I'm like a kid in mid-December, waiting for Christmas … CAN'T WAIT TO MOVE APRIL 28!!!!! (Fort Myers: sale, rental)

[jmqueen]

Originally Posted by Cardiff by the Sea

Hubby and I sent 3 pods of stuff ahead of us. It is sitting in the ABT warehouse in Bradenton. They are full of things we wanted to keep long term but didn't want in our home while selling it--pool table, piano, jacuzzi, library.

I found pods to be a delight. Not a big deal to pack. We used You Pack brand just because all the transport is done by one company instead of being subbed out.

The best move I ever had was a move of about 5 blocks. I just packed and unpacked the same 3 boxes over and over. It was so civilized because there was no build up of stuff on either end. Pod moving is like that but on a bigger scale.

Currently there is a pod that is 4 times the size of the ones we used that is sitting across the street being unloaded. It is friggin huge. We watched as about 10 electric guitars and a whole lot of musical equipment was unloaded. We looked at each other and said there goes the neighborhood.

Embrace the pod!!!

LOL, I think you're absolutely right! We've got Packrat, because they were the most helpful and also had the lowest price. Much to our surprise. Can't wait to get it D-O-N-E done.

True story: Our neighbors sold out two years ago and bought a house in North Las Vegas, another warm place where real estate had tanked. Anyway, they had a pod out front, and a hurricane was moving through (forget which one?). They only had 1 day to finish packing it. I looked out the window, and there's Sue, battling the wind and rain to toss some more stuff into the pod.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

Since you have a Christmas analogy going, how about if the pod is a great big box you get to pack with stuff that you really like (and doesn't cost you anything to buy), and you get to open your great big present at the the other end. One of the really fun things about unpacking is finding stuff you like that you forgot you owned.

I have that same experience shopping my closet. I find stuff I really like and the price is free. And since I haven't seen it in so long, it is new to me.

[jmqueen]

Originally Posted by Cardiff by the Sea

Since you have a Christmas analogy going, how about if the pod is a great big box you get to pack with stuff that you really like (and doesn't cost you anything to buy), and you get to open your great big present at the the other end. One of the really fun things about unpacking is finding stuff you like that you forgot you owned.

I have that same experience shopping my closet. I find stuff I really like and the price is free. And since I haven't seen it in so long, it is new to me.

Excellent analogy! Especially since I packed most of the boxes as much as 18 months ago and have COMPLETELY forgotten what's in there! Tee hee, thanks for the idea. You're a regular Mary Poppins, helping me get through an annoying chore!

(Now I'll have "Spoon Full of Sugar" running through my head the rest of the day. )

[ruthinraleigh]

Congrats on the impending move! Exciting times for sure!

My husband and I are looking at a semi-retirement move in the first quarter of next year, and are really getting close to making a final decision on Bradenton. I love everything we have discovered so far about this town, first and formost the arts community, which is a must-have for me as an artist. I think we have also found our neighborhood too.

Starting to get very excited about taking the next steps later this summer when we visit next to experience the summer heat.

Love to hear others as enthusiastic as we are getting - so many adventures ahead!! Good luck and keep us posted!

[jmqueen]

Well, now that my suspension for "trolling" is over … *sigh* I can give an update! Pod has been and gone. Psssst -- don't tell anyone that it's 4000 pounds over their limit! My new best friend "Hank" is going to make sure it gets loaded onto a truck anyway and fudge the numbers.

I have to say that Packrat has been an excellent experience so far. First, they were the most helpful on the phone, and then they came in cheapest. And the driver who dropped it off also mentioned that if it was over the limit, he would "help me out." Both drivers very friendly and helpful.

And my "move coordinator" has also been very genial and helpful when I have questions. She has stayed on top of everything to make sure I'm happy. Of course the real proof will be in the safe and timely delivery of our stuff, but I wanted to mention how it's gone so far.

Sadly, no one buys used furniture around here, not even really good stuff. So I made a grand total of $220 by selling our stuff, and donated the rest to ReStore (Habitat for Humanity). Le sigh. Anyway, the house is now empty except for one sofa headed to the dump just before we go, and a mattress, ditto.

Of course the buyer of this house has had a few hiccups in getting his mortgage finalized, and I still don't have a time/place for closing a week from Monday, so I'm biting my nails on that one … moving is soooo stressful. I just keep reminding myself of the reward.

