someone's gonna get a bargain

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

  Me too, can you tell?  Some weeks even when I really do want to go look at properties, I'll put her off because I'm not quite ready to deal with her again yet. 

[StinkerBell]

>hug<

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well, I'm hoping that after the election that someone gets brave enough to buy our house up there.  The couple decided not to make a contingency offer and instead are trying to sell their house first, and I'm relieved. 

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Breaking news!
What did I say about after the election we'd get an offer?  First thing the morning the phone rings and it is the realtor up north.  Got an offer.  It is a truly awful one, so bad, in fact, that I'm not sure that DH's company is going to agree because it would mean that they have to cough up an additional $39K in excess of the gobs of money they've already spent on our relocation, temporary housing, etc.  Also, the couple that made the offer this morning doesn't seem to be able to pay much higher than they offered, and we're not sure how much more they will be able to handle.  DH is going to HR as I write this and talking with the HR guy and the pres of the company (who just happens to be in town in one of his four visits a year) to see what will happen.  It is totally out of our hands at this point what happens.  If the company can't help us that much (the price protection was as long as the offer wasn't below $130K) then we probably won't be able to sell it.

[peternap]

Sounds like you may have found...The Place.

You can always figure a way to buy it usinbg your old house to secure the deal. Your already looking at the driv time, gas etc. Only you can decide if that's OK.
Roads can be graded and crowned. The big thing will be gravel. That gets expensive but there are ways around that also.

Wishing you luck!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Well we are still trying to work out a deal with them.  Hope that we can work stuff out and everyone will be happy.

[desdawg]

Just be careful. Many have gotten into trouble moving faster than circumstances should have allowed. Ir only takes a short time to work a deal and get in but when owing double payments each month it can eat your lunch in a hurry. Don't let your wants overpower your ability to perform.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Oh, we aren't ready to make an offer anyplace yet.  And we won't until we've hashed out a deal with the other folks on the house in WI, and probably then not until closing is over with.  When we first moved to Wisconsin, we were paying on our house back home and the one up there, and we don't ever want a repeat of that.  In that case, it ended up being worth it as we ended up clearing more than $16K on our old house when it sold, but because of the expense of the place in WI, there is no way we could pay two mortgages right now.  It is bad enough trying to pay two utility bills right now. 

I am still waiting for the realtor to send me the written offer because I told her that I wouldn't bother DH's company about it until we had a legitimate offer to show them, and I tried to push her to get a better offer.  Even though DH's company is willing to go in the hole tens of thousands for our sake, I'm not willing that they should waste any more of their money than necessary.  The offer that this couple made is ridiculously low... and it is honestly insulting, considering what's gone into that house.  FWIW, though, they do love the kitchen that we remodelled   .  We'll see.  In a way, I'm hoping that before we've finalized  a deal with them that we get another better offer.

Anyway, gotta get on with homeschooling for the day.  Will post more as things progress.

[MountainDon]

and probably then not until closing is over with. 

I would delete that word "probably" from your statement. No matter how well intentioned and sincere they might be, it's not over until the closing is completed. 99 44/100% completed is not the same as 100% completed.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

true.  We've personally never had any problem closing on time, and in fact, when we sold our old house in OK, we closed earlier than expected on it.  But I know so many people who've had folks back out at the last minute, etc.  However, once we have a closing date set and it looks like everything is going as planned, we might start verbal negotiations on a place here...we won't do anything in writing until closing is over.  Living in this house has been so frustrating because it is so poorly maintained.  The mice have a superhighway in through the back door where they've chewed through the rotted threshold, and then we've had tons of venomous spiders (black widows and fiddle backs, and then we have the spiders on steroids... they aren't wolf spiders, and they're nearly as big as tarantulas... never seen them in my life before this house, and they're INSIDE.)  In addition to the jerk who owns the house caulking over moldy grout in the shower, and the flood when we first moved in from bursting water manifolds, and the leaky shower, and the leak under the kitchen sink, and the filthy house when we moved in, and the carpet that smells like pee, it is frustrating having the neighbors RIGHT THERE.  When I open the blinds in the morning, there is our neighbor lady a few feet away drinking coffee in her kitchen. 

