Why I've Been Slacking...

The truth is, I just haven't felt like talking lately.  There's been a lot of things happening that have made me sad, scared, angry, and frustrated, so I've been spending my free time doing things that don't require thinking - things like reading, or playing computer games, or going on walks with Ziggy.  But I've slacked off for long enough, so it's time to start writing again!  Here are a few of the things that have made me so anti-social lately:

- My new foster puppy Allie got out of my yard and disappeared for two days.  She eventually turned up at a neighbor's house, but those were a very scary two days.

- I've started job searching, since I've been laid off at work as of the end of the year.  It's difficult to find a job that is going to be anywhere close to where I'm living now, which means a long commute and no one to help with the foster dogs while I'm gone for 11+ hours a day, so I'm dreading actually finding a new job.  Then again being out of work with two house payments doesn't seem like such a good idea either.

- My best friend was also just laid off from her job, effective in a few months.  She's been at her company for over 30 years, and the company decided to move her job to India, so they could save a few dollars.

- My foster dogs continue to find new ways to escape the fenced yard.  It is a temporary "hog wire" type of fence and the dogs are digging out underneath, or in some cases actually climbing or jumping it.  They then proceed to lead me on a merry chase around the neighborhood.

- After running through a field behind my house, they end up in the Bad subdivision.  I call it that because one of the residents there came and complained about the dogs and said her neighbors would shoot them on sight.  I understand complaining about the dogs - they shouldn't be allowed to run loose, although in all fairness I have spent many, many hours trying to keep them contained.  But threatening to shoot my dogs makes me angry.  I was told that they would shoot the pit bulls because they were afraid of them.  The sad part is the pitties I have would never hurt them - it's the Min-Pin/Puggle that they should be scared of!  Regardless, I am now going to have to get a regular wood privacy fence in order to keep my foster dogs safe.  I was hoping to put off this major purchase until I found a new job, but that's not going to be an option now.

In spite of these many stressful and scary events, I am still constantly reminded to be grateful for all that I have.  My family and friends, good  health, a place to live, food to eat, and the ability to help those less fortunate.  I am blessed and have not forgotten it.

There's one more recent "event" that made me want to throw up, but then it made me finally decide to write another blog post even if I wasn't feeling up to it.  Because when bad things happen, who better to share them with than friends right?  Good.  So fortunately for you I did not take any pictures.  But if you're easily grossed out, you may want to skip this next paragraph.  Especially if you've been considering fostering but haven't decided if you can handle it or not.

Today I was taking Allie to the vet because she has not been feeling well.  I was driving down the highway and feel something warm and look down to see I'm completely covered with partially digested puppy food, really gross digestive juices, and to top it off, two or three roundworms swimming around in the puddle.  Do you know what it's like to be frantically looking for somewhere to pull over while watching these long yellow worms swim around in a puddle that is quickly soaking through your jeans and onto your legs?  It easily qualifies as my most disgusting experience of 2011 - if not of my entire life!  Hopefully 2012 will be a better year!

I'm A Country Girl

I grew up in the suburbs.  I've moved around a lot, but always stayed within the suburbs of St. Louis or Atlanta.  Now that I've moved to a rural area, I recently realized something.  I LOVE living in the country.  I've always been the girl afraid of spiders and bugs and snakes and horses.  That hasn't changed, but the list is increasing.  Now I can add field mice and cows and guinea pigs to the list.  Okay, I'm not really afraid of guinea pigs.  I just wanted to distract you from the fact that I'm afraid of cows.  But in spite of all the scary creatures that live in the country, it feels like a place that I belong. 

I belong here.

I look out my windows and see nothing but fields and trees. Last night I saw an owl and although it was too dark and far away for a good picture, I took one anyway, because it was an OWL!

 There are logs for Ziggy to chew.

There's a small country church to visit.

And of course, there are the cows. Ziggy laid down to observe them while I tried to apologize (from a distance) for scaring them the other day. Then one of the cows proceeded to chase us down the road from the other side of his fence.
 

I've heard instructions on what to do when a bear chases you, or a mountain lion chases you. How come there are no instructions on what to do when a cow chases you? And what about when you're driving home from work and one of the cows is standing in the middle of the road? What then? Do you honk? Wait until he moves? Go notify the owner? Moving to the country should really come with an instruction manual. I have a lot to learn, but one thing I'm sure of. All the stress and challenge of buying this place was totally worth it. I am finally home.

Housing Saga: Part XVII

Read the rest of the Housing Saga here.

Today, almost six months after originally placing a contract on this home:

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.

