Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

The House Hunters Thread

I''ve gotten sooo far behind on this thread!

Sarah - Congrats on your new home!!

MTG - Congrats on closing!!

Ts - good luck, whatever you decide!

NEL - I''m so happy that your hunt is finally nearing its end!!! When do you close? I''m glad you got locked into a good rate! We''re at 5.125 too
1.gif



I can''t believe we''ve been in the house for 8 months already... time really does fly! Still lots of projects on the table. DH got promoted, and is now full time, which is FABULOUS, but now our projects are taking longer than anticipated... The basement''s a mess right now. The walls are down, we just have to rebuild now.
 
Aww, Lynnie, you are so sweet to check in on us! This thread has definitely died down, but it''s exciting that so many people have bought homes since you started the thread last fall!

Congrats on your husband getting a promotion and working full time!! I''m sure you''re both excited! I remember the basement was your next project (you guys have done so much already!!), but have you started woking on the nursery at all??
1.gif


Closing feels like it''s right around the corner and I''m really excited...for it to be over! I''ve checked everything off my list--we bought homeowners insurance this week and the binder was already sent over, which was the last thing the lenders needed from me (or so they say). I called all of the utility companies, cable company, phone company, etc. I booked our movers and I''ve even packed up about half of our house. All that is left to do is force my husband to clean out the basement and finish packing! We close June 25th, so a little over 2 weeks to go!

Once we get in the house there will be one more hectic phase of unpacking and buying a few things (like a mower!), and then the projects will start, haha. You know how it goes!
 
Wow, 2 weeks!!!! You must be thrilled!! Glad to hear everything''s going relatively smoothly for you! You''re right, I know how it goes
9.gif
So much to do in a new house! Have you thought of your first project yet??? We lucked out, there was a mower left in the garage... Maybe you''ll luck out, too! Have you posted pictures? I''m gonna go back and look!

haha... I can''t believe we still haven''t even gotten curtains for the LR! It''s something for some reason I''ve just put off so long... I can never decide on a color, or style.
I fear the basement will take a long time to complete. Hopefully I''ll get some energy back soon - my only preggo symptom has been exhaustion, so I''ve been no help for poor DH lately. One really good thing is that DH''s promotion came with a nice perk - a work truck, and he''s allowed to use it after hours... look out Home Depot!
3.gif
At least we don''t have to worry about how we''re gonna get all that lumber and drywall for the basement home.
The nursery is a blank slate right now. It''s the smallest bedroom, so it shouldn''t take too long. Just paint and furniture and accessories, right? My older brother is letting me pick through all my nephew''s baby stuff, so I figure if the crib''s in good shape, I''ll just get other stuff to match.
 
I am going to pray to the lawnmower gods that one is left in our garage when we move in :)

I actually met with the owner last weekend to go over everything she''s thinking of leaving or wanted to sell. I was really hoping the mower was one of them, but she needs it at her new house. That''s fine, we can buy one, it''s just that it''s summertime and the lawn will likely need mowing, so we don''t have too much time to shop around.

I''m sure that you are very eager to have the basement done--on one hand it''s great that your husband is now working full time (and can use the company truck! Bonus!) but now with your pregnancy and his full schedule you guys are probably too exhausted to even think about the basement! It will definitely get done and if it takes a little longer, oh well. What did you guys decide to use for flooring down there?

The house is essentially move-in ready, which is good, but I definitely have several projects on the list. I noticed that the paint is starting to peel on the fence, so I''m going to get a power washer to get rid of any loose paint and repaint some parts. I would also like to paint the master bedroom, but want to get the curtains first. The rest is just going to go in stages--I''d like to find the "perfect" rug for the dining area, I want to paint and decorate the guest bedroom, I want to start replacing some of our furniture, I need window treatments...I''m very much like you in that I go back and forth about what I want. I have a bad habit of throwing together a room just to get it done, then hating it, so this time I''m determined to take my time.

How fantastic that your older brother is helpful in the nursery department! The crib is one last thing to worry about at least! I can''t wait to see pics when it''s done!
 
