I do not like my bank. When this house is sold, we are leaving this bank for another. I won't tell who I use, but only that it is suppose to be for service members and their families. HA! It really isn't. And, doing business with our bank is horrible. Short sales are horrible.
I filled out paperwork two months ago, well actually, before Christmas. So, three months ago. I copied documents. Our realtor set us up with a company that manages short sales. We didn't expect it to be easy. But, I didn't expect our bank to be quite so stupid. This is the third time that I've filled out financial information. I have sent our tax documents three separate times. I have sent copies of pay stubs three times. I have signed various documents, faxed utilities bills, hardship claims, military orders, and signed many many items - again. I keep copies of everything, and so does my realtor. Why doesn't my bank? Does their fax machine empty into a paper shredder?
So, last week, I was directed to the wrong documents to download and fill out, by who? By my bank. Ten pages of worthless junk. Our bank claims that they don't even know where I found them. Hmm, on your own website?? And, I was directed by your representative. Some of the confusion is departments. The same bank manages both my first and second lien. But, they don't even have access to the account numbers on the loans. I asked if my mortgage was sold to another party, but no. Its the same bank, but two different departments. They probably are across the hallway from each other, but that makes them one bank, and two different investors. Sort of. It just doesn't make any sense. And, the document that I was suppose to fill out, they claimed they mailed to me. They did not. So, my short sale company finally emailed me the correct document. I filled it out today, and wasted another two hours, to essential transpose information from one document to another. This form is required. Well, duh, all these forms are required. And, it may take 30 days to process.
Everything I submit, will take at least 30 days. And, why? So that someone can blow their nose into the documents that I fax, and then ask for the information again.
We have buyers waiting. They want to buy this house. They are renting and residing in the home they sold over two months ago. We will move in a couple months. The money for this house will run out. The greedy bank had better get a move on, or they are going to lose the sale, and they will lose our money and business. Why, because the military gave us orders to move. We are moving somewhere that is much more expensive. Alaska is much more expensive than Michigan. And we can't pay for a mortgage and rent. This is why we have been trying to sell our home for 1 1/2 years now. We started very early, so we could take care of our family and finances before the military sent us to a new duty station.
And, we are working with a bank that salutes the military, and the families of our service men and women. Maybe next time they ask for a document that I have already sent two or three times, I will fax them a copy of my butt.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
21 Weeks and Rambling about the Move
I don't think that I shared, but we have news! We are having a baby boy! The whole family is excited. I am at 21 weeks pregnant, almost 22. I am sitting here, drinking a cup of coffee. The morning sickness is behind me now, I haven't felt ill in a couple weeks - not even a tiny bit of nausea. I haven't had coffee in months! This cup is only half coffee, and mostly milk, cause, I'm suppose to drink more dairy (calcium) and not so much coffee.
My husband is home, which is wonderful! He is gone about every other week. Work is keeping him very busy. Today we will pick up some baby stuff. Free shipping and store delivery is very cool. I love that. So, today, we will get the pack n' play and stroller. I am still waiting for the crib and mattress to arrive. The plan is to buy the big stuff here, so we don't have to pay mega dollars extra in AK.
I will be in AK in two month. May 16th is my travel date. I am flying to AK. That will be 3-4 weeks solo. No husband, no kids, no bird, no dog, no house cleaning, no mothering, nada. It will be weird. I am both excited and nervous about this. I haven't been on an R&R, well, ever! Not since I was a child, I suppose. My hubby will be taking care of everything- traveling to AK with the family in tow. It will be quite and adventure!! Well, of course, I'm not really going to be alone. I will be taking one child with me! Baby Pinky wil be 30 weeks along when we leave.
The house is still for sale. The buyers are anxious. The bank is ridiculously slooooooooow. We just had another BPO for the second lien holder, and are waiting for the two banks to negotiate terms, and hopefully approve the sale. Hopefully, without another promissory note! Hopefully, they will not be little greedy piggies. The buyers call our realtor daily. I am being a squeaky wheel too. It is frustrating, but as long as our buyers hang in there, I guess we are ok.
