onelesscar's blog

We own a money pit

We finally closed on the house this week.  In the end, it was sort of anti-climatic.  Last week we were informed that the new loan docs were ready for signing.  So, we scheduled to go into the escow office in Irvine on Monday rather than pay the premium for a mobile notary service.  Then on Friday we received the infamous 9a report.  It consisted of 2 permits, which I have had in my possession since June 8 and which are available online for anyone to download for free, a statement that there are no liens registered at the county or city on the place, and that the hook-up to the sewer is permitted.  That was it.  That was the info we needed that delayed us two weeks.  Anyway, we signed on Monday, the lender reviewed the docs on Tues and on Wednesday I got a call from the mortgage broker saying they were funding the loan that day.  So, on Thurs.(8/13), the title was recorded with the county in our name and we were officially given the keys.

And now begins the rush to get it all rennovated in time to move in before Little One starts school on 9/9.  It's gonna be a push.  But at least we've settled on a contractor.  Little Sis is taking Little One for the weekend and we're going to work with the contractor today on nailing down the colors for the paint and carpets.  Might also begin packing and start ordering appliances.  The dent and scratch place we bought our washing machine from is out of biz, but now Sears has outlets for such things and the deals look good.

In other news, things at work have been quite busy, especially for summer.  Put a lot of work into figuring out our collection needs for supporting new BA programs in business and media arts.  Also working a lot on the new website.  We're finally going to have our library site accessible via the internet instead of behind the firewall.  Welcome to 2009!  And I'm trying to create some processes that will streamline some of our work during the year, most notably an electronic reference transaction tracking form.  Oh, and it looks like I'll be teaching the first year experience class called the Art of Being Human.  Classes start 8/31 and I haven't even looked at the textbook for the class yet!  And just in case I get bored, my e-portfolio class for the MLIS begins 8/24.  Gonna be a very busy fall.

The things that really matter

And then there are the things that really matter.  As we whine about our petty problems with closing the deal on our house, last night I learned that a friend from Leipzig died last week at the age of 38.  She was married to one of the first guys I ever met in Leipzig, an American musician/painter who happened to be living there at the time.  Apparently she has been fighting cancer for about 18 months.

For us the news came entirely unexpected.  I had not been in touch with the couple for several years.  Then another mutual friend wrote me last week and told me she was sick.  But I didn't realize just how sick.  I found G on Facebook and wrote him a couple of messages.  I didn't get a response, but then last night I checked FB after watching a terrible movie and he had written me on Friday to tell me his wife had died on Sunday.  Better Half and I were both devastated by the news.  Although we only knew her for a few years many years ago, I have very fond memories of her and the loss feels very real.  And I feel so sorry for G.  Now he is on his own in a foreign country raising two teenage kids and he's lost his soul mate of 18 years.

Circus acts (Freak show)

Today is the day we were supposed to close escrow.  Instead, we are in the process of signing an extension addendum b/c the seller's agent did not file the application for the 9a report until yesterday.  City says it takes 10-15 days to issue the report, though it should be quicker.  New close of escrow date is set for Aug. 18, but will hopefully occur sooner.

The Seller's agent was very smug about the application, claiming in his email to our agents that when he submitted the app he was told anyone could submit it.  No shit Sherlock.  That wasn't the point.  The point was we needed the property owner's signature on the application.  What a complete dickhead.  Meanwhile, this morning I get a smug email from one-half of the Dynamic Duo.  I quote: " When this is over you can write a book on 'How our realtor was right..we should not buy a bank foreclosure..or what I did on my summer vacation.'"  Um, that's helpful.  Or maybe I should title it, "How my realtors neglected to work for their commission b/c we did not buy a house as expensive as they had wanted us to"  Or how about: "Your realtor gets the commission and you get to do the work."  This is the same bozo who wanted me to sign two days ago that all contingencies had been removed and took me to remind her that in fact we still did not have the effing report.

Unfortunately, this also means that new loan docs have to be drawn and we have to re-sign everything.  We paid a lot of money to do this just before Better Half went to Germany -- all for naught.  I think this time we'll drive down to the escrow office in Irvine and do it there when the time comes.  Better yet would be to get Seller to pay for the expense of having the notary drive out to us.

Meanwhile, when I picked up Little One yesterday from day camp she was complaining of chest pains.  She had been in the pool at camp, so got a lot of sun and swallowed a lot of water.  I figured a little R&R and she'd be ok.  But she complained all evening long.  I called the doc, who basically said give her children's tylenol and if she's still complaining in the morning bring her in.  Well, she's still complaining.  So BH has taken her to the doc.  Maybe asthma?  We'll see.

Spoke last night with Dr. B, who is back stateside.  It was good catching up and we're excited about being able to see them more regularly.  Welcome back, dude.

It really should not be this difficult

We are having another hang-up in escrow that is driving me to distraction.  The Seller is required to provide us with a so-called 9a report from the city.  Only an owner of property can order this report, something that I learned on June 8 when I visited the office where it is done.  I went there b/c our real estate agent told me to order one, so she obviously is clueless about how it works. 