NEL: What color are you thinking to paint the master bedroom? All of the houses we''re considering have horrible, horrible paint in the master so I''m looking for ideas should one of our bids be accepted.
9.gif


We chose to bid on the older house in the country vs. the newer house in the subdivision. I am wondering if we are in error, but I do like both houses and FI is ECSTATIC that we are going for the country house first. The older house has been extremely well-maintained and is by no means a century home, having been built in the 80''s, but still has some larger chores associated, namely a big yard, LOTS of landscaping issues and well/septic instead of public water/sewer like the subdivision house.

We went really, really low for our bid. Essentially, the market here is so weird that asking prices don''t mean anything. We looked at comps and sale history in the area, averaged out the price per square foot for homes like this, and started with a bid that''s 50k lower than the asking price. They''ll either counter, or shoot us, lol. But seriously, it IS overpriced and I feel bad for the sellers but they are asking unreasonable amounts for the house.

I just can''t WAIT to get out of the house we''re renting now. It''s so tiny, I feel like our stuff is squeezing out the cracks, and the neighborhood is ok but urban and loud. I haven''t gotten a good night''s sleep in 4 years, thanks to the nine (yes nine) bars within two blocks of us.
 
Oh my gosh, ts44, I am super happy for you!! How long do the owners have to respond with a counter?

So is this the property on 3 acres with the well water? I have to admit that if it came down to a house in a subdivision or a more rural home on 3 acres, I''d choose the 3 acres every time. You mentioned that the home had great bones and only needed a few cosmetic upgrades...plus there was the family/living room issue that seems like an easy fix. I''m keeping my fingers crossed that this works out for you because if it does, I think you are going to LOVE having your privacy! Certainly no more sleepless urban nights!

The master in our new place is a very neutral ivory color, which is fine for now (no priming, yay!). I''ve had this thought in my head of wanting to do the room in soft greys. I''m contemplating getting silk curtains in a dove grey color color, then making the wall color a lighter grey. Normally I would do something a little bolder (I love blues and greens), but the master bedroom is 26 x 24, plus a short hallway that leads to the master bath, so I want to do something very understated since it''s a big space. The only issue I''m having now is that I''d like to create a sitting area in the master and I would need the furniture to match the greys...I don''t know, I''ll figure it out at some point, haha!

I''m keeping my fingers crossed for you and can''t wait to hear the news!
 
I think the grey sounds really great - you could bring in the blue or green with a bright vase and a throw pillow. That''s the nice thing about grey, you can layer almost anything over it. For the sitting area, I see black wood-framed chairs with fabric in grey/grey tonal stripe that''s a little darker than the wall color, then bring in the blue/green accent on the table? Or a fabric that has a grey background with a very small blue/green pattern on it, like dots or a thin stripe?

As for the sellers, I''m not sure how long they will have to respond, but I will be sure to ask once we finalize the paperwork on our bid. We''re meeting with our agent this weekend to sign everything.
1.gif
 
NEL: Our master was done is a very light grey (dolphin by Martha Stewart) with a faux wash over it in a darker grey. We then took a smoke color blue and low lighted the dark grey. the result was what looks like a stormy sea!
We added white sheers with a smoke blue silk swag, and blue and very light grey bed linens. The result is very tranquil and peaceful. I love it!

The master bath used the lighter grey as a base that then was washed with a color called grey heather, so very light greyish purple. :-)

I love that your bedroom is soooo huge and I think greys would be fantastic!
 
ts44--I love the idea of bright accents and the black framed chairs in a darker tone of grey sounds very chic! If i can''t find the perfect shade of grey I think a black and white pattern could look nice with bright accents.

I didn''t realize you were submitting the paperwork this weekend--I am definitely keeping my fingers, toes and everything else I can cross crossed for you!! Keep us updated!

rhbgirl--the colors you chose sound amazing. That serene feeling is exactly what I''m going for. The stormy water metaphor was great, I would love that. I''m the kind of girl who loves cool, cloudy days so I can wrap myself up in a sweater and have a hot cup of tea. I''ve never had the luxury of being able to paint my own place because we''ve always rented, so I''m interested to see how the vision in my head plays out, haha!
 