One of these days, our move will need to be set up. One day very soon. The military moves us. If you are sitting there thinking- "Wow! That's great! I wish the military would move me!" Well, think about it. They should move us. They are the ones who require us to move all over the world. They say, "you are going to live here" and you can't whine and say that you don't want to. So, yes, they should move all our stuff and pay for it too. You can actually whine, but it won't really change anything. Unless you want your active duty spouse to be a geo bachelor. I don't think many families want that.
Military moves are interesting. First, the date is set for the packers to arrive. Then, you have to set aside the stuff you don't want moved. You have to do less obvious things too. Like, they will pack up the trash if you leave it in the bathroom trash can. They will also break stuff that they are having trouble moving. Seriously! We had a computer desk, it was one of those long desks from office depot, and we put it together ourselves. The movers basically broke the legs off it, instead of unscrewing them. You can of course file a claim, and be somewhat reimbursed for the broken items, but of course you must remember to do this in a timely fashion. I am guilty of never remembering to file in time. Then, there is the lost stuff. Some items just don't make it there. I have been told it is worse if your goods have to go into storage. (Our goods will go into storage this time). And, then the lost stuff, that's really "there" but packed in a weird place. Like the part of the baby's crib that ended up in the garage. My poor son, at 13 months- we tried to put him in the toddler bed, till we found the part of the crib. He kept ending up on the floor.
Ok, so the packers arrive, and you watch them box up your stuff. I badger them to "please put the bottom mirror from my curio cabinet in bubble wrap, don't leave it in the bottom to get broken!" and the kids have to go somewhere, or they get underfoot. They usually leave the beds in tact, and a box open for sheets and pillows, that you can add in the morning. In the morning, the movers take everything away. Except weird items, like open bottles of shampoo or things in a closet that you forgot to point out to them.
In our family, we end up sleeping in an empty house for a while, till we actually move. Very pregnant, sleeping on a saggy air mattress, is lots of fun (sarcasm!). I have done this before. And, you sort of camp out in your own house. If the house sells, maybe we won't have to do this. If we don't have a mortgage payment, we will go to a hotel. But, if not, we will have the camper too, so maybe we can use that. Big pregnant woman in a camper vs. big pregnant woman on an air mattress. Hmmm? I don't know which one to choose.
Ok, that is enough rambling for today. Have a happy weekend!
My husband is home, which is wonderful! He is gone about every other week. Work is keeping him very busy. Today we will pick up some baby stuff. Free shipping and store delivery is very cool. I love that. So, today, we will get the pack n' play and stroller. I am still waiting for the crib and mattress to arrive. The plan is to buy the big stuff here, so we don't have to pay mega dollars extra in AK.
I will be in AK in two month. May 16th is my travel date. I am flying to AK. That will be 3-4 weeks solo. No husband, no kids, no bird, no dog, no house cleaning, no mothering, nada. It will be weird. I am both excited and nervous about this. I haven't been on an R&R, well, ever! Not since I was a child, I suppose. My hubby will be taking care of everything- traveling to AK with the family in tow. It will be quite and adventure!! Well, of course, I'm not really going to be alone. I will be taking one child with me! Baby Pinky wil be 30 weeks along when we leave.
The house is still for sale. The buyers are anxious. The bank is ridiculously slooooooooow. We just had another BPO for the second lien holder, and are waiting for the two banks to negotiate terms, and hopefully approve the sale. Hopefully, without another promissory note! Hopefully, they will not be little greedy piggies. The buyers call our realtor daily. I am being a squeaky wheel too. It is frustrating, but as long as our buyers hang in there, I guess we are ok.
One of these days, our move will need to be set up. One day very soon. The military moves us. If you are sitting there thinking- "Wow! That's great! I wish the military would move me!" Well, think about it. They should move us. They are the ones who require us to move all over the world. They say, "you are going to live here" and you can't whine and say that you don't want to. So, yes, they should move all our stuff and pay for it too. You can actually whine, but it won't really change anything. Unless you want your active duty spouse to be a geo bachelor. I don't think many families want that.
