House Update of Sorts

[Deleted]

Just thought I would post an update. Buyers are inspecting my well this week and then will either bail or lift their contingency and release a 10K, non-refundable to me. Escrow has 2 more months. 

In an interesting turn of events in my life, I have decided to buy a house in Tehachapi. It's a business and a personal move. It also has the bonus of not being too terribly far from my mom. My kids will find places locally and be moving out on their own. 

I have paired down more stuff. This move I will be taking my Blazer and trailer. I will sell my old car. I've started really selling stuff I am not moving and getting rid of everything possible. My sons are helping with the process and the goal is to be able to get them in their new places before I move, then I will be ready when my house closes escrow and leave for So. CA.

I will feel a lot better when the deposit is released to me because then I will be confident that escrow will close. Until then, who knows. In the meantime, I will keep tossing, selling, and packing. 

Once I get the check, I am going down south to find a house. I was just there, so I am not so excited about making the LONG drive again so soon in crappy weather. Ug.

I am really excited to get down there and establish a new life. I am buying under budget, so I will have money to do the things I need and slowly buy some inexpensive furniture and stuff. I live pretty lightly, so that won't be a big cost. I have the cash to finish setting up my rock shop, and all the other things I need for this move, and will put about 10K in the bank as an ER fund. I will have no debt, no payments, and no mortgage, amazing mental health, a business, a freelance job, and a man I love deeply. Life is amazing.

I can hardly believe I am moving. Damn I will miss the mountain, but not the ghosts. 

[dee27]

Shasta,

I hope the closing goes smoothly and the ghosts evaporate after your move.

[bean29]

I hope all goes well for you.  De-cluttering is a good idea. DH and I have done a good bit lately, but there is more to be done!

[Anne_in_VA]

I hope everything goes smoothly for you and you get that check soon!

[janee]

Good luck!  Many here are cheering for you! Keep us posted.

[debthaven]

Fingers crossed for the inspection! Keep up posted!

[Deleted]

Thanks!

I am going batshit crazy with all of this waiting. Don't ever agree to a 90-day escrow with a long time for inspection contingencies. I knew this would suck and it does.

They tested my well and sent off water samples today. They didn't seem concerned about the arsenic as much as the pH and how it relates to pot growing requirements.  

I will be a mess until they release the contingency. Until then I can't do anything. Looks like at least another week on that. Has to be done by the 15th of Dec.

Been looking at houses online and there aren't many options where I want to move. I think I am going to stop looking until they release their deposit. Otherwise, I keep finding properties I can't make offers on that are selling while I am sitting here waiting.

I'm donating our old pool table to a local assisted living place and they are coming to get it today. That is another heavy item gone that I don't have to deal with. I'm trying to just stay the course and accomplish something major every day. It seems to help a bit with the anxiety. 

[haapai]

I know that you don't want to hear this, but you can learn quite a bit by studying properties that you won't be able to make a bid on.  I built a spreadsheet of insanely cheap houses that I never even set foot it.  It's a lot easier to determine what the actual costs of buying and owning a house will be when you have already researched the minutiae of the tax jurisdiction, utilities, and garbage pickup.  Oh, and boning up on the tax assessment of previously bank-owned homes can be a tremendous help too. 

And then there's the getting turkeys out of your system.  I still go out of my way to visit some of the houses that I fell in love with online and for the most part, I'm extremely relieved. 

[Deleted]

Pool table monstrosity is gone! Yay!

Funny, I donated it to an assisted living place that asked on our local FB group if anyone had one they would sell inexpensively or donate. I sent the pool table, balls, and all the other stuff with it. It's great it is out of my extra house, and I love the idea of people enjoying it. 

The 4 guys who came couldn't figure out how to get it out the door and on the trailer. One of my kids suggested a plan that worked well. The guys suggested he apply for a full-time opening in their department at the assisted living place. It would be a great job if they hire him, so he is going to go apply. Kinda neat how that happened.

Haapai - I try not to watch houses online. I still do it. All the damn time.  lol  I am trying to get a feel for price vs. condition in various areas. I have a friend who lives in the area, so I can ask about general things like crime, etc... but when I go down in person I want to know what has been available and what has sold.

It's frustrating though because I see houses sometimes that I really like and then they go under contract with someone else. Thankfully, my house still has a long escrow time, so there isn't a serious rush to choose a house in a week or something. In reality, I have about a month where I could shop. It's just 11 hours from home... during the holidays, with 2 snowy passes between. Ug. 

Thankfully, my house still has a long escrow time, so there isn't a serious rush to choose a house in a week or something. In reality, I have about a month where I could shop. It's just 11 hours from home... during the holidays, with 2 snowy passes between. Ug. 

To live near the Mojave, I basically have 2 choices. A condo type house in Tehachapi that will be at the top of my budget, very small yards, and $180 a month fees. Or, one up in Deer Valley area that has a $340 a month HOA/condo fee... geez. But, I love the small town and it is higher up in elevation so not exactly desert living. That's a plus for the summer.

