It will be a miracle...

So, the loan on our current house is currently in underwriting which I guess is the last step for this house to be sold. We are supposed to know more on Monday or Tuesday.

Along that same vein, I talked to the realtor about the house we have an offer on. We should have a final answer some time Monday or Tuesday. The Realtor selling the other house finally got ahold of someone at the second bank, from my understanding, and he was told that they felt they could get more money if they foreclosed.

It is also my understanding that the selling realtor has put in a lot of work to sell this home and doesn't want to lose the sale. It was said that we have put in a great offer and the bank doesn't care about the gazillion pictures of stuff that needs to be fixed nor the ones that apparently the selling realtor also submitted to let them know "hey, you really are getting a great offer and NO ONE else has even come close to our bid." Apparently, they had the house "realtor appraised" a while back and were told they could get more for it. The fact that no one's even bid more than $200,000 (well, except for us, we wanted to be fair), should be a clue to them.

Really, I have searched high and low, we are asking our realtor to look into foreclosures and new construction even because I need, NEED, NEEEEEEEEDDDDDD to have these kids separated before I return them. We are back to square 1 with them because the assholes at the insurance company refuse to give them what they need. As I told the woman, the kid's other drug is a generic and I have no problem with it because it works. I told her they could give them a sugar cube and I wouldn't care as long as it worked. Seriously. I wouldn't.

But 4 kids, lying and stealing, destroying and physically hurting each other. It's getting bad. I've got to say it now. Just in case one of those "super" parents who has nothing on their mind but the one child they are trying to attain sainthood with is reading this. You guys know who I am talking about, no? I'm sure you've read them on other people's blogs.

Don't fuck with me. You have no idea.

I get so tired of some parents with special needs kids who think they are the shit because they will deal with whatever comes their way no matter what. It's not so cut and dry for other people. It can be too much and it comes to a point where that parent is no longer what's best for the child. Why can't those parents see that? They see it as someone not trying hard, someone being a wuss, someone letting a kid down. We don't know the whole story behind anything we read out here. I just can't see why we can't support each other. Instead of stabbing one another in the back. You know?

Anyway, sorry about the rant, but it's been a long time coming. I have all 4 home now and I am homeschooling because I am afraid of what they will do at school. The lying is outrageous and the stealing. I know they are stealing from us. But the stuff I've been finding in the laundry. I can't even imagine.

The other house is the only house apparently in the state, that will accommodate everything we need and is in our price range. When I say everything, I mean everything. This house has a large rec room where I could even do the girl scout meetings and ceremonies easily. Why would this mean so much? I wouldn't be leaving hubs alone for such a long time ( 2 hours) and I wouldn't be far away in case he needed me. That stresses me out to no end while I am running the meetings. I'm always afraid he's going to call me with trouble and I will be stuck because I can't leave the girls.

All I can do is pray. I hate to put so much on this house, but I just know in my heart it's the answer, you know? I know the kids aren't going to become angels, but I also know that I will be able to police them better if they could be separated.

I suspect CDQ is physically abusing the boy but I can't catch her doing it and he won't exactly tell on her. I'm trying to gain his trust but he's just a shell. I can't put him anywhere else. I can't have either one of them, or anyone of them for that matter out loose in the house because of the stealing.

I don't know, I can go on and on. But, at this rate, it looks like this house is the only one out there. It truly would be a miracle from God for us to close on this house Monday or Tuesday and hear from the other house (good news hopefully) on either of those days as well.

I will keep you posted. I know a lot of you are hoping for the best for us and we appreciate it so much.

Hope all is well~!

Still we sit...and wait...

So the story on the other house is that the people who own it have two loans on it. The first bank is ready and roaring to sell (I guess). They have accepted our offer. The second bank has not responded. It's not that they've said no or anything. They've said nothing.



So the realtor selling the house decided to raise the offering price as if the second bank said no. Shady I tell you because he told my realtor that if I offered $8,000 more the second bank would probably go for it. See they didn't figure in the costs that they were going to have to incur in the whole deal so they just set the price at what was owed on the house.



But I told my realtor that maybe he should tell the first bank to slide some of that money to the second bank because we aren't raising our offer. We've been back and forth until we got to this point and NO ONE has offered them anything even close to what our offer is. So, we didn't go in giving them the world. lol



Then there's the lovely news on the other house. It too is a short sale. It too has two loans out on it and currently there has been an offer sitting for less than the asking price for over a month. Apparently the second banks don't like to give answers.