In any case, I also learned that a 9a report for the property was issued last Sept., probably by the former owners as they tried to short sell.  The bank must be in possession of this report and I asked back on June 8, why can't we just get them to send us that report?  And nothing bloody happened. 

Last week, we were sent the application form for the report which we had to sign and then, at our expense, FedEx to the Seller in expectation that they would immediately sign and deliver to the city.  As of today, no such application has been submitted. 

Meanwhile, the Dynamic Duo sends us forms to sign today, one of which says we agree that all contingencies have been removed.  So, I ask, but what about the 9a?  And it's not until I ask (first via email, and then telephone a few hours later when nobody had responded to email) that they begin to do something. 

I'm fuming mad at the Dynamic Duo and IndyMac, and I'm nervous about what's in that report.  They have a fucking report from Sept., so they know what's in it--why don't they show us?  What's with the foot dragging? The escrow officer says many people close w/out the report, but she doesn't like to do it that way b/c sometimes something ugly does appear on the report, like no sewer permit or stuff of that nature.  Which is precisely why I have been nagging about this for the past seven weeks.  AAAGGHH!!

Folding Cargo Bike

We like this -- a folding bike and a cargo bike in one. Very ingenious.

Coming Home

Tomorrow Better Half and Little One return.  It's been a strange two weeks here without them.  While I was able to get some things done, I certainly didn't get as much done as hoped and I missed them.  It wasn't like a painful, emotional missing, but their absence created a palpable void.  In any case, I'm very happy they are coming back. I look forward to hearing more from LO of her experiences and perceptions of the trip.

On the house buying front, termite work was supposed to begin today.  As far as I know, it did.  I'm just praying they don't find additional stuff that needs to be repaired as they go along.  Meanwhile, the lender finally got around to determining how they want the arrangement regarding the repair hold officially worded in escrow docs.  So, hopefully I'll learn tomorrow just what we need to deposit into the escrow account. 

The seller, in the meantime, is only now getting around to applying for a 9a report from the county.  We've been bugging them about this since the second week of June.  Not sure if it'll actually arrive before closing.  I ended up having to FedEx them a signature today b/c the county won't accept faxed/emailed signatures and nobody from the seller's office bothered to notice that in the application instructions, so we lost another day as a result.  Boneheads--every single one of them.

Gave two demos of the Brompton today to folks at work.  I tend to stow it on the back side of my desk, which is facing the entrance to our office, so if there's no book truck in front of it, people definitely notice it.  They are invariably incredulous.  I'm more than happy to show them how it works.  If I ever end up unemployed as a librarian, I'd probably be a pretty effective salesperson for Brommies.

On the subject of riding, what I don't get is why my ride never feels like it's getting any easier.  I mean, it's obvious when you first start out after a long hiatus that the ride is going to be a bitch.  But, you'd think that after a few weeks, your body would be in shape and, if not sailing up the hill, you'd at least not find it really tough each time.  And, yet, such is the case.  Each time I head up the hill, I'm giving it all I've got and the exertion level is pretty maxed out.  The lack of a truly low granny gear is no doubt part of it.  Be that as it may, the payoff is fantastic.  After I've cooled down, showered and gotten behind my desk, I've got an incredible rush of endorphins that generally lasts well into the afternoon.  You can't beat that.

Back to normal (hopefully)

So things took a turn for the better regarding the messy escrow situation this week.  The day after they said we would have to get all termite work done before the close of escrow, the boss of our mortgage broker (who conveniently went on a 2 day vacation he neglected to mention to me) emails me and says the credit union has "graciously" agreed to do a repair hold, giving us 30 days to complete the work after close of escrow.  Their conditions:  it has to be all section 1 work (I had only planned to do portions, leaving in particular the cracked shower pan to do at a later date since it's expensive and not something we are likely to use often), we need to hold 1.5x the cost of the estimated repair work (raises what we need to bring it at escrow significantly, but we'll manage), and I have to write them a letter reaffirming that it is a priority for us to get this done within 30 days (fine, whatever).

Meanwhile, I had already rescheduled with the termite folks to begin work next week.  So, then the dilemma was do I keep that slot or put it off until after COE?  On the advice of the Dynamic Duo, we're sticking with the plan to go ahead next week.  Got them to also schedule the additional work (shower pan and other dry rot stuff) and as it turns out, if all goes as planned, they'll be done two days after COE.  Last Friday we also got the signature from the seller's agent to authorize the work, since they still own the property.

Today I traveled out there by bus and bike again.  Needed to get a signature from the neighbor to allow access to her property for the fumigation and I also wanted to get the bathroom tile from the shed and put it in the bathroom where they are going to replace the shower pan.  Met Middle Sis for brunch at Auntie Em's and then we headed over to the house.  Unfortunately, after we moved the tiles, the neighbor was gone, so I couldn't get her sig.

So then I went to the local public library branch to do some homework.  The PL is about the same size as the branch here, but seems a little nicer.  Definitely dug the a/c, and while I was worried about being able to get a PC terminal, it turned out to be no prob.  Found and printed an article and read it and I was good to go.