[fishing_guy]

"When I open the blinds in the morning, there is our neighbor lady a few feet away drinking coffee in her kitchen. "

Relax HG, it could be worse...

You could be neighbors with Glenn and have to watch him having his morning coffee.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

   Or even worse than that, like the time DH looked out our window in WI and got flashed by the neighbor couple who had the blinds wide open, the light all the way on and their clothes all the way off!   He used to have a hard time talking to them after that because of the flashbacks.

[apaknad]

easy homey, calm down. we need you to try and keep your sense of humor so we can communicate w/o worrying about you losing it. some day you will laugh about this whole thing(in the far future). when i was in vietnam i remember it rained for 38 days straight and one night while i was doing gaurd duty out in the boonies i was sooo uncomfortable, sand everywhere including places i won't mention in front of the ladies and as i was fighting off sleep in the middle of the night remembering that if i nodded off i might get the whole company killed i told myself in between halucinations from staring into the black night, that if i made it out of here i would never ever worry about anything else that i thought was insurmountable. you can endure, i know you can. you are the strength of your family. keep your sense of humor(it's hiding way down deep in your brain and you scared it so it is afraid to come out ).

[muldoon]

and probably then not until closing is over with. 

I would delete that word "probably" from your statement. No matter how well intentioned and sincere they might be, it's not over until the closing is completed. 99 44/100% completed is not the same as 100% completed.

+1  -  very good advice here. 

easy homey, calm down. we need you to try and keep your sense of humor so we can communicate w/o worrying about you losing it.

Even better advice here, apaknad's right.  Things have a way of working out homegrown maters, you will smile about the "flash"-backs later.   God never closes a door without opening a window, it will work out and eventually you'll see figure out why you (or your children) needed this lesson in life.  It will work out so try to remain focused and keep your sense of humor about it. 

[ScottA]

God never closes a door without opening a window

I like that. Seems to almost always be true.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

God never closes a door without opening a window

I like that. Seems to almost always be true.

so long as it's not the window into my neighbor's kitchen!!   

I don't know what's going to happen with it.  DH's company has been GREAT through this whole deal.  They could've sent us packing back to Wisconsin a couple of months ago, or they could have cut us off of temporary housing in August, but so far they've bent over backwards to keep us here.  To be honest, I think there's some kind of handshake deal going on between our realtor and the realtor of the buyers... I'm thinking she told them to just come in and make any offer and we'd take it because DH's company wants us here.  I feel like God has been overly gracious to us, and it is amazing to me that with the exception of not selling the house yet, everything that has happened since the move has been favorable.  But it is also to the point where we feel deeply indebted to DH's company because they've been paying temporary housing now for 9 months (their obligation ended at 6 months) and they've allowed us some price protection on the house in hopes of getting it sold faster.  I think I hate debt worse than just about any other thing.  (Just ask my husband... when he proposed I wouldn't marry him for almost a year because I didn't want to marry while I still owed a penny to anyone.  At the time I only had a few hundred dollars in debt, mostly school debt.)

Yes I am frustrated with it all, but I am not entirely discouraged, either.  Mainly just tired of it.  I also wouldn't be surprised if DH goes in to work tomorrow morning and they tell him to accept the offer and let them make up the difference.  And if they do, we'll probably take them up on their generosity.  But I had to really hold myself back when the doggone realtor in WI starts in on this whole, "Yes, but if your company doesn't want you to take they offer they're going to have to keep paying your temp housing...."  I cut her off and said, "Look, they don't HAVE to do anything.  They don't have to help sell our house.  They don't have to pay our rent or anything else.  They have no obligation to us whatsoever."  She starts in again with it "only" being another $15,000 (as if it were pocket change!)  out of their pockets.  In this she was forgetting to count the fact that they're also asking for 3% at closing.  I told her for that plus what they were already shelling out in the offer they could hire another engineer for a year, if they got one right out of college.

