And chaos ensues...(on the move again)

[Kiwibird]

So while bathing Kiwi outside on the deck today, our landlords comes down (we rent a converted basement in a large house) and tell us they are putting their house on the market. They were very nice about it, don't get me wrong as they are very sweet people, but this means we have to move in the next few months at most, very likely sooner

Now I am a planner, like years in advance and checklists and OCD planning and budgeting and saving. I had us calculated down to 10 more months before we started looking for a house to buy. This whole situation has just kind of left me in...shock:31: I hate so much when life goes out of control. We are going to have to start house shopping now as we simply don't want to rent anymore and would only rent again as a last resort (and yes, we will be looking at apartments too as a backup). I just do not function on "luck" and "hope", I function on order and planning. I am not often scared, but right now I am definitely a bit spooked and hoping everything works out. I am glad we did all that huge minimalism project where we got rid of most of what we owned about a year ago because we really have very little to pack and worry about. Still, I'm already going through stuff as I will not be having the same nightmare as our last move where I waited to pack and dragged a bunch of stuff we didn't need with us. Oh man guys, this is just crazy...

 

[itchyfeet]

Oh no...I feel your pain! This really sucks.
I'm a planner too. From very young I knew I'd marry my husband, be a stay at home mum, have four kids, live in small town NZ...he's a highly gifted fella with a few degrees and always new his work would be well paid.
Until it went squwif.
Now, we're parents to two children, do own our home (thankfully), in small town NZ but the end of his phd scholarship (not so good money) is looming as is his submission date.
We might be
- staying put, and adopting internationally.
- staying put, but not adopting.
- building, somewhat locally.
- moving cross country, with all of the animals,
- moving internationally, with whoever is legal and we can afford.

All we can do is apply for everything, but accept nothing. Take it as is comes, one day at a time. And I am a serial dreamer, planner, organiser and lister. I spend days worrying about each outcome, when really the only thing that might change is an easier income!

I wish you a smooth journey in finding a place.

(NB: Hubby's been my best mate since I was 13. No I didn't marry for $$ - or we wouldn't be married now The change of plans was due to a sudden and serious change in health - we've all only grown from the experience but it was in no way predictable pre: kids/animals etc. That is what life is. )

 

[Kiwibird]

I'm sorry you've been dealing with a similar situation It does suck, royally. But strong couples pull through. I've lived with my husband since I was a senior in high school (and we definitely didn't marry for money either, the both of us pretty much came with the clothes on our backs lol). We've been through some very unstable living situations (especially early on), I was even homeless and in my car for a while and I think that is the kind of scenario that scares me to go back to. Not that I couldn't handle it or my hubby couldn't, but poor critters couldn't. Those guys couldn't handle true housing instability and they are our responsibility to care for, properly. So long as we can at least find a studio that will allow pets (had them all in one before), our stuff can go in storage and thankfully our guys are all troopers and go with the flow. This will be Leo's 6th move and Newt/Kiwi's 4th with us.

I cried most of last night and now that it's out of my system, I am going to the bank today and we are going to get this ball rolling in the next week so we know one way or another if we need to be looking to buy or rent. I rarely cry, but I think doing so has cleared the way for me to spend as much time as I possibly can finding us housing. I don't work, so I have time at least and hubby trusts my choices. It will not be the first time I've scoped out places myself and narrowed it down for us. It's just the unexpected factor that's worrying me. I am honestly not to the level of prepared I would want to be.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Whew Besides wanting to hug you April. I have been sitting here with the page open thinking............ Just what do you say to someone who has been thru all that you have... Nothing. You are a survivor and I know this is just a bump and you will be fine. No tears you are a strong person and I know you will come out stronger

 

[Terry57]

April, what upsetting news! We went through something like that last year, our landlord decided he wanted to sell, and although we had a year and a half left on our lease, he gave us 6 weeks to find somewhere. We ended up buying this place, but I truly wish we had more time to look.
How is the housing market where you are? Do you think it could sell quickly?
Hopefully you have time to find what you want, and not feel so rushed. My thoughts go out to you, there is almost nothing worse than not knowing where you are going to be living. I have faith in you that you are going to turn this into a positive.

