how did a bug get in my house?!!!

Not just any bug, but a bonafide cockroach! EWWWW!!! I actually cried upon discovering him. That is how scared of this damn bug I am. He was sitting in my bathroom sink. And I got home from work, all alone and husband-less and took off my jewelry and place it in the cup next to the sink and turned to wash my face and jumped ten feet off the ground and screamed and an away. i grabbed the phone and my husband talked to me and calmed me down and convinced me to get the bug spray. I must have sprayed that thing for a good three minutes. He twitched a lot, which made me scream louder and cry harder. Then he stopped moving and I kept spraying. and now my bathroom counter is covered in bug spray, but he is definitely dead. (I hope!) hubby will be home in 4 hours to ensure it. But until then, I cannot take my contacts out cuz I am too scared to go into the bathroom. How sad is that?!

Some people!

So, I have been calling and visiting websites of tons of mortgage brokers and banks to find rates. One of these company was Northeast Mortgage. I had visited their website and called their office, leaving a message asking to be called back. I also submitted their online form for a rate quote and provided my contact info. Well, the next day I received a phone message and shortly after that an e-mail which says I called you today and left a message, please indicate the best time to call and get a hold of you. I didn't get back to him that day because I was busy with other things. The next day, I receive another phone call and another message, please call. Again, we were busy cuz we spent the day taking care of house ins and talking by e-mail with other lenders. I just didn't get back to him. Third day, the message has become WAY annoyed with me. "I have been calling you and haven't gotten a hold of you. Please just give me a call back" The tone sounded annoyed and actually pissed off that I hadn't called him yet, but it was a subtle undertone. Well, my sisters B'day was that day so there was no way i was calling back.

Now, I understand it has been three days, but my god, 3 days?! That's it! the other people I have worked with, the mortgage brokers and direct lenders were totally understanding. On days when I go to work, I barely have time to do anything else and hey received phone calls very sporadically. Also, I am WAY over my phone minutes this month and so I have been calling people even less, thus every time this guys has called, I let it go to voicemail cuz I can't spare the minutes. So this morning was the last straw. Keep in mind I have NEVER have actually talked to this guy. He leaves a message in the most annoyed tone, like i was some idiot just wasting his time and says "the least you could do is give me a courtesy call and tell me you went with someone else, okay? Just please call me back." Boy did that rub me the wrong way! He spoke to me like I was a child needing scolding for my bad manners. I refuse to call him now. I sent him the following e-mail:

Mr. Ventura,

I have been out of phone contact for a few days due to celebrating an important birthday with my family. In that time you have left several messages and this e-mail. I understand that in three days time you have not been called back, but the tone with which you spoke in your last two messages was unacceptable. I am not a little girl to be scolded for not having called you back, and there is no reason for the annoyed tone in your voice as you plead with me to contact you. I find it very unprofessional for you to leave a message saying the "least I could do was give you a courtesy call" when I have had absolutely no contact with you personally and it has been a mere three days since your first attempt to contact me. I understand that I initiated contact with your company, but as a prospective client I find it extremely annoying to be pestered into getting back to you on your timetable.

I will be going with a company which understands customer service and has worked with my timetable of when I can return calls and e-mails. This is also a company that would never be so offended that they had not been contacted, or at least would be professional enough not to show it and not resort to snotty and snide remarks when leaving messages on my phone.

Please do not call or e-mail me any more.


So, there! Geez, I mean come on! I know I called him first, but I have a life and it doesn't involve dropping everything to take to this creep.

Anyway.. we picked the loan and are locking in the rate with the first broker we talked with and I have done my legwork so I know this is the best loan out there for us and I feel good about that. So, yay!

Too good to be true?

I've been putting feelers out to all sorts of mortgage companies. I have received a good faith Estimate and Truth in Lending Disclosures form stating a rate of 5.8 and apr of 6.05% Too good to be true? Cuz every other rate I saw was 6.3 rate and up to 7% apr, but nothing below 6.5%apr. I hope its true. I asked for a rate lock form, so I guess we shall see.

Could be yay for me!

Plus, I can't wait to get this loan stuff over with so we can start seriously shopping for the fridge (I've already picked a washer and dryer I like and we think we know what TV we want). Yay!

Five good things

I am taking a page from my mother's blog and focusing on the positives. Mommy has been so supportive in my uber-stressed state the last few days. I think being at work was what was stressing me, I'd have been so much happier just staying home and taking care of everything. But, I got through it, so, here we go:

Five good things in my life:

1)I have the most wonderful, loving, patient, caring husband in the world and he works so hard and provides for me so well that...

2)In 45 short (but they feel sooo looooong) days we will be moving into our dream house.

3) My little sister turns 18 this week. The perfect excuse to take a day off work (extending my weekend to four glorious days) and hang out with her and mommy all day.

4)Cheesecake. 'nuff said.

5)Since I have been stressed lately, I started dreaming (and google-ing) about a spa day to relax and unwind. I left my notes about prices laying next to the computer and hubby saw, came right over to me and said," You deserve a spa day. You should definitely take some money and have one." He's so good!

