We got a letter from our buyer's attorney today. They need an extension on the mortgage contingency because they don't have a mortgage yet.
WE CHECKED THIS. My mom called their loan officer before we went to contract, and was assured they would have no trouble getting a loan. We checked.
We've jumped through every hoop they've presented to us (except for replacing the ceiling, which, seriously, you really asked for that???). I realize that people are sometimes shocked these days when they can't get a loan. I realize standards are a bit more stringent. But I think if you go to contract on a condo and act as obnoxious as our buyers have, and you can't even get a damn loan, you are the biggest loser on the planet. LOSER.
Our attorney is supposed to get in touch with their attorney today and find out exactly what the problem is. We're hoping our loser asshole buyers are just holding out for rates to drop after election day. It's the only possible good answer we could get. Otherwise, I hope they get run over by a bus. Slowly.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
zzzzzzzz....
I'm sorry, I just went to childbirth class and lapsed into a coma.
I was very annoyed, because the only way to tour the hospital and find out exactly where to go and what to do when the little chickpea decides to make his/her entrance was to sit through the entire eight-hour course. I think we all know my control-freak tendencies make skipping the tour a total non-option. I NEED to know where to go and what to do when that day comes.
They pretty much covered the stages of labor, showed a few videos, and then took us on the tour. I was not bored because I went to nursing school, I was bored because the stuff they talked about is common knowledge to anyone with a copy of What to Expect and a cable subscription that includes TLC or the Discovery channel. There were a few hospital-specific tidbits about pain management and intra-/postpartum routines, but overall, I could've taught the class as a junior in college.
The most interesting part was that Stephen and I were the only couple, out of eleven couples, that did not know the sex of our baby. I know a lot of people find out ahead of time, but that really surprised me. It was also fun to look around the room and try to guess whether people were having boys or girls. I'm usually pretty accurate- low and wide can be either a boy or a girl, but basketballs are usually boys, in my experience. Not the case in our class., which puts me BACK in the position of "totally clueless" regarding the sex of this baby. I guess I still think it is a boy because when I think about it being a girl, I know I would be shocked, but when I think about it being a boy, it makes sense to me. I don't know.
Because we are total assholes, we also had fun mocking our classmates. In our defense, one girl was wearing a bright orange velour jumpsuit with her stomach hanging out the bottom- we had NO CHOICE but to mock her. The rest may or may not have deserved our snottiness, and I flatly deny all accusions related to either of us using the word badonkadonk at any point throughout the day.
I was very annoyed, because the only way to tour the hospital and find out exactly where to go and what to do when the little chickpea decides to make his/her entrance was to sit through the entire eight-hour course. I think we all know my control-freak tendencies make skipping the tour a total non-option. I NEED to know where to go and what to do when that day comes.
They pretty much covered the stages of labor, showed a few videos, and then took us on the tour. I was not bored because I went to nursing school, I was bored because the stuff they talked about is common knowledge to anyone with a copy of What to Expect and a cable subscription that includes TLC or the Discovery channel. There were a few hospital-specific tidbits about pain management and intra-/postpartum routines, but overall, I could've taught the class as a junior in college.
The most interesting part was that Stephen and I were the only couple, out of eleven couples, that did not know the sex of our baby. I know a lot of people find out ahead of time, but that really surprised me. It was also fun to look around the room and try to guess whether people were having boys or girls. I'm usually pretty accurate- low and wide can be either a boy or a girl, but basketballs are usually boys, in my experience. Not the case in our class., which puts me BACK in the position of "totally clueless" regarding the sex of this baby. I guess I still think it is a boy because when I think about it being a girl, I know I would be shocked, but when I think about it being a boy, it makes sense to me. I don't know.
Because we are total assholes, we also had fun mocking our classmates. In our defense, one girl was wearing a bright orange velour jumpsuit with her stomach hanging out the bottom- we had NO CHOICE but to mock her. The rest may or may not have deserved our snottiness, and I flatly deny all accusions related to either of us using the word badonkadonk at any point throughout the day.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
ohhh, that's TINY.
There were a lot of kids at Henry's birthday party tonight. Lots and lots. The tiniest was the itty-bitty son of her friends. On our way out the door, I asked how old he was.
"Twelve weeks," she said,
Jesus tap-dancing Christ.
The baby was TINY. WAAAY too little to be away from his mommy.
And yet.
That is exactly how old my child will be when I abandon him/her and return to work.
Awesome.
"Twelve weeks," she said,
Jesus tap-dancing Christ.
The baby was TINY. WAAAY too little to be away from his mommy.
And yet.
That is exactly how old my child will be when I abandon him/her and return to work.
Awesome.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Pish Posh.
I was really disappointed when John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. To me, it showed a serious lapse in judgement and more than whiff of desperation ("ohgodpleaseIwantthissobadlymaybethiswillgettheHilaryvote"). Somehow, though, I was still shocked and appalled when I finally took the time to watch him address the issue of a woman's health as it factors in to late-term abortions.
