I know better than to say anything is official when it comes to selling a house but we’re getting very close. We received an offer we liked and the potential buyer was okay with our counter offer so we’re plowing forward with the sale. Officially we are in escrow. Of course, several things could still happen that would put us all back at square one. One of those things is the pest inspection scheduled for this weekend. I am grateful that dandelions and palm seedlings don’t qualify as pests in this case. Another hurdle is the appraisal. If the house doesn’t appraise for the amount we accepted the buyer would not be able to secure the full funding.
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| Columbines from last March |
As part of the negotiations the buyers asked that we leave our wall mounts for our TVs. At first I thought that was a strange request but it makes sense. If we were to take those with us there would be gaping holes in the walls that would need to be patched and repainted. And really, taking a TV mount would be tantamount (see what I did there?) to taking your curtain rods. Curiosity drove me to Google which revealed that this request is actually pretty common. In fact, I got off pretty easy. In some cases, if your flat-screen TV is attached to the wall mount and requires a tool to remove it, the buyer may have the right to your TV too.
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| Our weeping cherry was in bloom at the end of March in 2012. I hope it is again this year. |
On our end of the negotiations we asked for an extra month to rent back our house. This will serve a couple purposes: it will give us a little breathing room and allow us more time to find a house we like that isn’t in foreclosure or isn’t an active short sale (because those can take 6 months give or take). It will also give me a chance to enjoy one more spring in my garden. We estimate that we will be fully moved out before April 1st. Spring in Sacramento generally arrives in early March. I am thankful for this because right now the garden looks pretty bleak and I’d prefer to leave it on a good note.
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| An Iris on April 1st |
It also gives me some time to figure out how I’m going to move all my potted plants.
Chad, I offer you a fist bump of cautious congratulations, but reserve the 'exploding hand' part until you collect funds. Having looked at hundreds of homes over the course of years before finding something that we could live in (or so we thought), I admire your confidence that you can find your next home so rapidly. Get packing, my friend!
ReplyDeleteCalvin, I cautiously and gratefully accept your fist bump. I will admit to a great deal of anxiety over finding the next home. There just isn't that much inventory out there right now in the neighborhoods we are hoping to settle in. We do have a place to stay after we move out and before we find another place but it would be a short-term rental situation. I am thankful for that but I am not looking forward to moving twice.
DeleteOh gosh, I don't envy you. Congrats on the offer, but buying and selling real estate certainly isn't as straightforward as it used to be. We've been looking for property, and keep coming up against banks that won't loan on fixer uppers (we're focusing on land, not the house - as we can fix a house). We've seen a number of properties we've been watching get relisted when the banks refuse to write the note. We've had competition from developers too. For us we may have to cash-only just to ensure we get what we want, as the banks are really dragging their heels, even for well-qualified buyers, so hang in there. I'm crossing my fingers that your escrow will be done soon, without a hitch!
ReplyDeleteYes, I actually read about your struggles to find the right property the other day. My reading of your blog happened to coincide with our decision to move and I was alarmed by your experiences with the banks. Working in my favor, I suppose, is that we aren't looking for land and the homes are currently being lived in so we wouldn't (knock on wood) have to deal with the banks not believing that the abodes are livable.
DeleteCongratulations. I wonder - have you asked them if you can take some of the plants from the garden? Some, of course, may not be easily removed, but sometimes the new owners are not gardeners and wouldn't mind if you would take it all! I know this spring will be a bit bittersweet for you, seeing new blooms but knowing it may be the last time you may see them.
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually spoken with them directly yet so I haven't asked about specific plants. But if I get a chance to, I'd like to ask them about a few plants and trees. In particular, the weeping cherry tree I included in this post. I planted that tree the week after my daughter was born so it has a great deal of sentimental value to me. I may just take a few snips of it and try to graft it onto some rootstock (that I don't currently have) or try some root hormone which is not supposed to be as effective on weeping cherries as grafting is.
DeleteChad, I hope your sale works out. No doubt, this last spring in your garden will be bitter-sweet -- much easier if you are already making plans for an exciting new garden. -Jean
ReplyDeleteBe specific about the terms and conditions with the buyer to avoid confusion. The buyer was also a good sport, considering the fact that they agreed for an extra month to rent your house back. How are up now? I hope everything goes well for you.
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