21 posts tagged “house”

Okay, so I couldn't think of a creative way to title an entry that will likely be all over the place since I haven't written much about the happenings in the life of Nicole in a while.  Most of my recent brain power has been used gathering, sorting, revising, and composing policies and procedures for work.  Rip-roaring stuff, I know.  But the crazy part is, I actually don't mind doing that kind of stuff.  And I got to work from home for two days.  With Rob. 

Rinse and repeat one day next week as well.

What would likely make others feel as if someone was slowly pulling off their toe nails one by one actually energizes me.  But it also saps all my mental energy by the end of the day, which means I got nothin' to give here.

So, in an effort to at least be somewhat organized and coherent in this post, I will give each section a nice generic heading and attempt to hit the bullet points.

Work

As aforementioned, I've been working on a project with Rob, revising the Policy and Procedure Manual.  Perhaps that should be creating, as they have never actually had a church-wide P&P manual.  What they have had is a bunch of policies and memos in various places.  Our job has been to grab those, figure out what's missing and write those, then bring them all together in an organized fashion, create one succinct manual, and then a few "for public consumption" guides that will be accessible to the volunteers.

It is a lot of work, to be sure, but as it is work I enjoy, it made the two days spent on such fly by.  Tuesday we will have another go at it (yay to working at home again!), and hopefully at least have the employee handbook portion ready for the Lead and Executive Pastors to review.

There are also some upcoming organizational changes that I am not at liberty to discuss yet, but if things go as I hope, I am very excited.  The shifts should better utilize folks' strengths and giftedness, including yours truly.

Home

Rob finished his first grad school class last week (with an A!), and the next one doesn't start until mid-June, so the plan is to work on a few projects around the house during the lull.  We are having new windows put in on the addition, and we took the cover off the pool yesterday.  For the latter to be ready, we still need to add more water, shock, and vacuum it.  But the yay factor is that what water is still in it (had to lower it about a foot to put the cover on) is clear. 

I'd also like to get some of the painting projects done, such as finishing the study and our bedroom.  We added a pet door out to the garage a few weeks ago, which allowed us to move the cat boxes to said area (woohoo!), but we still need to finish organizing the space (we've given up on the idea of actually using it as a garage since it is quite narrow) and moving the bins from the screen porch into the garage and/or shed.  My wish at that point is a glider or chairs or a pair of rockers for the screen porch, but so far the spousal unit has simply rolled his eyes at me.

And then there is a project that is quite daunting to me because it is so not in my skill set: landscaping.

When the previous owners were getting the house ready for sale, they were also prepping it for rent - whatever came to pass first, they were going to run with.  This totally worked in our favor, allowing us to rent for a month while our house in DE sold.  The downside was that they prepped the house for long-term tenants - meaning not only did they paint every wall with semi-gloss (gross!), they also stripped the yard of anything that might be high maintenance - or any type of maintenance - save mowing, weed wacking, and edging.

We had a company come out and quote re-vamping the yard with lovely shrubs and perrenials, but I about fainted when I saw the cost. 

By the same token, Rob, nor I, have ever planted a shrub.  Nor have we ever really had an interest in doing such.

But I also hate the nakedness of our front yard.

This could provide some interesting blogging fodder in the weeks and months to come.

Kiddos

The school year is winding down to the final weeks, praise God!  I am quite frankly tired of nagging motivating the children to stay on top of their assignments.  The Daughter continues to struggle with her honors English class; however, we did see improvement last marking period and the teacher is working closely with her now, so if we can get her through it with a C, I will be quite pleased.

She took her SATs the first weekend of this month - not sure how long it takes to get those back.  She chose the four colleges to send them to - two local, one in western VA, and one in DE.  Her plan at this point is to take one of the two years of cosmetology training via the tech school (free!) next year, since she only has to take 4 academic classes to graduate.  This will also allow her to explore her interest in cosmetology at no cost - then if she does like it, she can pay for the second year of training.  Following that, she plans to use her cosmetology certification to help her through college - either business or pre-law.

