Things & Stuff

Today I realized that it is almost July 15th! Do you non-Minnesotan's realize what that date means? Probably not. But to us northerners it means that summer is already HALF over. Bummer. Before we know it snow will be falling and it will be 9 months of hibernation.

In the meantime, we are trying to enjoy summer as much as possible. This past Saturday we spent the afternoon out on Jess & Troy's boat on Lake Minnetonka. We headed to a small bay and let the kids play in the sand while the adults enjoyed some beers. Afterward we headed to Fletcher's for some people watching and walleye sandwiches. Tim Mahoney was playing and it was like I was 24 yrs old again. Well, with a kid of course. Thomas and I have spent the past several days trying to figure out how we might be able to afford a boat of our own. Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that it ain't gonna happen any time soon but that it's good to have dreams. Did you know you can finance a boat over 20 years? Just sayin'.........

I am still dealing with this pinched sciatic nerve. I am trying really hard to keep things in perspective and not let myself spend too much time feeling sorry for myself. Right now I know of several people who have it so much worse than I do with health issues. But if I don't get some relief soon I don't know what I am going to do. I am headed back to a doctor today and may have to suck it up and get the cortisone shot in my spine. I was hoping to avoid that and just take care of this with some adjustments, rest and vicodin but that doesn't seem to be helping any. Declan is going crazy as he has been cooped up as well and we all need to get out and do something active!

The purchase of our new home in Savage is moving along. The bank received our offer letter and is pulling the house off the market this week. Which is good news as it means they won't be entertaining any other offers. So all we have to do is wait. We signed some paperwork yesterday that says we will wait until Sept. 10th for their acceptance or counteroffer. Not since my husband was scheduled to return from Iraq have I dreaded an 8 week waiting period so much. Did I just compare buying a new house to the war? Yes. I did. I am dramatic like that.

As for the purchase of the house in Bloomington we cancelled, the seller hasn't signed the cancellation nor has he returned our earnest money. If we don't get it by end of week we have to get the courts involved, which will cost us more money. He is a giant douchebag and an even bigger moron. He can't sell the house until he signs those papers, so what seems to be the hold up? Since he violated the agreement we were well within our right to cancel. What a nightmare!

Muy Bueno!

As the old saying goes, when one door closes another one opens.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that we had found a new house that we both loved. Yesterday, our hardworking realtor spent the day speaking with the listing agent and the banks to find out what we would need to offer to make this dream a reality. Since the house is a short sale we would need both the sellers to agree to terms as well as the two banks holding the mortgages. No easy feat. We wanted to make sure we went in with a competitive offer that couldn't be refused. Especially since we were told that it would be 6-8 weeks before we know if they have accepted our offer. Worst case scenario would be us still waiting for an answer in October only to find out we didn't offer enough money and have to start looking for a new house all over again. So, we got the number they were looking for and submitted an offer last night. Our realtor is confident that we'll get this place and we can tentatively plan on closing in early October. This works out perfectly for us as it will give us some additional time to sock away some money. Until then, we wait. On pins and needles we wait.

But oh what a deal we will get. This house is easily priced at $50K below market value (having a real estate appraiser as a father really comes in handy at a time like this). There is no way in hell that this house would even be within our reach right now if it was normal market conditions we were dealing with. And while I feel badly for the family losing their home (divorce) I sure am happy that we are on the receiving end of their misfortune. Does that make me a bad person to feel that way? Probably.

This house has everything I've ever wanted in a home. A dedicated laundry room (wee!), a mud room (woot!), a master suite with room for a sitting area (!), a walk in closet the size of connecticut (for real), and a 2-story foyer (how the hell am I ever going to dust that chandelier?). It's also got a guest bedroom for the in-laws and a spot for a bar for my husband! We also get to keep the playset in the backyard. The fully landscaped backyard!!!!!! And it's in a good school district (Prior Lake) so that gives me some peace of mind too.

