This will have been our first home we have ever sold.
I am writing this post for myself primarily to remember all the drama the sale of this home has endured.
The story:
First we got on the market, all seemed well. Had a few minor hiccups (ie our listing photos are AWEFUL and our agent wont use my edited ones. but that doesnt matter now.)
So we went on vacation over memorial day. We had a few showings that weekend and got great reviews. Our open house was less than stellar but nonetheless we were encouraged.
After the second weekend on the market we only had one more showing. Then on friday night at 6 pm of our third weekend on the market I got a call to show in exactly one hour.
Umm... our house looked like a bomb went off and Casey was working out of town. Naturally!
So I threw everything into drawers, the washing machine and the dishwasher and somehow made a miracle happen.
By 9 pm that night we had an offer and they wanted to view again the next morning.
We were shocked!! It was all happening so fast. Then the reality of everything set in.
On Sunday our agent came over for us to sign the paperwork. They were asking for closing costs, a home warranty, us to get the termite letter, and our washer and dryer, recarpeting the guesthouse, and to close on July 9. Exactly 3 weeks later.
{internally I was freaking out. sign in the yard and moved out in less than 8 weeks!! YES!}
Seemed like about a typical asking of things with what we had gathered from others on the market or who had recently sold.
We countered with our asking price and they countered by monday night with ALL the previous, our fridge, a fence, and all rotten wood on the house.
We knew they would ask for more but this seemed like alot.
Come to find out all the window sills in our home were rotten. AWESOME!
We countered for the second time with fixing the wood and giving the fridge only because our agent kept telling us the first offer is the best.
Seemed like alot but we were excited.
Things began to drag... like for 2 weeks heard nothing drag...
The first of the two weeks we found out the buyer/buyer's agent forgot to contact the bank to begin processing a loan and fully approving this guy.
So on friday 2 weeks ago he finally had the bank begin to move forward with things.
On monday they had the inspection set up for 10 am. I thought surely they would be done by the time they were out of school at 2:30.
Well it seems my incredibly loud beagles who were locked in their cages were HIGHLY disturbed by 5 strangers plundering through their home. (wonder why??) And this made the inspector quite flustered.
The inspection revealed we had one reveresed polarity outlet, found out ALL our window sills were rotten, something was wrong with a vent to the roof and the plumbing leading to the guest house had quite a substantial leak.(btw this is the amount of repairs we were bound to fixing per the contract) Not everything.
We are now looking at close to 9,000.00 in repairs, closing costs, and appliances. (the fridge in the guesthouse already stays)
So we questioned our agent saying are you sure?? and she encouraged us to move forward.
The appraisal came on wednesday.
The number was right no target and we were elated to be making a profit considering everything we were paying in fees between the two agents, repairs and etc.
We made all necessary repairs per the inspection. By that friday we heard back from our agent saying the appraisor contacted her and the buyers FHA financing was requiring us to scrape and paint the whole guesthouse and install a new fence along the side of our property.
(apparently FHA rules change ALOT and very often!)
For THIS buyer we felt we had given enough..... but the buyer could not get financing without these things being fixed. I freaked!! I told our agent NO WAY JOSE!!
She said we had to and we were legally bound. So she sent out her contractor to repair the remainder of the rotten wood and scrape and paint the guesthouse.
Now we have given the potential buyer close to 12,000 in repairs, appliances, closing costs and fees.
I said no way in you know where on us paying to repair/replace the fence so I contacted a lady I know at the city's code enforcement. She was soo sweet and sent someone out immediately. I missed the gentleman who inspected the fence but he said these fences were the responsibility of Tenn. Dept. of Transportation.
I contacted the person at the City again and she gave me the director's cell #. This gentleman also sent someone out promptly. He informed me these were the city's fences not the states.
UGH>>>>>>
So after a few more phone calls turns out they are the state's fences and we CAN NOT install a privacy fence until these are properly reinforced. PRAISE JESUS!!!
So with that we sit and we wait.
Then on friday of last week the bomb dropped.
The check the buyer paid the appraiser and the inspector with were bounced!!!
ARE YOU KIDDING??????
At some point to the middle of this process (like July 3, I think) my husband and I got very overwhelmed and we contacted hubby's dad. He is one of those drop everything be there in a minute types. He so graciously took some vacation days and was here in no time to help us move the items that would least effect daily living. Well we got on a roll knowing our closing date was July 9th. So we went ahead and packed everything except beds, couch, and table and chairs, and our closets of course.
So this past saturday afternoon we made a miserably painful decision of withdrawing from this buyer. The mortgage company determined he was incapable of gaining the loan on his own and the loan officers told our agent they were moving toward "creative financing." This process should take an average of 2 weeks.
We were sick of waiting, being drawn on. And in the end all of these unexpected fees, repairs, costs really blindsided us. So today our home hit the MLS listings again.
We are praying for 2 things.
1. Peace if we are to stay in this house a little longer
2. Endurance to move forward for the next month and see if there is another buyer out there.
(btw we had a second offer while we were working this contract and we contacted them and they had already offered on another property)
So here we sit... with a freshly painted guesthouse, repairs complete, knowing what our home appraises for, no buyer, and an offer on the table for another home.
Think the lord might be teaching us something through all of this??
I am leaning toward patient endurance.
Till the next chapter unfolds I sit here in my empty home making trips to the storage unit to fluff this place for potential showings.
Prayers would be greatly appreciated.
