Finally!!

It's finally official - we are homeowners again! We closed this past Wednesday, without a hiccup. We are in full swing with getting the work done on the house and hope to be in by the end of the month! It's an exciting time! We've waited a long time for this and are so ready to have a place to call home again! Not to mention our dogs will love us when they get in that backyard. No more chains, they can run free (to the fence anyway) and finally get some much needed exercise!! Time to plan and decorate!

Update

After a near emotional breakdown by a very pregnant woman this morning, I have taken in some much needed sunshine at lunch and am spending the rest of today and this weekend sending only positive energy to my friend at the seller's bank. I'm thinking he may find this energy helpful as he seems to be so overloaded with work that he can't address our file. Maybe this extra push will get us to the closing table next week. To further explain the reason for my emotional breakdown this morning, let me begin by discussing the emails we have received since yesterday's post. The listing agent emailed our agent to let her know that she had left yet another message for the negotiator at the bank (I think this at least 10 messages by now and who knows how many emails). Our agent did not accept this response and without totally falling on her knees begging asked the L/A what further we can do. You cannot tell us that this guy can go over a week without returning any phone calls or emails and still keep his job right? In addition, per the L/A, there is no one else she can call or talk to, so she is again complacent with waiting on the bank to get back to her. This will not work for us, not anymore. We have been patient long enough. Her response to our agent's pleading email to HELP us is that this is just the way banks work, there is nothing further that can be done. In her exact words, "be patient....it will be ok." We just have to wait to hear from them. I DON'T THINK SO! Our agent called her first thing this morning, as she received an email late last night indicating something about the "issue that still has to be dealt with." Ummmm....what issue? News to us that there is now a cloud on the title that the seller's title company has to get removed before we can close. She didn't know this yesterday? In addition, the L/A told us she is not "worried about the letter." Not worried? Really? Good for you lady! (Is it bad that I looked up her profile today so I could see what she looked like and then emailed it to my husband and asked him if we could blow it up and turn it into a dart board?) She also told our agent to let us know that it will be most unlikely that we will be able to close by Tuesday, instead probably Friday. The L/A some how is unable to give us a firm answer about anything. We really want to close by the end of the month to save on the interest we will owe if we close at the beginning of the month. Well this is unacceptable to us, so our agent is doing the best she can to get this L/A to get her sh** together. I've truly determined that the word helpless is the worst one in the dictionary. It has to be one of the worst human emotions! Latest update (before lunch)...seems as though the title company can clear the cloud by Tuesday and maybe we'll still close then. Only missing one minor detail, the approval letter from the bank. Still no idea on the status of this, so we shall just wait and see. Stay tuned...this is exciting! NOT! But this blog sure is great therapy for me and I'm writing again, something I have not done in a VERY long time! Not to toot my own horn here, but I think I deserve the pregnant woman of the year award. This is too much for anyone to have to go through. In the end, we will be stronger people and ready to take on any future obstacles we may encounter. I have the best husband ever! We'll make it through anything if we've made it through this. I love you bebe - you are my rock!!

5 months, 1 week, 2 days and counting...

OK...seriously...will this ever end? Here we sit two and a half days from when we are scheduled to close on the new house (yes, finally), but we have again hit the brakes. The listing agent has now been unsuccessful in contacting the negotiator at the seller's bank for over a week. They gave us final verbal approval last Tuesday, but we are waiting on the official approval letter from them. We don't know if the letter has been drafted or mailed and in addition have no idea if the bank knows of our closing date because he WON'T CALL HER BACK!!! All we know is that the contract is approved. I just can't handle it much longer. I'm not very good with situations that are out of my control and specifically those that have been out of my control for an excess of five months. Hopefully the house gods will grant us our wish and several prayers and this will somehow turnaround in the next few days and we really will close on the house. I'm just not feeling good about it. To add to the pressure, the baby is due five weeks from Saturday. Hang on there little girl! Mommy and Daddy are working really hard to get you a house before you arrive.

