Paperwork, and yes....more paperwork.

It seems that all I have done for the past few days is paperwork for our house loan.
Just when I think I might see an end, you got it....more paperwork is needed.

It has been extremely stressful for me trying to get everything in order. For those of you who do not know, my hubby has worked really hard to pay off past debts and become debt free. But due to his diligence, his credit score was reduced to "0". Yes, no credit rating. We were fortunate to find a lender who will do a no credit score loan using non-traditional credit such as rent, utilities, etc. You can have NO 30 day late payments.

We had a hiccup last week when our utility company reported to the credit agency that we had 9 - 30 day late pays! I was incredibly upset as I know that we have never had a 30 day late pay. It took 4 days to get it cleared up. We couldn't move on with the loan until it was cleared. We are already pressed for time due to the closing and the type of loan we are getting (Rural Development loan) and this was a week's time to get it cleared up and looks like it will possibly put us behind on the closing (sigh).

I have to remind myself that God is in control and knows our needs and will provide. I find myself not worried about it, just a bit discouraged.

So, today, I am taking the last of the requested paperwork to our realtor so she can email it to the lender. Then the wait begins. It will also have to go to the USDA for them to approve the RD loan...and according to our realtor...RD takes time.

So, if I could ask for your prayers that the paperwork gets to the right people and gets handled in a timely and efficient manner, I would appreciate it.

Other than that, today I plan on dusting the living room and working on my couponing and grocery list. Hubby is working a 12 hour shift tonight. Blake has a soccer game. And I'm going to do my best in just taking it easy for as much of the day as possible.

Tomorrow I will hit the ground running again.

Have a blessed Thursday!

Getting Bargains

I am all about finding bargains. Whether I am grocery shopping, buying clothes or looking for just about anything else, I hate to pay full price.

My husband has affectionately labeled me as "cheap". He gets a kick out of my motto "If it ain't free, it ain't for me". And yes, I do get lots of stuff for free! Just check out your local freecycle. People will list things that they no longer need and its just yours for the asking! I have picked up some great solar patio lights, iron patio chairs, buckets for my tomato plants, bathroom mirrors, and even a practically brand new upright freezer! (My husband was really impressed with that last one).

Go to freecycle.org to find your local freecycling group.

Another one of my favorite bargain finding places is craigslist.com. If you are one of those people that have to have "brand new", this isn't for you. However, if you don't mind something gently worn, you can find great deals. Some of my finds include a mahagony dinning table for $75.00, a computer for $40.00, and our couch that has recliners on each end for just $40.00! We love this couch and it looked brand new when we brought it home! If we had bought that couch new, I know we would have paid over $400.00 for it.

Why pay hundreds of dollars when you can get it for so much more less?!

So, as stated before, we are in the process of buying a house (it's the most nerve racking period for me right now - so please pray for me) and the appliances are not in the best shape. The dishwasher is white and is dented. When you open it up, it is yellowish and has an unpleasant odor. The stove/oven is o.k....but I really wanted a smooth top (I've become spoiled with the one I have). So, I started searching on craigslist and I can't believe what I found!! We go and pick up the dishwasher today and we'll probably go get the stove and the over the range microwave next week. They are all black and stainless steel and only 2 years old!
Posting pics below. And the amazing part of this deal is the price! I'm paying just $75. for the dishwasher and $50 for the stove/oven and $50. for the over the range microwave. That's just $175.00 for all three!

Great House News!

Well, we got the call yesterday from our realtor that the sellers accepted our offer! Whoo Hoo!!!

We are so very excited. We just know that this is where we are supposed to be. We drove out to the house yesterday, because the first time we saw it, it was just "a house"....but now it is "our" house. (or will be once we finally close).

We are looking at a closing date the last week of October. That will give me plenty of time to finish getting the needed paperwork to our loan officer and start decluttering the house we are in and of course, packing.

So, as promised, here are some pictures of the new house we are purchasing:

MIA

Sorry, I have been missing in action....so much has been going on lately.

We have been house hunting. Last week we put in an offer on a house that we liked. It needed some work. The kitchen and the bathrooms were wallpapered in this hideous pattern. But I figured I could take it down and paint and make it like I wanted it. I even went to the store and picked out the paint colors. However, they rejected our offer without even a counter. I was disappointed, but figured that was just not where we were supposed to be.

So, on the same day we received word that we didn't get that house, we found one we liked better on a full acre out in the country.

So, we talked to our realtor and went to see it on Wednesday. There was another family looking at it at the same time. I knew immediately that this was THE house. The kitchen opens up to the family room and it has a split bedroom plan. It's on a full acre out in the country, but only about 15 minutes from the city limits. Hubby only has about a 15 minute drive to work...so that's great!

We went to the agent's offer that afternoon and put an offer on it. So now, here we are just sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if they accepted our offer so we can proceed. Dealing with that and the lender's office however is very "trying". I have been trying to get everything together so we can close on 10/30 if they accept.

We are very excited!!

In the midst of all this, our very good friends from Michigan came down for a visit. We only get to see each other once a year and the time we are together always seems so short. We had such a great time together and miss them already.

As soon as we know if we are going to get the house, I'll post some pictures...don't want to jump the gun yet.

Hope you have a blessed Friday.