 

[OOwl]

I can see you guys buying a really cute little "starter home" cottage and making it perfect with all your excellent housekeeping and organization skills. Maybe this is just that "push" that makes it happen now instead of when you really wanted. I'm hoping you find just a really cute, cozy little place for all of you. I think you will. Good luck on the home search.

 

[SailBoat]

There is this radio program that deals with Money, I believe the guys name is Dave Ramise (spelling). Anyway, on his Website he lists recommended Real Estate Agents. I highly recommend that you get one from his list in your area. A poor Real Estate Agent can cost you lots of money. A good Real Estate Agent can provide you a fair estimate on what you maybe able to get as a loan amount and recommend Lenders that you may not have consider.

Since, you are good at lists. Create one that has your Needs, Wants and Dreams for your new home. This will allow a good Agent to target homes that will fit your needs and bonus wants and dreams as they best fit your price range. Also determine what your Real World DIY skills are. Most people are looking at 'Move In Ready.' If you can and are willing to at least paint, lots more choices will come available to you. Anything more you can do will open it wider.

Big No, No's! Once again a good Agent will help here. Get the Home Inspected before sign-off. Stay way from homes with moderate to server foundation, framing, roofing, electrical and/or plumbing problems.

It would be wise to work with a couple of Banks and/or Lenders in the area near where you are most interested in buying. Your first visit should not involve you providing much detail. This visit should be gathering from them what documents they would want to see. The reason is; You do not want to have several Lenders pulling a credit report on you over several weeks. That would cause a major drop in your credit score. By gathering the needed documents and hitting all the Lenders in a very short time period (a couple of days at most), they and the credit report people will know that it is all related.

The packet you want to put together prior to the second trip to the Bank should include a 'reference letter' from your current landlord. Also, prior landlords depending on length of each stay. Also, at least the last two IRS tax filing (2014 and 2015). But be prepared to also provide 2013, if needed. Most recent paycheck stubs will also be an item to put into your packet. A list of your access, bank accounts, etc... Also any open loans and their status.

Your a Planner, use that as your strength to keep yourself together! Worrying is a waste time and energy! This process is all about planning and paperwork!

Keep coming back to this group, lots of creative people here with lots of skills. Most all have purchased a home before. Remember tens of thousands of people are also selling and buying homes, Lots of resources available.

And! If it Sounds to Good to be True, It most likely is!

 

[Allee]

April, I'm sorry you got this unexpected news. I know the stress is unwelcome but you're already past the tears and looking instead toward a new opportunity. I wish you the very best with your new journey, I think you are more well prepared than you know.

 

[Kiwibird]

We talked to family and the bank about getting into a home and are looking at apartments. I have already started mass emailing apartments and seeing who would take Kiwi. We will be getting back with the bank by tomorrow, but seeing as we have absolutely no other debt and excellent credit, even though we have a low income and down payment, we still have options. I have now covered our housing bases whether we get help from family, go through a bank or rent again. We will have somewhere to live. I also found someone local who could take Kiwi (I'd have a legal agreement we get him back, of course) for a few weeks in the worst case scenario which really puts my mind at ease. I just couldn't bear to loose him because our rental is being sold out from under our feet.

I have almost packed all our non-essentials. Just a few more things to go through for donation/trash (we really own very little). We would definitely be able to pack up and get out as soon as we found a place and could move in. Our home requirements are low, this is our first home and we are in the price range of a condo or manufactured home (which is fine). It needs to be structurally sound, low or no HOA, have 2 bedrooms and pass an independent inspection. That is our only real "requirements". We can't afford to be much more picky than that about appliance colors and pretty cabinets and all that. In fact, I hope we can find an ugly one and pay less then fix it up ourselves. I am still a nervous wreck though This is just not the situation I feel we should be in, but you deal with the hand your dealt I guess.

 

[SailBoat]

Do you have a rental agreement with current landlord? Or, are you in a month to month verbal agreement. Point being, as a tenant with a reasonable written rental agreement, you have rights. Assuming you have an agreement, read it word for word. Now look for a section that talks about the Ending or Quit of the Agreement. There are very specific things that the landlord must do to end/quit the agreement. Commonly, a Notice to Quit or like document must be provided, and commonly by mail and requires a proof of receipt. Keep working to find a place, but remember that in nearly all States, a tenant with a written rental agreements has rights!