So, that is why we sit in a standstill. Isn't it amazing? Our realtor found another house that is brand new for sale. The person built it and never moved in. She's praying it's not a short sale and doesn't have two loans out on it.



At this point, I am just frustrated. Here I am pre-approved to buy a house, millions of houses for sale and still nothing to buy. Go figure. Maybe that's why we are all screwed. Ya think?

To Sell or Not to Sell, That is the Question

Hi, yeah it's me, remember me?

I've been buried in life. Doctor's appointments for the kiddos (3 more to go), House Hunting, House fixing, house, house, house.


Last week we had a bobcat come in and relevel the land, take out all the weeds, etc... We are getting ready to sell!

Except this week we looked at another house. Yesterday to be precise and we came to the conclusion that if all the houses were going to be short sales, we needed to sell first or take equity out of our home at least.

We want to put a big down so we can have a lower payment. But that puts us in a weird place. I can't remember if I blogged about it already because I haven't had time to get here to blog.

So, the original house we want is still available. Our offer was declined right off because of the contingency that we sell our house first. They aren't accepting contingencies.

But now that we know that a.) we can make about $500 a month off our house if we turn it into a rental property and that b.) they will be putting in a road that will make it ohsoeasy to get to the city from here about 2 miles away. It's in our best interest to keep the house.

So we are looking at a refinance, withdrawing a small portion of the equity and placing it down on the other house while also opening an account and placing six months worth of mortgage payments for this house in it. If that is even possible. I don't know how the whole lending business happens.

Meanwhile, the state has screwed all caregivers and their clients alike with their new plan to ruin the lives of the elderly and the disabled. Funny enough for a span of a few weeks it was called CLTS (or as Hubs referred to it, clits.) Now it's been changed to COLTS. LOL

Anyhow, my budget has been approved...for 20 hours...for the next 75 days. After that they may adjust it.

Two things here... if I weren't hubs caregiver (we'd be making a hell of a lot more money)...who would wait since May 17 until Sept ? (because I still haven't started) for a job to start? Who could wait?

Second, who can work for only 20 hours a week with no promise of a true end in sight after 75 days? Who can live like that?

It's been hard for us. One might ask how it can be so hard when I did wait and we are house hunting. Well, to answer that, I have no choice. With 5 kids having special needs and Hubs special needs, I'm stuck. House hunting...we need to find a new house because if I don't get these RAD kids seperated, I'm sending them back. We are able to house hunt because of the equity Hubs and I had in the house loooong before the kids arrived.

I did think that I could start up my biz again, but now that homeschooling may be in the picture, it will be totally impossible. Yet, another reason why we must move. New school, where the people will help me and basically not tell me to shut up and go home.

I read the reviews for the schools by the first home we want and there were a few posts from parents with children who had special needs who boasted about how the school bent over backwards to help their children. Soooo, we know there is a good school in that area.

So, at this point, I have a van full of packed stuff from the house that I was getting ready to take to a storage facility but now I don't know if I should waste the money to do that if we are going to keep this house.

We may just find ourselves stuck here despite it all. f---!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to school they go!

Whoo Hoo! First day of school, FINALLY! *doing the happy dance* We survived!

After all the kiddos have been pushed out to the curb dropped off at school, Hubs and I drive onward to the realtors to draw up our offer for THE house. No, not putting much pressure on this particular house but oh would it be a miracle if they accept our offer.

I've pretty much talked myself out of it so much that I've already started looking for other houses. I can't find one with enough bedrooms. Every kid definitely needs their own room out of necessity, not want. I'm convinced it will cut down at least 50% of the BS going on around here.

At any rate, my nerves are racing to the point of aggravation because it's taking me forever to get anything done around the house since I want to keep running back here to my laptop to "just" check out this article or to reword my search for a new home for the gazillionth time. I have to keep putting myself in check and reminding myself there will be no other home if I don't get this home ready and sold. I have about a week to get it show ready. I think.

By the way, it is so frickin cold here I don't know whether to be happy or sad. First it was too hot, then it was beautiful and perfect and now? Should I dare say it, it's cold. But wait, if I got off my butt and quit googling and did some of the work I needed to around here I probably wouldn't be so darn cold.

