So.......
We put in our best offer. $159,900 with a $7000 seller's contribution toward the closing costs. Our mortgage broker estimated our closing costs to be about $8000-$8500, so we will only be out of pocket about $1500 at closing, plus the inspection, appraisal, and attorney's fees.
And................................
They accepted our offer. YAY!
We can now go to our landlord and show him the accepted purchase contract and tell him we will need to hang tight here until we can close. Of course, this deal is contingent on the owners coming under contract for a home they want (is anything ever easy?), but their agent said they are delighted and are going out tomorrow in the snowstorm to get another look at the place they want to buy. Hopefully we will both move rapidly toward closing and we can be in the new place around the first of the year. We weren't the only ones highly motivated here. They said they wanted to be out before the snow flies. Already a little late for both of us on that one.
Thanks to all for the great advice... even if it did bugger up the analysis of my comprehensive PT wood burning experiment. %-P
Kathleen for reminding me to allow enough room to roll the closing costs into the mortgage.
Jimbo (ISDB) for explaining the tax computations (we've since talked to the assessor, but your knowledge helped us ask the right questions).
Solar for giving his insight as a buyer/seller.
And especially...
Jags for reminding me that there are many ways to value something, and that an appraisal is just a measure of it's monetary value, not its value to our lives. Hard to get away from the "best price possible" mentality that always governed my business purchases. We almost pulled the trigger on a home that was a much better deal, but it was a place I would be about 50% as happy to own as this place. I needed a wakeup slap on this issue as well, Jags. ;-)
And thanks to all who have followed this thing for the last month or so and extended their support. Many of you invited me to move to your area, and although many of these places are tempting to move to, reality decrees that we move there only in the virtual world. Nice to see what a great family this place has become to me, and to be able to cry on a few shoulders without being ridiculed for it.
So now I....
- Have to go plan that deck
- Need to find a nice tractor to mow all that green stuff
- Deserve a big glass of 16 year-old Lagavulin and nice Honduran cigar
The first two projects can wait, I'm off to do the third right now. :coolsmile: