Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Bump in the Road
I woke up this morning knowing that these are my last couple of weeks here, that my husband and I will be closing on our house on the 21st and moving shortly thereafter. I spent some of today's naptime clicking through odds and ends online to furnish or decorate the house, emailed myself a dozen or so items I want to remember for the upcoming weeks.

The rest of naptime, I spent working out and showering up, thinking about how very little the scale at the doctors office was intimidating me for a change (referring to my afternoon 24 week check up.) After all, I've been exercising hard, eating well and drinking enough water to happily float a family of fish in my stomach at all times. I've even traded my hard walks in for spurts of jogging (something I normally don't do while sporting a miniature Buddah-belly.)

My husband arrived early from work to pick The Boss and I up. The day was smooth sailing. All systems seemed Go.

That is, until I opened the passenger side door and noticed the loan application sitting on my seat. Something that is so very out of place in our situation - backwards. We've already been approved, got confirmation, have a closing date set. What is this? Why now? Huh?

We're not dead in the water, is how my husband begins explaining it to me. I had no idea we were anywhere even near water. But, apparently, there have been some complications with the bank and our mortgage.

The house we're (hoping to be) buying is a nice wood framed home built in 2000...on the rails where once stood a 1970 single-wide trailer. And there's the rub. Although the home itself is practically brand-spankin' new and in near perfect condition (according to both the home inspector and the appraiser), because it was built on top of the stupid metal rails from an otherwise demolished and long gone trailer (which was the only way they could build a new, non-mobile house in community of mobile homes) - it is, according to paperwork, a 1970 mobile home.

And apparently, this ridiculous little on-paper-only technicality is a problem for the bank. They don't do mobiles that were built pre-1980. Uh...ok...but this home isn't a mobile, and it was built in 2000. And, is there some reason that they couldn't have brought this to our attention before they committed to give us a mortgage? Or is it more fun to chatter around the office cooler about how you tricked another poor family into thinking they could actually own a home?

Oh, but there are lots of options, my husband quotes our mortgage broker as I stare blankly ahead trying not to imagine bringing my daughter home from the hospital to live with us in my parents house.

Still, everything he says makes sense - we do have options. The bank may decide to make an exception based on the appraisal. If not, there are other banks. Other options. We're not, infact, dead in any water. But still, it's more stress for me that I have no place to escape from.

(Oh. And then, I stepped on the scale at the doctors office and it laughed at me. More of a snicker, really. And I swear it said, Eat as healthy as you want and exercise 'till it hurts, but you can't trick me!)

Bump in the road. Bump in my belly. So goes life.


14 Comments:

Blogger Leesha said...

Deep and meaningful I know, but everything happens for a reason Mella.

~Leesha~

Blogger TrappedInColorado said...

Nothing happens for a reason. There are only results and repercussions. You definitely will find this, looking back, as a bump in the road. You will be in that house, Mella. Live your life as if you have accomplished what you want and it will be provided. Really.

Well there's a happy dichotomy of opinions on this.

Everything will be ok...

Blogger david C said...

Mortgage brokers and banks are so much fun. I have been self employed for 16 years and I have never missed a payment for anything. Despite the fact that I had 25% down on my latest house, no debts and had had a much larger mortgage in the past, I still had huge hassles trying to get the paperwork done and approved. I was even asked if I could get a co-signer if need be. (we changed brokers at that time)...

Best wishes, I know it will sort out... The hardest part is getting approved for the loan, then everything else is a hoop to jump through...

From J, D and E...

Blogger JPM said...

Mella,

A partial list of some of the top life stresses:

Pregnancy
Moving
Buying a house
Applying for a mortgate
Starting a new job/course of study
Raising a Toddler

You've got quite a few that alwasy come out on the top of the list. And yet you've still got the clearness of mind to blog about The Boss asking for "this" and hairy dock spiders. Somthing tells me you guys will end up being fine.

Blogger goatman said...

I can't imagine why anyone would build a house on the frame of a mobile home??.
Why not build on a concrete slab or basement for your structure? Makes no sense!


This may be a sign to pass this turkey up; or find a structural engineer to look at the situation. Banks don't pass up a possible loan for no reason. Be careful.

Just a tip in passing.
Peace

Blogger LJ said...

Geez, Louise. Good luck, honey! Let us know what happens?

Blogger HandyGirl said...

banks want your money. there are streets full of them, all eager to take some cash off your hands, so maybe you'll end up with a better deal if you switch...my friend is buying a house right now and just had some yukky problems with the bank...it's stressful when your future appears to rest in someone else's hands. i'll go light a candle now...

Blogger chuck said...

AS you are a knowledgeable LEO, you know the quotidian cosmological harmonic
(with mercury retro. through July 24)suggests that things will get better when mercury 'goes direct' on the 24th...

"Everything gonna work out fine... 'Girl'..." --Great Grammy Leila's wiccan invocation for solving all problems.

By the way...have you had a sonagram?-I believe the sex of your baby-to-be is a GIRL.

Blogger Darkmind said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

Blogger LJ said...

Second Darkmind! Ever watch the movie, "Brazil?" Finances work like that! How's it going, Mella? I'm checking for news.

Blogger Mella said...

Still going...Sorry, haven't had much time for updating, but not because of this stress. I've actually been busy doing what I do whenever life starts stressing me out...writing. Imagine that...

Will post news, writings and updates soon - thank you everyone for checking in!

Blogger Zhoen said...

Like Winnie the Pooh going downstairs.

Bump. Bump. Bump.

Blogger Teri said...

OMG, I feel your pain!

Or is it more fun to chatter around the office cooler about how you tricked another poor family into thinking they could actually own a home?

Right! I read this line and realized that's how I felt through my home buying process...that it could happen for other people, but not for me. Like my realtor and mortgage broker were laughing at us on their lunch break:

Ha! Teri and Steve think they're cut out for home ownership! Living paycheck to paycheck! They've carried the maximum balance on their Sears card for three years now! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!! Let's have some fun with these kids, throw 'em for a few loops!

Keep breathing. Sending you much love and closing energy. :)

P.S. The magnitude of what you're doing - in your mini Buddha belly there - blows that petty conversation about the scale out of the water. I know you know this academically. Feel your glory, mama! You're perfect.

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