This isn't actually about pro-life vs. pro-choice to me (and seriously, can all of us rational, thinking people stop saying "pro-abortion", and acknowledge that while we may not agree, pro-choice people are no more pro-abortion than pro-life people enjoy seeing rape victims get pregnant?). It's not. It's about paternalism and condescension. Because when you use air quotes to refer to the "health of the mother" as it relates to late-term abortions, and imply that the real-life health consequences for some women in pregnancy are a figment of our hysterical imagination, you insult women. Period.
Pregnancy can threaten a woman's life. Severe pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and uterine infection are all very real conditions that can, and have, killed women. If these conditions become severe prior to the 24th week of gestation, a woman is faced with a choice- attempt to last until 24 weeks and die in the process, or terminate the pregnancy (the only known cure for two of those three conditions, and the only complete cure for infection). Here's where it's not about abortion rights: if you believe the woman should have no choice other than to continue the pregnancy, then you feel that way, I'm not really arguing that point right now. But you can't make that point without acknowledging that the woman will most likely die. Again, this is not imaginary, this is real.
If McCain really feels that way, well, he and I are never going to see eye to eye on that and it's fruitless to even discuss it. But I would come a wee bit closer to respecting his opinion if he would sack up and say so, instead of implying, as medicine has for centuries, that women are inventing these silly little problems.
Not that I was exactly on the fence about the election, nor are any of the three people who read this, but it's nice to know his opinion.
This isn't actually about pro-life vs. pro-choice to me (and seriously, can all of us rational, thinking people stop saying "pro-abortion", and acknowledge that while we may not agree, pro-choice people are no more pro-abortion than pro-life people enjoy seeing rape victims get pregnant?). It's not. It's about paternalism and condescension. Because when you use air quotes to refer to the "health of the mother" as it relates to late-term abortions, and imply that the real-life health consequences for some women in pregnancy are a figment of our hysterical imagination, you insult women. Period.
Pregnancy can threaten a woman's life. Severe pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and uterine infection are all very real conditions that can, and have, killed women. If these conditions become severe prior to the 24th week of gestation, a woman is faced with a choice- attempt to last until 24 weeks and die in the process, or terminate the pregnancy (the only known cure for two of those three conditions, and the only complete cure for infection). Here's where it's not about abortion rights: if you believe the woman should have no choice other than to continue the pregnancy, then you feel that way, I'm not really arguing that point right now. But you can't make that point without acknowledging that the woman will most likely die. Again, this is not imaginary, this is real.
If McCain really feels that way, well, he and I are never going to see eye to eye on that and it's fruitless to even discuss it. But I would come a wee bit closer to respecting his opinion if he would sack up and say so, instead of implying, as medicine has for centuries, that women are inventing these silly little problems.
Not that I was exactly on the fence about the election, nor are any of the three people who read this, but it's nice to know his opinion.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Home Sweet Home, Take Two
So, we had our attorney kill the deal on the last house. It just kept getting more and more expensive, we kept finding more and more problems, and it finally seemed like a decision so stupid, we had no choice but to reverse course. It is sad, because it was a very cool house, but the sellers were total douchebags and the house was in worse condition than we'd ever expected, so we had to do the wise thing and FINALLY pull the plug.
Tonight we went to contract on a beautiful house in Old Irving that we both love a lot, with a yard as big as my parents' yard in the suburbs. Sam is thrilled. So are we. Finally.
Tonight we went to contract on a beautiful house in Old Irving that we both love a lot, with a yard as big as my parents' yard in the suburbs. Sam is thrilled. So are we. Finally.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Blumesday
You guys.
Omigod.
Were you aware of this? Apparently, in a few limited (LUCKY) locations, Judy Blume's birthday is celebrated with readings, dramatic reenactments, and Q&A sessions with Judy herself.
I am so not kidding. I read all about it here.
Can we PLEASE do something about this??? We have a whole year, and HOW MANY librarians? Come ON!!
Do it for Margaret.
Omigod.
Were you aware of this? Apparently, in a few limited (LUCKY) locations, Judy Blume's birthday is celebrated with readings, dramatic reenactments, and Q&A sessions with Judy herself.
I am so not kidding. I read all about it here.
Can we PLEASE do something about this??? We have a whole year, and HOW MANY librarians? Come ON!!
Do it for Margaret.
Friday, October 10, 2008
well, that's a pickle.
We had the home inspection for our chosen house yesterday. Our chosen house which is owned by two of the biggest douchebags in the Chicagoland area, as is only fitting for this entire real estate experience. There was nothing cataclysmic, but a few things that absolutely need to be addressed, will cost significant money, and must be addressed by the sellers (circuits overtapped to the point they're a fire hazard, leaking gas valve on the water heater, just to name the two biggest issues). We asked that these issues be rectified, in addition to a bunch of other stuff that any reasonable person would agree to fix but these people most likely will not. We also let a LOT slide, including major kitchen issues, since we will be gutting the kitchen anyhow.
