Anxiety through the roof, I don't think we are moving

[stephanier.1765]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I don't know what my husband worked out with the realtor last night but we have an electrician coming out today and they may take apart a small area of drywall to look and see if they think it is up to code and then get the inspector back out.   We will pay someone to fix the drywall at a couple hundred vs. the 2,500.

This is provided there are no actual issues.

Fun times to be had by all around here.

If your DH is handy, he should be able to fix the drywall himself. I did that in a couple of spots recently and I'm not handy at all. Home Depot sells small pieces of drywall for little jobs at $7.

[DawnM]

20 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

If your DH is handy, he should be able to fix the drywall himself. I did that in a couple of spots recently and I'm not handy at all. Home Depot sells small pieces of drywall for little jobs at $7.

Oh, he can, but he is so low on TIME right now.   This has been months and months of DH doing stuff around the house and dealing with workers in the house and he isn't getting his actual job done!   We are down to the wire here and he is also on a time crunch with a work project.   AND we have helpers coming this weekend to move the rest of our stuff out, so we need to prep for that.

He is exhausted.   But he will prob add this to his list.   I just feel so bad for him.   

[DawnM]

Ok, there are some issues with the wiring.   The guy today said he can fix it for around $1200 but he isn't 100% sure until he gets in there.   We will then pay for a few items to be put back together by a handyman that he recommends, so it should all be done, and re-inspected, by Friday.   Whew!~

[Annie G]

With the news that there are electrical issues, are you planning to sue the contractor and hopefully have his errors and omissions insurance cover it? I’d be all over that but I know not everyone feels that way. Having a judgement against him will hit him where it hurts. 
I’m so glad you’re going to be able to close.

[DawnM]

5 minutes ago, Annie G said:

With the news that there are electrical issues, are you planning to sue the contractor and hopefully have his errors and omissions insurance cover it? I’d be all over that but I know not everyone feels that way. Having a judgement against him will hit him where it hurts. 
I’m so glad you’re going to be able to close.

So apparently he has retired and moved to Alabama, so not sure it would do any good.

[Annie G]

8 minutes ago, DawnM said:

So apparently he has retired and moved to Alabama, so not sure it would do any good.

That’s too bad, though the more I think about it, I believe he intentionally cut corners and his E&O wouldn’t cover it if that was the case.  Ugh. 

[DawnM]

21 minutes ago, Annie G said:

That’s too bad, though the more I think about it, I believe he intentionally cut corners and his E&O wouldn’t cover it if that was the case.  Ugh. 

As long as it is under $2,000 we will just suck it up.

[Green Bean]

I think you could still sue him anyway. Add him to your mega lawsuit of idiots.

[DawnM]

9 hours ago, Green Bean said:

I think you could still sue him anyway. Add him to your mega lawsuit of idiots.

Right?    Just racking them up at the moment!

[DawnM]

As for where we will be staying after closing (provided we actual close!).   I looked at AirBnBs, etc....but that isn't the best option for us right now.   We don't know the exact duration of the stay, there are none close enough for A's school, and it just isn't the best.

We looked at Residence Inn, which I enjoy staying at for week long vacations, etc.....but the cost is very high, the place is small, and again, we don't know the duration and may have to move rooms mid-stay, etc.....

But we have settled on furnished corporate housing.    There are two fairly close by (within 10-15 min away) and they are larger than the residence inn two bedroom rooms, allow the dog, are considerably cheaper, and allow for "flex check out" and only require a 2 week notice before moving out.   DH is calling his corporation today to ask if there are any partnerships for discounts, but even if there aren't, it is the least expensive option. 

We are waiting until Monday to actually book a place.   There seems to be a lot of availability so I am not too worried.

[DawnM]

We counter offered for $10k more than what they wanted to offer and they have accepted.

So, it looks like we ARE moving!   WhooHoo!   Ok, trying not to get too excited, we have been here before, although this seems more real.

Waiting for confirmation of closing date, either the 13th or the 10th.   If it is the 10th, I need to book a place for us to stay ASAP!   

[Faith-manor]

Glad to hear you are getting out! 

