u/bellzbellzbellz

My husband and I (29M & 30F) finally closed on our historic church we’re turning into our house. 6.125% and total loan amount 293k but we only paid 116k for the building and then 149k for renovation and a 14k contingency in escrow. We were under contract for over 3 months and after numbers set back and 3 different lenders it’s finally all ours. Renovation has started and phase 1 will be done by end of July. We used an FHA 203k and if you have any questions please ask. I know everyone said this was the most difficult and impossible loan but I’m hard headed and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I think these are extremely underrated and we just didn’t have the time or energy to fight for a turn key in this economy with people bidding 100k+ over asking.

✨PSA✨ I know some of you are wanting to see the renovations process and I’m documenting and posting everything on TT, YouTube and IG my handle to all is cjdzimmer follow along to see all the pics and videos!

This is bittersweet. My mom passed in 2022, and it left me feeling empty and broken. I took care of her for 5 years without the help of my siblings. They aren’t in my life for good reason. Her death left me without a home for about 3 years, and it was hard not knowing what to do or where to go. But this was my mom’s wish for me and I’d give anything to have her here with me, but she’s with me in spirit and all I can do is be grateful for the time we had and to feel blessed to finally have a roof over my head.

My mom and I went half and half on a duplex!! First for me, 2nd for her after losing our first home and renting for the last 15 years! Cheers to no longer renting 🥂

If my name sounds even remotely familiar within this subreddit, it's due to my excruciating and rather bizarre house hunting journey. From the seller pulling out three days before, solely because they weren't coming out, to having to pursue legal matters against this very same seller for this very same sale.

However, this journey now reaches its overall conclusion with the closing on a property I'm satisfied with! A 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home!

The home purchase was 290,000, with a rate of 5.125% for 25 years. While many would advise against a broker, my experience was nothing short of quick and seamless, and I would do it again.

While my monthly income is a touch higher than I envisioned, I'm due for my raise later this month, and I can take care of the mortgage and bills. My fiance's income is just additional income and can only help moving forward.

And frankly? Peace and quiet from narcissistic and abrasive parents? Absolutely: Priceless.

Now I live with my partner and our fur baby Scout. With neighbors who I quite frankly adore and appreciate so much. No longer do I feel I'm alive, but I'm getting the opportunity to live. Navigating without restriction and fear of stepping on the toes of my parental figures

I wish all of you happy house hunting, because your perfect home is out there for each and every one of you, even if it's not on the market.

On a less light note: For those of you who were curious of what became of that home, the one outside my county? That the seller pulled out from three days prior? There is a conclusion.

As stated, I did pursue the matters in small claims court; luckily, in Philadelphia at least, most of the paperwork for such can be done without a lawyer and for a small fee.

While I won't post the entire long cover letter, one portion of the legal excerpt was "In accordance with CISG, Article 61(1)(b), legal action is being brought against the aforementioned defendant for failure to perform specific duties as outlined in the Standard Agreement of Sale and tasks laid out in the addendum to the agreement of sale."

I'm a paralegal and studying for my SAT, so the legal language is quite familiar as such, but I did have a real estate attorney review some of the wording.

A personal promise for me was that if I were to pursue this matter, I wouldn't let this take away too much time or energy searching for a home, so as such, I had paid the filing fees, submitted my supporting documents, and dismissed the matter from my mind.

Fast forward to December. I'm spending the holidays with my fiance and his family in Nevada. Speaking of, have any of you seen the Ethel M Chocolates Factory Cactus Lights during Christmas? I'd recommend it; the hot chocolate is rich, and the sweets are always tasty and a true delight for chocolatiers.

Nevertheless, I received a call from my mother back in PA, who I was living with at the time, telling me, "Someone's banging at the door, yelling for me to come out." A look through the Ring camera app, and it's the seller! On the doorsteps, the packet was in her hands. I guess it finally got to her.

I'm shocked and literally have an agape mouth while with my in-laws.

I step away and tell my mother not to engage, but my mother is already out there, telling her not to bang on her door.

Suffice it to say, it definitely got the attention of our neighbors. Someone mentioned they were going to call the cops. She yelled a bit more and took off afterwards.

We went to small claims court, and I was awarded the money I sought. Luckily, I don't live at my mother's home address, nor am I in the county she lives in, so my chances of seeing her again are nearly zero.

Truly a humiliating and, quite frankly, mortifying victory, but a victory nonetheless!