Oh, and I am livid about my stupid budget. The healthy, not in need of any extra care or understanding of others needs have decided they are shifting people to another care option and until they figure out how to write a letter (from what I could gather) all initial care budgets are on hold. So we've been put on hold. They tell us until Tuesday and then we can play the waiting game while they sift through all the paper that has been sitting on their desk for three months waiting for this letter. Really, three.months.today. I've been laid off for three months. These people are unbelievable because think about it... If it weren't Hubs I was taking care of, what person could really wait three months for a budget?

Even I shouldn't have waited three months. If they don't have an answer by Tuesday I am going to have to go out and get a job where I leave my house and work certain evening or grave yard hours. I know most people do this (work outside the home) and I did for almost half of my life.

But it's stressful because if Hubs has issues (which he does everyday, it's a rare day when he's "good") I'm not here to correct it right away. Which it all needs to be corrected right away or he could die from a stroke brought on by autonomic dysreflexia. Plus, when I leave for a couple of hours to run errands (groceries, prescriptions, bank, etc...) the kids go haywire and the schedule just does not work. Hubs can't keep them under control. I come home and the next thing I know everyone's been grounded until they are 18. lol

So yes, very stressful. Not to mention, when would I sleep?

I'm afraid to start my consulting business up so soon because it will be like "Hey! I'm here for you when ever you want"... One month later, "uh, I gotta move, can't help you with that. Sowwy! " Not good for business.

Plus, what if there isn't any work in consulting any more?

ARGH! I feel my hair losing color as I type!

Have a good week everyone!

Let Me Off This Rollercoaster...

Ok, so we did not get to see the lender today and it looks like not tomorrow either. I left a message and he never called me back.

Bummer!

I talked to the realtor that sold the house next door. More bad news, house values are going down don't sell until next year when they put the freeway in.

Bummer!

However let me find a lender, you can borrow on this one and put that money down on the other until you are ready to sell. There are contracts, that's how the house next door sold. I'll call you, you call me. Bye!

*flicker of hope*

Later today, I talked to the realtor who is working for us on the other house. She called to ask about the meeting with the lender. I had to tell her it didn't happen. I also told her what the other realtor said and she felt that maybe we should still move forward because she's had houses sell at asking price and it's a buyer's market basically so we never know what people are looking for.

I expressed my concern about actually putting this house up for sale and then finding out that it sold but we can't get the other house and then we are homeless. She reassured me that there are ways to go about it so that doesn't happen. But first we need to talk to a lender and in the meantime she will get us cma's on the house we want and our house.

*still a flicker of hope*

Meanwhile, the kids are still acting like little...well you know whats. At first I was terrified thinking they were regressing but after some thought, it's still Poufy being the ... and the others are just restless for school to start. SO AM I!

All the other schools have started except our school district. UGH! But we do have the best school district...soooo.....

I hate this up and down, up and down business. I'm sure the kids are playing off of that too since we have no privacy at any hour apparently.

Still so much work to do on this house. I could ring CDQ's neck because she broke the faucet off the shower as well as the shower head and now the only way to replace it is by scrapping the whole thing and starting from scratch or by cutting into the kitchen wall to get through to the plumbing to unscrew the fixture and install the new one.

Can you believe that?

I've lost two betta's this week. Tux and Sunshine are no longer with us anymore :-(

Let the Games Begin!

So, the short answer on the house is no, we haven't bought it.

I just saw the inside yesterday and Hubs saw the house today. We likey...a lot.

Monday we go to find out about financing. The house is humongous, and it's going to be sold most likely at half it's value. There is another offer on the table and it's been there for 6 weeks. However, it's waaaay low and they want to make it a group home. This is not a group home neighborhood by any stretch.

We have to negotiate inspections and all kinds of stuff with them. But if we are lucky, we will get it at a price we can afford. Each kid would get their own room, there is so much space, storage, even a finished basement! I can't describe accurately really because it's so huge, I can't remember where what is. This would be perfect for the kids. Aside from an outer brick wall and mature trees surrounding the perimeter, there is actually a gated courtyard where the kids can be seen by us almost anywhere in the house and they will feel safe! *sigh*

I know this because they let me know. The kids love it too. They all picked out rooms and no one picked the same one! The layout would have 2 kids on one side of the house and three kids on the other. Which works because the number of kids who get along is split exactly like that. If that makes sense. I think there were actually a couple of rooms left over. I can't remember.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This is what we need and it looks like we have three hurdles to jump before we will know for sure.