[Scarlett]

6 hours ago, DawnM said:

We counter offered for $10k more than what they wanted to offer and they have accepted.

So, it looks like we ARE moving!   WhooHoo!   Ok, trying not to get too excited, we have been here before, although this seems more real.

Waiting for confirmation of closing date, either the 13th or the 10th.   If it is the 10th, I need to book a place for us to stay ASAP!   

Wait, so because of all the repairs you have had to do….the buyer is willing to give you $10k more than they originally offered?

[DawnM]

10 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Wait, so because of all the repairs you have had to do….the buyer is willing to give you $10k more than they originally offered?

No, they countered lower than we wanted to pay, so we countered back at 10k over what they countered with.....I WISH they were paying 10k over their original offer.   

It is lower than we wanted to go, but not by too much.

[DawnM]

Never mind the corporate housing.....UGH.    The one place that had one month min now has changed their policy to 6 month minimum.   

Guess we are staying at the Residence Inn after all.   That is the only place close enough to here with enough space for us.  

Edited October 5, 2023 by DawnM

[TheReader]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

Never mind the corporate housing.....UGH.    The one place that had one month min now has changed their policy to 6 month minimum.   

Guess we are staying at the Residence Inn after all.   That is the only place close enough to here with enough space for us.  

Could you sit down and do the math on that, though? How long would a stay in Residence Inn, at the higher rate, take to equal the six months of corporate housing? 

Vs. how long is a house hunt, starting over from scratch, likely to take? Might it still make sense to do the corporate housing instead, just to not feel pressured to find something fast, so as not to spend more than you have to, etc....? 

[DawnM]

4 minutes ago, TheReader said:

Could you sit down and do the math on that, though? How long would a stay in Residence Inn, at the higher rate, take to equal the six months of corporate housing? 

Vs. how long is a house hunt, starting over from scratch, likely to take? Might it still make sense to do the corporate housing instead, just to not feel pressured to find something fast, so as not to spend more than you have to, etc....? 

Oh, we have run the numbers.  The apartment is $3,700/mo and the 2 bedroom at Marriott is almost $5,000 (including tax and fees).   We anticipate 2 months' max, prob more like 5-6 weeks.   So, it doesn't make sense to pay $3,700 for 6 months ($22,200.)

 

[Grace Hopper]

22 minutes ago, DawnM said:

Oh, we have run the numbers.  The apartment is $3,700/mo and the 2 bedroom at Marriott is almost $5,000 (including tax and fees).   We anticipate 2 months' max, prob more like 5-6 weeks.   So, it doesn't make sense to pay $3,700 for 6 months ($22,200.)

 

You really think you’ll be able to find a house, negotiate through a contract, complete closing, and get moved within less than 2 months? And get a home you really like rather than one you’re willing to just settle for?

Seems like a regular apartment would work better. You’d have to furnish it but wouldn’t that just mean taking stuff out of storage?

[teachermom2834]

We just went through this. We went with the hotel (Homewood Suites near us is a little nicer than Residence Inn and that is where we ended up). When we went into it we didn’t know how long it would be but the idea of committing to six months plus all the furniture etc. just didn’t feel right. We went with the hotel having no idea how long we would be there. We ended up only there 13 nights so it was absolutely the right decision. Now, I’m sure Dawn will be there longer than 13 nights because ours went crazy fast, but it could have stretched out quite a bit longer and still been the right choice. 
 

It’s hard because you just don’t know how it is going to work out going in. You don’t know how long you will be there. You just make the best decision you can at the time. We considered all angles and felt most comfortable with the hotel and in hindsight it was the right choice. But it is just a tough situation and you have to make the best of not good choices.

Good luck Dawn. Being in the hotel was less than ideal, for sure, but I felt such a weight off when our house was sold. It was one big hurdle down. 
 

 

[DawnM]

13 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

You really think you’ll be able to find a house, negotiate through a contract, complete closing, and get moved within less than 2 months? And get a home you really like rather than one you’re willing to just settle for?

Seems like a regular apartment would work better. You’d have to furnish it but wouldn’t that just mean taking stuff out of storage?

I am not committing to 6 months of an apartment.   And yes, I do think it will be far less than 6 months.   If it isn't, we are in trouble, A will have to move schools twice.

