First Things, First

Okay, I have to have builders risk insurance on the house, have to have the electricity turned on, order a dumpster and I have to start getting my permit to do the work on the house.

Yesterday we went to Costco and I purchased all the lights for the house for about $80.00. If you can purchase things in bulk and at your own pace, then the deals are endless! The problem comes when you NEED the item right away, so you end up going to Home Depot 12 times a day. THis probably adds 10% - 25% to your materials budget.

You all have to understand something that I figured out a long time ago. John changes his mind about every other hour!!!! What that has to do with this is very simple. We have gone from me doing the entire project with hired help, to John doing it with his guys, to just John in his spare time and back again. UGH!! I HATE CHANGE!!! Well, I go with it and we always figure it out.

Everyone Has An Opinion!!! Some I Should Listen To...

As I said, Everyone has an opinion on how I should change the floorplan of the house, what materials I should use, the schedule in which I should do it. I listened today!!!!! The next door neighbors of the house came over to meet us and they asked if they could take the appliances for scrap metal. I had no problem with that! Less work for me and the guys to do. I started towards the refridgerator and John and Shane stopped me at the same time and siad I wouldnt do that if I were you!

Not understanding why, I started asking questions - Lets just say maggots and roaches were included in the answers they gave me. Nothing more needed to be said. So, when they guy came back to me and said he was going to pass on the fridge, I asked why? I actually didnt want to hear anything after the words "live roaches". Beign totally grossed out, I said I completely understood and it must be really, REALLY bad for this guy not to want to touch it. ICK!!!!!!!!

I am not going to grace you with pictures, so please think of the worst nightmare of bugs and thats what is in my fridge. We are going to start cleaning the property and demo this week. I will start taking pictures again at that time.

Christmas Week

Well, I remember that this week is suppose to be relaxing and full of SLEEP! What happened? I realize that when you have kids and work that its not the same anymore but come on, Oh well, we remembered our Lord and spent time with our family - so thats all that matters really.

We are set to close on the Manning house on Friday at 11:00. Amazing how you can close on a house with a cash payment so much faster and with so little hassle.

I have to see about setting up electricity( which might be a problem due to the fire ) but hopefully I can at least set up temperary service and start work on the house on January 2, 2008!!!!!! What a great way to start the new year.

God Works In Ways We Cant Imagine!!!!

We got the structural engineers report like the inventment company wanted, however, things are going in a different direction now. John spoke with a former client of ours and he is personally investing in the project, so I will have a $50,000 check in my hands on Monday, Christmas Eve. Not only to buy the house CASH, but also the closing costs go from being about $6000 to rigth around $700!!!! We will be giving him a percentage of the profit at the end, but there is no monthly payment due nor am I handing over money to an invenstment company. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!

Okay, so I promised pictures - Lets see if I can get these on here. Well, I uploaded my fist picture and it ended up on top!!!!! I will now try to put the inside pictures below. Okay, so they are not below. I will figure it out. Please be patient. We close on Friday and we should start after the new year!

The frustration of buying a house!!!!!

Okay, so I am new to this blogging thing and am so nervous about it!.. Why? I have no idea. I guess I am going to so brutally honest on this that it might seem I am not excited about the prospect of flipping a house. Nothing could be farther from the truth!!!!!!!!

We have been in business for 11 years and I have not so silently been at the side of my darling hubby, John the entire time. I have been his secretary, purchase agent, go to girl, lunch lady, party planner, shopper, etc. But This time I get to make DECISIONS!!!!! It seems crazy, but with 3 sons and the knowledge that I hate to cook and clean, I am going to venture into the business world and make a go of it.

All that being said, I might not even have a house to flip!!!!!!! After paying $500.00 for an appraisal, $500 for the seller, and now $250 more to a structural engineer (Tell you about that in a minute) I still do not have a closing date from the investment company.

We found out 2 days ago that "the loan was not available" WHAT?????? I had no idea what that even meant. So after screaming and all that professional stuff (LOL) We spoke with the underwriter of the loan and said that we needed a structural engineer to verify that the house is sound. This house as you can see in the pictures below, had a small kitchen fire and the fire fighters, doing their job, made more of a mess then the fire itself. SO, we had to prove it will be fit for a nice family to live in.

Now we wait. I have purchased only 1 thing for the house as of yet. My idea was to have everything there and ready on day one - life doesnt work that way does it?

I have to figure out how to put pictures on as I know that is the most important part of this blog. Your interest in it is encouraging to me and hopefully we will see a completed house in 30 days.