Washer/Dryer and More Discoveries

The washer and dryer came yesterday morning and I hooked them up last night. They work fine. In setting them up I found a few more things that need to be fixed. The lighting in that area of the basement is screwy. Some fixtures are hooked to switches that don't do anything, others to direct lines with pull chains and the one over the washer and dryer is a direct line with no shut-off. Also, the hot water shut off valve for the washer connection leaks when it is in the open position. It will have to be replaced.

I found the remains of an old shower in the basement. It looks like it just drained into the sump. I have no idea what good an open shower in the corner of the basement would have been. I'll just add that to the list of 'what were they thinking?' things that have turned up. Also on that list: the removed center supports in the barn, the bathroom in the pantry, the light fixtures hanging from a drop ceiling, the brass fireplace cover screwed into the decorative tile, the covering over of all the doors into the barn except the chicken door, the upside down and backwards door to the porch and last, but not least, the hideous wallpaper patterns. Then there is the list of bad choices that aren't entirely crazy. That one is pretty long.

While over at the lodge yesterday afternoon, I was talking with the trustees and they mentioned they were planning to throw away some 'junk' in the basement of the hall. The junk includes things like 10' tall oak doors. I told them not to throw the junk away before I had a chance to come and take it. One man's junk is another man's treasure. In fixing this house, I can use all the old junk I can get. I imagine most of the junk in the lodge basement is junk, but some things that were removed during upgrades and saved in case they were ever needed might come in handy.

Demo & Clean-up

For the holiday, we tore out a wall that was not original to the house and was blocking off part of the main stairwell landing. It came out with very little trouble. In taking it down, we were able to view seven layers of wallpaper each stopping at different places in the area of the wall, depending on which change had already been made when the paper was applied. The wall itself had two layers, one before and one after the drop ceiling (also removed) was put in. The other layers were behind where this wall joined the original walls.

Before	"The Shining"
Chop-chop	After

We also started cleaning up a variety of things in the house and bought a new washer and dryer to replace the units in the house, which did not work. Those should be coming tomorrow morning.

I have to check with the borough this evening or tomorrow morning to see if my permit for putting up fencing was approved; stupid ordinances. Then we'll have a contractor come in for estimates on plumbing changes and the addition of residential sprinklers.

CLOSED!

At around 5:15pm EST on 12/19/05, the paperwork was all completed. I am glad it is finally over. The final numbers ended up lower than estimated. All in all, our payment is about $60 more a month than we used to pay in rent when we lived in Bucks County. A drop in the bucket compared to the value of building equity.

We moved in over the weekend. Right now we're living out of one room until we get things figured out. Last night the inner workings of a toilet broke, the house's idea of a welcoming present I suppose. We were going to Lowe's this week for other things anyway, so I'll just add that to the list.

We were helped by several of our friends in the move over the weekend. Adam, Erin, Tim, Timmy, Sterl, Bryce Jr., Josh Y., Rich and that tall kid whose name I can never remember all helped out at various points. With their help and the use of Adam's vehicle and Tim's trailer, we got pretty much everything moved in two afternoons. Sunday night Tim also dropped off a wood stove for use in the garage.

Now I need to contact the borough government and find out what hoops they'd like me to jump through. (Yes, I know they'd like to see me jump into a bottomless pit, but they'll have to wait on that.) I figure I have to get set up with the mandated monopoly known as the Water Authority. I also need to have them send me copies of any ordinances relating to fencing so I can get a permit to put up some fences. You know, I have to pay a thousands a year to and get permission to make changes to the property from the government. I suppose they're my new landlord.

I suppose I will take off a couple of days soon so a few Christmas decorations can get put up and to get all the immediate fixes made. Hopefully we'll be somewhat settled by the new year.

Loose Ends

Today the delay is my landlord who is not sending in his verification that I paid my rent every month. His delay is most likely intentional because he is unhappy that I am leaving before the end of the full lease term. There isn't much I can do about it. So right now it looks like a coin toss whether or not we'll close on the 19th.

Post Script (2pm EST): All paperwork is now complete. Waiting for OK to close from the lender. Tentative schedule is closing at 4:30pm EST on the 19th.

Almost Closing Day

It looks like closing will take place on Monday December 19th. After a wild rush of activity and a small dose of profanity, it looks like the whole process is back on track. We'll see if it goes off or if another problem arises.

In the mean time we're in the midst of a severe winter storm that looks like it will make moving a bit more difficult. Whether or not the closing goes off on Monday, we've been given permission to move in this weekend so we're not moving on Christmas.

Closing in T Minus 10 Days and Holding....

The purchase of this property has been much like a shuttle launch. The countdown to closing commenced, but then was held. Then it started again, but was held. That process continues even to today. What started in September is now possibly going to be complete before Christmas, but may end up in 2006.

As the process is ongoing, I'll have "no comment" on the details of what is causing all the delays. Suffice it to say that the whole process through which one purchases property is deficient in several areas and each roadblock comes with a service fee. I won't go so far as to say that you can buy your way through the process, but it often looks that way.

What have bothered me most are two things. First and foremost is the sluggish manner of the various brokers. Second is the way in which the "final numbers" look nothing at all like the "good faith estimate". For example, take insurance: the estimate was less than half the proposed final contract amount (nearly three times as high). In the realm of closing costs, how does an extra $3000 out of the blue sound (as well as a proposed higher interest rate than originally agreed without any justification). Between the dilatory work of two and the duplicitous actions of one, I'm on my third brokerage in a final attempt to close sometime this year without being given a prison shower special.

The process has shown me that there are a few really helpful people in the industry, but that the system is set up in such a way as to reward the lazy and the unscrupulous. Those built in rewards (even to the least deserving) make the housing industry a haven for those who would be fired or indicted if they worked where I do.

Fortunately, the seller has been absolutely wonderful during this whole process and very accommodating. Despite all the problems, he has kept the deal and not taken other offers which he could have when I canned previous brokers and started over.

When closing is finally passed, I'll have a few specific things to say about some of the people I have had to deal with during this process: the good and the bad. Until then, I am in yet another delay (this time title work). I'm optimistic, but angry. If I never have to do this again, it will still have been one time too many.