Military moves are interesting. First, the date is set for the packers to arrive. Then, you have to set aside the stuff you don't want moved. You have to do less obvious things too. Like, they will pack up the trash if you leave it in the bathroom trash can. They will also break stuff that they are having trouble moving. Seriously! We had a computer desk, it was one of those long desks from office depot, and we put it together ourselves. The movers basically broke the legs off it, instead of unscrewing them. You can of course file a claim, and be somewhat reimbursed for the broken items, but of course you must remember to do this in a timely fashion. I am guilty of never remembering to file in time. Then, there is the lost stuff. Some items just don't make it there. I have been told it is worse if your goods have to go into storage. (Our goods will go into storage this time). And, then the lost stuff, that's really "there" but packed in a weird place. Like the part of the baby's crib that ended up in the garage. My poor son, at 13 months- we tried to put him in the toddler bed, till we found the part of the crib. He kept ending up on the floor.
Ok, so the packers arrive, and you watch them box up your stuff. I badger them to "please put the bottom mirror from my curio cabinet in bubble wrap, don't leave it in the bottom to get broken!" and the kids have to go somewhere, or they get underfoot. They usually leave the beds in tact, and a box open for sheets and pillows, that you can add in the morning. In the morning, the movers take everything away. Except weird items, like open bottles of shampoo or things in a closet that you forgot to point out to them.
In our family, we end up sleeping in an empty house for a while, till we actually move. Very pregnant, sleeping on a saggy air mattress, is lots of fun (sarcasm!). I have done this before. And, you sort of camp out in your own house. If the house sells, maybe we won't have to do this. If we don't have a mortgage payment, we will go to a hotel. But, if not, we will have the camper too, so maybe we can use that. Big pregnant woman in a camper vs. big pregnant woman on an air mattress. Hmmm? I don't know which one to choose.
Ok, that is enough rambling for today. Have a happy weekend!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Reading and Writing
Oh yeah, remember when this was a blog about home schooling?
We are plowing through the lessons. It is getting challenging for my daughter. She is on lesson 63 of 175 lessons of McRuffy Reading and Phonics 1st grade. We began in mid-October, so that's not too bad, but we can't move any faster. It is a thorough program. Today she was learning contractions vs. possession with apostrophes. The spelling list just jumped from 10 words to 15! Yikes! And, the list is harder than before. She does not remember how to spell. I mean, she can retain the words (some of them) for the week, but then most are simply gone. But, she can read more and more. So, I know she is retaining the words in the lessons. She can now read nearly all Step 1 reading books, that I can find. We will be moving on to Step 2 books this fall, probably. Her reading comprehension is very very good. When I read aloud to her, she can answer questions, and asks good questions about the story too. We read good literature. This week is: Understood Betsy. We have read Little Pear, Henry Huggins, A Year with Miss Agnes, and Mr. Poppers Penguins. She loves it when I read chapter books.
Writing is so challenging. She has nice handwriting. She prints fairly neatly- not awesome, but good for her age. Her copy work is good. She can't wait to begin cursive, which is next year. But, to do independent writing/creative writing - she cannot spell. She has so much to say, and so many big words. She doesn't do inventive spelling. She wants it right the first time. She struggles to write a single sentence. And, we practice constantly. We have tried using the computer. That is a little bit better. She is using a picture dictionary for some words, but it is tedious. If she dictates to me, she can create wonderful stories. Is this a learning disability or will it just take time? Maybe my expectations are too high.
She loves to write cards and notes. She loves to use Skype and type silly stuff to her Daddy. I feel like I need to nurture this more- but, I am struggling as to how.
On a more positive note, Math is going great. She is going to finish just after summer- maybe we will have a couple weeks left. But, she gets it. She works hard. She is a perfectionist, but that is for another blog. She is very interested in Science, History, Geography and Health. She is a hard worker.
I just want to be the best teacher for my children that I can be. There is no time to take a teaching course anymore : ) And, I had my fill of those back when they paid me to teach other peoples children, a life time ago.
