It's a sign...I'm telling you, it's a sign

On Friday I retracted the offer I had in on a condo.  When you are buying a condo you get a shit load of paperwork on the HOA and their financial positions, rules, regulations etc.  It's called their Resale Certificate.  It was almost 200 pages of eye crossing put you to sleep reading.

Me being me, I'm all into the details and did my due diligence and saw some stuff I don't like.  Particularly a 30% increase in the HOA dues and still not enough will be in their reserve funds to cover the maintenance that will be required in the next 2-3 years. (It's a late 70's building).  

So buy buy offer.  I was not comfortable with what I saw.

BUT BUT BUT...  here is where "the sign" comes in.

On the exact same day I took my other offer off the table, this unit came back on the market.  *yay me* They had an open house on Saturday so I went to take a look.   The issue with this one turns out to be some lack of storage.  The storage on thet deck is maybe 1/2 of what I have not and there is no storage in the laundry closet (just big enough for a stackable units) and only an ity bity coat closet.   In exchange for that lack of storage, I gain a 3/4 bath.   So some give & take and it would be a very sweet deal if I can get it down to the top of my price range.

Making an offer today. Wish me luck!

Randoms stuff in my head

1. I'm kind of disappointed that I haven't heard a word from the step dad over the last few months. I didn't really blog about it in detail, and I still might, but basically he has had a really hard time dealing with my mom's passing. In a nut shell, he isn't dealing with his grief at all and it turned him into someone I didn't know and I was the unfair target of his anger. It kind of came to a head this summer, well, and I haven't heard from him since August. I thought maybe my birthday he would reach out...nada. Thought maybe Christmas.....nada. Oh well, I just pray that he is getting the help he needs and live my life the best that I can.

Oh and FYI, yes, I've tried over and over since she passed to maintain the relationship only to get burned over and over so after long talks and some insight from my grief counselor it was suggested that for my own progress I needed to step back until he's able to get help or get past his anger.

2. Still waiting on my condo. I knew it was going to be a wait and I'm doing OK with that... but of course I'm getting ants in my pants. Last night I found myself browsing the isles of Big Box Home Improvement Store just to get ideas and see how much some things would cost to upgrade & replace. It was AWESOME! I'm thinking I may have to ditch the whole accounting thing and become a contractor. We shall see how I feel about that when I actually have my own home to maintain.

3. The guy situation.  He really seems to be trying to win me back, even from afar. Last week I got a super exciting gift from him. This gift may just involve me spending this coming Saturday at an amazing day spa up the the mountains. This general location also happens to be one of "our" spots.... one of our fist dates, return visits for romantic getaways and hikes in the woods. I am so looking forward to the day of pampering I can hardly stand myself. He sure knows the way to this woman's heart is thru the spa! lol. I'm only 1/2 kidding, I know there is more to this than being wooed by amazing thoughtful gifts from 1/2 around the world.... but I'm sure not going to turn it down.

4. The Mrs just sent out her Valentine Swap partners and I'm really excited. I participated in her Christmas swap and it was a lot of fun. To me, it's so interesting to see what someone you only "know" thru a blog come up.

5. I have some good stuff to look forward to. My most awesome bestest cutest funnies Granny is turning 90 next month! Sheesh that's old! I'll be heading over to the other side of the state to celebrate with her and the rest of the fam. I'm about due for another dose of good family time. You know, those people that totally get my sarcasm (because they are the cause of it!), know my history and where I'm coming from. Dysfunctional as we can be, these people have got my back and I love them.

6. I love Skype.

7. I have written about my fitness goals for awhile. That’s because I had some bumps in the road, lost ½ of my previous progress, two months of maintaining only over the holidays (but good god, with all the cookies I ate it’s a miracle that I managed to offset that with the exercise), but this last week I finally put my heart and soul into it and I made progress!! Lost 2.8lbs but better than that my measurements changed and I’m back to the same lean muscle mass that I was in August and within half a pound of being at that same weight again too. I don’t have a lot to lose, but round about 12 lbs to get to my comfortable weight and a size where I’m fitting into all my clothes again. *whew*


Bring it on 2010. I feel in a generally good mental state to tackle some of the challenges I know I have coming up…. I’m prepared. I will prevail. I will be living the best life that I can.