[teachermom2834]

I even went and looked at apartments and the suite we had at the hotel was more room than the apartments I looked at. And we didn’t need to move our furniture up there or set up utilities or eat the cost of breaking the lease if we found a house a month into the lease. And if the hotel ended up being a bad fit we could move to another room or another hotel. We just put our furniture and washer and dryer and everything in storage. We were in limbo for a bit but it did not feel like moving twice. 
 

Somedays I even went down and got the free breakfast. Lol. 
 

[Grace Hopper]

39 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

You really think you’ll be able to find a house, negotiate through a contract, complete closing, and get moved within less than 2 months? And get a home you really like rather than one you’re willing to just settle for?

Seems like a regular apartment would work better. You’d have to furnish it but wouldn’t that just mean taking stuff out of storage?

Quoting myself to say the bolded is what I am really wondering about. I know a fast move can happen - btdt more than once due to swift corporate relocations - but I kinda thought you were looking for a just-right forever-home? 
 

Not trying to be critical, just pondering the best approach to avoid a future case of buyer’s remorse. 

[TexasProud]

16 minutes ago, DawnM said:

Oh, we have run the numbers.  The apartment is $3,700/mo and the 2 bedroom at Marriott is almost $5,000 (including tax and fees).   We anticipate 2 months' max, prob more like 5-6 weeks.   So, it doesn't make sense to pay $3,700 for 6 months ($22,200.)

 

I am completely floored by the prices.  A 3 bedroom apartment in my town is 1300 a month in my town, 1700 in the neighboring town.... 

[cjzimmer1]

15 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

I am completely floored by the prices.  A 3 bedroom apartment in my town is 1300 a month in my town, 1700 in the neighboring town.... 

That's the price of a 1 bedroom around here and I wouldn't even consider this to be a high cost of living area.  $1300 for a 3 bedroom seems very affordable to me.

[DawnM]

31 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

I am completely floored by the prices.  A 3 bedroom apartment in my town is 1300 a month in my town, 1700 in the neighboring town.... 

 

14 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

That's the price of a 1 bedroom around here and I wouldn't even consider this to be a high cost of living area.  $1300 for a 3 bedroom seems very affordable to me.

It is a 3 bedroom and a short term rental, which is about 40% higher than a reg. year long lease.   Find the corporate housing price or temp housing price and see if yours is higher than a reg. rental.

[TexasProud]

Just now, DawnM said:

 

It is a 3 bedroom and a short term rental, which is about 40% higher than a reg. year long lease.   Find the corporate housing price or temp housing price and see if yours is higher than a reg. rental.

We don't have any corporate rentals in our area.  I would do a 6 month lease to give myself time.  Here that would cost 7800 dollars.  Maybe even 7 months to get me through the school year.  I understand you probably don't have that option.   Just commenting that the cost for that just seems so high.

 

[cjzimmer1]

34 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

It is a 3 bedroom and a short term rental, which is about 40% higher than a reg. year long lease.   Find the corporate housing price or temp housing price and see if yours is higher than a reg. rental.

We don't have corporate housing around here but I just did a quick look around 3 bedrooms are starting at $2500+ and that's with a standard lease.  I totally understand a short term would be higher.  TexasProud's prices just seemed very very reasonable to me but nowhere that I have seen in the last few years is rent actually reasonable.  So while your numbers are higher than mine, they don't seem shockingly higher considering I know your area is going to be a higher COL than where I am. 

[Terabith]

I have to say that @TexasProud's cost of living in her area always seems much, much more reasonable than even our relatively low COL area.  I think it's kind of a pretty unique bubble of low prices. 

[DawnM]

21 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

We don't have any corporate rentals in our area.  I would do a 6 month lease to give myself time.  Here that would cost 7800 dollars.  Maybe even 7 months to get me through the school year.  I understand you probably don't have that option.   Just commenting that the cost for that just seems so high.

 

I also was only looking at furnished/corporate apartments.   A traditional apartment, 3 bedroom, would still be around $2,500 in most areas.  That would be for a year long lease.   Actually, I think most 2 bedrooms around over $2,000 these days around here.