We are plowing through the lessons. It is getting challenging for my daughter. She is on lesson 63 of 175 lessons of McRuffy Reading and Phonics 1st grade. We began in mid-October, so that's not too bad, but we can't move any faster. It is a thorough program. Today she was learning contractions vs. possession with apostrophes. The spelling list just jumped from 10 words to 15! Yikes! And, the list is harder than before. She does not remember how to spell. I mean, she can retain the words (some of them) for the week, but then most are simply gone. But, she can read more and more. So, I know she is retaining the words in the lessons. She can now read nearly all Step 1 reading books, that I can find. We will be moving on to Step 2 books this fall, probably. Her reading comprehension is very very good. When I read aloud to her, she can answer questions, and asks good questions about the story too. We read good literature. This week is: Understood Betsy. We have read Little Pear, Henry Huggins, A Year with Miss Agnes, and Mr. Poppers Penguins. She loves it when I read chapter books.
Writing is so challenging. She has nice handwriting. She prints fairly neatly- not awesome, but good for her age. Her copy work is good. She can't wait to begin cursive, which is next year. But, to do independent writing/creative writing - she cannot spell. She has so much to say, and so many big words. She doesn't do inventive spelling. She wants it right the first time. She struggles to write a single sentence. And, we practice constantly. We have tried using the computer. That is a little bit better. She is using a picture dictionary for some words, but it is tedious. If she dictates to me, she can create wonderful stories. Is this a learning disability or will it just take time? Maybe my expectations are too high.
She loves to write cards and notes. She loves to use Skype and type silly stuff to her Daddy. I feel like I need to nurture this more- but, I am struggling as to how.
On a more positive note, Math is going great. She is going to finish just after summer- maybe we will have a couple weeks left. But, she gets it. She works hard. She is a perfectionist, but that is for another blog. She is very interested in Science, History, Geography and Health. She is a hard worker.
I just want to be the best teacher for my children that I can be. There is no time to take a teaching course anymore : ) And, I had my fill of those back when they paid me to teach other peoples children, a life time ago.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Long long day
The bank has asked for a promissory note, in order to proceed with the short sale. It is infuriating. But, our house will sell this winter, and hopefully very very soon. I did not sleep last night. But, it will all work out. Soon, we will no longer be homeowners, and free from Northern Michigan.
I have found a place for us to stay - an extended stay lodging, that is affordable and allows pets. Its roomy enough to do homeschooling and it has a full kitchen, so we won't have to eat out. It looks nice, and is an answer to pray.
So, as soon as we close on the house, or we are very close to doing so, we will arrange for the military to pack us up, and store our belongings. Then, we can move to the hotel, sell my husband's car, and find a new online bank. I will no longer do business with this company.
Then, in May, we will be off to AK!
My daughter is having a very difficult time with all these upcoming changes. She is full of anxiety. I get it, cause me too. But, I am happy about AK. My kids don't remember living anywhere else. (I do, and although I have some good friends here, this is not my "home")
Where is my home, you may wonder? No where. I have lived in New York, New Jersey, Wyoming, Virginia, Florida and Michigan. None of these places feels like home. I guess that's why the military suits me. Somewhere, I have a plaque that says, "Home is where the Coast Guard sends you"
The baby is at 19 weeks, and moving all the time. My ultrasound is next week, and then we will know if we are having a baby girl or a baby boy.
I have found a place for us to stay - an extended stay lodging, that is affordable and allows pets. Its roomy enough to do homeschooling and it has a full kitchen, so we won't have to eat out. It looks nice, and is an answer to pray.
So, as soon as we close on the house, or we are very close to doing so, we will arrange for the military to pack us up, and store our belongings. Then, we can move to the hotel, sell my husband's car, and find a new online bank. I will no longer do business with this company.
Then, in May, we will be off to AK!
My daughter is having a very difficult time with all these upcoming changes. She is full of anxiety. I get it, cause me too. But, I am happy about AK. My kids don't remember living anywhere else. (I do, and although I have some good friends here, this is not my "home")
Where is my home, you may wonder? No where. I have lived in New York, New Jersey, Wyoming, Virginia, Florida and Michigan. None of these places feels like home. I guess that's why the military suits me. Somewhere, I have a plaque that says, "Home is where the Coast Guard sends you"
The baby is at 19 weeks, and moving all the time. My ultrasound is next week, and then we will know if we are having a baby girl or a baby boy.
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