So here’s the sitch: I gave my month’s notice at my apartment.
I have done something either incredibly smart, or infinitely stupid. We’ll just see. My realtor thinks the lender is happy with me, and that I’m getting funded, and that I’ll be a homeowner in less than a week and a half.
I’ll believe it when the key is in my hand.
But today is the last day of the month. If I don’t give my notice today, then I lose over a grand in another month’s rent. As I can barely afford toilet paper right now, that’s not the best option. If I really do get the condo (o joy), then I’d like to be out of here on November 1st, not December 1st.
My realtor said I should give notice. She trusts her lender. She also trusts me, apparently, since I’ll be moving in with her family if this all falls through. I didn’t tell her that, of course, but I’m sure she won’t mind. I won’t get in the way. They won’t mind the cats….
Jeesh. I feel, I feel…. I feel too much and too scared, and in situations like that I tend to just shut off, shut down. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m pre-writing this so that it posts at the moment I’m picking Em up at the airport. And then, peeps, I’m not blogging for a week. I mean it this time. I DO! I know I always say that, and then I pop in for just a few minutes which turns into fourteen paragraphs. Not this time. I might not even check email. Just fancy! I’m just going to be ferrying our Em around, showing her this grand place I live, eating, drinking, knitting, and being happy. Like we were in School Products in New York:
ArtFibers, here we come. (Hey, speaking of ArtFibers, who were the two Canadians who came in the store and knew who Kira was through my blog? Fess up! I thought that was cool.)
And Mom and Bethany are coming in to town on Sunday night, so it’ll be a partay! I can’t wait. It’ll be good to have my brain switched off for a little while – La’s been doing a good job distracting me (ahem) and Em will do a good job, too. A different job, to be sure. (Stop it. This is how rumors start. Bad bloggers.)
I’ll miss you. Mwah!
Wait…so soon? How is the process so quick out there? Here three months is the norm from contract to closing. Two months would be remarkably quick. I mean, good for you, but how is that possible?!
(Fingers still ever so tightly crossed)
WOW, a week and a half! When we closed on our house, our realtor and the other realtor were talking about how different real estate is in other states, and they both said that in California, it’s much easier. I guess they weren’t kidding! It took us about a month from contract to closing, but it could have been faster if we would have wanted it to be. Holy crap! You’re almost a homeowner!
Displaced Texan, not Canadian, but my first visit to ArtFibers was a few weeks ago when I took a class with Kira. When we chatted about how I found the class, the trail went: Knitty -> wedding story -> this blog -> ArtFibers site.
Congratulations on your imminent homeownership!
~~b
You are incredibly brave and standing tall, Homeowner Warrior Woman. Have fun with Em, Mom, and Bethany and don’t worry about anything.
Longtime Oregonian, not Canadian. I was just in Artfibers last week for the very first time to buy some souvenier yarn from my trip to San Francisco. Anyway Kira helped me with poncho pattern, and I asked her if she had any patterns published in Knitty, and the conversation went like this Knitty->Wedding Story->your blog. Congratulations on the new condo!!!!
Oh, I am very excited to hear about your notice–good things happening. And the Divine Ms. Em…I love that. Have a terrific time. And I hope you sneak a blog post in. We wanna know what’s happenin’.
We had an answer on our refi in about two days. This is the instant gratification age and people just aren’t willing to wait all that long anymore. Rachael, I’ll be ohming for you and just concentrating on how it’s all going to work out because I know that it is.
Rachael honey, it’s completely normal to be freaking out a little at this point! I think everyone goes through that when they buy their first home (I did even when I bought my first car!). But once everything falls into place (and you have the keys in your hot little hands) you aren’t going to feel awesome! Congrats!!!!
Oh man, you’ve done a brave thing. Think of your triumph when you have the condo in your hot little real estate portfolio, though. You shall be “Rachael – Imperatrix Condominia.”
a week and a half! I’m simultaneously excited and nervous for you — you need a hand held, I’ll hold it. and you know you’ve always got a place to crash if something happens and the realtor won’t take you in. I’d even put up with the cats.
wait, all the escrow excitement (and believe me, I’m enough of a dork that I do indeed get excited about all the intricacies and legal ramifications of escrow) nearly distracted me from the fact that Em’s here! Woohoo! Let the bloggerfest begin!