Good day

Look at me, posting as if anyone other than my own mother ever actually reads this. ;-)

today the house was inspected and it went brilliantly. I am SO GLAD I decided to be there for the whole 4 and a half hour ordeal. The inspector was incredible and I learned so much I never would have known about my house. "My house." Nice words. And today it felt so much more mine. I understand the electrical wiring, the plumbing, every pipe going in and out of the house and what it does and what it should and should not be doing. he explained everything, answered every question. I now know that if my blow dryer kills the power in my Master bath, the reset button is actually in the guest bathroom. I know where to go to unclog the kitchen sink if Draino doesn't work, and where the plumber should go if an even bigger clog jams up the whole water system. I know that my water softener need salt and my water heater is new. I know how to use the alarm system (kinda) and how to adjust the thermostat (digital... oh yeah! I hate the one in our apartment. I never know the temperature.) I know where the sprinkler heads are and that the water spraying the house is bad so I need to replace the spraying sprinkler heads that are too close with bubblers. I know that the roof needs about $200 worth of work (hopefully nothing more!) I know all about my house, inside and out. It so cool. The best part is, I feel smarter than my husband. Cuz I foresee a moment where he has a house question and I know the answer (*does a little dance around the living room in true gloating fashion*)

So, it was a good day.

In over my head

I dread coming home from work and reading my e-mails. I know what is going to be there waiting for me... more emails about our impending home loan. Sallie Mae offered a rate of 6.375% with a half point paid up front and they waive the unerwriting fee. This is for the full loan amount. The broker wants me to split the loan 80/20 or 80/15/5. I don't understand how this is a good deal when the 80 part is financed at at the same rate (6.375) and the second part at over 8%. The total payment works out the same, but the little loan is interest only so I am paying way more in the long run! And he calls this "a much better deal" WTF?!!!

I filled out an online app with GMAC and never heard back. I think maybe I typed my e-mail address wrong or something because it says I should have received a code to activate my password protected account and I didn't. I tried calling them and every time I puched the number 3, the option for customer service, the line hung up on me. And I'm over my minutes this month anyway with all the fruitless talk with the broker and everyone else about this house so phone calls are evil. And then I e-mail the customer service line, but they say it can take at least two days if not longer to get back to me. So I also e-mailed the manager of GMAC's local branch. Still no contact. Bastards. And on-line, they appeared to have good rates, although admittedly with points up front. But points can pay off if we are staying in the house long term.

So, should I just sign the damn Sallie Mae loan documents to lock in the rate (45 pages I hafta print out and my damn printer is out of paper and ink) and then go with them, or what? My head is going to explode. This is so stressful, I think I'm developing a tick. I wince everytime I see e-mail about the house.

On the upside, isnurance- no problem and way cheaper having gotten three quotes yesterday while I was out and about and so AAA has won me over.

the inspection is tomorrow. I'm still a little confused about it all, seeing as how I told the realtor the inspection would take 3 1/2 hrs. including the review and it starts at 9 and he said, I'll be there at 12:30p for the review. Won't it be over by then? He told me to call if it looked like it would be over earlier. I guess I'll ask the inspector guy and then call. He also said it would be inappropriate to leave me unattended in the house, so either the owner or he had to be there during the inspection if I wanted to be there, which I do. I wanna see what this guy does. I also need to measure for my new appliaces. So, he says yes, I can be there, and then sends the code for the lock box to me. So, if we are entering using the lockbox, am I unattended. Isn't that "inappropriate" I' so confused. I guess I'll find out in the morning.

I can't wait to move in, but in the meantime... *poof*

And in other news...

Don and I decided last week to start looking for a house. It's just time. We looked at building North of us (Norterra or Anthem) but the houses were so expensive and nothing spoke to me. So, we asked around and my in-laws recomened a friend from church who was a realtor. We called him up and set an appt for thursday the 5th to look at houses. He sent us over 100 listings to go through nd we picked out 15 to see. He also recomended a loan officer to talk to. I called him and he was so helpful! Having never done anything like this before, I had so many questions. He answered everything perfectly and conversationally. I love him.

So, we go looking for houses thursday and what should we happen upon but the most perfect house for me I hvae ever seen in my life! I love this house. Please see
http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListing.asp?snum=11&locallnk=yes&frm=byzip&mnbed=4&mnbath=2&mnprice=0&mxprice=275000&js=off&fid=so&stype=&mnsqft=&mls=xmls&areaid=85382&poe=realtor&zp=85382&sorttype=&typ=1&x=86&y=8&sid=085713A96B97C&sbint=1&sblo=0&pgnum=2&snumxlid=1078423888&lnksrc=00001
The pictures don't even do it justice. It has flowers and grass and trees and a sprinkler system to keep it all alive. They said the water bills run a little over $100 a month, but I am so okay with that for grass and trees and real pretty flowers!

We put a bid in on the house yesterday and called our parents to tell them. Well, it turns out the owners of the house go to the same church as my inlaws too! Out of 100 houses, we picked the one that's owned by friends of the family! So, they went over and looked at it last night too and they loved it. The sellers are meeting with their realtor today at 1pm to discuss the offer. We offered their asking price. I am so excited! I can't wait to hear back. If they accept, we would close on this house May 7th! That is so soon!!!! I am thrilled!

Okay, my excitement cannot be contained in blog form. As such, I will not return to the real world and continue to imagine what furniture I am going to buy and where I am going to put it.