I don't want to jump in...unless this feels like something...

Should one date someone that wears boat shoes.....and of does not own a boat? Someone that is 37 and failed to have a relationship for the last 6 years? Someone who works to much? Someone that is so amazingly handsome but has no brains? Someone that heads out to church every Sunday? Choices...choices...choices.

A few lines from my favorite Cake song are useful when making these types of decisions

I don't want to think back to the one thing I wish I would have done....
People. Just do it. Just go where you want to go, do what you want to do, see who you want to see, let other people be uncomfortable if they need to be that way. Live the life that you imagine and throw caution to the wind....that is where it belongs. You never know until you ask, say how you feel, try something new, and live in the experiences you design.

I don't want to doubt you nor know everything about you....
Sometimes not knowing...like remember when you first started dating someone and they were all mysterious? might actually be more exciting then spending the first few weeks of your dating life drilling each other. Perhaps instead just snack on each other. Take a nibble here and there and have a good time.

I don't want to sit across the table from you wishing I could run...
This is a zinger for me...happens every single time before I end a relationship or fail to start one for that matter. When sitting with someone and you feel like wow---i need to run for it!!!! ABORT MISSION.

With all that said I am back in the game...slowly finding my way in and out of new lives of interesting people. Stay tuned.

Change Change Change......

Let me introduce you to my new attempt at life: city living. This process has been so unbelievable as well as good as well as bad as well as confusing. Getting used to:

1.) parking 4 blocks away
2.) taking my dog out for a walk instead of having a dog door
3.) sharing a building with neighbors who keep sending me nasty grams with stuff like "we understand you are taking deliveries through the lobby" "we understand you did not use the elevator pads"
4.) walking everywhere--which is good not bad
5.) having a yoga studio just a hop skip and a jump away
6.) running into about 10 men every afternoon at the dog park who seem to be the only do owners in my neighborhood
7.) figuring out that I have to go up on the roof to get my ac serviced...and that would require me to get a key to the back deck of a neighbor and his permission
8.) being away from my old support group
9.) trying to fit every possible thing you need to do when you move into a schedule that is packed with living, working, and job searching
10.) waking up every morning and hoping its just going to eventually work.....


The drama around closing has somewhat subsided. The leak has been repaired...but the huge hole in the ceiling needs to be patched. Eventually it will all work out. Breathing in and out.....

Off to study with Nancy this week...my yoga teacher from Maui. Very excited about getting out of my head and into a different groove that doesn't require stressing about license plates, leaks, cranky neighbors, or anything else on the list!

Closure--Literally

This last week has been the biggest nightmare of my life. To summarize:

1.) Buyers mortgage “suddenly” feel through.

2.) All real estate agents involved in the problem, that would be Andy Higgins and Mary something a rather were completely incompetent to resolve this problem. These idiots actually thought they were going to get Bank of America to provide a loan to my buyers after the lender did not return any calls for TWO DAYS.

3.) After Bank of America did respond to the buyers guess what-----these morons decided to cash out some of their 401K to cover the difference needed in the new loan(is anyone asking why did they need a new loan in the first place? Where is the accountability from the lender on the first mistake? Why isn’t someone standing on the desk of the mortgage guy?) and then decided to have this check sent in the US MAIL. I am shaking my head while I write this.

4.) The idiot agent duo didn’t even think WOW---these people used to have a mortgage approved by Chevy Chase Bank, maybe we should call them again. ITS FRIDAY PEOPLE. I screamed at my agent after finding out about the check and said by 11am they had to contact a new lender.

5.) Of course the idiot duo are telling me all about how Chevy Chase Bank is well known in the area-----I stamped this right out and said I am really tired of hearing who you know, how you are a BIG SHOT and just about everything else you are saying. In other words....please spare me. Its like I am being sold a car that is going to die 10 minutes after I drive off the lot.

Meanwhile….I am sitting in my new house without buying it. Perfect. Sitting on a pre-occupancy agreement that is costing me $100/day. What am I going to do?

1.) Get BRIDGED. This happened Thursday afternoon, right after the 401k call which slapped me into reality QUICK. E*Trade mortgage broker calls back, sorry you don’t quality for a bridge.

2.) My DC agent looks at me and says WHAT? That is ridiculous we are calling my mortgage guy and he is going to get this DONE.

3.) After moving all day I drag my ass up to local coffee shop and fill out an online application. Get back to my new place and immediately get a call from the new mortgage broker, Matt Gilday. This guy rocks and is totally on it. Gets it signed and done by Tuesday afternoon.

4 .) Meanwhile, the buyers claim they are ready to close Tuesday afternoon...so we push closing on my new place to Wed. Guess what? Of course, paperwork is not ready! BIG SURPRISE! In the end we ended up closing on Wed morning and I bought my new place Wed afternoon.

Future tips....get a lender that can bridge. Get an agent that has a clue. Make sure about week before the close that you have a mortgage from your buyer. DON"T trust your agent.....next time.

10,000 things....go wrong

Why is it so HARD to sell and buy a house? Tonights question is motivated by events that are happening to me personally---unfortunately. So, where are we now?

1.) Today, my buyers mortgage vaporized. Two problems: 1 need rental confirmation (um, couldn't they have checked in on this like 6 weeks ago?) 2 they make too MUCH money for the loan program(don't need to repeat myself do I?) Let me say here: DO NOT USE BANK OF AMERICA. I can not believe the horror of today while everyone and their mother who is involved in this process was pained from 9am to 4pm when the finally surfaced and listed these two problems. I am astounded by their complete disregard to the situation...two people waiting to transact obviously AND their lack of preparation. Can you imagine dealing in the final hour with a mortgage broker who is not responding to you?

2.) My other agent, the one working on the property I was to purchase FAILED to cash my escrow check. She kept saying its no PROBLEM. I have been so so so so busy that I just had to go with it. SO, I get a call from my mortage broker about this....of course bc this is a SIGNED contract right???? Who in the end was fine with it but again...hassel.

3.) The same agent FAILED to convey the proper closing time to the sellers. SO, this afternoon she was fighting with the owner about when she planned to vacate. This is all in vain of course because I can't settle before the buyers on my end finish their transaction.

So....where do we go from here besides to the wine cabinet? Tomorrow (fingers crossed) the movers are going to be here at 9am. And they are going to take my things and put them in the truck. I have no idea if I will have a place to take them....I will be sitting here waiting to hear if the closing on my home has completed so I can purchase the new pad. Great. Movers may be sitting around for hours while we wait and wait and wait. All for about 110 an hour of course. And then at some point I am going to have to make a call about whether I move into storage if the whole thing falls apart.

Grrrrrrrrrrr........