Well as I expected the sellers did not take kindly to our offer, LOL. Their counter was only 3k off their list price. Our agent was shocked at their stubbornness given the comps and data we put together for them. Our official response to their counter was "we're walking, call us when you get your heads screwed on straight and pray we haven't found a different house."
10.gif
They have no interest in the house other than us.

We're looking at 7 more houses this weekend and if one of them doesn't strike us, we're going to put a bid on the other house we were considering and see what happens!

We are philosophical about this process, as there's truly no pressing need for us to move at this point other than to get a little more space and privacy. We can deal with the fishbowl for another year if we have to, and that would even give us some time to save more and maybe push into another price bracket.
 
ts44, I''m sorry they are being so stubborn and made a laughable counter, but you absolutely did the right thing. You are right--there are many, many homes out there and this won''t be the only one to strike your fancy. And staying put isn''t a bad option, either. I think some sellers are either dillusional about their home''s worth or just hoping that the potential buyers are emotionally attached and don''t want to let go. It''s always smart to walk away when dealing with irrational sellers :)

It''s interesting that they countered, though. It seems that if they really thought your offer was unreasonable, they''d just say "no thanks" without making the silly $3K below asking move. I remember the first house we put an offer on they didnt'' counter at all, then months later they asked us to resubmit our bid...by that time we were relieved we hadn''t bought that house, so we weren''t intersted at all.

Things always have a way of working out for the best! I can''t wait to hear how this weekend''s hunt goes!
 
Date: 6/21/2010 7:14:56 PM
Author: NewEnglandLady
It''s interesting that they countered, though. It seems that if they really thought your offer was unreasonable, they''d just say ''no thanks'' without making the silly $3K below asking move. I remember the first house we put an offer on they didnt'' counter at all, then months later they asked us to resubmit our bid...by that time we were relieved we hadn''t bought that house, so we weren''t intersted at all.
Click to expand...

Exactly! It seemed like kind of a petty move to me, that they would nominally counter like that, which is why you just have to laugh. Good riddance! Nobody wants to deal with a jerky seller when they''re buying a home.
2.gif
 
Date: 6/16/2010 10:56:26 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Oh my gosh, ts44, I am super happy for you!! How long do the owners have to respond with a counter?


So is this the property on 3 acres with the well water? I have to admit that if it came down to a house in a subdivision or a more rural home on 3 acres, I''d choose the 3 acres every time. You mentioned that the home had great bones and only needed a few cosmetic upgrades...plus there was the family/living room issue that seems like an easy fix. I''m keeping my fingers crossed that this works out for you because if it does, I think you are going to LOVE having your privacy! Certainly no more sleepless urban nights!


The master in our new place is a very neutral ivory color, which is fine for now (no priming, yay!). I''ve had this thought in my head of wanting to do the room in soft greys. I''m contemplating getting silk curtains in a dove grey color color, then making the wall color a lighter grey. Normally I would do something a little bolder (I love blues and greens), but the master bedroom is 26 x 24, plus a short hallway that leads to the master bath, so I want to do something very understated since it''s a big space. The only issue I''m having now is that I''d like to create a sitting area in the master and I would need the furniture to match the greys...I don''t know, I''ll figure it out at some point, haha!


I''m keeping my fingers crossed for you and can''t wait to hear the news!
Click to expand...

NEL- congrats on the new home. We need a thread when you move in!

Get the dove grey silk curtains- an investment you will never regret, and yield many happy hours of enjoyment! New drapes are always my first thought in a new home- they are great, they go with you anywhere, and provide constant joy, well worth the price!
 
ts44, you are absolutely right! Nobody wants to deal with a jerky seller when buying a home. The process is stressful enough as it is, working with reasonable sellers absolutely helps!

gardengloves, I do think I''m going with the curtains, I found a good deal on Overstock. I''m only holding off because I want to buy some stools for the island counter as well and need to measure it first. What I really need is your talent for decor!!
 
Can I join this thread?

DH and I (or really just me as DH is studying for the bar in July) are house hunting, and man is it stressful! We made one offer and fell in love with 2 houses, but the second ended up being in a flood zone (that and having a septic system overdue for maintenance) so we passed on it. We are still pretty sad about it, it was perfect for us. Why do people not take care of their homes??