1.) Financing

2.) Negotiation on price

3.) Sell our home

This house has been on the market since February Before that it was taken off the market in December of last year and I don't know how long it was on that time. The chances of someone else coming along and swooping it up are slim, but a possibility. If only I could guarantee the time! Everything depends on time.

I'm excited about the house, really excited. But I also know if it doesn't work out, I have the money to buy those 6 ft American Holly Bushes and I can start planting them in the front yard to start with.

I still have no idea what my home is worth yet. But I know what it appraised for when we bought it so we should at least clear around $40,000 from it for a down payment and that has to count for something.

Right now, everything depends on our Monday meeting with the mortgage company and what we qualify for. This might be a toughie because of our income ratios and the sources of income. It's hard for me to understand because I thought the kids income was for living expenses, after all if we didn't have the kids or if they didn't have their various disorders we wouldn't need to be looking for another house really or at least not one that big. You know? I had a successful online consulting business that I had to close down in order to deal with all the kids and their needs. At this point, I can actually see the light at the end of tunnel and reopening that business back up again.

Oh and Thank God we found out I should be getting my budget information and hours next week! Phew, I've been stressing out about that as well, because if you remember I've sort of been layed off since May 17. So I have no proof of income even though when my income comes in it will boost us again. That will be fun explaining to them why it happened and how it will be better and will never happen again.

Oh.the.stress.

Pray for us please.



PS. The realtor said something that totally stopped my heart. She said that we shouldn't ever outgrow this house unless we have other family members with kids we might get. Hubs and I are the Godparents to my sister's kids (my nephews). If something happens to them, we inherit the kids! They were in that car accident and P has herniated discs or slipped discs or something like that with his back and T goes in for surgery on her arm on Monday because they told her that if she doesn't her arm will basically die! All from a car accident?!?! I love my nephews but please...no. This sister is the opposite of my other sister. Our kid's mother was abusive and neglectful. T spoils these boys rotten, they are attached to her hip and they can't do anything wrong for the most part. Especially little E.

The hairs are standing up on the back of my neck

Today is a weird day, I am feeling weird, bewildered, spooked. Foolish. hahaha



See, even nervous laughter.



I found another house, we were very impressed online. Well, I still am impressed it's like a mini-compound. It's going for way cheap but not cheap enough.



I showed up at the house and from the front it could be a beauty, it was built in 1975 or somewhere around there (yep, older than me). So the paint reflects the times but I can already envision new colors. I wanted to see it badly. I have an appointment tomorrow. But Kether will know exactly what I am talking about. lol



I was talking to Hubs on my cell and I decided to get down to get a sneak peek. My bad. I scared myself half out of my mind.



The wrought iron fence was left ajar and after walking up to front of the house and seeing that it was empty (well, from the sticker that said the house was abandoned! *wide-eyed stare*) I thought, why not just peek around the back.



I walked through the fence and was still talking to Hubs, I wasn't scared. I don't spook easily. But I could have sworn that someone was coming up behind me and I literally swung around to nothing. The other part was as soon as I walked into the backyard the trees and foliage made it appear like I was in a forest, and not in the middle of the city. There was silence. Just the echo of my voice. I could see some damage to the many wrought iron doors on the side of the house (huh? why all the doors?) and as I turned the corner I saw more wrought iron doors. Apparently there are two in-law quarters or I guess they call it an in-law suite at the back of the property. The yard just appeared to be almost non-existent with all the trees. But, I say two in law quarters because in between that there was yet another wrought iron door that led out in to a large courtyard in the center of the house.



That was a little creepy, yet cool, because I really felt out of touch with civilization. I could see the huge patio and the sunroom and this really weird spiral staircase. It's weird because the house is only one story and it appears this leads to some kind of lookout from above the house?



The house appeared to be trashed inside. Either it was vandalized or the people took off fast. Anyway, I decided to keep walking....fast. lol



I was going to leave when I thought "hey, I didn't see the other side of the yard outside of the courtyard" so I started that way only to have a HUGE flock of birds fly from the tree I walked past. I did look at the other side but it triggered me to tell hubs that I felt like one of the stupid girls in the horror films who is someplace she shouldn't be. LOL!



This place left me with the creeps. It's not out in the middle of nowhere either, it's right smack in the middle of town. The library, post office and grocery store are within walking distance. Literally right around the corner.



I was so creeped out when I left. I still can't put my finger on it but I'm also drawn to the house. Which is weird. I get the full tour tomorrow at 1:30, wish us luck!





PS.. Next time I will post about the other creepiness that happened right after we left the house.