stressed? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/23/2006 07:39:20 PM · #1

Plans are to leave here Oct.2nd and drive to AK. I was feeling good about everything as up to know it has been smooth sailnig. I found a job right away, Found a house I want to buy, got pre-approved, had the sellers accept my purchase offer......then the stress.......
Seems there are NO comparable's on the property and type/age house for over a year. The mortgage company I was pre-approved through won't okay the loan without the comparable's. Closing was supposed to be yesterday, but it has been pushed to October 1st now.
I have a moving company coming to pick up my things on the 29th / 30th, and no address to tell them to take it to now.
For back up I decided to try and find a place to rent that's within an acceptable driving distance from my job at Mat-Su Regional. Since I have 4 sweet little pug dogs that are coming along it is proving to be a hard find. My pugs are well behaved, but since other people's dogs are not always good doggies, I can understand the hesitance of owners to rent to pet owners. So I continue my search so I will have a place to sleep and bathe once I arrive in AK.
Add to this that my house here has not got an offer on it yet. The guy that was interested decided he could not purchase at this time. I can cover the mortgage on this and a place in AK for a few months, but it's going to leave me strapped once my sign-on bonus is used up.
Top it all off with the injury I had to my back a couple months ago. Turns out my doc was wrong about it just being a sprain - I herniated 2 discs in my lower back. The drive should be real interesting. I checked with the airlines and they wont let me bring 4 dogs - only 2. So flying is out. The neuro doc was supposed to call me this past week to tell me what day I could get in for an injection to ease the inflammation of the discs...... No one called even though I left messages.

Am I stressed? You betcha

The purpose of this post was simply to dump my heavy burdens on DPCers for awhile so I can feel relieved enough to go shoot an entry for abstract macro. Wish me luck, and enjoy the weight of my heavy burdens

Message edited by author 2006-09-23 19:39:38.

Baron152

Canon EOS-40D

09/23/2006 07:45:09 PM · #2

Good luck on your move,

Might I suggest Zillow.com for trying to find comparables to recommend to your lender. This is a fairly new real estate site and offers 30+ comparables in my immediate area. Of courswe all areas are different but this is free and may help.

I hope it all works out for you.

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM

09/23/2006 07:47:55 PM · #3

Originally posted by Baron152:

I'll check it out - but the appraiser had no luck finding them over teh past three weeks! Seems the property is very unique, as is the house.

jfwolpert

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/23/2006 07:49:47 PM · #4

where are you going in ak? i have a friend in skagway that is very connected.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/23/2006 07:51:09 PM · #5

Originally posted by jfwolpert:

where are you going in ak? i have a friend in skagway that is very connected.

My new job is in the Mat-Su valley - between Wasilla and Palmer

I just checked Zillow.com.....they cannot even find the house. :(
And no comparables showed in that entire area.

MikeJ

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

09/23/2006 08:27:26 PM · #6

I would find another lender. Unless the housing market up there is still going gang busters, if one lender accepted you, another will too. Even if you have to pay a bit more in processing fees, put a bit more down or take a little bit higher rate, at least you will be approved and can get the house. Lenders hold out until they are absolutely positively sure they are protected... if you let them. I had a lender keep telling me they wanted just a little more information before they would approve... this was with a VA gurenteed loan. I finally just told them to tell me yes or no by the next day or they could forget the whole thing and I'd either find another lender, find another house or rent. They said yes the next day.

For selling your house, depending on where you are selling it at, it's been in the news about how the housing market is really going soft in a big way except in select areas of the US. Where people couldn't keep their houses on the market very long, they are now finding that they don't even get walk throughs or calls. Because of this, the feds are talking about lowing the interest again next year. But who knows how the market will be then.

I know the area between Palmer and Wasilla pretty well... back in my, uh, younger and more foolish days, I use to run my large engine '66 Ford Fairlane between the two places against other muscle cars. The Alaska State Troopers couldn't chase anyone going over 70 mph in 1970 because their Chargers had defective brakes. They still had good radios though. I didn't hold the speed record, but I wasn't that far back either. Luckily I lived to out grow that phase of my young life. Racing our cars on the frozen lakes was always a blast as well. Although some of those souped up snowmobiles could really get up and hawl.

I've probably not gotten any smarter, I'm just more careful about what stupid things I do. LOL!

Good luck with selling and buying. If you have never lived in Alaska before, they say if you get past the first winter, you are hooked for life. I loved living up there.

Mike

shamrock

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

09/23/2006 08:37:23 PM · #7

Driving that far on a herniated back is going to be rough. Can you fly with two pugs, and have someone send the other two on the next flight? Or on a different carrier with a similar flight time?

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

09/23/2006 09:04:43 PM · #8

Mike - that is my only hope for the house I found now - to get another lender. We're working on it now, but it may take longer than we have on extension for closing.

Val - I could split the pugs up on fligbhts, but I would have a nervous breakdown worrying that they would get lost somewhere. Ther are no 'non-stop' flights from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Alaska. I have checked into it. I may go to the airport in person on Monday and try to convince them to let me have all 4. After all, if every passenger is allowed two pets, but no one else brings pets but me, what would it hurt to bend the rules?

shamrock

Nikon D300

09/23/2006 10:02:14 PM · #9

Hmmm... Is there anyone that could fly along with you to take the other two pups? Adds to the cost, i know, but it might be worth it to avoid driving. And has the added benefit of having a pair of friendly hands to help unpack/setup when you arrive. I understand about not wanting them to fly unattended.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/23/2006 10:20:11 PM · #10

Originally posted by shamrock:

Not sure I could handle the cost of the extra airfair. My ticket alone would be close to $600, plus $100 per dog.

sherpet

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

09/23/2006 10:26:17 PM · #11

Hang in there Linda, as I am so sure it will all work our ok for you, and those adorable pugs.....
You will get your dream, but it just may take a little more time.
I am thinking of you, and send our love, and hope it will all work out for you in the end.

jpochard

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/23/2006 10:34:50 PM · #12

There are also other ways to do an appraisal that does not use comparables...for exactly this reason!

You can use an appreciation method...based on the last sale for the property and the typical apprciation for the area. Figure today's worth by figuring out the appreciation. This doesn't work too well if extensive upgrading or work has been done on the house.

Another method is to figure in the usual value of all the elements of your home. For instance, in that area how much value would a 2 car garage be worth? How much value is an updated kitchen? A finished basement?

These are sometimes considered by a lender in your type situation - especially if you can find some comparables which are perhaps a little older than usual (maybe 2 years out) to back up the appraisal method.

This must be the night for real estate venting (as I posted a situation earlier :)

Good luck!