Tuesday was "dump the tanks" day again. We always breathe a sign of relief when we are back home safely. This time, Craig almost forgot to unhook the electric cord. Fortunately we caught the omission before pulling out.
When I read about the bad weather in the East, I am so glad we are here in California. I hope we won't regret leaving. Naah! We will deal with the weather as we come to it.
I have been trying to make reservations at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida keys for over a month now. Reservations are thru Reserve America, and can be made up to eleven months in advance. They open the reservation window at 8:00 AM EST. every day, for eleven months in the future. That is 5:00 AM here. I have my clock set to go off at 4:55 AM. I get up, go to the Reserve America site and select the appropriate information. If you click on a reservation before 5:00 AM PST, it will tell you to come back at 8:00 am EST. At 4:59 AM there will be several sites open. I sit with my finger over the "book these dates" and hit it as the computer clock hits 5:00 AM. All of the open sites disappear and the message "inventory not available" comes up.
We do have a reservation at Long Key State Park for November 29 - Dec 13, and at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park for Dec 14 - Dec 28, but I really want to get a few weeks at Bahia Honda.
Right now I'm not worried about where we will be between Dec. 28 and whenever we get into Bahia Honda. I'll work that out!
Perhaps tomorrow morning at 4:55 AM I'll try calling. Can't be any less successful than I have been so far!
I've been thinking about trying to get a reservation at the Everglades National Park, but their reservation window doesn't open until June. I wonder if I will be any more successful trying to get a spot there!
The process of selling our house has taken an interesting turn. First off, the buyer's buyer has a signed offer from his back-up buyer for the commercial property at the other end of the chain. This is good. But it also means a big delay in the entire closing schedule since it is like starting all over.
We only her about this as "scuttlebutt" and not in any official format. We do know that our buyer's buyer paid our buyer and his soon-to-be ex-wife a penalty fee of $26,000.
Our buyer first offered to "release" $10,000 from his escrowed deposit to us if we extended his closing deadline to March 25.
We read this as giving us our own money early, and the title company said it was not legal to do it that way because his deposit was tied to a damages clause and we would have to prove damages to get the money. Possibly in court.
I'm thinking he needs the $13,000 (his half) to cover his current mortgage expenses, and an extension fee for the lock on his loan.
Craig and I decided we did not need access to the $10,000 at this point, but if we lost the closure of our property we would want to claim it, plus a bit more to cover putting the house back on the market. We might need to rent furniture to stage it!
Our realtor and our realtor's legal department came up with a very clever, legal solution. We extended the escrow, but if it does not close on or before March 25, our buyer has agreed to pay us $13,000 as RENT for the storage space in the garage and house.
He cannot move in himself, this is just for his stuff.
This gives us a big leverage to encourage closure by that date, which is what we want more than the money.
So either the deal on the house will be closed, or we will have $13,000.
The ball is in his court now. Or possibly in his buyer's. But at least we are not stressing out about it.
Another couple was here this afternoon looking at the outside of the house. They had seen the sign.
Spring is almost here and I'm sure if this all goes away, we will still be OK.
Oh lordy. The house saga sounds just a wee bit complicated. There's always an "at least", and at least you're warm and dry.
ReplyDeleteIt'll all work out.
I was a tax accountant for over 25 years and I also had many real estate companies and agents for clients, they are always wheeling and dealing. My first thought is that rental income is taxable as ordinary income, while a good portion of the proceeds of a personal residence are tax free and if over the limit, then the rest of the gain is taxed at the lower capital gains rate.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your reservations.....
ReplyDeleteAnd on the sale....
After a stressful day trying to get to Chicago, and as late as it is here, this is too complicated for my mind to process right now. All I can say is good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat a complex situation. At least there is some forward momentum. Hope it all works out for you.
ReplyDeleteI tried to get in to Bahia for Christmas time and could not either. I'll have to check into the other park you mentioned. I hope it all works out for you.
ReplyDeleteAs others said ...very complicated.
ReplyDeleteAll we need is one person who loves our beach enough to pay for the house. There must be someone.
Treesha sounds perfect for the beautiful tree.
Wishing you both all the best.
Blessings
Love "Treesha".... perfect! I don't know about you, but we have a check list that we use every time we hook up to move... includes everything important... like "bring in the thermometer" and "put car in neutral"... it's only about a dozen or so items, but since it doesn't change I laminated it and we've used it for the 13 years we've been traveling. Keeps us from forgetting the everyday stuff we get too used to doing.
ReplyDeleteGetting into any of the state parks in the Keys is next to impossible from January through April. The snowbirds from all over Canada and the US start making calls 11 months ahead of time. If you get one, you're a better woman than I. Be careful though, there are some small sites at Curry Hammock that you would have trouble getting into.
ReplyDeleteWe talked to the park rangers and they said most sites are booked just a few days at a time during the season because that's all that anybody could get. Then they change sites after just a few days. Not for me.
Your house sale sure has turned into a complicated mess. It's a good thing you have a good Realtor to help guide you through it. It reminds me of when we sold our Tampa house and had to get creative.
Hang in there. We'll see you in the Keys next year!
And I thought our sale was a nightmare! But, they all work out in the end.
ReplyDeleteLove Treesha's name.
If a buyer doesn't follow through and pulls out of a deal(if I remember correctly from my real estate classes), you can keep his deposit, but unfortunately if the buyer fights it, you can end up in quite a hassle, and not able to sell the house until the battle is over. My son, who buys and sells houses all the time (he's doing "flips) never tries to keep the deposit if a buyer backs out. Not worth the hassle, he said, and could hold up the next buyer's purchase. So make sure you know what might happen before you keep a deposit. Not fair, I know, but apparently that's what might happen.
ReplyDeleteThe Florida Keys! Wow! You've been at this RV thing for a while now, but that's about as far away as you can get from California in your first year fulltime. Go all the way. That's what I'd do too.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I come here to check on this blog I keep saying "Oh please, Oh please let there be a great big ol' banner saying "It's outta here!!!".
ReplyDelete