Our house is under contract, and closing has been slated for the end of this month.
We made an offer on the house I mentioned in a previous post. During the 10-day option period, we received an inspection report that contained some troublesome observations, so my SIL had appointments all week with workmen who weighed in on the seriousness of the problems.
Electrical, plumbing and roofing issues turned out to be minor. Not so with the HVAC and the foundation, which were going to be very costly to repair. To make things worse, we were told by representatives of both companies that the seller clearly attempted to hide the problems.
With only 24 hours till our option period was to end, it became apparent that the seller wasn't going to step up and make things right, so we withdrew our offer and started to look for another house. We were all disappointed, but we knew it was the right thing to do.
As it stands now, we will need to make some immediate decisions in order to have a place to stay in a week or so. Worst-case scenario is that we'll have to move into a hotel for a few days till we find a rental to live in while we continue the search for our perfect house. Not the way we wanted things to play out, but not the end of the world either. We have a very promising list of houses to look at next week and the option of a lease-back till March 10.
My daughter reminded all of us that we need to take the advice of Dory from Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming. And she's right. Things have a way of sorting themselves out if you just keep doing the next right thing.
Home buying & selling....always stressful, never easy. The good thing being you found out about the poor condition of your "not so dream house". We had a similar situation and scurried to find a place to live that would accept the dog.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, you know it will all work out, but that doesn't make it easier to get through. Your dream house is out there, enjoy the search! :)
Yes, there's always a certain amount of stress and uncertainty when you're trying to coordinate a house sale and a house purchase simultaneously, and it's not always a seamless process. That's probably even more often the case when you're dealing with houses built in the 1950s, where problems are more likely to be present.
DeleteHowever, what really stymies me is that the seller put so much money into gutting the house and making it look so good cosmetically, only to do such a shoddy job "restoring" it structurally. The same problems are just going to keep turning up every time someone has it inspected. I can't see how that was a smart flip.
The continued search will be fun...and a lot less stressful with our house already sold and cash in hand. Our dream house is definitely out there somewhere!
What a bummer, sorry to hear. I do hope you can find the right place within a week. You'll never know. But if you don't, I guess the prospect of finding the right house will make all the hassle and tension worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteEvery best wish, Dana!
Yes, it was a bit of a bummer, because the house seemed to fit our needs perfectly, but this is a big city, and new listings hit the market every day, so we'll find something that truly is right for us. We've already located several good rental prospects, so we won't have to make a hasty decision. We've also found several houses that we're eager to look at, so this is just a temporary setback.
DeleteNot very good news. I hope you find a house to your liking. Best of luck to you finding your dream home.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill. We see new listings every day, so I know the right house will turn up soon.
DeleteI admire the attitude of you and your family, and wish you the best of luck in finding a new dream house speedily!
ReplyDeleteWe stay pretty calm and collected under most circumstances. :)
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