Today's Walk Through

Met with my GC today to do a walk through just to take a look at everything before he meets with the electrician and plumber.  They've been doing demo and getting stuff cleared out.  Wow... what a difference.

Bathroom:

Kitchen:

Kitchen looking into bathroom:

Garbage barrel full of icky tile:

And the floors... really great shape:

Except for this one area, in front of bathroom... bad doggy or kitty:

All in all great progress!  Exciting... its getting real!

Sneak Peek

Here are some 'before' pictures to show you what I am dealing with

The floors:  The crackheads previous owners installed their own laminate floors.
See how close it is to the wall... quality work.

The paint:
I wish I knew what possessed someone to do this... actually I do not want to know what was going through their veins minds when they did this.

(shudder... its manic!)

The bathroom:
I love the color red... but redum from The Shining comes to mind here...

The kitchen:
There is not much redesign with location but we will upgrade cabinets and get rid of the tile.

 This tile is on all four walls.  Its cheap and ugly.   So we have to take the walls down to the studs and put up new drywall.

The plumbing:
The prior owners had the water turned off in 2008 due to non-payment.  The house was not foreclosed on winterized until October 2010.  At some point, several pipes in the basement burst.  Look at this fun stuff:

The heating:
The home had oil heating and the furnace original to the house and with the lack of water to the home its essentially rusted and cracked.  Even if I wanted to keep the oil heating, I'd have to redo it.  So out with the oil, in with the gas.

The porch:
I love the back porch.  Its a small mud-room porch.  The windows were broken and snow was coming in.  The de-winterization people boarded up a window.

I am excited to show the 'after' pictures!  My design inspiration is 'Beach Cottage'... so pretty much every picture you can find!

Slow Construction Ahead

My luck, both my GC and plumber were out of town for the week following my closing.  I believe the permit applications were submitted before they left.  While my GC was away he set up some guys who work with him to start the demo.

I popped by the house and saw the floors.   They were able to pull the laminate off and the floors look (to me) to be in good shape.  Whew.  That should save us some $$

I got an email from my mortgage company outlining the Draw Process.   She wrote:  During the course of your renovation project, contact your Consultant for each draw request. At each Draw, 10% of the requested amount will be held back. 

So what I need to do is sit down with my GC and fill out column three of the Draw Request Form.   


Its a learning process for both of us and I hope its as simple as it seems.


My next big thing is to get together with my plumber and submit the request to install the gas line.  I am hopeful that is as simple as it seems.

Homeowner....

Yep... that picture is me.  Sleek, cool, homeowner...

Okay maybe not.  Signed all of the papers today.  (Pretty anti-climatic but that's okay!  Enough drama).  Sent out an IM that we'd be at the house for pizza and champagne and had close to 20 people standing in a dark kitchen next to a space heater eating pizza and drinking champagne!  Now on to the renovation!  I snapped pictures of some of the oddities we'll be fixing.

Fingers Crossed...

It looks like closing is on for Tuesday at noon.  I still have no clue what my closing costs will be and have not seen one piece of documentation... but they tell me not to worry.  Honestly its so easy to see how people got into mortgage trouble.  The lawyer I am working with has pretty much told me not to worry my pretty little head.  This big ol' head worries!  My lawyer has said that the FHA/HUD documents are fairly standard so there should be no curveballs.  But my sister has pointed out the last thing you want to have happen is to be presented with a document you've never seen before at the closing.  Trying to think positively and trust my team.  Scary to not know the closing costs still.   

I emailed the 203k consultant to ask what the next steps are.  He replied "Once you close & the money is set up in the escrow account - start the job."  Um... okay!  I am being very Scarlett O'Hara about the actual renovation.  The actual house buying process is my main focus.  Once I have the key (and a big mortgage looming) I will focus more on the renovation.  I know I'll need to focus on getting permits and materials... and that is when I turn into Scarlett O'Hara...  Fiddle-dee-dee...

Quick update on closing... so far we'd been waiting and waiting for the Home Inspection.  Then I find out we need the Foreclosure Deed to finalize the mortgage package.  We are banging up against the $100 per diem and the ball is in my court. 

So late Friday I hear the seller is sending the documents over and the end is in sight (breath still held).  Monday I get an email stating my attorney's office will be contacting me to schedule the closing.  I sent a polite email reminding that I am going out of the country on Saturday without phone and email so need to close by Friday or face the per diem.  Never get a response.

I sent my pesky emails asking for status and making sure everyone had what they needed.  Nice, reassuring emails from my mortgage team (love them more and more)... they are still waiting on documents.  Um, okay.  Get an email and learn that closing is scheduled for noon on Friday.  The day before I go on vacation, in town, at noon!  Ick. 

Then Wednesday get a call that the lender flagged by file for review.  This can normally take a few extra days (that we do not have).  My mortgage team are going to do what they can but why don't I write a 'hardship letter' stating my case.  Frantically write my letter... with help from sister and friends (thanks guys!).  Send it off and find out my team worked their magic for me.  

The following day I call my Insurance Guy.  He sent me a form about the oil tank for "my local fire department" to fill out.  I told him the situataion that its being removed but bounced our BFD headquarters voicemails and ultimately drove to the fire station.  Leave a message for insurance guy.  He calls me to tell me that we need to cancel my already-paid-for insurance policy and need to get a vacant home policy. Its $1000 for three months!!!  ("Dag" does not cover this one... argh!)  But it is what it is... need to be honest and need this policy.  (Who needs a couch anyway?  Amiright?)

I was frantically calling/emailing Mortgage Guy to let him know Insurance Guy is canceling my insurance.  The insurance was a requirement for the mortgage.  So back and forth and growing headache.

Get a call from my lawyer.  He lets me know that the sellers were missing a document on their side.  So they want to bump closing until I get back... and no fee charged to me.  Sellers are apologetic (they never filed Power of Attorney... hate when I do that!)  Then three hours later talk to my realtor about closing the next day, um... they told me it was postponed.  Then talk to Mortgage Guy... he JUST heard it was postponed.  Getting bummed with this attorney.

But that is where I stand.  More waiting but at a good time.  I'll try not to spend my closing costs on cheap trinkets on vacation!  Ohh... and I got the sweetest email from my loan processor.  She said she enjoyed working with me and is excited for me.  I really need to start being more gracious!

I cannot tell you that going on a cruise ship with potential limited access to cell phone and internet could not come at a better time!  I spent my bookstore gift card and cannot wait to park my butt in the sun and read.  I did get a design magazine for inpiration... did you know those things cost $10?  DAG!