Going well, not going well, and I'll love it.
It looks like the people drooling over the house in Wetumpka are about to take my house off the market. I asked $137,900 and offered $2500 toward closing. They offered $130,000 and still asked for the $2500 closing. I countered with $134,000 and offered $1500 toward closing. They accepted the $134,000 then asked for the $2500 toward closing and that I leave the riding lawnmower. I offered $2000 toward closing and graciously offered to leave the mower. I now have a verbal that they will sign the contract tomorrow. They are eligible to assume my 5.875% VA loan, but it seems they don't think they'd be able to get the paperwork through in time. Um...okay. |-| Were it me, I'd certainly try. That's a once-in-a-lifetime interest rate, probably.
And of course, the proverbial corpulent prima donna hasn't sung yet. Many a slip, etc.... Nonetheless, I'm pretty tickled that I'm practically under contract already. It's been on the market two weeks (a few days more than that, but no one did a walk-through until it was vacant). When I bought it 3.5 years ago, it had been on the market for 8 months; the price had dropped from $118k to $104k during that period. The economy was bad at the time, so...I was lucky and I know it. The area is being improved, and the economy is considerably better now, but still...there was that nagging doubt that I might be the one living elsewhere and coughing up a house payment indefinitely until someone came along and fell in love.
The future owners asked to close on the 6th of September. I moved the closing date to the 31st of July, since I'm not keen to continue paying (double) mortgage and utilities until closing, doncha know. They accepted the closing date, and everything is moving forward.
All that work in laying laminate flooring (light birch, I believe)throughout the house paid off--probably more than everything else put together. As soon as you step in the front door, you say, "WOW. It's so airy and bright!"
In addition, several rooms were repainted (and I like neutral colors--usually white or off-white, which conveniently sell well). I cleaned all the windows (also an elbow-grease intensive but cheap thing to do that helps a great deal). Oh yeah...we regrouted both bathrooms* and re-wallpapered them. And in the last three years, that place got a new roof, a new heater, new duct work, a new dishwasher, new toilets and a new disposal. It's those little things, y'know....
* Apparently, one of the most common "quick fixes" people make when they put their homes on the market is to caulk the grouting in the bathrooms. While caulk around the tub and toilets is a good idea, caulking the actual grouting is a bad one. Mildew still grows behind caulk, and the caulk wears off. Be advised of this if you're in the market. The bathroom will still need regrouting, but the caulk in the grooves makes the job even more difficult.
Soanyway. I'm all tickled about that, y'know, as well as the fact that as of 2005, capital gains on primary residence sales are tax free. (Yeah, I didn't believe it either. I looked it up for myself at irs.gov.)
So I've reengaged my exercise program, as of yesterday. For the past month, I've run very little; if I had that sort of energy, I was packing/unpacking, cleaning, doing home maintenance, and such. I've maintained my weight admirably, despite what feels like inactivity to me. I knew the altitude would be a setback, but my heavens. I'm starting at square one. I've done only two miles the last two days, and more or less at 5.5 mph (that's about a 12 minute mile, egads). I kicked it up to 6 mph a couple of times, but finished my measley two miles winded and light-headed.
Oh the humanity. "Square one" has never had this much meaning to me. On the bright side, I just took my fitness test in April, so I'm not due until next April. As I will be taking it at the Academy (altitude 7,300 ft), I have some adjustments to make. I've lived at sea level for the past ten years. My work is cut out for me.
I continue to be impressed with the attitudes of those I will be working with and most specifically, my department head. She is very positive and helpful. She has very high standards, but considers it her responsibility to ensure you are aware of the standards and maintain a positive attitude. She is an inspiring leader, the sort I would bend over backward and scale mountains for. She is Brigadier General-bound, without a doubt. I just hope she stays where she is for at least the next two years. Call me selfish.
I begin new faculty orientation Monday morning, then I have the afternoons to do any inprocessing I need to do. Then I can use the next week as necessary to visit legal and work on my claims paperwork, and tie up any last loose ends. I'm very excited. I've had a fairly long "vacation" from regular work, and I'm anxious to get started.
I told Col Harrington that I'm excited and nervous and scared all at once. She said that's quite normal and it never goes away. No matter how many years you've taught, you will still take a big gulp before the first class of the semester. That's oddly reassuring, like I'm not any different from anyone else.
At my request, she introduced me to Lt Col Roy who is both an English instructor and a coach at the athletic facility (rifle team), and has in the past served as a squadron commander for the military training section. That covers the three main areas of training at the Academy, and they tend to be in conflict quite a bit. They call this conflict the "Terrazzo Gap" (the Terrazzo is a huge commons between the military training, athletics and academics areas). The problem is, cadets are given far more than the average person can handle, but this is by design. Thus, their time is at a premium, and each area of training is constantly fighting for more of their time.
I do realize that, as a first-year instructor with four classes (approximately 20 cadets per class), my time will be severely limited, as it is. However, I don't want to fall into the trap of forgetting the other areas of training and not putting forth an ongoing effort to establish personal relationships with the other people the cadets must answer to. It strikes me as very important to know what the cadets' lives are like, and equally important to have points of contact in the other areas. There's a danger of getting sucked into my own area of academia and establishing my own little orbit between my office and classroom. I don't want to fall into that rut, for my sake as well as the sake of my students.
So anyway...Lt Col Roy knows all these areas and has happily agreed to take me around to see how the cadets live and what their lives are like, etc, next week. That's a start.
I also want to learn more about the athletic programs and attend my students' swim meets and ballgames, etc, as time permits. I'm told this goes a long way toward establishing a strong relationship with students. And again...it will broaden my horizons at the same time.
I have no earthly idea how I'll find the time, but hey...at least I'm not taking night classes. ;)
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