Midnight Movers

I’ve been a bit mum on the house lately, partly because I don’t want to jinx it and partly because I feel so incredibly blessed and full of gratitude about the grant and the loan, how everything came together that I just want to savor it. When I signed the disclosure papers, all my stressful worries about the money evaporated. We close on Wednesday.

Pinch me… is this real?

It is definitely a life changer. Oh my gosh… no more paying jacked up rents! My house payment, with taxes and insurance included, will be less than $220 a month. And, because the house is small, well insulated, and has the newer style “replacement” windows, it will be cheap to heat – gas company quoted $47 for a budget plan. That is a major perk considering Ohio can be a bitter wonderland when the cold winds blow.

This house is ideal for me… a one bedroom ranch/cottage with an office.

As you can see, that second bedroom is way too small to be a bedroom. It is just the right size for a computer desk and chair, maybe a bookcase and a plant stand, and that’s it.

No, it is NOT a “spare” room… that’s my office.
No, it will NOT double as a guest room… that is my office.

Call me selfish, but I need private space to think and write, to work on graphic designs or whatever; a room that is off limits to grandchildren and random visitors. Overnight guests can crash in the living room, BYO air mattress if I’ve yet to buy some kind of Futon or Murphy bed.

Frown all you want, I’m not giving up my office.

It is not going to be a hobby room either… I’ve tried that before and it just became a catch-all.  An office must remain true to form and function, just like a bedroom must be a clutter-free sleep zone.

If all goes well and I get the keys when we close on Wednesday, the “Midnight Movers” will have me out of here this weekend.  Google if you want, but that’s NOT a moving company… these guys are friends of M’s who know about the elevator situation here, so they want to move me out in the middle of the night, when the only functioning elevator is not being heavily used.

That’s another reason that I will be so glad to be out of here… one very slow and cranky elevator servicing 173 apartments in a high rise building designated for elderly and disabled persons is not adequate. There are people on the 16th floor in wheelchairs, tenants missing limbs, every ailment you could think of, and only one functioning elevator, limited to 5 riders at a time, now for darn near an entire year.

They are working on it… uh-huh, yeah… slow as molasses.

I don’t know when M is moving… he’s got his name in for an apartment in another downtown building, thinks he will like it there. He talks about getting a VA loan to buy his own house, too.

I can feel change coming, not sure which way the wind will blow about that, perhaps bittersweet, time will tell. All I can do is take life as it comes, eh? But, right now… I can’t help but feel so incredibly blessed.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

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“Shine on me sunshine, walk with me world, it’s a skippity do da day, I’m the happiest girl in the whole U.S.A.”

I’ve been singing Donna Fargo’s tune right along with Dolly in my head off and on ever since I read the words “clear to close” in an email. Then the title office called to schedule a closing date.

Fantastic! Yes! I’m buying a house!

Oh gosh… the last few days have been a roller coaster ride that left me on the brink of tears.  There have been misunderstandings between the funding sources, an expired contract awaiting the seller’s signature on an extension request, and a personality conflict between my realtor and the banker. When a change in my loan status required manual underwriting, it felt like everything was falling apart.

Maybe I should be singing What a Difference a Day Makes.

It is still not a done deal until the last paper is signed and the keys are dropped into my hand, but is is such a relief to have a closing date.

I’m so happy today that I am not going to let ANYONE rain nails on my parade… not even a neighbor telling me that my boyfriend is “doing” a girl on his floor can bring me down.

I told the neighbor not to worry about it… he’s not moving with me anyways.

 

NEXT MORNING (a little note for my sister readers):  That neighbor was trying to convince me to break up with M and threw in that tidbit for good measure. Bottom line, he is a grumpy old man who doesn’t want his friend to move out of the building.  Supposedly, they are in a big dispute… yeah right, I look out the window and see them doing the Paul Simon thing, sitting on park benches like book ends.  If it is true, oh well… he will eventually tell on himself.

 

Before…

I study photographs, wishing I had snapped more. 

This is an inside snap of what looks to be a carport converted into a covered patio along the right side of the garage behind that house I’m in the process of buying, a.k.a. the “before”photo of what will become a screened-in porch next year. The realtor’s website had other views, but those images are copyrighted, not mine to share.

I met with a housing counselor yesterday and applied for a grant to help with closing costs. Just talking to her eased my mind… it is good to go over budgeting and personal finances with someone who knows what they’re doing instead of just trying to wing it on your own. We also covered a lot of information in their pre-purchase educational class and she sent me home with a binder stuffed full of papers and pamphlets to review. I learned a lot so I’m glad I went.

Barring any obstacles (still must pass inspections), the house will close in August and I can move in before Labor Day. 

Thanks for reading!