So now we have until next week to decide if we are going to buy or stay in our apt. for another year. We love our apt but the rent is by no means cheap. It is a great location, much better than we could afford in a house.

My main issue right now is the battle between my love of older homes and the allure of new construction. I grew up in a craftsman bungalow and have always been pretty opposed to subdivisions, etc. However, our budget is in an awkward place for our town and the only older homes need new HVAC and have 1 or 1.5 bathrooms. I just cant stomach that for the (healthy) budget we have. I just worry that we would want to move sooner if we only had 1 full bath, esp. since we are TTC.

Tomorrow I am going to see some new const. homes. These are by an individual builder, and are much less cookie cutter (have hand cut stone on the outside, etc) than most so I am trying to be open minded and remind myself that its our first home and not our last, and we cant have EVERYTHING we want. So maybe it would be best for us to buy something low maintenance and high on amenities? Not sure. Has anyone else dealt with these kinds of things?

I have read a few pages of this thread, and I am TERRIFIED of underwriters! That plus I work at a real estate agency and there are SO many mortgages falling through these days its nuts. Makes me super anxious.

OK, sorry for the long novel! With DH out of commission I find myself dying to talk houses with anyone who will listen
1.gif
Such a huge decision!!

PS, NEL go for the dove grey! LOVE that color for drapes.
 
NEL -- congratulations on closing on the house tomorrow! What an exciting time!
 
Miscka, you have so much going on! TTC, trying to decide to stay in your apt. when the rent is a bit steep, deciding between new construction and something a little older (and staying in budget, of course!) And having to decide in a week!

I can completely understand your battle between new construction and an older home. I have to admit that I'm a huge fan of older homes (obviously--we're buying a home that was built before the Constitution was signed), however I think that new construction has A LOT of advantages, especially if you're on a budget. Not only in up-front costs, but even moreso in maintenance costs. New construction homes often come with a warranty, which means you don't have to worry about an expensive issue popping up as soon as you buy the house. if you buy an older home, not only are there usually several things that will need fixing when you move in, but you never know what kind of issues might surface after you move in. The basement might start leaking (a common issue with older basements), the plumbing might start to go...I know that in our case there are several things we will need to replace soon after moving in and spending a ton of money after buying the house isn't exactly fun.

Utility bills are another thing to consider. A few years ago we rented this adorable, charming older home in a town we loved. I about keeled over when we got our first heating bill. For that reason, the next house we rented was new construction--I think it was 4 years old. The heating bill was 1/4th as much as it was in the older home. Granted, the older home did need new windows--the old windows were really drafty--but older homes do tend to be less energy efficient and that can be costly.

I've spoken with many owners of older homes on our long journey to find an antique. Our home inspector owned an antique, our real estate agent owns an antique, the structural engineers we hired owned an antique an they all say the same thing "If you want an older home, you have to be willing to put a lot of money into it". Not that you wouldn't in a new consruction home, but it's unlikely that big issues will be surfacing within 5 years, you know?

And, of course, if new construction is cheaper and can get you more of the things you want (2+ bathrooms, more square footage, a more open living space, etc.) then that's obviously something to consider.

Anyway, I've written a novel, but I know this is something we've battled for several years and it can be a difficult decision. Let us know how the hunt goes tomorrow--I'm eager to hear how you like the homes you see!

And don't be afraid of the underwriters :) I've been in contact with our underwriter often over the past month and I've found that having an open line of communication helps me to feel like I'm on top of things. Good luck!!!

And thanks, Zoe, for the well-wishes. I am SUPER excited about tomorrow!!!
 
Okay, sorry, but this post is a vent.

In my last post I stated that constant communication with my underwriter made me feel like I was on top of things. I must have spoken too soon.

Throughout this process I would say I have been extremely thorough. For the past two weeks, I''ve reached out to my mortgage broker and underwriter to make sure everything was signed, sealed and delivered. They assured me they had everything they needed and that we would be cleared for the mortgage and have our final documents at least 3 days before closing. I told them that was very important to us because we like to review every document very thoroughly and need as much time as possible.

