Furnishing

After walking around both Ikea and Value Village today and getting a bit overwhelmed, I thought I should start to plan what I need to buy so I can start looking for specific deals.

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I could be moving in within ten days or so. The original settlement date was March 31. The bank seems to be able to get it done by then or so, but then there will be an additional hold-up while I wait for the Baltimore City Employee Incentive Grant to come through. I'm not sure how other folks manage it, mostly because I just don't get how the incentive is supposed to work. However, I apparently will be getting $3750 ($3000 + $750 for it being a Healthy Neighborhoods house) from the city at closing; however, the incentive (which is fashioned as a 5-year loan that decreases 20% every year, so that it's forgiven if you live in the house for 5 years) is holding up the closing by up to two weeks, because we'll only be waiting on the grant to come. They're going through a massive re-organization right now at Baltimore Housing, and the lady in charge of the grant is out sick for a long time, so that might also be what is holding it up and adding even more red tape than usual. It's still a lot of money, so hopefully it'll be worth it. The long story short, though, is that the organization selling me the house will be letting me move in early - via a pre-settlement deal. It's not a certainty, but the kind woman I am working with says she's "sure we can work something out regarding a pre-settlement move-in date." So, I'm hoping that means it happens around the original date of March 31. (Besides, they're going to call the police on me otherwise... I keep stalking the new house by parking, walking around the yard, picking up trash, peer in the windows, etc.)

Anyhow, this has got me excited, and, as I pack and pack and pack here, my eyes and mind are on the future house, and how I'm going to set it up. This is what I'm thinking now:

Living Room

Have halfway decent couch.

Need coffee table, end table, bookcase, chair, nice rug, and nice big plant. It's so bright and I think a plant is just what it needs.


Kitchen/Dining Room

Have kitchen table (antique, from friend)

Need 4 kitchen table chairs, 2 bar stools, rug. Would like wine rack.

Basement Rec Room

Have elliptical machine, weights, and clunky TV

Need small couch, futon, or a couple of chairs.

Office
Have computer/desk.

Need rug.

Bedroom

Have bed and rug.

Would like to upgrade bed (or at least get a headboard/footboard). Need dresser (have been using plastic dressers for years).

Den/Guest Room/Library

Have lots and lots of books and CDs.
Need bookcases, large futon, Rug, coffee table, chair, possibly flat panel TV to mount (I'll have help to mount the week of move-in.)

So, to prioritize, I think it would look something like this:

1. Large futon

2. 4 kitchen chairs

3. 3-4 rugs

4. bookcases

5. TV

6. 2 lounge chairs

7. dresser

8. bed upgrade


I don't need it all at once, obviously. However, I am excited about the housewarming party, whenever that might be.

I'm going to be doing a lot of Craig's Listing!

Inspection done

House inspection was done last Saturday. Everything is good.

The mortgage I'm getting is pretty amazing. 3.8% with no PMI. But it takes a while. I still hope to move in during the first week of April with a pre-settlement rent agreement, though.

Otherwise, not much new. I've scaled heights of busy-ness and, wow, I'm getting home late every night. But it's all good. Baseball season is upon us.

Complications arise

Things are going slowly with the house. It's still happening (my $1000 deposit check was cashed!), but I'm not sure how the March 31st date for closing will happen.

It's very frustrating. I thought I was done paying rent, but I will not be. My family is coming up to help me move, but they will have to cancel their trip unless a miracle happens. No one else seems concerned with making this an urgent matter. I guess it's what I get for going through so many community organizations and getting such a great interest rate.

The paperwork had to go through one community organization, then to another one. The first one dragged its feet in even meeting with me, yet still told me that March 31st would be fine. He even brushed it off, saying, "No problem." Then, he MAILED, rather than faxed as he should have done, my information to the next organization. We met on Wednesday, he mailed it after mail went out on Wednesday, and the mail didn't get to the right place until Saturday, meaning it wasn't processed until Monday. Except they didn't call me until 4:30 on Monday, and, despite saying they'd call me back that evening, they didn't. I didn't get a call until today at 3pm. That's 6 days. Now, I have to address another years-old credit issue, and then they have to look at it, and THEN it gets submitted to the bank, which says it needs about 30 days to process a mortgage application.

Making things even more complicated is the fact that the lady at the bank who handles the mortgages has resigned, meaning she has a week and a half left; I don't know what will happen with that. Additionally, the lady at the Baltimore Housing office, who is in charge of disseminating the $3,000 city employee grants - an already pretty complicated system with a confusing application - is out sick indefinitely. The man at the office today also explained that they can't seem to get their check machine working, that they just changed to a new system and haven't been able to write checks for a week and half. So that has to be fixed by closing date, whenever that will be.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Hopefully I can still move in during the first week of April or so. But it looks like the only one concerned with that is me and my real estate agent.

Meanwhile, I keep driving by the house, for no reason at all other than to stare at it or, sometimes, to walk in the backyard and peer in the windows at any new work that has been done. I think my new neighbors might call the police soon. It's really a nice little house, though. I'm so excited to move in, and unpack my stuff, and paint, and buy some new furniture.

By the way, here it is: http://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/3944-Kenyon-Ave-21213/home/11107440.