Got called by 'Sheila' who I had to drop my birth cert to. She verified my info, asked if I was comfortable with giving my SS number to her and we continued. Upshot is, everything is in line all the confusion was straightened out and I will be receiving $1017 on the 9th (second Wednesday) next month. That will also include this month so I get a double pay, yipeee! Jon gets paid on the 16th next month so he gets paid on the third Wednesday of the month. We will have to work out logistics when tax money comes in on saving from each check for the following month rent.
This gives me some hope at least, storage got paid and something else went through but the downside is I have no money right now to make a payment on my credit card that is due on the 4th next month. Manually. Which means I usually have to transmit it from my bank at the end of the month. Dangit. I had to route my phone bill through it so I wouldn't lose that. Sigh. Just when you start getting ahead. Minimum payment is $40 and total balance the card is $60 something. I really needed to get my credit up and it was going really well.
In other news... not much. Kids are doing okay, though Amber called me the other day saying their 15 year old 'Kitty' is not doing well and likely will have to be put down. She is Wellman's cat and it's going to hit them all hard as any loss of a pet will do. The grandkids are doing good, school is being adapted as everyone's is.
I'm continuing to entertain myself with house hunting and am amazed at what is being offered in Washington. A 3bd/2ba mobile home looked good on the outside, decently kept on the inside, not too old, it was being offered at $145k which is not a shabby price and then I noticed something. It had no dishwasher, fridge or washer/dryer. Not that they were never there, they had been pulled out and not replaced. IF I was serious about buying that my suggestion would be to lower the price 10k to allow for the missing appliances. There were plenty of other comparable homes offered that had all the appliances and they weren't that expensive.
I do my homework on the process too. Especially with mobile homes it's best to get one that is post 1980 due to changes in construction laws for them making them more sturdy and better insulated. Always check the condition of the skirting around the base and any outlying buildings to look for signs of standing water. Look down the list and see what the heating/cooling is, if there are pictures see what the condition and age of that is. Oh and the lease amount of the space as applicable. Also if there are no pictures of the interior it's a no go. Loan conditions, taxes and all that of course.
Also the area it is in, how far from shopping and public transit. Crime rate of the area, weather conditions and averages for that. As a lot of people know, most mobile home parks are in the middle of nowhere or low income/rural or otherwise 'undesirable' locations. Yes there are some at the other end of the spectrum even in my area. Not even going to consider anything in those areas. I've been looking at homes that are $0-$200k sometimes $300k just as a dream limit. I did a quick look at what my current loan possibilities are and can't even qualify for $100k So I started looking at 0 down loans (FHA/USDA type) and to see what options are there. Problem is I want to buy in another state than what I am in so any classes they want you to take have to be in that area. It's complicated.
I look at the Zillow 'estimated payments' as well (in an ideal financial situation getting the best loan rate yada yada) and top that by another hundred, combine it with the space lease and taxes, do the budget and have a rough idea. You see, I do my research and consider as much as possible. What if the water heater needs replacing? What if you have a roof leak? Plumbing issue? Electrical? Well you see... I'm an intelligent and well read person and my significant sweetie is experienced in plumbing and electrical issues so we have some bases covered already.
I find it annoying that when I post things on FB that well meaning relatives or friends warn me about things or offer advice. I have to be nice and say yes, I know what I'm looking for. Not that I'm in any condition financially to be serious but it gives me the sense and experience to be prepared. I also have been looking at just what is involved in getting a loan, what they're looking for what does it mean to get pre-qualified and all that. Now that I have a verified income along with Jon, we have more of a leg to stand on. We don't have a lot of income but for where we are we have enough. If we had a place that had storage on site that didn't cost extra (another room or garage) we would be saving close to $500 a month in our budget. Offset that with having to pay for water/trash/sewer (depending on the situation) it's still cheaper. It's hard to get that through lenders heads that you can't take our current income and say we can't afford $650 (P&I) payments. We're barely making it with $950 so freeing up that much money is a bonus. Sigh.
Anyway, enough ranting about my thoughts and processes. I've hashed this out several times and I feel like I've already got a loan and am shopping for real. (I have also factored in the cost of moving is going to be close to $3k considering all the stuff in storage).
Okay enough... it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and I should get out and do some gardening.
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