Now, just because they are selling, does not mean that you must leave. It is not uncommon in today's world for a buyer to have a real interest in there being a renter in place, as it will off-set their costs and allow them to buy a home at a greater value than they could afford if there was no renter.

Manufactured Homes can be a great choices, but you must look for a home that is built to your States Building Code! In Michigan, its called a BOCA Home. Such a home is viewed as if it was built in place (Stick Built) and therefore Banks are more interested in providing a loan, insurance can be purchased, and the home has market value (tax value). A standard manufactured home (sometimes called a FEMA Home) rarely get loans, insurance is higher and rarely to never hold market value.

A good Real Estate Agent will know these things, hence their value.

The good news is that you are owned by an Amazon! Dealing with Amazons makes dealing with most things in life easier in comparison.

 

[RavensGryf]

April, what shocking news to hear! Ugh, that is definitely no fun. Such is life though at times. You are fortunate that you are at least in a position at this point to make something work out, and I wish you all the best! You are smart and organized, and I know you'll make the best decisions.

I also know what it's like to be on shaky ground with unexpected events out of your control falling on your head. Life was much more stable when I was younger ugh. lol.

 

[Birdman666]

You're over thinking it.

Most places where I rented take birds, and half the time they don't even count against the pet deposit. You only have one, and she's not that big.

And maybe you'll end up with a house out of this. Something that's actually YOURS, plus a huge tax deduction to go with it, and equity... as opposed to just throwing away money every month.

I've got another year or two to go before I can do that. I've been locked out of the housing market since I lost my house in the divorce in 2004.

So... fortunately I have a stable rental. Finding another place with SIX of them? Not as easy...

 

[itchyfeet]

Oh April Do you know your bank / bank manager well?
Check out the young house love and apartment therapy blogs. As long as your little place has good bones....
Good on you for having a cry. Makes a world of difference. I have my fingers crossed for you that you can just buy and settle.

 

[itchyfeet]

You're over thinking it.

Therein lies the key ingredient of a perpetual planner It's in our D.N.A While we get over excited and grieve as we work through every possibility - there is rarely an outcome we are unprepared for. Getting through the mental prep helps me believe I'm confident and skilled enough to take on whatever the world throws at me.

In theory anyway.

 

[Kiwibird]

You're over thinking it.

Most places where I rented take birds, and half the time they don't even count against the pet deposit. You only have one, and she's not that big.

And maybe you'll end up with a house out of this. Something that's actually YOURS, plus a huge tax deduction to go with it, and equity... as opposed to just throwing away money every month.

I've got another year or two to go before I can do that. I've been locked out of the housing market since I lost my house in the divorce in 2004.

So... fortunately I have a stable rental. Finding another place with SIX of them? Not as easy...

We never had issues finding rentals with him in Arizona. We didn't even have to put him on our lease and lived in "no dog/cats" apartments, as he was considered a "small pet" and they didn't care. When we started looking to move up here to Oregon, "pet friendly" apartment after apartment who were super excited because we have good credit and renters history rejected us as soon as we brought up the bird. I couldn't believe it! If I remember correctly, it was well over 10 places that would allow big dogs and multiple cats, but not one puny little parrot (the mind boggles:11. I wised up and started asking about him before submitting the application after the first few turned us down. I had to place an ad on craigslist along the lines of "couple and our bird looking for rental" to find where we are (and they responded only because they have a bird and like parrots). Maybe it's the area? But that experience is why I'm concerned IF we have to rent again. Fortunately, theres a local guy who could help us out with Kiwi for a while if it came to it (which now, I would be 99.9999% certain it won't).

 

[Kiwibird]

Thankfully, we now have some family willing to help, which is very unexpected. Takes a lot of pressure off us. I contacted some realtors today, looked at some listings and hopefully we can do some viewings over the weekend. I also contacted several apartments as well just in case. After the initial shock, I am now in a super focused state of mind, and if there is a way to get us in a house, I *WILL* find it. If need be, I can get us into an apartment too. I feel I am starting to regain a little control of the situation now, though I am still frustrated it is happening.

 

[Kiwibird]

You're over thinking it.