  Anyway, we'll see what happens.  I want it to sell really badly, but at the same time, I don't want to sell it for so little, not only for our sakes, but for DH's company's sake.   DH was so stressed out by even telling the HR guy about the offer (because he is afraid they'll tell us to take it and that they'll extend the price protection yet again) and when he got home from work today he just wanted to go out and get away from this rent house for a little while.  So, even though we just ate out the other night, we went out again (we never eat out twice in the same week.)  Found some 24-hour pancake house and went in and ate breakfast at 7 PM, and listened to him flip-flop back and forth 100 times about whether he hoped the company okayed the deal or not.  The girls were really hopeful that it will sell.  They really are ready to get back to someplace where they have a little room to run.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Update:
The company lowered the amount that they would accept from the buyers, but not to the offer level, which was a total rip off(the buyer's offer, not the company's!).  We presented it as a non-negotiable counter offer with the condition that we would not pay any of the buyer's closing costs.  They have until Monday to think about it and try to come up with the money; otherwise we are released from the deal and can try to find someone else to buy it... and maybe find another realtor.  As soon as I told our realtor that we would lower the price again but paying the closing costs was a non-negotiable, she started stammering, "But, but, but... what if they raise the price back up to the 129,900?  Then would you pay the closing costs?"  I was so aggravated with her that I had a hard time controlling my voice when I said, "Take it or leave it.  We aren't paying closing costs, and besides, you already told me that they couldn't afford $129,900... now if they can suddenly get that much money, they should have just taken our last offer, shouldn't they?"  I told her I didn't want to hear from her until Monday, and I guess she took me literally, because today she emailed me paperwork for the offer and the rejection and counter-offer(s), and never called to let me know it was in the inbox waiting for me to sign it, scan it, and send it back.   

[StinkerBell]

I have never had a good felling about your realtor.
I almost suspect the person she is dealing with is a family member or a good friend, thinking they can rob you.
Dunno, just a feeling.

I think you need a new realtor. Fire this one (if the deal falls through) and just explain to her that you are getting a new realtor to help provide you with a new perspective.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

If the deal falls through, I think that we will do that.  Today is the day of truth.  We should hear a yea or nay from them sometime today.  I told them I don't want any other answer besides yes or no, and I won't look at another counter offer.  Sick of playing games.  I am going back to the cute little cabin in the boonies today.    It's dreary and rainy, so nice day to look at a little cozy cabin.  Taking the camera to take pics so that I can kind of keep up with what I like/don't like about it, etc.  Also going to look at a couple of places that are a bit closer...but I already drove by them and don't really like the location as well. 

[Whitlock]

I think Stinker is right about this something is fishy.
If you ever feel pushed, stressed, lied to,ect.ect.ect. it is time for a new realtor.
They work for you!
A different realtor would be a good idea.

Good luck,W

[harry51]

You have to be firm about your bottom dollar. Some realtors will work the seller as hard or harder than the buyer. It's just a commission to them, the cheaper the property is, the faster it sells, and the faster they get their cut. That's why it's important to get market estimates from several realtors when you're getting ready to list a property, as well as doing your own research. Sometimes it pays to get your own appraisal done.

[ScottA]

I still say you need to raise the price. Too cheap scares people into thinking something's wrong with the house. I'd raise the price and increase the marketing budget.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Argh!!!  After telling the realtor that we wouldn't even look at another counter offer, she sent me another one today!!!!!     I wrote back without printing and signing the document she sent and told her our offer stands and if she wants the deal to go through, they can either come to our price or she can take it out of her dadgummed commission!!!  I was so irate reading that. 

Apparently there have been a lot of lookers at the place we like, but no one wants to brave that road, so they haven't had any offers yet.  The weather was pretty awful today, but the road was no more or less driveable than it was in fairly good weather.  Slipped around a bit, but didn't have to use the 4WD.  The drive to the house is the only part of the road I'd worry about.  The county road from there is good, even though gravel.  The driveway is approx 1/2 mile long, but seems longer because of the condition.  The first 1/3 is OK, and would be doable in our Impala, most likely, but after that, it would rip the guts out of the car.  The bridge over the little creek seems to be the best part after the first 1/3 of the drive.  The rest of it is sand, clay, or sandstone; it is very slippery with big chunks of sandstone sticking out everywhere.  Don't have a clue what it would cost to fix it.  Of course, it needs several loads of gravel, but it also needs some grading/drainage issues first.  Don't know if we'll get it or not, though. 

[StinkerBell]

Fire your realtor.

[StinkerBell]

Oh yes, and when you fire her, tell her that you got your instructions from glenn, therefore it is all his fault.