR]

Update. We've found another house we want. It's in the same neighborhood. Lots more room. Quite a bit more cost too, but interest rates are (currently lower) than what we locked in at on the last offer. Amazing what interest rates can do to help/hurt. The original house had ~2300sq feet. The house we want now is ~2800sq feet and would only cost us a few more dollars a month.

The house is currently only a frame, no sheetrock walls or windows (as of Sunday). We plan on making an offer this coming week, at the latest, next.
I'm preparing to write an email with a wish list of things we want done during the build.

Though I won't cover the wish list too much, they're things like running ethernet through the house, and speaker terminals in the living room for surround speakers.
I figure since the sheet rock (wasn't as of Sunday) isn't up yet, it would be much easier.

We're going to make the offer non-contingent, since that went so well last time (and the fact that since there are only about 10 lots/15 houses available in the neighborhood, we figure they'd say 'no' on one currently being built.
I pray we sell before we close.

GoldenDeath, got those 500000 quarters? We're willing to take a much lower price if no realtors fees are involved.
Otherwise, expect us taking no less than 520000.

[JamminR]

After getting our wish list, the realtor came back with ~20K worth of addon cost.
We were expecting less than 10K.

Needless to say, we've brought in big guns (another realtor) who we met with tonight for 1.5 hours, standing, in the frame house, where the breakfast nook would be if the house were more complete. (There's a frame there where an open wall will be, so it was used to sign papers.)
Our realtor said most of the costs weren't that bad, but as we knew from pricing upgrades on our house, some were.

We refined our list, and we've made an offer on the house, without all of the wish list we wanted. The seller response is expected by Friday 5/23 6pm.
Our house goes on market next week. Last chance to save yourself $9000.

[Megiddo]

Sweet deal!

[JamminR]

Builder(seller) replied quickly today.
Without even talking to him, or knowing anyone who's worked with him, he's a money grubbing ***<I'll censor myself>***.
After several calls back and forth from the realtor, who then would go and fight the builder's representative, we're getting much of our list done, but not for our original offer price.
Not too bad really, only $2k more.
*sigh* That still doesn't account for the fact we're spending much more than the 'this price would be easy' houses we'd been looking at over the past year.
None of them 'fit' us though. This one does, and due to our list of addons, even more will.

We fax the final acceptance signatures to the realtor tomorrow.

Though I know God (yes, I'm gonna get religious here) has us in His hands all through this... I continue to see minor miracles on this process.
One such miracle happened tonight. My wife and I are going to be making a photo journal as the house gets more and more completed.
On our first trip to take pictures tonight after work, another car pulls up with an elderly looking man and woman. (GO AWAY, IT'S MINE!!) He gets out and starts eyeing it.
My pride gets the better of me (GET OFF MY CLAY MUD LAWN!!!) and I say "What do you think of my soon-to-be-new house?"
He says "Are you buying it?" My wife and I (still being quite friendly and joking of course) say "Yes, we've made the offer, and intend to send in the final signatures of acceptance tomorrow.
In further speaking, I find out that this man is the guy that does the telephone, coax(cable), and in cases like mine where I'm adding on, Cat 6 RJ45 for all living areas and surround for the living room. He then says "let's go in, show me where you want it all"
His poor wife was asleep in the car 30 minutes later when we got through.

I come to find out that this guy knows the builder, and isn't surprised that my wife and I had such a difficult time getting our addons at a reasonable deal.

Besides the little things like that which have come up and clicked into place, my wife showed me tonight that though the house we're buying is close to $30k more than the one we originally offered.. interest rate we locked into (and can still go down/relock once) will save us $50 a month in mortgage payment. We're getting more house for less.

God has a timeline for us all.

[JamminR]

The contract has been accepted.

We're the proud new owners of two houses.
One still for sale. I updated the first post with an image of our house now.

Attached are pictures of our house under construction, and an example of one finished (from it's front)

[MrPresident]

Crazy!

Congrats and all that!

How long until the new house is finished and you and your wife can move in? I bet you are excited =)

[JamminR]

Closing is set for July 21st.
Yeah, I'm pretty stoked.

Wife's excited that we threw in to the contract getting to pick all the colors. (I'm happy too, but, colors/design aren't my forte')
Most all of the homes in the neighborhood were put up with no buyer input (I'm sure there probably had to be a few, but not many).
We got it early enough. My wife calls me at work yesterday and says "Hey, we get to pick brick, shutters and siding color too!"
I'd expected to get to pick cabinets, floor tile, counter tops, etc, but not exterior.

I'm happy we got the ethernet and speaker wiring. Sure, I have wireless too, but there's nothing like the speed and reliability of wired.
As I work for a company that does government contract work occasionall, the security factor is a plus too.

Ha. My wife just sent out an email with some pics to family and friends. She makes the joke
"The house needs a little work, but it has potential."

[Chironex]

Nice shape and big house, just wow!

[Megiddo]

Yay. I'll have to drop by to visit someday.

[JamminR]

Yay. I'll have to drop by to visit someday.

Though we have a room for you if you'd visited now, you'd have to had kicked the cats off the bed.
With the new house, the cats have a choice of rooms, and of course, they'd pick yours.

[Golden-Death]

Congrats, glad you could find something worth more than GD's lonesome pocket change.

In other news, I thought you of all people might be interested in that the syrup thread with the crazy music your wife hates has changed my life.
Yes, as of a week ago, I actually spilled syrup- on my pants.

All is well, however. Shout Action Gel promptly resolved the sugary conflict.



Actually I take that back. I see now that you have censored your house's address information. I see how this is, man. Megiddo can come over at ANY time. But no, no GD. After all I've done for you, giving you waffles, pants and syrup. I just can't believe it. [/lame humor]

[JamminR]

GoldenDeath, got those 500000 quarters? We're willing to take a much lower price if no realtors fees are involved.
Otherwise, expect us taking no less than 520000.

Look! Make an offer by Tuesday morning, you can save 20000 quarters!


As for the syrup, are you sure you just weren't happy...., oh, nevermind. Back on topic.
Life changing events...crazy.
You started it, not me!