The only cons to this house (other than having to wait 2 months before we even know if it's ours) is that it needs a deck built onto the back. Which will need to be done ASAP otherwise my kid might open the back door and fall two stories. And there needs to be a fence put in to keep the dogs from running rampant around the neighborhood and the kids from falling in the pond in the backyard. The basement is only partially finished as well. We will need to put in carpeting and finish the bath. However it's already framed and the shower is installed so it's not work we can't handle. The current owner also has a great love for wallpaper and stenciling so lots of new paint will be purchased! And I look forward to the day when we can afford to get rid of all the brass hardware and lighting and switch out the vinyl flooring and carpeting for tile or hardwood. But that day is a long, long way off.

All in all, this is a MUCH better house for us than the last one so I am very, very excited. Please keep your fingers crossed and send lots of good "we accept your offer" vibes into the universe! A few prayers wouldn't hurt either.

No bueno

So it's back to the drawing board for the Folger's. We've decided to cancel the sale of the house in Bloomington and keep looking. The seller is a giant douche bag with little to no professionalism or renovation skills. It was just one thing after the other and the final straw was learning that he had run an extension cord under the kitchen tile so he could plug in the microwave in the center island. He hasn't made any of the changes he was contracted to do in the sales agreement in regards to the electrical changes which makes it one big giant fire hazard. He also tried to be sneaky and lie to us about the condition of the attic and potential mold problems. He tried to tell us that he had hired 3 different companies to do an inspection and they all said it was fine. And since we aren't the huge dummies he'd like to think we are, we called his bluff and asked for the names of these 3 places along with certified letters proving his story, none of which he could produce. And believe it or not, the seller is actually shocked we are backing out. Good luck selling your house ass hat.

Oh, and did I mention that we are out $750 for the inspection and the appraisal? So much for that new couch.

OK. Now that I've got that off my chest I feel much better.

Last night we went house hunting again which does nothing but depress me. I know that I am supposed to be feel lucky that we can even buy a home given that no one is getting mortgages these days but I don't. Combine my husbands pay cut with the fact that we still own a home in Colorado and it seriously reduces our buying power. Houses in our price range either need massive updating, are in shitty neighborhoods or are too small or they are all 3. So, our challenge is finding something in a good area that doesn't require a long commute, it must have good schools because private school is out of the question and it would be nice if the kitchen didn't have avocado green appliances. My dad was correct in his opinion that I have champagne tastes and a beer budget.

And the biggest challenge yet is finding a house that both Tom and I like. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. He has the worst taste ever. EVER. And we disagree on pretty much everything.

We looked at several houses in Bloomington and Savage and found one that showed lots of promise. OK, I lied. I loveitsomuchandifwedon'tgetitiwillcry. However, it's a short sale and those are a huge pain in the ass. We have no idea what kind of offer the bank is looking for and whether we can afford it but dammit we are going to try. It's located in Savage and fits all of my criteria and even Tom's. That's a miracle in and of itself. Our realtor is going to do some research today and try to find out what the banks bottom line is. Hopefully it will match ours and we can submit an acceptable offer. Will keep you posted.

One of the houses we looked at had big bloodstains on the carpeting in all 3 bedrooms. Very creepy stuff. Needless to say, we didn't stick around.

In other exciting news......

The 4th of July holiday was fabulous. We headed to the lake on Thursday and spent 4 days relaxing, fishing, boating, reading, eating, eating, eating and drinking. The weather was almost perfect. Except for Saturday which was about 95 degrees with 110% humidity. It made for a pretty crabby Andrea. Especially since there were 6 adults, 2 kids and 3 dogs all staying in a 2 bedroom 500 sqft cabin. Oy. But I'd still rather be at the lake than anywhere else!

Declan got to take his first "tubing" ride behind the boat and even asked us to go "faster!". Maybe next year he'll be ready for skis!

The only bad part about the weekend was the fact that I was woken up at about 2 am Monday morning with shooting pains down the back of my leg. Not since my labor with Declan have I felt such pain before. I laid there in tears and misery until I heard Tom getting ready to head out to go fishing about 7 am. And because my husband is the bestest ever he drove me to the hospital instead. A few hours later I was armed with a prescription for Vicodin which has kept me high as a kite for the past 72 hrs. Turns out I have a pinched sciatic nerve which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It is awful. Just awful. Hopefully it clears up soon because I am miserable.

ETA: I have failed as a mother. I forgot to add that my baby girl is growing up and is officially a walker now. And ohmy that little girl is FAST!