Update on progress towards full-timing Part 10

It has been quite a whirlwind since my last post!

We started interviewing Realtors the week of July 13th and talked with the wife of someone I used to work with on Thursday, July 16th. We clicked with her so good that we decided we did not need to interview anybody else so we signed with her the very next day. After signing she took pictures and video for the ad and went to her office to put the listing online. While she was putting the listing online she got a call to setup a showing on Sunday morning. We spent Saturday mowing and weeding to make sure the outside looked good and we had more things to do when we got a call from the scheduling service that a showing would be in less than an hour. We needed to take our showers since it was getting close to time to go to Mass so we asked for an hour and 15 minutes later which was OK to the interested parties. While I was taking my shower we got another call from the scheduling service and another couple wanted to see the house at the exact same time. They waited in the driveway while the first couple was there. We went to Sam’s Club to kill a little time and then to Mass turning our phones down. Leaving Mass I checked my phone and there was a message from our Realtor saying one of the couples wanted to see the Seller’s Disclosure statement which indicates high interest. This info is supposed to be online but there was a glitch. Our Realtor gave permission for the agent to go back into the house knocking first in case we were there since there were two copies of the home info with disclosures in the binder on the island. We were to put a copy in between the locked front door and unlocked storm door after we got home. When we got home one of the packets was missing so we thought he might have been there but put one in the door anyway. Shortly after we got home we got a call and were told there was an offer and our Realtor was on her way.

The first offer was not all we wanted so we countered and they had until 5p the next day for the counter since by now it is about 9:30p on Saturday. We did not budge much due to the short time on the market and the incredible interest. On Sunday they countered back and we countered and then they countered. With the house on the market less than 24 hours and the incredible interest we decided to hold our ground and sweated out a few minutes before we got the word they had accepted. We feel very happy with over 98% of asking price and we are paying none of their closing costs. We close on September 4^th and they take possession on September 7^th pending a successful inspection and appraisal and financing on their part. They have been pre-qualified and are getting a 15 year loan so without asking for any help on closing costs we think financing should not be a problem.

We signed the contract for the house sale on Monday. We had already spec’d out the fifth wheel and were already in the queue for it to be built but the formal order was received in the mail on Monday which we had to sign and get back to the dealership in Michigan. Offline for the fifth wheel is expected the week of August 31^st meaning we may be able to do our inspection of the fifth wheel before we close if we can get there and back. We then drove to a Ford dealer and ordered our Ford F-350. Delivery time is between 6 weeks (week of August 31^st) and 8 weeks (week of September 14^th which is the week we have flights to Denver). On Tuesday we interviewed Estate Sale people and set that up for August 27-30. We also called Extended Stay places and reserved one. Although we could stay here in one of the bedrooms we would have to be out every day from 9a-6p while they are setting up the sale (August 17-26), running the sale (August 27-30) and cleaning up for a few days after the sale. A few days would be OK but more than 2 weeks would not be fun so we will go on a mini-vacation. On Wednesday I reserved a slot in the RV park south of here. Estate Sale, extended stay, RV park are of course all dependent on the timing of the house sale.

That is assuming that the inspection at 3p on Friday, July 24th does not torpedo the deal. We thought we were told it takes about 2 hours so we gave them 2 and ½ hours but they were still there. Now they were walking out the door when we drove by but they were STILL there. We started freaking out so we called the guy who was filling in for our agent since she was on vacation and he said he would call the buyer’s agent and call us back. The buyer’s agent said the inspection went “pretty well” and that he would get the Inspection Report on Saturday and meet with the buyers. We may hear on Saturday or at the latest Sunday the 26th.

If the inspection does not torpedo the deal, which we think it won't but you never know, we will begin deciding what goes with us on our mini-vacation and the rest goes into storage until we can move it into the fifth wheel.

It will be hectic over the next few weeks and stressful until we hear about the inspection but we know it will all be worth it and cannot wait to start full-timing.

Til next time!

Bob & Jo

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