Tomorrow is 4 months

I try to keep my posts positive, but today I must vent just a bit... Tomorrow, to the date, it has been four months since we have put a contract on a house. The short sale process is time consuming and we understood that going in, but it is now at a level of severe frustration for me considering my daughter is due in three months and I am still living in my in-laws basement. We received approval from the seller's bank about 2 weeks ago, since then we have had our inspection and determined there are some major issues that need to be resolved before we proceed with this purchase. One involving cracked water pipes that need to be repaired so that we can complete the inspection and two involving mold that is growing in the basement (just lovely). The house is only 7 years old and was supposedly winterized, so we certainly did not anticipate these issues. Due to the nature of the repairs, even though we are buying the property "as-is," we have gone back to the bank and asked them to pay. I've always (for the most part, most days) tried to keep the mindset that these issues are not anything I can control and I cannot force the bank to be quick about anything so it is all therefore very out of my control. I keep telling myself it will all work out and we'll still get a good deal on the house. There is something that keeps telling me this house will work and Mark feels the same way. I don't know why exactly, but I hope it is not just because I don't want to start this process all over again. We don't have time to go after another short sale or foreclosure, so we'll have to buy a house the "normal" way and that is a bit frightening. There are still good deals out there that are not in short sale or foreclosure, but not this good. It is just such a great deal that we have to work a bit harder to get what we want. Waiting 3 1/2 months for approval was not enough torture I guess! We're holding on to this "investment" for just a little bit longer, but we will have to move on soon. Everyone keeps telling us to move on, be careful, make sure you are not getting involved with a money pit, etc. As much as I appreciate and respect everyone's input and opinion, we need this to work. If the bank handles these repairs (if not all, a pretty good slice) this is still a steal! This will greatly benefit us financially if we can tie up these loose ends, fix er' up and sell in a couple of years! We've submitted bids, at the banks request, to fix the pipes and remove the mold. But here we are on Monday and still no word from the bank or agents today. We were told last Friday that they (our agent and the listing agent) were hopeful to have a response that day. I need to just stop believing that because I get so easily disappointed. My poor husband struggles with how to keep me happy as this whole thing has affected my mood and I'm not the most chipper person these days. I tell him there is nothing he can do because it is what it is and I can' t do anything about it so I just keep going each day hoping we'll eventually hear something positive. I feel bad that he feels guilty because it is not his fault, but he is a good, caring husband that wants to ensure that I am happy. It's a rough time, we've been without our space since March 27 and I'll be 7 months pregnant on Saturday. My first shower is rapidly approaching this Saturday and I never thought in a million years that I wouldn't be in a house by the time my first shower got here. I'm most fearful that I will have this baby and we will not have a house, although Mark promises this will not be the case. So we'll continue to keep our fingers and toes crossed tightly and say our prayers each night that we will end up where is best for our growing family. Right now I am trying to stay calm and do what is best for me and my baby girl. Somedays are easier than others, but I am still very blessed because I have the family and friends that I have and the support that I need. Mark and I would just really like a break! A glass of wine would be nice too, but I will have to wait a little bit longer for that!!

It's a...

GIRL! We are so excited to welcome another girl into our families. For those that don't know, I am one of three girls in my family and Mark has one sister. My oldest sister has two girls and Mark's sister has two girls. Girls, girls everywhere! Our cousin has a girl and my very best friend has a girl as well. We are now in our 22nd week, so we are more than half way there. I can't wait for the day I get to meet our precious princess! In the meantime I've enjoyed some recent baby purchases and many gifts we've received already. I hope this girl loves pink as much as her mommy. I look forward to nesting in our new house (fingers still crossed, hope to hear more next week) and spending time with family and friends at my upcoming baby showers! Oh and the name is a secret, so you will just have to wait until November 15thish!!!

And Baby Makes Three and Other Thoughts

It's been a while since my last post and we've been very busy. Mark and I are expecting our first baby on November 15. We are very excited and quickly approaching our 20 week ultrasound on Monday. We'll finally know (as long as the baby cooperates) whether we are having a boy or a girl. Mark wasn't so sure he wanted to find out at first, but after we talked about it he agreed that we having enough unknown going into this next chapter of ours. Maybe we'll wait to find out if we decided to have Baby Wolff #2. Unfortunately for Mark, it is not twins. He was really hoping to have two the first go around and then we would be done. I, on the other hand, am excited it's just one. I think two would be entirely too overwhelming, especially for two people who will both have to eventually go back to work full time. It's an interesting time for the Wolff's. As you may know from my previous posts, we sold our house back in March and we are still homeless. We sold it in two weeks and had to be out in another six weeks. I must say it was a bit stressful, but we did it with the help of our very gracious parents. Mark and I have been indulging in the basement at his mom and dad's since we closed on our old house. Mark, myself, and our two wonderfully puppies have been taking up residence at the in-laws for a while now. It's been great for both of us really because I have gotten to know my in-laws much better than I think I ever would have (and it's a good thing) and Mark has reconnected with both of his parents. Mark's a very independent person, but I think this situation has allowed him to be more involved with his parents again. His mom and dad are great people and very caring. In addition, we have had a contract on a new house since April 13 and yes, we still are waiting to hear further. We are currently negotiating on a short sale property in O'Fallon and let me tell you these banks require a lot of patience. Every time we turn around the deadline has been extended, 15 days turn into 30, etc. There is no time line or guideline that these banks have to follow, so we just continue to be patient and hope and pray that this will work out. There are 3 phases and we're in the 2nd which could take another week or so to wrap (or so we think) and then it's onto the 3rd phase which we really know nothing about. Please pray for us that this house works out. We have time and there is no need to panic just yet, but with a baby on the way, I need some time to nest before I start to waddle :)

"Home" Sweet "Home"

Well...we've moved out of our house, but unfortunately did not get a new house in time. The last house, as excited as we were, just wasn't meant to be. It needed a heavy amount of repairs and the listing agent wasn't the greatest to work with, to say the least and there was an investor involved, so things got a little sticky in the end and we all decided it was best to back out. So we moved on, we just haven't moved yet. We are currently living in Mark's parent's basement and it is working out great. The dogs are handling their new home quite well. We sold our house so quickly, we were thankful that they were willing to take us in and give us a place to live. Our third contract was submitted today, so we are hoping third time's a charm, so we will keep our fingers crossed and hope that this one works out. Who would have thought it would have worked out like this?? We'll keep you posted...