The MacDeskBlog

Michelle and I bought a new townhouse. We close today and move in tomorrow! I’m very excited. We purchased one of the model homes at a new development. When we signed the purchase agreement in January, the developer insisted upon a 60 day close, though pledged to try to close sooner. We put some mild pressure on them (just enough to convey that we truly wanted to close sooner), and they managed to deliver in a month and half instead of two.

The new place comes fully furnished, most of which we will be able to use. Living in the tiny house next to the money pit, we never were able to unpack. Though that situation made living there rather uncomfortable and inconvenient, it should make the move extremely easy. A few friends and family coming to help out will make it even easier.

The money pit still has a few more months of work before completion. After two and half years of it being six months from completion, we simply can’t keep our lives on hold any longer.

Montclair Construction is doing some great work, on a timely and financially reasonable basis. They wouldn’t sign up for the entire remainder of the project though, so additional work will need to be completed once Montclair finishes. Things like the kitchen, bathrooms, painting, and flooring all need to be installed. Not exactly minor tasks.

We started looking for a new place last fall. We looked at a couple dozen older homes in Oakland, El Cerrito and Albany, getting as far as putting offers in on two of them. We were one of only two offers on the first place, and one of three on the second, but didn’t get either. The first house is over a century old (like the money pit) and the competing offer had no contingencies, not even for inspection. Insane. That still boggles my mind. Anyway, the main point being that by the time we signed the contract with Montclair, we were pretty sure that we would never actually live in the house.

So, we’re moving in Saturday, and couldn’t be happier about it.