Housing Saga - Part Fourteen

It's been awhile since we covered my housing saga in-depth, so I thought you might enjoy another update. I'll start from the beginning, for any of you that have lost track of the previous thirteen parts...

Part 1
To start at the beginning.... five years ago, my husband and I bought this house, located in a subdivision in O'Fallon, Missouri.

At the time, we did not have any pets. At the time, I didn't want any pets. So the clause in the subdivision bylaws that limited each household to only two pets did not particularly concern me. In fact I never even really noticed it. So a few years later, when I started fostering, I was surprised to find out that I was breaking the subdivision rules by having more than two pets in the home. One neighbor complained, and suddenly we began receiving letters advising us of our legal requirement to obey the subdivision bylaws. I'll skip the ensuing back-and-forth that resulted, but it eventually came down to the fact that we either had to get down to two animals or would be facing legal action. This led to me announcing to my husband that whether he liked it or not, I was not giving up fostering, and we should move immediately. Yes, I really said that. He was not happy, and made his own announcement that he loved our house and didn't like me fostering, so we were NOT moving and I should deal with it. This happened in June 2010.

Part 2
My husband and I soon reached a rather strange compromise that works for both of us. We would buy another house, I would move into a really cheap house, he would stay at our current house, and in a year or two when the housing market improved, we would sell the home in O'Fallon and possibly use the house I bought as rental property, and move to yet a different home together. So in June I signed up with a wonderful Realtor and started looking for just the right home. I tried not to be picky, because I was in a hurry to move. I didn't care what the house looked like or what shape it was in or how many bedrooms or bathrooms it had. My requirements were pretty simple, or so I thought. I wanted a house that wasn't in city limits or in a subdivision that had any pet restrictions. Mobile homes were fine, especially since they were the most common type of home in the areas where I was looking, and in my price range. So I searched and searched, and quickly found my new home.

At least I thought I had. I placed a contract on the home at the beginning of July. I was pre-approved for the loan and the contract was quickly accepted by the seller. Then came the bad news. The lender would only do an FHA loan because it was a mobile home and was not on a foundation. And the seller would only accept a conventional loan because the home was a foreclosure. No other lenders could be found that would loan on a mobile home without a foundation, so the contract was canceled and I was back to searching for the perfect home.

Part 3
The next house seemed too good to be true. It was close to my work, private, and in an area with no restrictions. I was sure that this was going to be my house. There was some mold in the basement, which is the only reason I figured it was so affordable. No big deal - I had a friend whose son-in-law did mold removal for a living, so that could be arranged... or so I thought.

Then I tried to get financing. And found out that mold in a house is a Very Bad Thing. And no lender would touch it. So that one was out too.

Part 4
Every day after work I'd go out and search for a new house. With the threat of a lawsuit looming over my head, I was anxious to get moved as soon as possible. By now it was almost August, and I soon found another house that would fit my criteria.

It was small and had no back door, which would make it a bit more difficult for fostering, but I would manage. Except for one minor issue. The basement had cracks in the walls. Large cracks. Large horizontal cracks. The kind that require major repairs. And I quickly found, the kind that no lender would touch. So I moved on, wondering how I could have perfect credit and a decent sized savings account and still not be able to find any lenders to give me a loan. They obviously felt I had poor taste in housing, but the only houses that I felt comfortable being able to afford were all houses with issues of one sort or another.

Part 5
So the search continued. I looked at many, many different houses. And then, I found it. The house that was perfect for fostering. In fact, it was so perfect that the people who used to live in the house had also fostered dogs. Everyone agreed it was meant to be.

I loved it. The sellers accepted the offer, and we started the process of inspections and loan paperwork. This time it wasn't until the appraisal was completed that the lender discovered a problem. The home had been listed as a modular home instead of a mobile home. I knew from way too much recent experience that I would have trouble getting a loan if it was a mobile home, but the seller assured us the home was a modular home. Thus when the appraisal was completed several weeks later, and we learned that the home actually was a mobile home, I was so disappointed. We did find a lender that would loan on a mobile home, but the price was already at the top of my price range and because of the type of home the interest rate would be more than I felt comfortable being able to afford. So with regret, we backed out of the contract. We were able to receive a full refund from the seller's agent for the money spent on the inspections, but it also meant another month had been lost in my search for a place to move.

Part 6
So by this time, I've learned my lesson. No more assuming I'm going to get the house that I am trying to buy. I have continued searching for potential houses and have quickly identified another possibility. Within a few days of canceling the contract on the last house, we make an offer on this house.

This time, it was all me. The house was okay, but it had a lot of potential problems found during the inspection. Also at the time of the inspection I met the neighbors, who were very close, and decided that it would not be ideal for fostering. So based on the issues found in the inspection, we canceled this contract.

