Teh Crazy, Part II

Five weeks ago yesterday, we saw a house. We fell in love with the house. We put an offer on the house, and it was accepted, and we set a closing date of June 19. It all seemed very easy. It was only the fifth house we’d looked at, and we outbid the other potential buyer right away. We found an amazing advocate in our buyer’s agent, C. The house passed inspection with flying colors. We felt lucky that the biggest work we’d have to do was installing towel racks and toilet paper holders, since no one had lived there since the renovation. All was well.

Then there was a problem with the loan because of Steve’s freelance status. It pushed the settlement date back a week, but everything seemed to be on track. We were supposed to close at 4 last Friday.

There were a few paperwork issues. Minor, we were assured. On Thursday, we moved our stuff in (as prearranged). We spent an anxious Friday morning in our empty apartment, chilling on the air mattress, surrounded by dust bunnies. Just waiting for the final phone call that everything was ready to go. It’d just be another half hour. Okay, another hour…any minute now…

At 2:30–an hour and a half before closing–we found out that the paperwork issue on the title was not so minor. The FHA loan–which requires the seller to own the property for 90 days prior–was denied. Or postponed, I should say. We totally qualified. But while the seller has owned the house since 2005, there was something to do with blah and blee and then a missing signature.

Yeah, it seriously came down to the age of a signature.

Fortunately, we are not homeless. C flew into action on our behalf. We are renting the house for at least a month. We may end up renting it for the rest of the summer until our financing is secured. We don’t really know yet. Everyone involved says this has never happened before, they’re so sorry, this is a first in their career. Everyone has been really nice and cooperative and agrees that we got screwed.

But still…we got kind of screwed.

But I’m trying to look on the bright side. We are IN the house. We still love it. We are making progress unpacking. Today we bought some A-line bookshelves, a new coffee table, bamboo blinds, rugs for two more bathrooms, and a new bed that seems perfect for late-night reading.

And then I bought some books. I’m not even finished unpacking mine yet. Somewhere there’s a whole box of books that I haven’t read. But we stopped at Barnes & Noble, and I’d just finished Wings, and I couldn’t help myself. Stories comfort me. So now I’m the proud possessor of Prada & Prejudice, Twenty Boy Summer, Sea Change, One Foot in the Grave, and At Grave’s End. I’m on vacation through Sunday, so guess what I’ll be doing?

Besides unpacking and hoping this whole mortgage issue gets straightened out, of course.