Had a very frustrating experience with Verizon acting for DirectTV -- and I didn't even want that service, but it's the only one available that will allow us to get the Red Sox games on NESN. They said my credit was no good, even though I just got a honking big mortgage, and also approved by FPL. So they wanted a whopping $300 deposit, which they would return to me -- $5 a month! I said sorry, see ya later, went to DirectTV's website, and got approved there without the deposit. That whole deposit thing is new to me since the last time I moved 14 years ago -- what a ripoff.

Two days ago we actually had 1.5 inches of SNOW. April 16. SNOW. When I got up that morning, I just leaned my forehead against the window and repeated my new address as a mantra … but I wanted to just go back to bed and stay there until April 28.

Oh well, this Sunday I'll be visiting my college student in Boston and catching the marathon on Monday -- that is one big-a$$ party in Boston, and this one will be even more amazing than usual. So it's something to take my mind off the wait!

Hope to meet some of you soonest!

[jmqueen]

Ha, talking to myself.

Well, I'll vent.

My buyer has applied for a government loan here in CT, CHFA, and ran into some glitches -- the couple makes too much money so they reapplied with one income. Now, with only a few days to go, they still need two more pieces of paper, including an addendum that removes the wife from the contract as well as the mortgage. Things SHOULD work, but my life story is a prime example of how stupid little stuff destroys even the simplest process, so I'm chewing my fingertips. (Nails already long gone …)

And the seller of the home I love is a difficult person, so he might just walk away if I have to delay the closing here even a day or two.

(Down to knuckles…)

Otherwise, I'm just working on getting three cats examined, microchipped (just in case) and prescribed drugs for the trip. Hubby, on the other hand … well, good thing he's finishing work Wednesday so he has four full days to devote to cleaning out basement and garage of his tools etc!

No stress here, no indeed.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

Govt loans are a PITA. We had buyers with one, and because the unit was rented and the lease didn't run out for another couple of weeks, the loan granter would not close. It had to be reappraised, reinspected, etc etc. It was supposed to close easily after the lease ran out, and it took 7 weeks.

Not trying to be a buzzkill, but don't believe lenders and realtors when they give you estimated time frames.

I do think the market has cooled so maybe your difficult buyer will wait. Or he may walk and come back when he finds that there are not as many fish in the sea as he thought. High interest rates and climbing prices are causing buyers to take pause.

Housing Market Slow to Hit Its Spring Stride - WSJ.com


Buying and selling is horribly nerve wracking, but I genuinely believe it all works out for the best in the long run and when one gets away a better one appears (just not instantly).

[beninfl]

If your only getting DirecTV to watch Red Socks game, just watch it for free @ vipbox.tv or firstrowsports.eu. You can watch ANY live sports game there, even sumo wrestling! HD, too!

For regular TV shows, couchtuner.eu streams them all to your TV. All free.

[jmqueen]

Originally Posted by beninfl

If your only getting DirecTV to watch Red Socks game, just watch it for free @ vipbox.tv or firstrowsports.eu. You can watch ANY live sports game there, even sumo wrestling! HD, too!

For regular TV shows, couchtuner.eu streams them all to your TV. All free.

Must check this out. I always read that there's stuff like this out there, but no one ever specifies the stuff *I* want to watch, so I've been confused by the vagueness of the info. Thanks for that!

[jmqueen]

Originally Posted by Cardiff by the Sea

Govt loans are a PITA. We had buyers with one, and because the unit was rented and the lease didn't run out for another couple of weeks, the loan granter would not close. It had to be reappraised, reinspected, etc etc. It was supposed to close easily after the lease ran out, and it took 7 weeks.

Not trying to be a buzzkill, but don't believe lenders and realtors when they give you estimated time frames.

I do think the market has cooled so maybe your difficult buyer will wait. Or he may walk and come back when he finds that there are not as many fish in the sea as he thought. High interest rates and climbing prices are causing buyers to take pause.

Housing Market Slow to Hit Its Spring Stride - WSJ.com


Buying and selling is horribly nerve wracking, but I genuinely believe it all works out for the best in the long run and when one gets away a better one appears (just not instantly).

I always try to believe that too … I guess I'm just worried because I know how few properties there are out there that meet our needs. And I also worry about thous climbing prices if I have to start over again!

And this seller (a flipper) is weird. He had a buyer whose financing fell through, and he was so pi$$ed off, he raised his price. Now I'm agreeing to pay that price, but I shudder to think what he'll do if his deal falls with me falls through …