As I wrote that headline, I realize that most young people have no idea who she is. They can look it up.
My youngest daughter, Cakes, got a “call back” after the first audition. She is competing for the third largest female role in the school musical.
Lest my LA readers look down their nose at this, keep in mind that the reigning American Idol is from KC! There is some competition here!
She had her second audition tonight and thinks that she did well. We will find out the results tomorrow!
The homeowner never called me back. It looks like the deal to buy their house in Blue Springs is dead.
That fact coupled with my two children’s involvement in school have pretty much changed my plans. It looks like we will renew our lease on the apartment for another six months.
The good thing is that I tried. I took some chances, applied some things that I have learned and I am that much closer to purchasing our first house using non-traditional methods.
Folks, this story is not finished. We will pick it back up some time in the future.
I just noticed that this blog has had over 3,000 visitors!
It makes me wonder what could have happened if I were more consistent in writing…
Oh, well…I will keep trying to get better.
If you are new, the post titled “The Beautiful Letdown” got me started blogging.
The trip where I towed my car from California really cemented my status as a “blogger.”
Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time to read. I hope that you are enjoying it. I am enjoying writing it.
I called the homeowner to let him know that his realtor called me. I told him that she lied to me several times.
He apologized for involving her. I completely understand. Dealing directly with a buyer involves a great deal of risk and responsibility.
However, I explained to him that I didn’t want to involve her because we are not willing to pay the listed price. Her $10-12K commission makes the house too expensive. Without it, the house is a good deal; not a great deal but a good one.
If I offered him what I think the property is worth, then he would reject it because he would receive too little for his house after he subtracted her fees. I know that I would if I were him.
I reassured him again that I am not trying to fast talk him.
He said that he is going to call her tomorrow and then get back to me.
Well, the homeowner didn’t call me back. His real estate agent did.
“Oh hi. I understand that you are interested in a lease purchase of the property?”
Not with you…”Umm, yes…”
“And what were you thinking for as a rental price?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what their payments are, etc.”
“Well, you know that a house like that rents for $1900/month.”
I had gone online and printed out their actual trust deed. I figured that they are paying about $1300/month for everything. “Well, that is much more than I was thinking.”
“Well, what were you thinking?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea how much will it cost them to rent an apartment.”
“Well, a two bedroom in Blue Springs goes for $1,400/month”
Now, I REALLY dislike being lied to AND I don’t tend to enjoy people who take me for a fool…
“Is that a fact? That is amazing because I currently rent a 3BR apartment in Leawood (the highest rent district in the area) and I only pay $1100! Are you telling me that Blue Springs is more expensive than Leawood?”
“Well, I don’t really know the rental market that well. I just sell houses.”
“I can go on Craig’s List and find a 3BR-2BA duplex for $750!”
“I will have to check that site out.”
SHE IS CURRENTLY ADVERTISING her properties on it!!!
Let’s just say that I was not happy to hear from her.
This whole “should we move” question gets more difficult every day.
My youngest daughter came home and reported that she is now famous at school. It seems that the texting grapevine has spread the news about her audition far and wide. People she doesn’t even know are talking about the junior “Beast” who is going to try out for American Idol.
You will probably say, “and your problem is…”
Well, guess when the auditions for the Spring play at the Blue Springs school are being held?
You guessed it…this week!
I was hoping to sign a rental agreement today, get them in school tomorrow so she could try out.
But, alas, I am still waiting.
So, do I still move right when she is becoming a star???
My youngest daughter decided to try out for the the school’s Spring musical this afternoon. She sang “Can’t Help Lovin Dat’ Man” from “Showboat.”
Well, she knocked it out of the park. The teacher who NEVER gives out compliments was so impressed that he uttered “very good.’
My son was late to his first 6:00 AM wrestling practice so the whole team had to do three minutes of up-downs. (not a good thing)
The homeowner called me back. He has found another hurdle.
If they rent the house to us for six months (as I had proposed), they will not be able to put a deposit down on their new house until June or July. The builder would then take 4-6 months to complete the house. That means that they would be renting for a full year.
When I inquired how much they would need for a deposit, he said $20,000. I told him that we would be able to give that to him by the end of March. We would also have the proof of income necessary to begin the loan application process. That would mean that he would be in his new house as early as July and as late as September.
He is going to call me tomorrow after his wife’s appointment with the doctor concludes.
Having accepted the job offer, I got back to work on finding a house in Blue Springs. When I looked for the house that my wife and I visited, I couldn’t find it when I looked online.
I had to drive out there to see if the house was still for sale. Sure enough, the sign was still in the yard.
I called the owner while parked in his cul-de-sac. I hoped that he would be willing to meet and begin earnest discussions on selling his house to us.
Since our last conversation, he and his wife had second thoughts. It turns out that his realtor is the daughter of the man who they have contracted to build their next, smaller home. The couple is afraid that if they don’t sell the house through their realtor that the builder will raise his price by $9,000.
Well that is clearly not what I want to happen. The man who taught us to purchase real estate using creative financing stressed that both sides win in every deal he puts together.
I reminded the homeowner that the listing expires at the end of December. We won’t be able to qualify for a loan until the end of March. So I am proposing that we rent the house from them until that time and then purchase the house.
I advised the man to call his realtor and ask if the contract on their new house would be affected if they rented their current house. He is supposed to call me back tomorrow.
After several e-mails clarifying the offer of employment, I accepted the job in Blue Springs. I will start work on the first Monday of 2009.
I have mixed feelings about this.
First, the man that I was supposed to replace will now be my boss. Oh well, God is ultimately in control.
Second, the salary that I agreed to is 15% below what I had realistically hoped for. However, I don’t really have much leverage. They currently have two shifts working 32 hours per week in order to avoid any layoffs. Additionally, since I interviewed, they have also scheduled two unplanned (and unpaid) week long closures for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It strikes me that this situation is almost a mirror image to the sale of our house earlier this year. Because of market conditions in California, I had to take MUCH less than I wanted to. After all of the work that I put into the house, it was painful.
To be honest, it felt more than a little emasculating to accept the offer, just like this does. There is a little voice that says that “if you were a REAL MAN, you would hold out until you get what you are really worth!” But that voice said the same thing in California. “If you were a REAL MAN, you would hold out until you get what this house is REALLY worth!”
What is anything REALLY worth? In the world of commerce, worth is determined by whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
For example, when gas was $2/gallon, a big SUV was becoming THE status symbol. With gas at $4/gallon, the dealers can’t give them away.
Look at the stock market. How can a company be “worth” $70 per share on Monday and $2 per share on Friday? Because no one who is willing to pay $70 for a share of stock in that company.
When I objectively looked at the sale of our house a few months later, I realized what had truly happened. First, I achieved my goal of moving to Kansas City. Second, my house sold in the midst of a COLLAPSING housing market! Just eight months later, the value of that house has dropped AT LEAST $100K!!!
If I objectively look at this situation, I am being hired in the midst of a COLLAPSING job market. Although my ego and expectations are taking a hard blow, I am grateful that I will be working. I am glad that someone thinks that I am WORTH hiring.