Therein lies the key ingredient of a perpetual planner It's in our D.N.A While we get over excited and grieve as we work through every possibility - there is rarely an outcome we are unprepared for. Getting through the mental prep helps me believe I'm confident and skilled enough to take on whatever the world throws at me.

In theory anyway.

Yes, yes and yes lol. I hate being unprepared and worse, blindsided.

 

[Kiwibird]

Can't sleep again. This whole situation is a roller-coaster that changes on a minute by minute basis it seems. It goes from ok to bad to worse to somewhat positive again and I can't sleep because my mind is just racing. The major disappointment du-jour is that we were, for whatever reason, under the impression a "condo" is what is actually called a "townhouse" and townhouses are probably not in our budget. A "condo" is essentially a fancy name for an apartment with twice the headaches because you technically "own" the thing with all the hassles of "home"ownership in regards to if something breaks you must fix it, yet you still have all the hassle of renting with no real benefits of ownership because of potential a-hole neighbors sharing paper thin walls on all sides and the HOA. Frankly, it doesn't seem worth it when we can rent the same thing for the same price (likely less than a mortgage and HOA fee) with far less commitment.

Its just really disappointing that our quality of living is probably not going to improve when we become saddled with a mortgage because we do not earn enough to afford a real house (not even a tiny, dated, cosmetically ugly older one). Our realtor seems to understand our concerns and is going to try to find us something with even a small upgrade in privacy and freedom to not be paranoid about the neighbors surrounding us 24/7. We're really trying to push her to help us find a manufactured home, because that is realistically the closest we'll get for a very, very long time to a real house. We would rather take a hit in the future resale value and own the entire structure and have even a small buffer between us and the neighbors. Heck, by the time we could afford a real house, we could probably just hang onto a manufactured for when we had kids ready to move out of home so they could save on rent and not be stuck in the same position we are. We want a place to live that is OURS, not ours and the HOA people's (along with their arbitrary rules). We don't want to be "homeowners" on paper only. We want our bird to be able to vocalize without living in constant fear of getting a whiny neighbor who complains and the HOA-lord or whatever they'd be called to come running down and tell us we had to get rid of him or move, yet can't tell the "homeowner" above us who stomps around at 2am like a herd of elephants to stop because they are allowed to do what they want in their own home. :31:

 

[JerseyWendy]

April, I'm truly sorry this is keeping you awake.

I hear you loud and clear on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING HOA related. I would never, and will never live like this. I'm not going to fork out x-amount of money for a home to then be told what color I can paint my shutters and/or home, what type of fence is allowed, and what shrubs/plants are permitted.

IMO there's nothing wrong with a manufactured home, April. Please keep your head up!

 

[Birdman666]

Seems like everything in SA has an HOA... and then it comes down to whether it's a fairly enlightened community, or it's one of these HOA's run by the village idiots who want to tell everyone else in the neighborhood what they can and cannot do.

Can't have a metal shed in your back yard. It has to be wood.

Can't park on the street. (The village idiot that runs our HOA added that little rule after he invested in a TOWING COMPANY... Can you say conflict of interest?! But, of course, it's a rule not enforced. Towing is enforced... )

If we find weeds in your yard, you're going to get a notice. You have ten days to fix it, or we start fining you.

You have to get anything you do approved by the architectural committee first, from simple gardening and landscaping, to any sort of modifications, painting, or repairs.

So, I understand your concerns completely.

BUT in buying you get tax breaks, and you get equity. When you sell, you get all or most of the money you would have otherwise thrown away in rent back, and sometimes you even make a decent profit on the deal. So, there's that side of it too...

I've been locked out of the housing market myself since 2004. Back in the boom days in Cali, they were selling tear downs in my old neighborhood, for the low, low price of 1.2 million dollars... but it's a decent sized quarter acre lot!!! Can't get those around here anymore!

Yeah, right!

What you don't want to do is get something where you will be "underwater." Or a house in such bad shape it will be a money pit. Those are the things you want to avoid.

Don't lose sleep over it. If you find something that fits, buy it. If you don't rent something you like, until you do.

You can't always plan everything. Life is usually comprised of the stuff that happens while you were busy making other plans.

Try to get some rest.