Hiho dear Rachael, I’ve just lit the Lucky Flame candle to draw money and good fortune to little ol’ you. So don’t worry–cosmic help is on the way!
Please kiss Lala for me! I love her artwork SO much! Snaps! Woofs!
Wow, that is a fast escrow! Home ownership is overwhelming at first, but that dazed feeling does diminish–and eventually you feel like you can afford to buy yarn again….
Congrats on the condo – – if the realtor has good feelings, you should have good feelings.
And that crap about not blogging for a week, not even checking e-mail? I’ve been reading here long enough to know you’ll peek in just to see what everyone said in comments – and BAM! You’ve posted 😉
If I’m wrong (I’m never wrong) hope the vacation and showing around of Em is wonderful!
hey, since your realtor told you go give notice, then it’s all good!!
yaaaaay!!
what you’re going through is normal. take your time, take some time off and rest your mind.
but don’t forget about us…
: )
AAAHHH! How wonderful! I KNOW it will work out. Absolutely. Now, go have a good blog-break! Have fun!!
Ohmygoodness, I am soooo excited for you. And umm, can I be really jealous that you and Em are getting to hang out? I wanna meet you both so bad. *sigh*. One day.
Keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for ya. I know things will work out for you.
Keeping fingers and legs crossed-but not while driving. My escrow closed in two weeks -Boy was I shocked.
Happy vacation. Don’t be gone too long.
OK. Deep breath. Yup it’s scary. It freaked me out too but here’s one thing that happened to us after buying the house: you go to Home Depot every, and I mean EVERY, weekend. It seems like the first 2 years we did nothing but shop at Home Depot. Then it calmed down. Now I just plain don’t care when the plaster falls off the ceiling in a big chunk (except when it hits the stash, o’course).
My MIL’s escrows have taken longer in CA, but then there are…how to say this delicately…personality-related reasons why that might be so.
Throughout my whole effing saga with selling the Seattle house, the realtor kept saying it would be okay, the buyer’s loan would fund, etc. It was, it did. It’ll be okay.
Wow — your post about the buying process brings it all back. I obsessed and obsessed and obsessed (and then I obsessed) when I was buying my condo and went through a bunch of the same issues you are. And kept thinking — why am I doing this to myself? I don’t need the extra stress! But it was all worth it!
Give the divine Ms. Em a hug for me!
have a fun visit. let me know if i should throw some toilet paper in the mail… (maybe em stuck some in her suitcase…)
YES! What everyone else said!
Hey! Congratulations future home-owner – that’s really fantastic news. Speaking of giving notice… I really should do that today.
excellent news! have a great vacation.
That seems like INSANELY fast turnaround – – we staggered around for (what felt like) months before any keys changed hands. Big, heaping congrats and luck going out to ya, and yes, you will begin to know the joys and wonders of Home Depot very shortly. Also Bed, Bath and Beyond (you guys have that Out Wes, right?) and the Michael Graves line of kitchen/bathroom accessories at Target. Have a great vacation and a great time with Em!
Now you really have to make sure you start a clipping from George, you have to take a “duaghter of George” with you!
You go girl!!! 🙂
Sending possitive thoughts to you, your lender and your realtor! LOL
It will all be well. Have fun!
Congrats on being bold! I hope it all works out. If not you can take turns sleeping on all your readers’ couches. (i’m being bold with the apostrophe there, but i have not idea if it’s right)
And if all else fails you can always sleep on your yarn stash. 😛
Go with the flow, dear Rachel and trust that you deserve the new place
It’s about karma baby! All the wonderfully positive karma you put out – well it’s coming back around to you now in more ways than one.
Have a GREAT week!
MmWaah!
Bestest with the purchase, Rachael. And Artfibers. Ooooh. I dropped some $$$ there when I was in SF in 2000. And our $ was running at about $2US at the time. Owwww! Wished I’d known what it was like so I could have spent my whole stash allowance there instead of wasting it in other places before I got there.