Went back to the neighbor's, but once again she was out.  Should be back w/in 40 mins the kids tell me.  So, I hang out and read my book

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah

We're reading this for our annual One Campus, One Book program.  Very intense.  We were hoping to get the author to come speak, but he's asking $20K in speaking fees, which is much too much.

Anyway, she finally shows up and signs off no prob.  So, it looks like all the ducks are lined up, although I still haven't heard if they've succeeded in getting an escrow amendment for this new situation.

I decided to try a different way home.  I left the house in ER at about 5:30 and cut through the hills and down into Highland Park to catch the Gold Line train to Union Station.  This is a short ride (less than 3 miles), but the hill rivals the climb on my current commute.  Here's the route in Bikely:

ER to Highland Park Metro

Ride to Highland Park Metro

 

Train ride was fine-- it takes 13 mins.  At Union Station, I head up to catch the bus.  I think it was around 6:20 or so.  I didn't have a schedule with me and for some absurd reason the timetables are not posted at bus stops in LA, but I knew that the bus I wanted came once an hour and I had written down from the week before that there was a 5:37 bus.  So, I figured there must be a 6:37.  Well, the time came and went and no bus showed.  Ended up waiting until 7:40 before a bus arrived and got to SP an hour later.  Ugh.  Checked the timetable online, and there damn well should have been a bus at 6:40.  Certainly not a good sign if I'm hoping to use this for my regular commute.

Little One called me Friday morning.  And when I say morning, I mean early morning.  4:45 am, to be precise.  But I was just psyched to talk to her.  The times I've called in the past, she hadn't been in the mood to talk with me.  This time she was in the mood.  Chatted about her experience sleeping over at her old babysitter's place.  Actually, said a lot of other stuff, but I don't remember the half of it b/c I was so tired.  It just felt nice.

Gourds show on YouTube

Finally got around to posting the link from YouTube of that Gourds set from Valentines day that we went to.  You can find the full show embedded in the review of that concert here.  Enjoy.

Nightmare on Escrow St.

Not a good day. The escrow situation is rapidly disintegrating.  A week ago, it was determined we could sign the loan docs before BH went to Germany.  At that point, it was discovered that some of the money we had been credited by the seller was still not being used up.  The credit was issued for pest control work, repairing the roof and fixing some drywall in the garage, but we didn't want to do any of that work until after closing.

For the past week, we've gone back and forth with the idea of doing some work prior to closing versus having what is called a repair hold in escrow.  In the latter case, work would be done after closing, but the money for it would be sitting in escrow and paid out upon completion.  Getting the work done ahead of time was beginning to look too complicated, so we decided to go with the repair hold.  This was initially suggested by the mortgage broker, I'll call him Freddy Krueger since his real name is very close and this is turning into a horror story.  The Dynamic Duo, our real estate agents (alias given by BIL), thought this was not a hot idea b/c they thought the lender would balk.  But time is running out and Freddy said it wouldn't be a prob.

So, yesterday I finally order the work to be done (some woodwork and fumigation), beginning the day after closing.  I didn't authorize all the termite work on the inspection report to be done b/c I had spoken with the inspector and he said certain items were not critical at this juncture.  So, I figured we'd wait.  I was feeling pretty good about having finally made some progress on at least one thing that needs to get done.  But then suddenly Freddy comes back today and says the lender wants the work done before closing.  Well, that's basically impossible at this point b/c of the lead time needed to order a fixed window frame.  And now all of the sudden they want to see the pest inspection report and I'm worried they will now require the other items to be done that I didn't yet authorize.   Getting these other items done would take even longer, especially as one involves fixing a leak from the shower pan in the downstairs bathroom -- that means getting a replacement pan (which apparently takes time) and tile work.  Every day that we go beyond the contractual closing date of 7/29 costs us a $300 fee and $100 per day for up to 10 days.  Not even sure what happens if we don't close within the extended 10 days.

At this point, I've sent the mortgage broker the pest inspection report for him to send to the VP and CFO of the Credit Union.  I've explained to him that we're gonna get the work done, but that it's unrealistic to expect it to be done before closing.  I've also assured him our interests and the lender's interests are the same -- we want a house that is a great place to live and a good investment.  And I sent him an initial pest inspection which was commissioned by the seller that didn't even catch 1/4 of the items found in the pest inspection we commissioned.  Had we simply gone with that initial inspection, the bank (and we) would have never known about the other issues needing repair.

I'm trying not to lose it here, but this really sucks.  I feel really betrayed.  The Dynamic Duo are trying to help, but at the same time they've got a bit of attitude going on; an "I-told-you-so" for not going with the mortgage broker they recommended.  Sorry, but they guy they recommended was not working for me--took too long to respond to requests for info, sent wrong info, slick Willy type.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day. 

Ich calle you

Just spoke briefly with Little One on the phone.  Yesterday when I called she told me, "Dad I was just watching something on TV and I don't want to miss it.  Can you call later?"  Yeah, okay, I get it. 

Today they were in the cafe at a park we used to frequent in our old neighborhood.  Had a play date with her old friend from KiTa.  I spoke with her in German, and she seemed fine with that.  Seems the kids got along well and were able to understand each other.  But again, she didn't want to talk long as they were eating.  "Ich calle you -- I'll call you" she says to me in closing.