Close. Or, close call?

It was time to close on the house!! Finally, we would be homeowners again for the first time in just over four years.

Of course, nothing we do is not without its problems. Are you sitting down?

1) Before leaving Colorado, we checked in with our bank (a local credit union) that we would be able to phone in a wire request for closing. Of course, they said! So, we got the HUD with the amount we needed to bring to the table. I called the credit union with the amount and wire instructions. And they asked for my fax number for my signature. WHAT? I'm in a car, in Indiana, 90 minutes before close. They need a signature for anything over $1000. Who closes with less than $1000? Sweating bullets, we pull into a local credit union that was in their network to get a cashiers check. No problemo. Phew!

2) We chose to do a final walk-though an hour before closing. We meet our realtor at the property, and she has the garage code to let us in. Nothing is happening. She calls their realtor, who says they've turned off the power. What? Why? We haven't closed!! It is their house still, and sub-freezing temperatures! We spend a few frantic moments calling all of the utilities, to find out they had called to have everything shut off the day before. So the power had been out for over 24 hours. Thankfully, the gas & water people hadn't had a chance to get out and shut things off. However, that means there is not-heated water running through what will soon be OUR pipes! Our realtor GENTLY suggested that if we get in and the pipes are burst, we will NOT be closing. Their realtor showed up with the key, and all was fine. We opened the cupboards and got the water running. On our way down the street, we saw the power truck pulling up. Another phew!

The actual closing went off without a hitch. The sellers were very nice. The wife told me about all of the lilies and other plants that decorated the yard. Hopefully those survive my touch.

Its ours. All ours!!!

Of course, then the furnace broke 3 days after close, and 2 days after that, we had an ant problem. Hooray for owning a home!! Today is the 1-monthversary of closing. I can't believe it!