Part 7
By now it was mid-September. By this time I've sent my cat Merlin to live with my parents until I can get moved, because the two-pet subdivision restriction includes cats, and it was easier to relocate Merlin temporarily than it was to relocate Remi or Noelle. On September 13th, I make an offer on this home.

 It is another foreclosure, and I'm warned by my Realtor that because it is a HUD foreclosure (as opposed to a bank foreclosure), it can be a difficult process. But my husband and I both fall in love with this house. It has issues, but compared to the other homes in the same price range, it is by far the best. It is on two and a half acres of property in a rural location, surrounded by farmland. We're both so excited when we learn that the contract has been accepted.

Part 8
Thus begins my education on purchasing a HUD home. First, I learned that the home is a log cabin. Well, of course it is. But according to the HUD inspection, the home is a frame home with log siding. Uhmmmm... okay. But it turns out it wasn't okay. Because the lender approved the loan based on the HUD inspection. And once they learned from the appraisal that the home was in fact a log cabin, they said that they couldn't give a loan on a log home unless there were comparable log homes sold within 20 miles in the past six months. I'm not even sure there were log homes sold within 200 miles within the past six months... we don't have a ton of log homes around here. Thus, once again, financing was not available. This time I was not going to be deterred. I contacted other lenders. I contacted banks and log home manufacturers and brokers of all sorts. It took the entire month of October, but FINALLY, my mortgage broker found a lender that would give me a loan on the home. I could have the home after all!

Part 9
So by now it is early November, and I still haven't moved. I'm told we're waiting on the appraisal to be redone, and once we receive that we'll be ready to go. Then by mid-November I'm given a list of requirements from the loan underwriter, including some estimates for needed repairs that were identified on the HUD inspection and a well/septic inspection. My awesome Realtor jumps into action, calling inspectors and contractors and HUD to get the necessary information. We get all the information provided by the beginning of December, and wait anxiously for the closing date to be assigned.

Part 10
We wait.... and wait. We sign contract extensions every two weeks, and continue to wait. Emails continue to go back and forth as my mortgage broker and Realtor work hard to get HUD and the lender to do whatever is needed to close on this house. Finally, just before Christmas, we hear that everything has been approved by the lender, and there are just a couple of minor things that need to be completed. So, another contract extension is signed and we wait some more.

Part 11
Christmas comes and goes. During all of this I had believed I would be in the new house by Christmas. So I didn't put up Christmas decorations or a tree, and it was a very strange holiday for me. I was extremely stressed out and felt that we would never close on the house. Two days after Christmas I have a minor breakdown and send an e-mail to my Realtor and Lender threatening to, well, let's just say letting them know how stressed I was. Remember the mobile home in Part 2 that I tried to buy back in July? It's still on the market, and the price has dropped enough that I could afford to pay cash by borrowing against my current home. Which means I would not have to depend on any lender for anything, and I could move! I am assured that everyone is doing everything they can, and we should be closing any day. I ask them to not talk to me unless they are calling to tell me they actually have a set closing date. I then go hide under the futon with Ziggy for several days.

Part 12
We have a closing date!  Everything is ready and pressure has been put on the title company to get us closed. They tell us on January 7th that if the lender gets them the closing numbers that same day, then we can close on the 12th. I'm cautiously hopeful as I share the good news on Facebook.

Part 13
I find out that the lender could not get the numbers to the title company the same day. I also find out that since the last contract extension we signed was only good through the 12th, we have to sign another contract extension and wait. Again. Soon enough we're given a new closing date of the 18th.  That is this Tuesday - only three days from now! I'm told that all of the paperwork has been done and there should be nothing that will keep us from closing on the 18th. I announce the happy news to everyone I meet.

Part 14
Fast forward to today, January 15th. I plan to meet my Realtor at the house to do a final walk-through before we close. The house has been vacant for a year, and I expect a quick look just to make sure it didn't get blown away by a tornado, and we'll be good.  Instead, I pull up and get out of my car, to hear my Realtor ask if I have a cell phone signal.  I check, and answer no, then ask why. She proceeds to tell me that the house has been broken into and someone has stolen all of the copper pipes. I ask her if she's serious, half believing it has to be a joke. But it's not. The window in the back door has been broken in, and there are pipes missing everywhere. The home is totally unlivable, and will require major repair. We call the police, and three quarters of the entire county's police force responds.  Seriously!  They only have four officers in the county, and we had three of them at our house because due to a poor phone connection they were under the impression that there was a bad guy still in the house.  After that excitement, I acknowledge the reality of what this means. Since we're dealing with HUD, this means the house closing can't take place on Tuesday. So I'm back to waiting. And hoping that Part 15 gets here quickly, and that it's the last part of this very long and drawn-out housing saga.

