Haven't posted much lately...

[CAM]

I haven't been on much lately because we have had a pretty rough couple of months around here. We bought our current home late last fall because we loved the property and although we knew we wanted to do some upgrades over time, we had no idea what we were in store for. In the last few months it has finally come to a head and we are feeling the stress.

To make a long story short I will just tell you the bottom line...we have had to take out two loans so far totaling more than $100,000 to cover the cost of all of the unexpected problems and repairs to the house ranging from needing new power brought to the house, a new boiler, new sprinkler system and new well when we ran out of water. And that is only the tip of the iceburg so to speak. It is mind boggling how all of this keeps happening one thing on top of another. Literally, as fast as we repair one problem another arises, sometimes within hours of the first! I actually have four typed pages documenting all that has gone wrong around here! :no:

I try to keep a smile on my face because my husband isn't handling it nearly as well as I am, maybe I'm in denial although he is the breadwinner so definitely some pressure there.

I jokingly say I am the CEO of our household and it is a full-time job.

We have been taking showers in the RV because of our lack of water (well problem) and no hot water (boiler problem) until it gets fixed. We also have to purchase a new hot water heater because merely replacing the boiler will not fix the domestic hot water issue.

To let you know, we are pursuing compensation from the sellers through our realtor and her broker. Hopefully it won't come to needing an attorney. If you wouldn't mind sending some good thoughts and prayers our way to erase this black cloud we would sure appreciate it.

:

 

[Reble]

Oh my, so sorry for such a bad start to a new place. :new_shocked:

Yes, go after the seller, so tired of this happening to people. We went through a tough time on a place we bought as a second property for our daughter to rent off us. Realtor and seller dishonest...

We should have done the same. Cannot trust anyone now a days.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I had the worst year of my life in 2005. It got to the point where I was literally on the verge of a mental breakdown and was thinking about commiting myself. BAD things were happening on a monthly basis for "14 months" (lost three beloved pets, almost lost my 18 year old cousin, 16 year old brother and house, the list goes on). For whatever it's worth, things will get better. I think times like this are there to "try" us and make us stronger. Your luck will change soon enough, so just keep your heads up and look forward to the day when this is all in the past. I hope that things change around for you quickly.

 

[lvponies]

I'm really sorry for all that you're going through!! It sounded like a wonderful place when you first got it.

Did you have a home inspection done prior to settling on the property? It was required for our mortgage when we bought this place 8 years ago. If you did, can you maybe go back to the inspector?

 

[nootka]

Oh, Debra, this is awful. I couldn't believe some of the stuff you told me about and I know that's just a little of what's happened.

Buying a new house should NOT result in what you've had to go through. I will wish you the best that the situation is resolved as easily as it can be, and in your favor!

(((hugs)))

Liz M.

Oh and if you ever want to run away to the beach, you are free to come stay! We have room!

 

[minisaremighty]

:new_shocked: Debra!!! That's just sooooo unacceptable!!! Were the sellers and their broker aware of these issues? I feel sooooooo bad for you guys! I know how much you wanted this place and to have it turn out to be such a nightmare is awful. Not like it was VERY expensive in the first place, but to have to fork out that kind of money on top of it is just ridiculous! Especially in light of the fact that prices around our area have dropped dramatically over the last few months and I know you bought at the peak. :no:

(((((((((((((((hugs my friend))))))))))))))))))

If you need any help of any kind with dealing with the brokers, contact me! I'm with Desert Valley Realty (out of Redmond now) and there are several fabulous agents with lots of real estate experience.

 

[jayne]

OH Debra! I am sooo sorry for what you're going through. And I can relate too. Two years ago, when we moved to Washington, I found a wonderful piece of property with a marginal mobile home on it. Still, we thought we could live in it for a couple of years until we could afford to move a new one on, as property values up here in the Seattle area were through the roof, and unfortunately, this was all we could afford in order to get some acreage. (Guess we weren't going to be able to get acreage AND a decent house, only one or the other!)

So, apparently the previous owners had strategically placed moving boxes when I went to look at the house. We were shocked to find, when we actually moved in, that boxes had be obscuring holes in walls and doors! Plus, in the bathroom there was new wallpaper but it was spanning a giant (basketball sized) hole in the wall due to the shower rotting it out!! When we discovered it, we pulled back the wallpaper and we could see into the bedroom next door!!

So, out come the calculators and with eating beans and rice for several years, we figured out how to afford the new mobile right away. So after three days of living in that heck hole, we put money down and got the wheels in motion to get the new house. We were in it about 5 months later. Luckily, the neighbor had an empty apartment in his shop next door so we lived there during the construction process (yes, there is one with mobiles too).

So, please keep your chin up. I know you feel deceived and stressed. It does get better. Trust me.

Jayne

PS for those who are buying homes in the future: A home inspection is an absolute must. It'll be the best $500 or so dollars you ever spent.