The Waiting Game

Patience is a virtue.... good things come to those who wait...blah blah blah.

Therefore I am short one important virtue.

2010 is starting off as a waiting game for moi.

- Waiting for my first care packages to hit their target (check this one off, mission complete)
- Waiting on answers regarding my condo purchase
- Waiting on police departments and insurance companies so I can put an accident from this summer behind me
- Waiting for me to get off my duff and update my blog layout (how many months ago was October?)
- Waiting for a lighten bolt, slap in the face, name written in the clouds, something to help me make some big decisions already.

OK, so two of the 4 open items are actually waiting for me to take action.  Hmmmmm....so not only am I lacking the virtue of patience, I'm also a procrastinator.   How the hell do those two wide up in the same personality.  Talk about a life long conflict.

"How much human life is lost in waiting?" Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Joseph Campbell

Don't fence me in

I finished up my mortgage application paperwork during a lunch meeting with my lender today.  I maybe shouldn't have been so concerned about getting that right combo of grape, chicken, and almond on my fork and paid more attention, but it was pretty straight forward. This kind of stuff and process makes sense to me for the most part.  Put anything together in a format that looks even vaguely like a tax form and I get all excited so it was painless.

That is until, "What if I want to pick up and move this summer?" popped into my head....  "What am I going to do being tied down like this, I can't just pack up and go!?!"

This is the biggest commitment of my life.   It holds me down to one particular place. Even to have a wedding ring, that doesn't mean I have to stay in this same city and neighborhood for a good bit of time.

"Oh my this could be a real issue" says Me to Me.

BUT ONLY IF I WAS THE TYPE OF PERSON TO MOVE ON A WHIM WHICH I'VE NEVER DONE IN MY LIFE NEVER MOVE OUTISDE THIS STATE AND HAVE RENTED THE SAME APARTMENT FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS!

I find it interesting that my brain is making up such unrealistic fears. Why would that even be a worry? Why would I be concerned about losing a freedom that I never even took advantage of in the first place?

Dude.  I need help.

And now the goodie gumdrops stuff!

And being predictable I'm compelled to talk about the good stuff and things I'm feeling super duper (yeah I said super duper) good about.


Condo shopping

My agent is putting together the paperwork for an offer on a condo. It is a short sale so is going to take some time but there is no financial barrier to me taking my offer off the table at any time. In the mean time we'll keep our eyes peeled for anything that I like better. I'm in no rush, my first home purchase isn't going to be perfect, but it's perfect if the price is right!


This....

and this.....

And after way to many of the above.. I mean, that was cookie monster and not me... I'm glad that I have been consistently in the gym. Not making any big progress but at least enough to burn off what I've been shoving in my face.

My family is mending

Thanksgiving was such a great gathering and we had so much fun! It reminds me of old times (like 4 years ago old times). I was so worried that we would be broken forever and that just wasn't the case. Ten golf umbrellas, three broken thermometers and a bagillion of the best Irish Coffees later we had delish deep friend turkey and all the trimmings.

I kind of skipped town for Christmas last year because I couldn't stand the thought of another horrible downer dripping with loss and grief holiday. I went with my boyfriend to meet his family and celebrate with them and it was awesome. A family that was full of love and cheer and laughter. I was craving that and missing that in my own family.

