Club 600

pointy them fence posts

Thanks for the recommendation. I bagged them and then went out for a couple hours. They were a little crispy when I got back so I rejarred them. Should have a solid humidity reading in the morning

Just a quick update on our house search:

The current owners are broke and unable to make the repairs, and even if they weren't broke they would be unwilling to make them (skinflint bastards).
They refinanced a short while ago, and had been doing repairs & updates through those short years (they bought it in 2001), and would just break even by selling it at $155k.

They somehow feel asking only $2,500 less than 100% of market value for a similar house (that has no no problems or looming issues) will work for them.
But there is a structural issue under the house, a fire hazard in the garage with the hot-air exhaust pipe, a growing moisture & mold issue in the attic, and plywood siding that's rotting from the bottom up, and a host of smaller issues.
All that is going to cost between $4,000 and $6,000 to repair (and it might cost more, that is just my rough estimate), and we're not willing to drain our meager bank account after spending $155k to buy a house that is only worth (maybe) $157,500 (if everything was in working order with no issues).
So we are backing out, and getting our earnest money back tomorrow.
If they had said in their ad it was being sold "as-is" we wouldn't have even wasted the $375 dollars on a home inspection, and would have just kept looking.
The search continues.
Everything works out exactly as it should, so...
... onward & upward!

Buying a house is probably the biggest financial investment we ever make and you are being prudent. Keep looking and the right one will appear.

There's been more than one closing where the seller had to pay the deficit.
It's cheaper to pay a small fee than have major problems.


cof

Indeed.
When we find the right house, it will be our second home purchase, and 3rd actual round of house buying, so we're getting better at it, but you can never, ever trust the seller.
Shoot, can't really even trust your agent, as they get a commission no matter what house you buy.
Caveat emptor, and all that rot and mush.

We'll find the right home.
Just a matter of a little more time.

Ben busy workin with a new purge system and tubes and new butane here was my final product ...used colibri this time

There's a lot of over inflated housing right now too creating a false market. It's a hard time to buy actually unless you're willing to pay more than the house is worth which is crazy, my sister is going through the same thing right now trying to find a house. Good luck

Thanks, supchaka
It's early in the buying season, so more houses will be popping up the closer it gets to summer vacation, and it becomes time when families are moving & selling their houses between school years.
The current home owners just spent their money unwisely on trinkets & useless junk to adorn their walls instead of fixing issues with their home, and it's biting them in the ass.
We have reported the damage to the house to Chase so, unless the problems are fixed, or the cost of repairs are added to the mortgage, it will be impossible for anyone going through Chase to get a loan for it.
There are other houses on the market, and will be a lot more in the next two or three months, and through the Summer, so we aren't worried.
If any agent or seller thinks they're going to roll over on me, they have no clue of just how stubborn, obstinate, and forthright I can be.
Some of you know how "thrifty" I can be, and how spending even a measly $100 on something that's needed is a difficult thing for me to justify, so think of how I am when there is $155k on the line.
I don't mind buying a fixer-upper house, but only if the price reflects the difference between market value and cost of repairs.
These home owners wouldn't budge on the price, and are not willing to bring the house up to code, so we've rejected their "counter offer" and are already looking at a couple of other places.
And our agent has been siding with the sellers instead of us, so we are firing her, we're firing Coldwell Banker, and will be finding a different agent/brokerage to go through from here on out.
Sgt. Rock is in the house (or soon will be).

Did the agent have the listing too? That way they get all of the commission-less brokerage fee.

You might consider estate sales. The houses are often inherited and not needed and are usually sold for less than market value to pay debts
It's still a buyers' market, continue to be bold....and have patience.


cof

Another agent & brokerage has the listing, so our agent would be splitting it.

We've got all of our ducks in a row, have enough for more than 20% down so we're going to hold out for the right house at the right price.
Our rent is only $550 a month, so we can hold out indefinitely, and the longer it takes, the more our investments earn us.
We have up to $155k loan amount pre-approved and it's locked in at 3.625% until the middle of May, and will be keeping an eye on the MLS, and hiring a better agent who will work for us and not the seller.
Just matter of time now.

Germination Update #420:

It looks like there is going to be close 100% germination of the 12 Extrema seeds I put into water 23-hours ago...
(*all look like they are ready to put out a tap root, and two of them already have)
(**and by "water" I mean water with a little bit of rooting compound added to it, and a little vitamin B-1)

Morning all, happy 420 across the globe (when you get there).

Likes all around
tis 4/20 it Tis!
happy Holliday

Happy 420 to those who're already there!
And happy 420 to us 419-ers!

there will be a 25% discount on the BB site later today....happy 420!

Sha-slanka!!!

Sorry about the house Dob, but its for the best if its got all those issues

No worries
Who knows, in a month, the homeowners may knuckle under if no one else has the extra money to throw at it.
I was stressed out right up until the last e-mail rejecting our addendums to our offer, but feel so much more relaxed now.
So going to ring in 4/20 with some early-picked M1 bud-age to celebrate and then make something to eat.
Am working on some background music for a short vid, too.
Will have it online and post it here today (Saturday).

We negotiated for our house starting in April and closed in August. They did not fix what they promised to, so my wife told the bank to cancel the loan. The agents chipped in $1500 each to make the deal work. We also hung around the neighborhood during the day and night a couple times to make sure that there were not any crazy people. We had three at our old house. Hope this helps.




Look what is in my jar:





Bug hunter!

Made some hash butter for the holiday. Can't wait till morning to see what the Green Fairy left me under the 420 tree


Cheers 600 Club and happy 420!

Mo

Dog 2010 from seed and Deep Blue F4.

Peace, DST