So Monday I email them asking for the final documents. The bank doesn''t have them yet. Their hands are tied. Of course.

Same on Tuesday. Yesterday I started throwing a fit and told them they needed to give me the number of a person I could talk to in order to get it finalized. They told me it''s a very busy week for the banks with the tax credit ending and I reminded them that this is precisely why I''ve been emailing them daily for two weeks.

So after all of my harrassment they finally get the HUD-1 to me at 9 p.m. And, of course, after reviewing it and comparing it to our most recent Good Faith Estimate, there are several small discrepancies and a couple of ridiculous mistakes (my husband''s name isn''t even correct). In fact, I remember reading in the P&S that the totals in the final GFE HAD to match the HUD-1 (for all areas that are in the lenders control, it doesn''t apply to things like homeowners insurance, which is determined by a third party) or a new GFE would have to be re-issued and the closing would have to be pushed back by 3 days. So here it is midnight, the day before we are supposed to close, and the more I dig the more mistakes I find. The closing is supposed to take an hour and I''ve spent 3 hours on this document alone!!

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! This process is insane--they expect you to just trust them because they are professionals but throughout this whole process we''ve uncovered 1.) A major land issue which the sellers'' attorney was oblivious to (which is why our last offer fell through). 2.) A second land issue which uncovered that the amount of land in the deed is incorrect (again, apparently nobody had noticed this in 250 years?!) and 3. Too many mathematical mistakes to count--we have 11 versions of our GFE because we kept finding errors!

I think everybody is going to hate us by the end of the day tomorrow. I think most homeowners just sign whatever is put in front of them, but with all the mistakes we''ve uncovered, including some that still have to be revised, I''m going through every single document tomorrow. I don''t care if it takes us 3 days to close. And it might.

Rant over.
 
Date: 6/25/2010 12:22:55 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Okay, sorry, but this post is a vent.

In my last post I stated that constant communication with my underwriter made me feel like I was on top of things. I must have spoken too soon.

Throughout this process I would say I have been extremely thorough. For the past two weeks, I''ve reached out to my mortgage broker and underwriter to make sure everything was signed, sealed and delivered. They assured me they had everything they needed and that we would be cleared for the mortgage and have our final documents at least 3 days before closing. I told them that was very important to us because we like to review every document very thoroughly and need as much time as possible.

So Monday I email them asking for the final documents. The bank doesn''t have them yet. Their hands are tied. Of course.

Same on Tuesday. Yesterday I started throwing a fit and told them they needed to give me the number of a person I could talk to in order to get it finalized. They told me it''s a very busy week for the banks with the tax credit ending and I reminded them that this is precisely why I''ve been emailing them daily for two weeks.

So after all of my harrassment they finally get the HUD-1 to me at 9 p.m. And, of course, after reviewing it and comparing it to our most recent Good Faith Estimate, there are several small discrepancies and a couple of ridiculous mistakes (my husband''s name isn''t even correct). In fact, I remember reading in the P&S that the totals in the final GFE HAD to match the HUD-1 (for all areas that are in the lenders control, it doesn''t apply to things like homeowners insurance, which is determined by a third party) or a new GFE would have to be re-issued and the closing would have to be pushed back by 3 days. So here it is midnight, the day before we are supposed to close, and the more I dig the more mistakes I find. The closing is supposed to take an hour and I''ve spent 3 hours on this document alone!!

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! This process is insane--they expect you to just trust them because they are professionals but throughout this whole process we''ve uncovered 1.) A major land issue which the sellers'' attorney was oblivious to (which is why our last offer fell through). 2.) A second land issue which uncovered that the amount of land in the deed is incorrect (again, apparently nobody had noticed this in 250 years?!) and 3. Too many mathematical mistakes to count--we have 11 versions of our GFE because we kept finding errors!

I think everybody is going to hate us by the end of the day tomorrow. I think most homeowners just sign whatever is put in front of them, but with all the mistakes we''ve uncovered, including some that still have to be revised, I''m going through every single document tomorrow. I don''t care if it takes us 3 days to close. And it might.

