Finally, Folks, I can fill you in

Several people have asked for an update regarding my housing situation. I have not been able to do this, as things have been very much in the air. Early this week I was informed that my parents had accepted an offer on this house for the asking price, with a closing date of November 15th. That fell through. Real Estate is often affected by the chain reaction; somewhere along the line someone cancelled a deal for who-knows-what reason. The seller in that deal is therefore forced to back out of another deal where they are the buyer. And just repeat that last sentence over and over again. So anyway, the people who's offer had been accepted had to back out as a result of their own deal falling through, which could be their fault or someone else's eleven degrees away in Schleswig, Iowa - who knows.

By Tuesday there were several offers on the table, including one asking for a closing date of November 7th. I don't know how many of you reading this are familiar with the process of buying a house... I have never purchased one personally. I have, however, seen others go through the buy/sell process, and from what I've gathered it is pressing the envelope of realism to go for a closing date one month away; six weeks is usually a safer estimate.

Meanwhile if the house IS to close in mid-November, I need an apartment for November first. Apartments rarely lie empty in the area I am moving to - the liklihood of finding a mid-month place is slim to none. Plus this area is 3.5 hours away from here, so if I need an apartment for next month, I need to look NOW. As in this weekend AND next. I was a tad panicky about this situation. Also I was frustrated, as it does not seem to me either realistic OR necessary to close mid-month. I didn't want to rush around to get this place and then find I really didn't need to.

I asked my father to make a decision by Friday, mid-month or Dec. 1st. Because of one of the offers they are interested in , they've decided to work toward the Dec. 1st date, greatly simplifying my situation. So now I've got a bit more time and flexibility in regards to finding a place, and time to move some things up slowly as well, possibly eliminating my need for a rental truck. And so I sigh in relief. Being pressed for time like that stresses me out; I like making decisions carefully. Having the time to do so helps me look forward to a new chapter in my life...