We are fully expecting our sellers to tell us they will not fix a single thing. We decided, when we agreed to pay more than our original best and final, that if we were not happy with the inspection, we would walk. Someone else could pound sand for a change. Our two other potential choices both have significant drawbacks, but if it got to the point where we would be making a financially irresponsible decision, we'd take the less-than-ideal houses over this mess.
Seems straightforward,right? Of COURSE it's not! I talked to our loan officer yesterday, and she somehow managed to lock us into an interest rate of 5.99%. It's a miracle! ...but we have to have our contract in the computer by wednesday, and it has to be the contract for the house we ultimately buy. Meaning, we can't put THIS contract in the computer, then change houses, and keep the rate. Our sellers have until monday at noon to respond to our inspection demands, and possibly until tuesday, if their attorney chooses to view Columbus Day as a non-work day (our attorney will be working, but theirs could easily say no). So we'd have to move IMMEDIATELY on our second choice, and just pray to have the signed contract in place in time. Interest rates, as of today, are nearly 0.75% higher than our locked-in rate. This will come close to $100/month.
Now it turns into a complicated math problem, where we try to figure out how long we'd have to stay in the house to have the expense of a higher rate outweigh the expense of the repairs the house needs (answer: pretty darn long), in addition to the questions about how we'd feel about one of those second choices, and making sure we're not having a kneejerk reaction to the assholes selling us the house. Because, make no mistake about it, they are truly assholes, but once we close, they are assholes we never have to deal with again. (well. I suppose that, given both our jobs, we could conceivably have to deal with them in the future, but not in a real estate context.)
We're going back sunday to decide which house is our second choice, just in case. I'm not sure how easy it will be to make that decision, since one house is completely gorgeous and amazing, but on a rotten block with no backyard to speak of, and the other is a very small house which we would ultimately outgrow in several years, on a very nice block with an enormous backyard and, oh yeah, one of the biggest high schools in Chicago located directly across the alley. This? Is why we've put up with so much crap with our sellers thus far. Decisions, decisions.
I'm pretty sure this is interesting to nobody in the world except us.
ICE CREAM! Today I did an experiment, and mixed a 100 calorie snack pack of Chips Ahoy with my daily ice cream. It sounds good, doesn't it? It really wasn't. I mean, it wasn't bad, but I wouldn't bother with it again. That's me: attempting variations on McDonald's ice cream so you don't have to. You're welcome.
We are fully expecting our sellers to tell us they will not fix a single thing. We decided, when we agreed to pay more than our original best and final, that if we were not happy with the inspection, we would walk. Someone else could pound sand for a change. Our two other potential choices both have significant drawbacks, but if it got to the point where we would be making a financially irresponsible decision, we'd take the less-than-ideal houses over this mess.
Seems straightforward,right? Of COURSE it's not! I talked to our loan officer yesterday, and she somehow managed to lock us into an interest rate of 5.99%. It's a miracle! ...but we have to have our contract in the computer by wednesday, and it has to be the contract for the house we ultimately buy. Meaning, we can't put THIS contract in the computer, then change houses, and keep the rate. Our sellers have until monday at noon to respond to our inspection demands, and possibly until tuesday, if their attorney chooses to view Columbus Day as a non-work day (our attorney will be working, but theirs could easily say no). So we'd have to move IMMEDIATELY on our second choice, and just pray to have the signed contract in place in time. Interest rates, as of today, are nearly 0.75% higher than our locked-in rate. This will come close to $100/month.
Now it turns into a complicated math problem, where we try to figure out how long we'd have to stay in the house to have the expense of a higher rate outweigh the expense of the repairs the house needs (answer: pretty darn long), in addition to the questions about how we'd feel about one of those second choices, and making sure we're not having a kneejerk reaction to the assholes selling us the house. Because, make no mistake about it, they are truly assholes, but once we close, they are assholes we never have to deal with again. (well. I suppose that, given both our jobs, we could conceivably have to deal with them in the future, but not in a real estate context.)
We're going back sunday to decide which house is our second choice, just in case. I'm not sure how easy it will be to make that decision, since one house is completely gorgeous and amazing, but on a rotten block with no backyard to speak of, and the other is a very small house which we would ultimately outgrow in several years, on a very nice block with an enormous backyard and, oh yeah, one of the biggest high schools in Chicago located directly across the alley. This? Is why we've put up with so much crap with our sellers thus far. Decisions, decisions.
I'm pretty sure this is interesting to nobody in the world except us.
ICE CREAM! Today I did an experiment, and mixed a 100 calorie snack pack of Chips Ahoy with my daily ice cream. It sounds good, doesn't it? It really wasn't. I mean, it wasn't bad, but I wouldn't bother with it again. That's me: attempting variations on McDonald's ice cream so you don't have to. You're welcome.
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