Rant over.
Click to expand...
Oh, NEL. You''ve really had a rough time with this whole process. We had a totally crappy time with our mortgage people too. The woman who processed our loan was compeltely incompetent and it took our realtor calling her up and yelling at her to get her to do her job properly. The difference here is that we were young and silly and didnt know that we should have probably been up her rear the entire time leading up the closing to get stuff accomplished.

You''ve done everything right, it seems. You and your husband seem to be so detail oriented and savvy. I''m sure that this will all pay off in the end. I''m just so sorry that things are coming up NOW when you have a couple of days to get it all in order so you can get your tax credit.

My fingers are crossed that things go your way SOON and you will be homeowners come Monday!


While I''m here, can anyone spare some house *selling* dust? We''re still waiting on an offer. Blergh. We need to sell this house!
 

Hi Ladies!



Congrats to all of you who are in the thick of things...it's an exciting time!



NEL...congrats on closing tomorrow! I am so very happy for you and I can't wait to see pictures...your decorating ideas sound fabulous! ETA: Sorry, I didn't see your post above before I submitted my post...



I am happy to say that we actually found a house and got the ball rolling in May. DH just called from work and said the papers may be ready to sign as early as tomorrow if they are willing to send someone out to the firehouse, but realistically we can't do a walk-through until Monday since they're working, so that is more likely. I am not on the loan but will be on the title, so I have been feeling a huge disconnect with things as DH has been handling almost everything. As I've mentioned before, our REA works with DH, so they discuss and decide things while at work together and sometimes I just feel really out of the loop, but that's just how things have to be, I guess...



I have to say that the process to get this house has been hell, and honestly, until the keys are in our hands, I just can't believe it's actually going to happen. We have hit snag after snag but the seller is highly motivated and has been working with us up to a point. We almost walked away from the house as the listing boasts newly refinished hardwood floors...these people must be on crack because those floors are a disaster, but their contractor insists he redid them and they're fine. We've had several people out there that say otherwise, and from the estimates we've received it could be an easy $5K repair or a huge $20K to replace it, which would be more than we could afford. We asked for a no-penalty extension to get that worked out and they are willing to give us a $5K credit so we have decided to roll the dice and take our chances on getting it fixed ourselves using the company that restored the floors we found under ancient carpeting in the house we're currently in. The seller already came down a ton in their asking price and are also paying all of the closing costs, so we're down to appx. $160/sf, which is much lower than many of the homes nearby and we got locked in at a super low interest rate, so that definitely works in our favor.



Because DH has been so willing to pull the plug on the house at the drop of a hat, he hasn't let me start packing, so I've been trying to go through things to at least feel like I'm accomplishing something. When he called tonight to say it was a done deal, I tongue-in-cheek asked him if maybe I should start packing finally and he said, "Oh, yeah, that would be a good idea..." I realize most of the crap in this house is mine and to think I could've been packing all this time is frustrating, but hey, if we get into a house that is "ours" instead of "his" or "mine" I will be happy with however it works out. This has become one of the biggest frustrations in our marriage and I'm hoping that a neutral ground house alleviates many of those problems we've encountered these past two years.

I won't bore you with all the details now, but needless to say, the house is HUGE! It has beautiful oak trees in front and a gorgeous enormous one in the backyard. They are protected and can't be touched without approval from an arborist, so we definitely need to look into getting the one out back trimmed before we figure out the pool situation, but I think it will all work out. The driveway is REALLY STEEP, so I guess I'm going to need to practice my parking skills...I want DH to sign a waiver that he can't get mad when (notice I just assume it'll happen and I didn't say 'if'!) I hit anything while trying to park!
39.gif


Again I just have to say thank you to everyone here on this thread for all of your support whenever I have checked in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for us and NEL that everything goes smoothly with the closing. I'll try to attach a few teaser pictures to give you an idea of where we're going...I can't wait to share it with you all!

These are from the listing taken on a gloomy day...the front of the house...

Vista Ridge Front.jpg
 
Date: 6/25/2010 12:22:55 AM
Author: NewEnglandLady
Okay, sorry, but this post is a vent.