BUT, in my case, and probably Debra's too...I would have bought the place anyway just for the wonderful land. It just would have been nice to know in advance so you could negotiate better and plan for these things rather than be surprised.

 

[CAM]

Yes, we did have a home inspection AND we even went so far as to hire an electrician to come out before we purchased the home and check the power situation to be sure there was adequate power to the house. It had solar power too which we knew nothing about but it turns out when the seller brought power up to the house he brought two 40 amp legs the 1/2 mile from the road to the house with too small of wire and put it in the ground WITHOUT running it through conduit! To put it into perspective...we now have 400 amps of power which was needed to handle the size of our house, the shop and the barn. :new_shocked: So, we forked out a few thousand dollars for an electrician to come out on multiple emergency and after hour visits to dig, find the problem, and splice the wires back together during the winter when the rodents would chew through the wire and/or the weather would cause damage. Imagine trying to find a needle in a haystack; the one place where the break was in the course of that half mile stretch by digging by hand and then replacing it just so we could get our power back on. Oh, it gets worse but I have told the stories so often it makes me tired and sad so I won't go into it right now. I will say that the electrician's company as well as the inspector will be pulled into the compensation of this mess.

OH Debra! I am sooo sorry for what you're going through. And I can relate too. Two years ago, when we moved to Washington, I found a wonderful piece of property with a marginal mobile home on it. Still, we thought we could live in it for a couple of years until we could afford to move a new one on, as property values up here in the Seattle area were through the roof, and unfortunately, this was all we could afford in order to get some acreage. (Guess we weren't going to be able to get acreage AND a decent house, only one or the other!)

So, apparently the previous owners had strategically placed moving boxes when I went to look at the house. We were shocked to find, when we actually moved in, that boxes had be obscuring holes in walls and doors! Plus, in the bathroom there was new wallpaper but it was spanning a giant (basketball sized) hole in the wall due to the shower rotting it out!! When we discovered it, we pulled back the wallpaper and we could see into the bedroom next door!!

So, out come the calculators and with eating beans and rice for several years, we figured out how to afford the new mobile right away. So after three days of living in that heck hole, we put money down and got the wheels in motion to get the new house. We were in it about 5 months later. Luckily, the neighbor had an empty apartment in his shop next door so we lived there during the construction process (yes, there is one with mobiles too).

So, please keep your chin up. I know you feel deceived and stressed. It does get better. Trust me.

Jayne

PS for those who are buying homes in the future: A home inspection is an absolute must. It'll be the best $500 or so dollars you ever spent.

BUT, in my case, and probably Debra's too...I would have bought the place anyway just for the wonderful land. It just would have been nice to know in advance so you could negotiate better and plan for these things rather than be surprised.

Wow Jayne, what a mess!

 

[jayne]

Oh WOW. The inspector didn't find any of this? Or the electrician? I know their work is guaranteed and they're insured for this kind of thing, so I sure hope you pursue some financial compensation. Too bad you can't get back all the sleepless nights! Please keep us up to date when you can.

Jayne

 

[Sterling]

Oh what a nightmare!!! I am so sorry you are going thru all of this. I remember how excited you were at the beautiful property ......it just breaks my heart it has all turned out this way. I hope you can get some legal compensation and have it made right. Seems to me there was big time deception. Did you hire your own inspector or was one appointed/recommended to you? There's got to be a way that you are protected...this is just not right!

 

[CAM]

Oh what a nightmare!!! I am so sorry you are going thru all of this. I remember how excited you were at the beautiful property ......it just breaks my heart it has all turned out this way. I hope you can get some legal compensation and have it made right. Seems to me there was big time deception. Did you hire your own inspector or was one appointed/recommended to you? There's got to be a way that you are protected...this is just not right!

We used an inspector that was recommended to us by our realtor who happens to be one of our neighbors. Oh, the plot gets thicker all the time but for another day.

:

We also have had trouble with people of all varieties driving up to our house unannounced, most complete strangers and one, a neighbor who would knock and just walk in! :new_shocked: Now, I'm not an exhibitionist but I swear I am always half dressed when people show up. Then we had a neighbor that, after being caught dumping her horse manure in our open meadow near the road and being asked politely to stop, has started doing so again. Rather than start I fight as I really do like her, I asked a friend to come over and put up a gate with a lock last Friday. FINALLY, I don't have to worry about people arriving unannounced. It was happening a few times a week. Crazy! And we have No Trespassing, No Hunting, No "This and That" signs posted at the entrance but the solicitors and others still feel the need to drive up unannounced the 1/2 mile up our driveway to the house. You can't even see our house from the road and frankly, with a husband who works away from home a lot, I wasn't comfortable with that. :no: Truely, if we didn't love the property we wouldn't be able to keep up with all this.