Thank God they only come once a year...

[cormac]

Not the best birthday on record. There were bright spots, like when my mom and grandma came down for lunch, and when my department brought out the ice cream cake. But the day was blighted by news on the escrow front.

Apparantly, Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) are required by law to maintain a reserve fund equal to six months of dues from all of the units in the building. For the condo I was trying to buy, that number came out to approximately $16,000. Unfortunately, the HOA for this particular condo only had $1,000 in their reserves. The loan agencies won't touch it. Without a loan, I cannot buy this condo. So after 3 months, escrow will be cancelled, and I'm back to square 1.

I'll be perfectly honest: I am quite bitter, angry and resentful at this news, but mostly sad. The last time I went through this failure of escrow, everyone said "these things happen for a reason," and later cited this condo as a clear reason why the last escrow failed. And yet, here I am, another failed escrow, and the same tired old phrase. Forgive me, but things don't always happen for a reason, and if anyone thinks this is an appropriate consolation technique, let me be the first to divest you of that notion by asking "Ok, so what's the reason?" I've wasted so much time on this condo and the one in Pasadena that I may have missed my window of opportunity.

Comments

[blackbirdsings.livejournal.com]

Meh. All I will say is that really sucks, and I am really sorry. You don't deserve to go through this crap. I hope things get better.

[doll-paparazzi.livejournal.com]

WTF, Cormac? I have never heard someone have so many problems trying to buy a house/condo or whatever the hell you're trying to buy. Are you using the same agent? Maybe you should get a new one that is more experienced or something. I think after the second one, I would have blown up and gone with someone else whether it was their fault or not... first person to find me a house and close the escrow wins. I know that's sucky, but in this economy, the agents should be working their buts off to close.

::hugs::

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry to hear about this. You deserve so much better than this.

However, there _is_ always a reason that things happen. It is just that in 99.9% of the time we will never find out that reason. Perhaps, you didn't get condo because three years from now, the new owner will be found dead because a stray bullet penetrated the walls and killed that person as they lay in bed. Then the reason would be "so that you don't die a needless death". Or perhaps there is asbestos or lead in the walls and the new owner will die a horrible death from cancer. So then the reason would be to spare you from dying of cancer.

Yes. This is all very frustrating and very depressing. I understand that. But perhaps you will find the perfect place tomorrow or the day after. Just don't let these set-backs defeat you. Go on. Strive on. The best is yet to come. I know this because you deserve the best.

[eliensign.livejournal.com]

I'm used to people saying "these things happen for a reason" because they think everyone has some sort of deity informed life plan, and we cannot see it, being the little ants that we are--but no worries! The universe loves us!

In reality, shit happens. The better we get at rolling with the punches, the more we'll be able to take advantage of (or even notice) future opportunities when they are available.

[sepdet.livejournal.com]

People try to find uplifting things so that it doesn't feel like you've wasted your time.

Instead I will quote Babylon 5, which (unsurprisingly) was largely written by an atheist:

I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, 'Wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them?' So now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe. ~ Marcus Cole