Friday, February 25, 2011

Housing Saga: Part XVII

Read the rest of the Housing Saga here.

Today, almost six months after originally placing a contract on this home:
Photo of a log cabin home with a stone fireplace and a lot of overgrown grass.

I officially own it!  Well, the bank officially owns it, but they're letting me live there.  Well, I can't live there yet, because I don't have an occupancy permit.  I also don't have any plumbing, or any electricity.  But I don't care - it's finally my house!!

Just like the rest of the experience, nothing about the closing today was easy.  The three and a half hour event started off with me sitting at the title company at the appointed closing time, and overhearing some employees saying "there's no way they're going to be able to close - we still don't have the wire transfer from the lender!" I just knew they were talking about me.  Sure enough, a few minutes later, my realtor called and said there was a problem.  Apparently the "HUD" - the closing paperwork - had been written incorrectly, and the lender was holding the loan hostage by refusing to send the wire transfer until it was corrected.  E-mails were flying and things got a bit heated.  I waited patiently and wished I'd taken bets from my friends who were sure I'd close today.  Then we had good news.  They had re-written the HUD, and I just had to go to the bank and wire another $1100.00 to the title company, and then we would be good.  So to the bank I went, an hour after our official closing time, and the money was wired.  I returned to the title company and continued waiting.  Finally we started signing paperwork, only to learn that the final numbers STILL weren't right, and I needed to pay another $165.00.  No one was sure why I had to pay this at first, but I said I really didn't care, I would consider it a "nightmare tax" - a fee to end this nightmare of not being able to close on this house.  So I paid the nightmare tax, and before I knew it, all the hundreds of pieces of paper had been signed and they said we were done.  They had no keys to give me - it's a HUD foreclosure and needs all new locks - but I had a folder full of papers that supposedly said that I owed the bank a whole lot of money, and that I was the owner of a little log cabin in a rural little town in Missouri.

The list of things that need to be done to make this house livable is a mile long.  But I own the house now, and I can finally start working on that list!  I only need to look at my foster puppies, and at all the other puppies and dogs that I want to help in the future, to know that this whole headache of trying to buy this home has been well worth it.

19 comments:

Kari in Alaska said...

Congrats on finally owning the house!!!

Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com

Anonymous said...

Oh, Miss Laurie! I'm so happy, I think I could do backflips! That's the Most Wonderfulest news I've heard in a long, long time. I just KNEW you were gonna gets your house this time. I KNEW it!

My paws are crossed that everything gets done real quick and that you can finally move into your new house!

Sending you lotsa happy brindle snuggles!

Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie

sp said...

congratulations!

Kolchak Puggle said...

What an absolutely GORGEOUS! house. Congratulations!!!

JacksDad said...

This is wonderful news. I can't wait to see your pictures a year from now!!

Cupcake said...

All the fosters will be so happy to be there! What a great place. I'm so happy for you.

Kea said...

Oh, wow, congratulations! What a long road...I'm so thrilled for you! I know the adventure really is just beginning!

Daisy said...

Congratulations, the house looks awesome. I love the stone chimney!

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

Congratufreakinglations! I love the "nightmare" tax. Well, I don;t love that you had to pay it, just how you named it.

You must be having a hard time containing yourself!

Stumpy and I are doing the happy dance for you!

Happy, Waggin' Tails, FUREVER!
Stumpy and me

Sue said...

Congratulations at last. We're glad to hear that the housing situation is coming to a happy ending.

Barb's Cats and Quilts said...

Laurie, before I wrote to ask if you'd lost your freakin' mind buying a house without plumbing or electricity, I found the rest of the saga and learned about the theft. I think I'd be in a closet sucking my thumb by this time. So glad one milestone has been reached. I can't wait for the housewarming party.

brooke said...

wooo hooo!!!
so glad it FINALLY worked out!

Two Pitties in the City said...

Congrats! We are still amazed by your dedication and we are so happy that after all the headaches and long waits it will work out for you.

meowmeowmans said...

Hooray!!! So happy about this wonderful news. Congrats!

Susan Blatz said...

You did it! Congrats, can't wait to hear more about house redo stories. This is a book worthy story. I'm just saying.

ForPetsSake said...

What an exciting day, for sure! There's nothing like buying a house, and there always seems to be some snag or another. I'm glad it worked out for you and now...let the fun begin!

ForPetsSake said...

There's nothing quite like buying a house - and there's always some snag or another to slow things down. But you did it! Congratulations!
Now, let the real fun begin...

ForPetsSake said...

oops-I double commented...thought I had erased my last comment, so I started over. Hrmph. Now I've triple commented...

Nicole and Macho said...

Congrats on the new house!