Goodbye Pumpkin House
Turned in the keys to my old house Thursday. Got a quote this morning on installing a washer hookup in my new house. Oh boy. I’m gonna be saving my pennies, because this is going to cost a lot.
no pumpkin house
Found out Thursday that I’m not going to get the house I’m renting. The deal fell through on the owner’s side of things. It didn’t appraise for what he was asking for, and he has too much $$ in it to sell for the value. So I’m back to square one — looking for a house to buy.
Chapel Perilous
Pretty cool site.
So, My closing date is a week away, and I’ve done everything I can possible do, but the termite problem isn’t taken care of, the foundation isn’t taken care of, and the radon is still a problem, all because Barry can’t get on the stick and get this stuff done. So I’m going to lose my interest rate because the owner is a an air-head. And I’m a bit pissed about it. Honestly, I’ve even looked into a DIY Termite Treatment Guide to handle it myself, but it’s still frustrating to deal with these issues when they should’ve been taken care of already.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask that basic home-buying steps—like, say, not inheriting a bug buffet—are squared away before closing. But here I am, dragging my sanity behind me while wondering if I’ll be sharing my future living room with a colony of freeloading termites. What makes it worse is knowing this isn’t some mystery problem. Termite issues were flagged early, and still, Barry’s moving like he’s got all the time in the world. Meanwhile, I’m over here Googling pest control hacks like I’m gearing up for a side hustle in extermination.
I even found this company, Cura Pest, and honestly, they seem like they know what they’re doing. Reviews talk about them being prompt, thorough, and actually solving problems—unlike Barry, who I’m pretty sure thinks “termites” are a kind of decorative rustic charm. I’d much rather trust someone who doesn’t treat pest control like an optional side quest. they has professional-grade treatments that don’t involve me suiting up like Ghostbusters in my own crawl space. So yes, I’m tempted to just call them myself and send the bill to Barry’s motivational speaker.
At the end of the day, I shouldn’t be the one scrambling to fix all this. Buyers should be able to focus on things like moving, decorating, or, I don’t know—not getting lung damage from radon. But here I am, doing home inspections like I’m on HGTV, minus the fun music and sponsorship deals. If the seller doesn’t want to treat termites like the serious issue they are, then maybe he should reconsider selling and go back to renting—to the termites.
And now, because of his incompetence, I’m going to lose my interest rate. The lender already warned me that if we don’t close on time, the rate lock expires, and with the way things are going in the market, there’s no way I’ll get that same deal again. It’s infuriating! I’ve jumped through every hoop—inspections, appraisals, paperwork—only to be held up because the owner (or his useless agent, Barry) can’t get their act together.
What makes it worse is that this isn’t some small hiccup; these are major issues that should’ve been addressed weeks ago. Termites? Foundation cracks? Radon levels? These aren’t minor fixes—they’re serious problems that affect the safety and value of the home! And yet, here I am, a week out from closing, with no resolution in sight.
I swear, if this falls through because of Barry’s laziness, I’m going to lose it. I’ve put in too much time, money, and emotional energy to let this collapse at the last second. And the worst part? There’s nothing else I can do but wait and hope he finally decides to do his job. Unbelievable.
Termites!!
The inspection on my house seems to have hit some snags. There are active termites in the basement, and the inspector recommended the foundation needs to be reinforced; two things that won’t pass the FHA. So I have to ask the owner to fix these things, and hope that he agrees to do it. The inspection took four and a half hours, during which I was crawling around in the basement, and looking over the whole house with the dude. I found out a lot about the house, and learned a lot about how to assess a house, too. Exhausting, but interesting.
window air conditioner stolen
So, yes, my window air conditioner really was stolen, although thankfully, nothing else was. I’ve had many interactions with the police over the last few days.
Also, I found out that the guy who owns my house moved out because he had two burglaries. Which doesn’t make me want to move out. It makes me want to sit a home with a shotgun saying “c’mon, mother fuckers. I dare you to steal my stuff.”
moving to the pumpkin house
The big move took place last Sunday (3/18) and it all went really smoothly. My dad & step-mom, brothers Todd & Scott, sister-in-law Bethany, and sister Stacy all helped out. The one thing I forgot to do was grab my camera and take photos of the move. Everythings in place and most stuff is unpacked already, with the exception of three boxes still in the living room; mostly just office supplies. I’ve made a dozen trips to Target to get little things, and I’m mostly organized. Things that got broken: coffee pot (replaced), picture glass from a framed poster (no big deal) and the bathroom scale (yeah!).
It’s been an interesting week. I’m still not used to the new place, although everything’s more efficient, especially in the kitchen. I’m *still* thrilled to death to have a new refrigerator with a real freezer. It’s unbelievable the amount of stuff I now have frozen. My sister’s got my old computer all set up and has been getting online with it and playing Sim Tower. Cool. I’m glad I kept it.
new house
Picked up the keys to my new house today. Went in, figured out how the security alarm works (No, I ain’t gonna tell *you*) and generally wandered around looking in the fridge, oven and closets. Then I decided to look in the cellar and see what was down there. So I hoisted up the door (is in the floor) and peered downstairs… I had failed to notice that the light switch was upstairs, so I was trying to find the light switch in the dark, and dropped the 50 lb+ door, which fell directly on the top of my head, knocking me into a sitting position on the stairs. I immediately said to myself “don’t pass out. don’t pass out.” and eventually I shook it off and climbed back upstairs, found the switch, and then went down and looked around. Pretty bad when you injure yourself on the first day in your new place.
It’s a dirt-floor basement, so there’s not much I can do down there, but I’ll at least I’ll be able to store Christmas and seasonal stuff.
I’m reading “Coercion: why we believe what ‘they’ say” and getting really pissed off at how marketing and advertising manipulates me.