Everything has gone up.

If I were still homeschooling, I would be fine with that, but with both of us working and a young one in school, it just isn't feasible.   I need my stuff, I am tired of not having anything.   we started packing in June.....almost 4.5 months without our stuff.   

There is a house that we are interested in, and we will be looking at some more.   I could second guess myself all day long for the "perfect" house,  but it doesn't really exist.   I have one in my head but land is very hard to find here, unless it is in a development where you pick house A, B, or C, which is what we do not want.

Land can be found WAY out, but I don't want to live that far out.   

 

And I don't know here in TX you are, but I just looked up Houston's corporate housing and it is comparable to ours.   Just an FYI.   I think most larger cities will be closer to the prices we are finding.  

Edited October 5, 2023 by DawnM

[teachermom2834]

We didn’t even have access to corporate housing here in a medium size city. We would have to have done an unfurnished apartment and either moved all our junk up a couple flights and then back out a couple months later or rented through a corporate housing furnishing company which just was going to get really expensive. Plus tied into leases. 
 

It just isn’t that easy most places. All the complexes around me advertised furnished apartments but then when I called they didn’t really have them. They said they had a deal for 20% off at rent to own. And a tiny dumpy 2 BR apartment was pushing $2000 without utilities. And we are not in a hot housing market. It’s just really hard out there right now. People acted like we were nuts to pay for a hotel but it really made sense when we looked at everything.

[DawnM]

3 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

We didn’t even have access to corporate housing here in a medium size city. We would have to have done an unfurnished apartment and either moved all our junk up a couple flights and then back out a couple months later or rented through a corporate housing furnishing company which just was going to get really expensive. Plus tied into leases. 
 

It just isn’t that easy most places. All the complexes around me advertised furnished apartments but then when I called they didn’t really have them. They said they had a deal for 20% off at rent to own. And a tiny dumpy 2 BR apartment was pushing $2000 without utilities. And we are not in a hot housing market. It’s just really hard out there right now. People acted like we were nuts to pay for a hotel but it really made sense when we looked at everything.

Yeah, it is making the most sense for us as well.  For one thing, the flexibility will be very nice.   

[teachermom2834]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

Yeah, it is making the most sense for us as well.  For one thing, the flexibility will be very nice.   

Yeah I just pictured signing a lease and then finding a house with five months on the lease. I honestly just wanted to not make any binding decisions. If I wanted to change the hotel I could. It would still be a pain but the low commitment level was helpful. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

I am completely floored by the prices.  A 3 bedroom apartment in my town is 1300 a month in my town, 1700 in the neighboring town.... 

we’re charging $1100 a month for a 2500 square foot four bedroom home lol. It’s a tad below market value because I am still using one bedroom as storage and there is some work to be done, but market value here is only $1500 and our mortgage is only $700.

Of course we bought it in 2010 when interest rates and housing prices were low, but still. I am never going to be able to afford to live anywhere else; we are paying 8% of our total income on housing not including our rental home.  
Prices everywhere are just wild to me.

[Scarlett]

In my small town 45 min from downtown Tulsa new 3/2/2 duplexes are $1500 per month.  Probably a 6 month lease. Closer to Tulsa by 30 min a 2 bedroom apartment in gated complex is about the same.  Neither furnished.  
 

 

[itsheresomewhere]

Good luck Dawn on the search.  I hope one comes up quickly and goes smoothly.
 

Where I am a one bedroom  apartment starts at 1500 a month with no frills.  Those with frills ( gym, swimming, etc) are a lot more.There is one in my town that is an over 1900 in a flood area ( and they have had quite a few floods in my years here). 

[vonfirmath]

16 hours ago, TexasProud said:

We don't have any corporate rentals in our area.  I would do a 6 month lease to give myself time.  Here that would cost 7800 dollars.  Maybe even 7 months to get me through the school year.  I understand you probably don't have that option.   Just commenting that the cost for that just seems so high.

 

Wow. You're in a very low cost area. I'm in Texas here and people are paying closer to $2K/mo for 2 bedrooms. (They are looking for $1200/mo but having to travel a lot to find it)