Closings and Openings

We closed on our new house today.

It's been stressful...but Nonie is quite excited by the notion of moving out into the country---and, to tell the truth, her enthusiasm is infectious. (I, of course, am immune...but as long as the finances stay under control---and we don't let ourselves become slaves to the place---I think it'll be fun, too).

We ended the day by changing the lock on the front door...and coming back to Livonia. We're both sad at the prospect of leaving the house where we raised our children...but excited by the prospect of adventures to come.

Tomorrow's the Day

We close on our new house tomorrow; Nonie and I are both a bit nervous---she about all the work the place will be; me about all the money we'll be spending (since our current house is all paid for)...as well as all the time it will take away from writing.

At the same time, we're both pretty excited. It promises to be a fun and enjoyable shared adventure.

I'm already doing the legal research to sue someone for breach of promise it if turns into a disaster for us.

Stay tuned to this channel for further details.

Trying to Close

Under the heading of "Why Plan Anything, Since Things Neverr Go As Planned"...we now have our real estate experience of 2009 to file away as an exhibit.

We'd planned on closing on Monday...and were getting things ready...when a not-entirely-unpredictable paperwork snafu arose: nobody had actually put Nonie's name on the purchase agreement yet, and this has sent the California Bank that actually owns the property into a tizzy.

Things should be straightened out in relatively short order...and it should still happen early next week. But it would be nice if things actually worked out as expected, every once in a while.

Moving on Out

Another update in the world of real estate: we're sending back the paperwork on our mortgage.

Yet another step toward debt...and the promise of a wonderful house in the country.

Problems Avoided

Nonie and I have been thinking of moving. Despite a home that's fully paid-for, the thoughts of relocating after retirement were becoming a greater part of our thoughts and conversations since I retired. Usually, those thoughts involve a bit more usable land, and a house with all the living quarters on the main floor. But we'd stumbled across a piece of property a ways outside of town---which had a much bigger house than we thought we'd be buying...and needed a bit of work...but which struck both of us as a place we could really settle into.

Things often have a way of working out for the best. Today, we'd planned on looking at a house, on 4-1/2 tranquil (and foreclosed) acres near Milford. Just before heading out, the realtor called to tell us not to bother: someone else had just made an offer.

Rather than gnashing our teeth over what might have been, I'd rather think of "problems we avoided": house payments on a money pit...and a house that would be keep us toiling from dawn to dusk, far away from friends and family.

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.