The Middle has been doing quite well with his classes, so we allowed the reinstatement of xBox for one hour on school nights ("I've been getting all As and Bs for a while now, Mom!).  But alas, that was short lived, as his Science grade dropped to a C this week because he got a big fat goose egg on his homework ("I lost it...").

He continues to do quite well with his guitar playing - he picks up new songs quickly and easily.

The Youngest had his final strings concert of the year on Tuesday - I am amazed at how far these 5th graders have come this year.  He can't decide if he wants to stick with violin or switch to cello next year.  I am just happy he wants to continue with orchestra.

With some trepidation, I am not looking forward to next month when his best friend moves to TX.  These are the kinds of hurts that I wish we could shield our babies from!

The Cruise!

I am still spending an inordinant about of time reading cruise boards and reviews for our ship.  It officially moved to Baltimore a few weeks ago, and I have been eating up any and all info posted about the move and subsequent cruises.  Overall they have been positive, save some embarkation and debarkation issues, which will hopefully be resolved by the time our vacation is here (just over 100 days from now!).

I think I have decided on what excursions we will do.  I am leaning toward just going with the flow in Grand Turk, since they have a nice beach and cruise center with shops, Margaritaville, and a pool.  I know we can safely take a taxi out to the lighthouse for some photo ops as well.  And since Rob and I plan to purchase our own snorkeling equipment, the teens can give it a whirl in calmer, shallower waters within our view in prep for a snorkeling excursion later that week.

Next stop is supposed to be a private island in the Bahamas, so another beach day, which is fine by me!  The boys may do a sting ray excursion, but The Daughter and I have no interest in that, so we will stay behind and work on our tans.

In Nassau, I am hoping to book a snorkeling excursion with Stuart's Cove (if they would ever email me back!).  They have good reviews and go to 2-3 different sites.  And it's only a half day, which would allow us time to have lunch on the ship and then still go into town and shop a bit if we want.

Our final stop, Freeport, doesn't get a lot of positive reviews since you basically dock in an industrial area, so I plan to book a dolphin encounter.  We are all really excited about this excursion - I hope it lives up to our expectations.

I think that about covers it....for now.  I am going to post this before I accidentally delete it; I can always go back and fix the typos later, eh?

 

A few hours before we headed out of town last night to look for a place to rent, we got a phone call for a showing.  They said it was a "third showing", which was kind of odd because we didn't know of anyone who had come to see it more than once.  We rushed around to make sure the place was ready, loaded the car, and headed down the road.  A couple of hours later we got a phone call: we had an offer.

Turned out to be the same person who made an offer in July.  This time, the contingency was removed.  We countered on price, and now have verbal confirmation of acceptance.  We should have the actual paperwork finalized by the end of the weekend.

We started looking at homes this morning. We found one that we liked that was for rent and sale.  Long story short, we now have verbal confirmation on a contract for that one, along with early possession, since our closing date won't be until the end of September and we are moving in 2 weeks.

Thank you ALL for your prayers, thoughts, and encouragement.  And for allowing me to rant and go on and on about this stuff.  It has meant so much!  As you think of us in the weeks to come, please remember the upcoming inspections and appraisals on both sides, and that all dates fall into place as needed.

After an entire week of fussing and stressing and fuming and almost-crying, I approached my morning prayer time with a decided weariness.  And as I prayed, I remembered.  I remembered January 9, 2004.  I remembered sitting in our van while Rob drove, feelings of dejection, desperation, and fear a tempest in my head and heart.

Rather than try to retell the whole story, I am pasting the account from my old blog:

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004 || Waiting Game

I wasn't able to get online yesterday to write about this. Not that I even wanted to. I actually just wanted to curl up and go to sleep and wake up sometime in April.

So, we are here but we do not have a house.

Yes, you read that right. No house. No loan.

Yet. The loan is actually on hold. Problems with employment verification. We found out 2 hours before closing that it was not going to go through unless we came up with more income or off-loaded about 17K in debt.

