Part Two: the short end of the stick.

*** Three Saturdays Ago***

The house is prepped, clean, and ready for pictures.  The appt is at 2pm, and we are waiting. 

A silver car drives by. And then again, and again-- three times.  The driver looks lost, and I wonder: is this the guy who is coming to take pictures?  (I knew it wasn't the owners's realtor, as I had Googled him, and knew what he looked like). After all this back and forthing, he pulls up to the house, and knocks on our door.  Aaron answers, and the man asks, 'Are you _______(the owner)?'  This tells me the owners' realtor didn't send him to take pictures.  The owners now live out of state (thus the property manager).

Turns out, he is an investor, and most definately not the guy to take the pictures.  He told us that the owners had asked him to take a look at the place, to see if he wanted to buy it.  (Um, I don't think so-- he would have known that there were renters in the home, and 24 hour advance notice was needed.) There are a couple of other clues in what he goes on to say, so we don't let him in, and we advise he just waits for the realtor to put up the sign.  He leaves. 

At 2:30 the boys are getting rowdy, and I'm bored.  So I take all the kids and Captain out for ice-cream, while Aaron stays at the house.  The owners' realtor shows up about 10 minutes after I leave.  Despite thanking us for making the house picture perfect, he still calls us 'the most difficult and uncooperative' people he has ever had to work with.  (Makes me wonder: does he think that all people who rent are for stepping on? Does he automatically believe if they disagree with his methods, and insist on their rights-- they are 'difficult'?)

**Mid-week thoughts:

Anyways, what with one thing and another, our plans for buying a house next year, have been put on fast forward.  The goal was to pay off Aaron's sports car (so close!), reduce any other debts, and get an idea how much his school loans were going to cost us, (think BA + MA + PhD), and save up for a down payment. 

At this point we check out our credit scores, and our debt to income ratio (which includes our beautiful home in SB, IN), and find that by paying extra on the car we've come much closer to being ready than we thought.  So we start the process.  Thanks to our F.R. (friendly realtor) and his buddy who is a mortage broker, we are set to get a prequal letter, and start looking.

**Friday:

Late Friday afternoon, Aaron get an email from the property manager asking if it will work out for us to have two showings: one at 11am (first possible slot), and one for 1pm.  Even though *we* didn't get the full 24 hours, we notice that the owners' realtor did send our property manager those times before 10am.  We let him know that will be fine.

Friday evening:

Aaron comes up with a great idea: why don't we bid on the house we are in?  It has fantastic views, is WAY under our budget, and we wouldn't have to move!  I have to say, all three reasons are great.  My shoulder is still on the mend, coming in under budget is always wonderful, and this house gets AMAZING views-- and only a few homes in this neighborhood do. So, on our way to Date Night (a play down in Orem), we text our F.R. and let him know that we want to bid on the house we are renting-- and as there are showings the next day, the sooner the better.

****************Read Date Night Post for what happens at the play ;)***********************

When we get home, we call F.R., and talk numbers.  We go to bed nervous, and stressed.  What is going to happen tomorrow???