THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
It isn’t every day that someone moves into a new house.
While this is a line from the late Mae Questel’s Aunt Bethany character in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” the saying happens to be true. I’ll add to it by saying that it’s not every day that you move into a new house on your birthday. That’s exactly what happened to our daughter, Isabella, on July 11. Not only did she celebrate her second birthday, but we also received the keys to our house that day.
Technically, Bella received a new house for a birthday present.
But that’s a joke we tell family and friends.
The closing date was coincidental and not intentional. July 11 was actually our third different closing date.
After we were approved for a new home on April 16 – eight days after I had emergency surgery which I mentioned in a previous piece – the original closing date was scheduled for May 30. But a few weeks before closing, the loan department for the Department of Agriculture – in their infinite wisdom or lack thereof – needed more paperwork and we were forced to move the closing date to June 30.
A few weeks before closing that time, USDA needed even more paperwork. As a result, our closing date was switched to July 11.
My wife, Sabrina, and I decided that we were going to do whatever it took to close on July 11 because it was Bella’s birthday.
Although we had more USDA paperwork, we still managed to get everything in by July 3. We were set to close on July 11 pending loan approval. Until we almost didn’t.
Around 3:15 p.m.
July 10, I received a message from my loan officer saying that USDA did not finalize the loan paperwork in time, so the closing date would be moved to July 14.
Down but not out, I was preparing to tell Sabrina that our closing was delayed.
An hour later, everything changed.
Our loan officer called and said USDA approved the paperwork. This meant we were closing and moving in on July 11.
We were able to take pictures, including one of Bella holding a key, move stuff in and celebrate the new house. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.
We are grateful to have our own home and pay toward something that will eventually be paid in full.
It also proved to be a pretty good “birthday present.”
Chlapek is the area editor of the Elgin Courier and Taylor Press. He can be reached at jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.
com.