I was devestated. We have utilities turned on, gallons of paint waiting, kids enrolled in school and starting on Monday!

As we drove back to where we were staying, Rob got a phone call, a job offer he probably never would have considered. He went to an interview last night; it went really well. The interviewer wants him on the job; we are now awaiting official word and a contract (it is a temp position, but the interviewer was very firm that it could move into a more permanent position quickly and easily). We should have a final answer tomorrow or Monday.

At that point, we can send that as employment verification and we should be able to close on the house. Our other options are paying off the 17K in debt or I find a job quickly.

Like say, Monday.

It has been a really emotional time. I realized today that praying all week that He increase my faith must be much like praying for patience. God always answers our prayers, He just doesn't always do it the way we want or expect!

As for this current job opportunity, the start pay is low, but it has a lot of overtime and mileage paid. If he can work this one job for 50-60 hours a week plus miles, rather than 2 at 80 hours a week, that would be much easier on our family and the pay would actually be comparable.

Once the initial shock wore off and the dust seemed to settle a bit, I realized something interesting.

Had this not happened with the loan, Rob would not have even considered this job oportunity based on the info the recruiter gave. When he got to the interview, the interviewer was very upbeat and really stressed how much he liked Rob's resume and that he could quickly advance with the company. As we were leaving (the guy had seen that I was going to wait in the car and had told me to come in to wait), he said to Rob, "I see Jesus in you."

Interesting, eh?

So, now, here we sit at a hotel on the loan company's dime (for their horrible timing and lack of communication), watching the Rams lose (so far), our life a bit on hold. Who am I kidding, it is a lot on hold, but it is out of our hands at this point.

All we can do is wait. And pray.

I am praying the prayer that never fails. A lot is at stake, but I am learning that I have to, have to, have to trust that He is still on the throne and what He has called us to do, He will complete in us and for us.

Monday, Jan. 12, 2004 || He parts the waters when we step in

This morning as I was praying, I realized that while I thought the best answer would be for Rob to get the job he interviewed for on Friday so we would have the income qualifications for the home loan, His will could very well be for us to utilize our reserve fund to pay off debt in order to qualify for the loan. This scared the fire out of me, but as I prayed and read His Word, He gently reminded me that it is all His anyway and no matter how I try to hold on to it, it really isn't mine to hold onto.

Okay! Okay!

I confessed my unbelief, lack of trust, and self-sufficiency and told Him I wouldn't hold back that part of me anymore.

I went into the start of the day feeling a sense of peace that I hadn't experienced until then. We took the kids to their new schools, based on the address of that house. A small step of faith, perhaps, but a step nonetheless, right?

A few hours later, Rob spoke to the interviewer. He told Rob he had called in his request on Saturday for the recruiter to offer Rob a contract (but the office was closed). A bit after noon, we got the call from the recruiter that he would be next-day-ing the contract to Rob. (He will start next Monday.) Rob asked if he would verify employment with the underwriter, and he said he would.

Waiting game number two commenced. After several calls to the loan officer and underwriter (ACK to voicemail!!), the underwriter called to ask Rob a few questions. He told Rob he had a few things to go over and would then call us back.

By this time, I have to admit, I was beginning to feel a bit nervous. Like this guy had our very lives in his hands. How quickly one can forget...it was as if I could hear the Father saying, "Silly girl, haven't you learned anything?"

The call came about 20 minutes later. I could hear the underwriter say to Rob (his cell phone has some major volume), "Congratulations, you have your loan."

We close tomorrow at 10 AM. Since Rob doesn't start the new job until next Monday, we will be able to paint and work on the place together. Yeah, it will be tough to go another week without a paycheck, but I am so learning that this is not in my hands or for me to worry about.

As a bonus to the day, the kids liked their new school and had a good day today. The Middle will be tested for the gifted program this year. It will be good to know if his boredom is just boredom or not being pushed enough.

~      ~      ~      ~     ~

God did what God does in His time.  Not mine, not Rob's, not anyone else's.