In my last post I stated that constant communication with my underwriter made me feel like I was on top of things. I must have spoken too soon.

Throughout this process I would say I have been extremely thorough. For the past two weeks, I''ve reached out to my mortgage broker and underwriter to make sure everything was signed, sealed and delivered. They assured me they had everything they needed and that we would be cleared for the mortgage and have our final documents at least 3 days before closing. I told them that was very important to us because we like to review every document very thoroughly and need as much time as possible.

So Monday I email them asking for the final documents. The bank doesn''t have them yet. Their hands are tied. Of course.

Same on Tuesday. Yesterday I started throwing a fit and told them they needed to give me the number of a person I could talk to in order to get it finalized. They told me it''s a very busy week for the banks with the tax credit ending and I reminded them that this is precisely why I''ve been emailing them daily for two weeks.

So after all of my harrassment they finally get the HUD-1 to me at 9 p.m. And, of course, after reviewing it and comparing it to our most recent Good Faith Estimate, there are several small discrepancies and a couple of ridiculous mistakes (my husband''s name isn''t even correct). In fact, I remember reading in the P&S that the totals in the final GFE HAD to match the HUD-1 (for all areas that are in the lenders control, it doesn''t apply to things like homeowners insurance, which is determined by a third party) or a new GFE would have to be re-issued and the closing would have to be pushed back by 3 days. So here it is midnight, the day before we are supposed to close, and the more I dig the more mistakes I find. The closing is supposed to take an hour and I''ve spent 3 hours on this document alone!!

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! This process is insane--they expect you to just trust them because they are professionals but throughout this whole process we''ve uncovered 1.) A major land issue which the sellers'' attorney was oblivious to (which is why our last offer fell through). 2.) A second land issue which uncovered that the amount of land in the deed is incorrect (again, apparently nobody had noticed this in 250 years?!) and 3. Too many mathematical mistakes to count--we have 11 versions of our GFE because we kept finding errors!

I think everybody is going to hate us by the end of the day tomorrow. I think most homeowners just sign whatever is put in front of them, but with all the mistakes we''ve uncovered, including some that still have to be revised, I''m going through every single document tomorrow. I don''t care if it takes us 3 days to close. And it might.

Rant over.
Click to expand...
Uh oh, NEL...I must have been typing happily away while you were venting. I''m so sorry to hear that things are delayed. I am so proud of you for having such a great head on your shoulders and standing up for yourself. I wish DH was as conscientious as you in going through all of the details...I have a feeling there will be some errors made that will need fixing, but DH seems to be taking this burden all on himself and leaving me out of it a bit...guess I wouldn''t understand too much of it anyways, but I truly had no idea how difficult it is to TRY to give people your hard earned money to purchase something simply to have a fight on your hands the entire time. I hope things get better for you...lots of dust to you...hang in there! Big hugs!
 
If this works, you can kind of get the gist of the view out the back...very peaceful!

ETA: it obviously didn't come through...sorry!
 
Kitchen...again, obviously taken on a gloomy day and lots of flash. Not too sure about the white cabinets but in person it''s a lot warmer than it looks here.

Vista Ridge Kitchen.jpg
 
View from the den looking out into the living/dining room combo...I have no idea what to put into this giant space!

Vista Ridge Living Room.jpg
 
Family room attached to the kitchen...we''d like to take the large white built-in out, but we haven''t quite figured that out yet...

Vista Ridge Family Room.jpg
 
Master bath is really big...kind of plain, but it just needs a little color!

Vista Ridge Master Bath.jpg
 
Master bedroom...I''d like to see those white built-in''s pulled out...they used to house GIANT dolls...it was really creepy! I guess I could fill them with every collectible I own, but I dread the thought of dusting all of those glass shelves!

Vista Ridge Master.jpg
 
Daylight basement living room looking towards the spare bedroom and bath downstairs...

Vista Ridge Daylight Basement.jpg
 
Downstairs guest room...

Vista Ridge Downstairs Guest Room.jpg
 
Another view of the family room...you can see the giant oak outside...

I wish I could post my own pictures but I still have resizing issues!

Vista Ridge Family Room Windows.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top