Housing Saga Recap and Play Time

For those of you having trouble keeping up with my housing saga, here is a recap:


Four years ago my husband and I bought a house in a subdivision that has a lot of rules. One of those rules is that only two pets are allowed. At the time we had no pets so didn't really think about it. Then we adopted Remi. Then I decided to start fostering. That led to many more dogs. And cats. Then we adopted Noelle and Merlin. Then my subdivision board had their lawyers threaten a lawsuit if we didn't get back to only two animals. So I had to give up fostering, and send Merlin to live with my parents, until I could find another place to live. I thought it would only take a month or two at most. After all, we weren't ready to sell our current house - I was just going to buy a cheap house/trailer somewhere with no restrictions so I could keep fostering while we fixed up our house and waited for the housing market to improve. Buying a cheap house that was not in a subdivison was harder than I expected. I had multiple contracts on homes but they all fell through for one reason or another. So three months later, I'm still waiting. I have a contract on a home (the log cabin!) and hope to close in the next month. In the meantime, my long-time foster dog Ziggy decided he would like to stay with us, and since no one else would take him (wonder why?), we took him back. This meant we were still over the two pet limit, so Remi went to stay with a friend of ours. Then Remi decided he would like to come back home, so we managed to get an extension from the subdivision to allow us to keep three dogs until the end of the year. So now we have Remi, Noelle and Ziggy. Merlin is still at my parents house (sorry Dad!) and I am hoping that I am able to move before the end of the year because I miss my cat and I miss fostering! In the meantime, life with Remi and Noelle and Ziggy is never boring. Here is a short video of them playing in the backyard.

Update (Not Foster Related)

Sorry I haven't been around in so long. The financing fell through on the house I was hoping to buy, so I've been spending every spare moment looking for a new place to live. Here are some things I've learned in the past month:

- Mobile homes are not like regular homes. They are more difficult to get financing on, among other things.
- Private lenders will not give a conventional loan on a mobile home that is not on a foundation.
- Homes that have been foreclosed on and are owned by a bank will only accept conventional loans or cash.
- Having excellent credit does not matter, if a house has a problem with mold, or structural issues.

The first home I hoped to buy was a manufactured home not on a foundation, and a foreclosure, so I couldn't get financing. The second home I hoped to buy turned out to have a major problem with mold, so I couldn't get financing. The third home I hoped to buy turned out to have structural issues. And the fourth home also had mold and a few other issues, so I found out this afternoon, that once again, no financing will be available. I'm very fortunate to have both a wonderful realtor and mortgage broker that are helping me with my search.  They are definitely earning their money with all the work I'm putting them through in finding just the right place.  I don't care how big it is or how new it is, I just want it to be a place I can have foster dogs without bothering anyone. 

So far I have viewed listings on 496 homes through an online listing service. Basically I've looked at information on every home that is within one hour of my work and is being sold at a price I can afford. I've ruled out most of those homes because they're in cities or subdivisions with pet restrictions. I've driven by the rest of them, and ruled out another 25 or 30 because they were in very bad areas, or in homes that wouldn't work for fostering (no yard, etc). That has left me with very few choices. I did come across one home that is my dream house, but wouldn't work for fostering. I seriously considered giving up fostering and moving in with just me and Merlin. Okay not really. But I wanted to consider it - especially when I got home and found the dogs had entertained themselves while I was gone by eating my new (used) couch. A tiny cabin in the woods with just me and my cat didn't sound so bad right about then.

It has been an adventure, shopping for houses. I've seen a lot of wildlife. I've picked up a stray dog. I've driven through rainstorms and across flooded roads. I've walked through woods and fields, and acquired over 200 bug bites in one night. I missed an entire weekend, including a big adoption event, due to a much-needed overdose of Benadryl to survive the bug bites. I now carry bug spray in my car, along with a flashlight, for my evening house hunting trips. I have driven most of the major roads in Lincoln County and am starting to learn my way around Warren County as well (I live in St. Charles County).

I am having a rough month, and with five dogs at home, I dread every time the doorbell rings that it is the Animal Control unit coming back because the neighbors have complained again. I check the house listings constantly, just waiting for that next house to come on the market and hoping it will be the perfect fit. I'm going back out again tonight to drive around and look at a few more possibilities. So please don't give up on me - I miss you guys and will write more about my fostering adventures as soon as life improves a bit!