Do I understand this current dilemma, this seemingly unending delay?  Nope.  Not at all.

I didn't understand why our loan was pulled like that either.  Not at first anyway.

This I do know:

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

(Isaiah 55:8-9)

This process is not easy, and you'd think I'd have learned my lesson the last time!  But here I am again.

It's amazing what a change of focus will do.  I began my day thinking about what God is going to do rather than thinking about all that He has not done.

"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." (Job 13:15a)

Neither of the homes we were looking at in the new city are going to accept contingency offers or early possession (though both said they'd consider it, which is why we went to look at them in the first place).  So, with 15 days to go, we have no home to go to.

Every prospect for our house here has also fallen through.

Please pray as God leads.

Here's the going's-on 'round here!

Our current house: We had an Open House on Sunday.  Seven parties came through.  One family loved it, especially the daughter, but they may have a home-sale contingency.  Another potential buyer, a single banker, saw the sign on the road and came in.  He too expressed some interest.  He is a first time home buyer, so there wouldn't be a contingency issue.  Then our agents talked to his agent today who said that he is leaning toward a newer home.  His agent still thinks our house would be a good option for him because of the updates and plans to talk to him some more about it.

Our agent was disappointed that the 2 agents who were supposed to bring clients to the Open House did not, but they could still want to see the house, just at another time.  No word about the out-of-state client that another agent wants to show the house to.

We have not had a scheduled showing since last Wednesday either, but all things considered, about 20-22 parties have come through in the month it's been on the market.

Our next home: On Friday, our agent found 6-7 homes that would consider contingencies and early possession.  So, we looked at those, and then even a few others that popped up later.  Last night, we wrote a contract on the one we thought would be the best fit (Possibility One), and also wrote a second back-up contract just in case (Possibility Two).  If either of these go through, it could mean we will be paying rent and a mortgage for an undetermined amount of time.  But it gets us to our destination so that we can start our new jobs and get the kids registered in school.

To say I am stressed would be an understatement!  But I am trying to hang in there and have faith that things will fall into place.

OH, and did I mention that I gave my boss a final date today?  So, I could also be out of work for a week or two during the transition while we ramp up to pay for two homes at once.

Uuuuuuggggghhhhhh.

The folks who submitted the contingency contract yesterday will not remove the contingency (though they could), so we are not accepting their offer (our agent agrees).

We had a broker's open today; 15 agents came through and gave mostly excellent feedback.  I few tweak-y things we could do (will likely work on at least one of those tonight).  Almost all said it is priced at market value.  So, that's good news.

Two plan to bring their clients back to the Open House on Sunday.  Another is sending her client in NC our brochure.

Our buying agent is talking with the agent of the house we like to see if they would accept a contingency contract and rent us the property until we can close here (it is vacant).

Any and all continued prayers appreciated!

(I know this is all I've been writing about, but it is pretty much occupying every waking moment!)

Of course they came in with a contract that would be best-case for them.

Their initial offer is is almost 10K less than our list price, contingent on the sale of some property they have, and taking possession end of September.  Our agent is finding out if they HAVE to sell that property for financing.  We won't know that until tomorrow.

And so we wait some more.  We plan to counter, but just not sure with what.  The price they offered is too low, so that will definitely be countered at a minimum.  Not sure we can accept a contingency contract either, as that would affect our own search.

The other couple aren't ready yet - are still looking - but they do like our house.

Broker's Open tomorrow, so that could drum up some interest too.

And so it begins...

Things that are good concerning our housing situation:

- We have had 3 showings in the past week.

- All have had good feedback.

- Tonight's is resulting in a contract to be submitted by 10 AM tomorrow morning.

Things that are not so good concerning our housing situation:

- The folks who are writing a contract tonight/tomorrow morning don't want to close on the house until late September.  We need to be moved in mid August.

Things that could make for an interesting twist:

- Our agent is going to contact the agent who showed the house Sunday, whose clients were seeking pre-approval to see if they might also be ready to make an offer.