The second would be a house down in the Mojave or Edwards area. There I can afford a 3 bed/2 bath ranch on a fenced acre and be about $30K below my budget. This would be a better fit for my dogs, closer to where I will collect rocks , and would leave me a lot more cash to fix things and beef up my ER fund.

The downside is it is a poorer area, it's going to be hotter in the summer, and the overall area isn't as nice, so I think resale will be more of a challenge. 

I don't plan to stay in whatever I buy for too many years. I hope I love what I buy, but for now, I am really happy with something decent where I can live while I work and explore. I'm not a decorator of my home. To me, it's just a comfortable place to crash and work.

All I can do at this point is wait until my buyers finalize what they are doing. At that point, then I can go look at houses. Until then, I try to stay busy. Today I hit the thrift store for a big donation of random crap from my house. lol

[Plain Old Petunia]

Nov 27, 2016 12:04:55 GMT -5 @workingshasta said:

Just thought I would post an update. Buyers are inspecting my well this week and then will either bail or lift their contingency and release a 10K, non-refundable to me. Escrow has 2 more months. 

In an interesting turn of events in my life, I have decided to buy a house in Tehachapi. It's a business and a personal move. It also has the bonus of not being too terribly far from my mom. My kids will find places locally and be moving out on their own. 

I have paired down more stuff. This move I will be taking my Blazer and trailer. I will sell my old car. I've started really selling stuff I am not moving and getting rid of everything possible. My sons are helping with the process and the goal is to be able to get them in their new places before I move, then I will be ready when my house closes escrow and leave for So. CA.

I will feel a lot better when the deposit is released to me because then I will be confident that escrow will close. Until then, who knows. In the meantime, I will keep tossing, selling, and packing. 

Once I get the check, I am going down south to find a house. I was just there, so I am not so excited about making the LONG drive again so soon in crappy weather. Ug.

I am really excited to get down there and establish a new life. I am buying under budget, so I will have money to do the things I need and slowly buy some inexpensive furniture and stuff. I live pretty lightly, so that won't be a big cost. I have the cash to finish setting up my rock shop, and all the other things I need for this move, and will put about 10K in the bank as an ER fund. I will have no debt, no payments, and no mortgage, amazing mental health, a business, a freelance job, and a man I love deeply. Life is amazing.

I can hardly believe I am moving. Damn I will miss the mountain, but not the ghosts. 

So I had to look back and see more details of what all is going on with your house sale and move, etc.  

From Chico to Tehachapi is a big change in destination.  I am so happy for you that life is amazing.  But I am dying to know more about the man you love deeply.  

[suesinfl]

Yeah, come on spill the beans on your man!

[taz157]

Dec 9, 2016 20:28:25 GMT -5 suesinfl said:

Yeah, come on spill the beans on your man!

Yeah that. <angel halo>

[moneyminded]

Shasta, don't you live in Mt. Shasta? Or are you closer to Weed or Yreka?  You really only have the one pass to go through - past Dunsmuir.  It  shouldn't be too bad.  But really, I get it.  It's not you, the driver, that you need to be worried about, it's the OTHER drivers.  Just don't start off too early in the morning due to slick roads in bad weather.  You should be fine.

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2016 10:40:30 GMT -5 moneyminded said:

Shasta, don't you live in Mt. Shasta? Or are you closer to Weed or Yreka?  You really only have the one pass to go through - past Dunsmuir.  It  shouldn't be too bad.  But really, I get it.  It's not you, the driver, that you need to be worried about, it's the OTHER drivers.  Just don't start off too early in the morning due to slick roads in bad weather.  You should be fine.

I have both the local pass and the Tehachapi pass to go over. 

Buyers lift their contingencies Monday, I get their 10K non-refundable deposit on the 23rd. Then I find a house... 

[Deleted]

I've had a long online friendship (3+ years) with a rock guy. He lives down south. Spent some time together recently and he suggested I move closer to him rather than buy a house a long way from him again.

I loved rockhounding in the desert and the rock is more valuable, so I am going to move down there to both spend time with him and to explore the desert. 

If it doesn't work out with him, I still have rocks.  If it does, then fantastic. If not, I can always sell and move again in the future if I want. I see that as a bonus of not moving much stuff...

I'm kinda weird in that I don't really care where I live or what my house looks like. I am fine with a soft bed, a comfortable chair, and cleanliness. I am hoping that makes my ability to find a decent house in the southlands possible. I may not be able to afford Tehachapi, so I am also looking right below in the desert. I hear the area is poorer but not crime ridden. I am poorer, so I can't fault the people who live there for that!  lol

[suesinfl]

It sounds like you are starting a new life just for you! I want to thank you for sharing your ups and downs and hanging in here when it got rough.


Will you be sharing your new adventures with us? 

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2016 15:00:42 GMT -5 @workingshasta said:

I've had a long online friendship (3+ years) with a rock guy. He lives down south. Spent some time together recently and he suggested I move closer to him rather than buy a house a long way from him again.

Is this the "university professor" or whatever who tried to steal your rocks?  I know you liked him a lot at one time.

If so, did you guys get that misunderstanding straightened out?

[dee27]

Shasta,

Good luck with your move, finding a house, and the guy friend. You so deserve much happiness!