And a month has flown by

I am not sure where the past month went.  Thanks to those who inquired about the sale of the farm.  Miraculously, we have a contract from the young couple.  While the foreign offer was interesting, in the end it was the young couple who were more reasonable.  We are now just waiting for the snow to melt so that the septic can be inspected and I am crossing my fingers that we close before I leave for Norway in mid-May.

Also in this month, I have firm offers on all of the antique cars.  I have drafted more sales contracts in a week then a auto dealership.  These should all be at their new homes by mid-April.  Another thing off the list.  Tax information is to the attorney and I can almost see the end if (and this is a big if) we make it through inspection.

I also have been a little busy on my own stuff these past couple weeks. Having now wrapped my head around the fact that we are staying put in Florida, hubby and I began looking at some beach property nearby. We live right in the middle of the state - the butt ugly part of Florida. Yet less then two hours away is the Gulf Coast. FIL has a beach condo that we have been lucky to use, but it is only two queen beds which is pain with the kids. So, with the housing crisis and our moving nest egg, we are in a position to find a vacation home that we can use part of the year and then rent out. And I found a place and the owner and local bank accepted our offer. However, the property is a foreclosure . . .well, pre-foreclosure but the bank has locked the owners out after the owners stripped the place of the entire kitchen, toilets, bathroom sinks, air conditioner, and the vent covers. I know the place sounds like a disaster, but it was built two years ago, is off the ground, has three bedrooms, no one lived in it, it has GREAT potential, and is .2 of a mile from the beach. Next problem - the local bank who accepted our offer and who is out the money they lent the owner to build the place has gone through receivership. So, it is a foreclosure (pre-foreclosure) that has been stripped and the bank that now has the ownership interest in the property is a bad bank that has been taken over by the FDIC. Seriously, it's a mess. It has been sitting for more than a year in this same position (we were the first to get the local bank to accept an offer). The reason more people have not hung in is that due to the removal of the A/C unit and the kitchen most people can not get financing. So now we are waiting on someone from NEBRASKA who has the authority to accept our offer to make a decision. They told us two days; after two days, we were told a week - that was Thursday. Plus in the contract, the bank can pretty much pull out of the contract all the way up to closing (and possibly after closing  in a unlikely circumstance). We've been told that's a standard clause when dealing with a foreclosure. We are ready to move and close on it in under 30 days once NEBRASKA decides. Until then, I am trying not to like the place and find something else - no dice so far. I won't jinx this any further by showing you pictures, but here are a few pictures from the bay side. The property is on an island so that in either direction in walking distance is the ocean (insert sigh here).

And baseball has begun with games every Friday night and Saturday morning from now until May.  And next week is Spring Break and Hubby is saving his time for Norway so I will be here all week amusing, entertaining, and staring at the phone to make NEBRASKA call.