This is War!

I mentioned that the agent of the buyers of my house in Texas is their mother, right?  She's sticking her nose in my business all over the place!  She has called the plumber, hysterical, and said that she won't allow her kids to close without her, and she's leaving town for a week on August 28th.

The sewer line replacement should be done by...August 28th.  So if they won't close by August 31st, they'll be in breach of contract unless I give them an extension.  Guess what sister...no extension shall be given.  My agent called to remind her of that, and she's still insistent.

So they may be in breach of contract and the deal will be off.  The bad news is that I'll have to pay 2 mortgages until I can sell it again.  The good news is perhaps then I can recoup some of my money.  Maybe.

The drama just goes on and on.

I'd Like to Wake Up Now Please

So the third estimate is in on my sewer replacement.  $17,600 is the lowest bid, but they still have to look at the property.  And I don't have the price of a used car laying around, so now what?

I've asked that the price be taken off the price of the home, but the buyer ain't going for it.  They want the work done and certified before they'll sign on the dotted line.  I've asked the plumbing company if they can do the work then take the cost out of the house sale proceeds (assuming we still have a deal), but he's not so sure his manager will go for it.

And what if I somehow come up with the money and fix it and the buyer backs out anyway?  What then?

A friend on Facebook suggested that Go Fund Me might work.  I was kind of hoping that he would start it, but today I decided to do it myself.  I want to weep from embarassement, but there it is - I need help.

My biggest fear is that no one will fund me.  Not because of the money but because deep down I'm afraid that I'm not loveable enough to help.  Yep, my insecurities are running rampant.  I'm so used to doing everything myself and never asking for help.  Part of that is the North Dakota stoicism I was raised with, part of it is from just being on my own for ever.

But it's out there now, and on Facebook, and on Twitter.  I did it - I asked for help.  Don't judge.

I Want To Throw Up

I closed on my house in Texas.  Or thought I did.  Right after I signed the papers I got an email from my realtor saying that the foundation repair people detected a sewer problem that had to be fixed before they would provide the warranty.

Today, a plumber scoped the line and found a crack in the pipe smack dab in the middle of the house, plus massive tree roots in the line in the yard.  To fix it (which I have to do in order to sell this god-awful, money pit, soul sucking monstrosity), will cost me $22,000.  No, that's not a misprint.  $22k.

Of course I'm getting another opinion, but right now I want to curl up in a ball in a corner and suck my thumb.  Right after I throw up.

It's Getting REAL

My house in Texas is still under contract - yahoo!  Now the foundation repair people are ready to go in and fix the foundation there.  The costs for that will be taken out of my closing proceeds, so I guess it's not that big of a deal.  The closing date is unusually far out - August 31; my realtor assures me that they're doing all possible to speed it along and close sooner.  Tomorrow would be nice.

And, drum roll...I close on my construction loan Friday morning!  A few days after that, my contractor will get the first part of the money, and ground breaking can begin.

The estate sale for my Mom's house is scheduled for August 8-9, and after that we'll get it deep cleaned and on the market.

My stress level this summer has been through the roof (work has been very challenging of late too).  I can feel the tension in my jaw and in my shoulders; I have to conciously force myself to unclench at times.

But here's to my new life in Minnesota - I finally am about to realize my dream of a house in the woods...with chickens.

Rolling Along

My Texas house is under contract for the third time.  I'll know Friday (the end of the option period) if this time might be the charm.

And I own a lovely 5 acres of woods.  Yes, I closed on that property, and we're just waiting on the appraisal for the construction loan to be approved.  My contractor texted me yesterday that he had just gotten off the phone with the appraiser, so I'm hopeful that construction should be able to start soon!

In addition to my Texas house, my siblings and I are going to sell my Mom's house now that my stepfather has moved into assisted living.  First step is the estate sale, which is scheduled for August 8-9.

This has been a summer that will go down in history as one of the most exciting, challenging, and stressful ever.  And it's not over yet!

Lovely Thunder

Yesterday was the postcard perfect day here in lake country - sunny, warm, with a little breeze to cool you down.  One of those days you save in your memory banks for the dreary winter days to come.

Today, it's raining, and that's perfect too.  The thunder is that gentle, off-in-the-distance kind that doesn't scare the bejeezus out of you, and isn't accompanied by bright flashes of lightning.  It's the kind of day made for baking frittatas (spinach, bacon, cheese in the oven) and doing nothing much.  The air smells sweet, and my garden appreciates the moisture as much as I do.

Grace the cat is happy, laying on her bed with her eyes half-lidded and her chin on the edge of the chair.  She got some catnip earlier, which made her alternate between rolling in the stuff and climbing into my lap to thank me.  I think she loves Minnesota as much as I do.

On the home selling/building front, I close on my 5 acres of woods next Friday.  Finally, something is going right.  My house in Texas has been under contract twice now, and both have fallen through.  It doesn't look like building is going to start until close to August, so I'm starting to wonder where I'm going to live over the winter if my house isn't ready for occupancy by the time the snow flies.

But all of that is just noise in the background, while I listen to the rain and the lovely thunder.  That frittata is gonna taste even better today!

Strange Courting Rituals

In my quest to build a house, I've worked with many people, including a very nice young lady at the tile and flooring place here in town.  My second visit there, she asked if I was married - I said "no, never have been; no kids".  She asked if I might be interested in going on a blind date with her father-in-law then?

I'm trying to adapt to my new home and get to know as many people as possible in the community, so I said "sure, why not".

Later that day she called to ask me if she could give him my phone number, which I agreed to.  That very night he called, much to the amusement of my family members sitting in the kitchen taking my turns at the board game while I chatted with him.  He promised to call another day to set up a dinner date.

This afternoon he called again.  This region has a very strange courting/mating ritual that I am unfamilar with.  I'm used to meeting someone for coffee/a drink/dinner at a neutral place, or meeting with mutual friends.  But this guy?  He has extra sunfish that he caught that he wants me to have, and wants to come by my camper to deliver them.

So is it a courting ritual to give a girl a fish on the first date?  Is this a Minnesota thing?  I'm so confused!