We're BACK! I can't wait to get back with them for Christmas next week. We are also adding in my uncle's family this year so it will be a big gathering for us. I'm in charge of Christmas Eve dinner for 16! Bring it on... . Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Wii bowling, more of the best Irish Coffees in the world. Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmmm. Good times. Now if my Granny could only remember what she did with the boxes that I had delivered to her house on Saturday it will be perfect. *sigh*

Friends Stuff

I have lots coming up before I leave too. The celebration of one of my BFF's birf day on Saturday, more cookie and holiday goodie baking on Sunday. I'm taking my friend's 13 year old daughter under my wing and showing her how it's done... cookies from scratch. This will be her first scratch baking experience.

And I'm glad that I still manage to peek thru the tough emotional times and appreciate all that I do have.

Oh and Rudolph

You have to check out this hilarious take on the classic Rudolph.  It my favorite from childhood and this blogger's view point seeing it for the first time as an adult is awesome.


Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to everyone!!!

How am I suppose to keep emotions out of this?!?

::sigh::

I am already like a crack fiend waiting for that little email to pop up telling me there is a new listing.

I've already got bent out of shape over a place that I wanted but due to some shady listing practice already had an offer as soon as it was listed. (I don't quite know all the details but my agent said it wasn't right)

I've been told that if I can keep emotions out of it, we can consider short sales so I can get a great deal.  And trust, there are more short sales than regular sales in the hood where I'm looking.  I'm not worried that it will be a bad investment, it's just that 2 years ago prices were soaring.  This is a sound and desireable neighborhood.

I have to share, here is the place I was upset about today.  It's exactly what I was looking for...with the exclusion of the nasty wall paper and outdated appliances. Those are easy changes.   2 bedroom, 1.75 bath, huge deck with extra storage. :::BIG sigh:::

All righty.. I'm off to poke someones eyes out and be grumpy. Have wonderful weekends!

Feet Wet

Got my feet wet last night. I did my first round of looking at condos. It was a really good experience but how odd was it to be in folks’ homes and opening cupboards and looking in closets. I was really hesitant at first but by the 3rd unit I was all up in it.


I learned some things that I like and some I definitely don't. It was a good start and now I have some things under my belt for comparison purposes. Frustrating to find a unit that I really liked the space and the bedrooms and the master bath was AWESOME but it was the strangest set up to get from the parking to the building. Creepy and I'm in the land of rain that doesn't stop all winter, like I'm willing to go for a hike with my groceries? Don't think so.

Now I sit staring at my email and the listing sights like I'm a crack fiend and the new listing is my dealing pulling into the driveway with a goodie!

Hi ho...hi ho... condo shopping I will go....

I'm nervous as hell, but I'm doing it.  I'm taking the step from browsing on the internet to actually getting an agent and making appointments to go look at some condos!

What am I doing?  I'm not too sure myself other than getting tired of renting.  I have been saving and thinking that "someday" I will use that money for a down payment on a house for me and my family. Hmmm. No family, why wait? Why not buy something for me?

Three years ago when I'd be out walking I'd pull fliers and see how ridonkulous prices for "apartments" in my neighborhood are.  Frustrated that I couldn't even afford to buy a small condo in the neighborhood where I'm currently renting.  Guess what, prices are falling and I'm no longer priced out of my own hood.

I haven't even gone to my first appointment (it's tomororw) and I'm already thinking about buyers remorse and what might happen as soon as I plunk down what feels to me like a fortune on a down payment and closing costs.  Scared to death is about how I've felt over the last two weeks that this has been brewing.

Frustrations

1. I KNOW I CAN BUY A NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY FOR WHAT I'LL BE PAYING FOR A 2 BEDROOM CONDO.  I've been there, I've been house shopping, I know it to be true.  However, I don't want to live in Augusta GA so I'll suck it up and buy where I'm perfectly happy.

2. After HOA dues and property taxes I'm looking about $20k less than I had thought I'd be able to afford.

3. Two of my top picks I had to drop like hot potatoes becuase my agent found out that there were pending lawsuits and other messy stuff that I won't even think about getting involved in.

4. The reality of living on a budget and not dipping into savings when I want to run away to Hawaii or where ever sucks.

All for now. We'll see if something "perfect" comes up for me or not.