There is when you don't have the money to pay it. That's the whole reason taxes are withheld in the first place -- people suck at saving money themselves.
Even if you can afford to pay it, it still sucks to owe a large sum. Psychologically, I'd rather get a surprise check then have to delay big plans because a chunk got taken out of my savings.
Yea, though I did change my tax status a bit after I got an amount back I was uncomfortable getting from the government :-p Hopefully the changes will cut that in half.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm still waiting for the official "clear to close" notice. I've received TWO emails so far saying "hey, congrats, you should be getting your official clear to close shortly!"
Never in my life have I needed two preliminary contacts to tell me about a future contact.
Also still waiting for the sellers to tell my attorney they're done with the work they already told us they'd finished.
I don't understand, but I'm trying to be patient.
My attorney is still waiting to hear from their attorney, and my agent is waiting to hear from their agent, and their agent is waiting to hear from their attorney, and I'M WAITING TO HEAR FROM FUCKING EVERYONE HOLY FUCKING SHIT I HATE EVERYTHING.
Why can't people just fucking answer a question?
"Do you have like a ballpark idea when you might be ready to close?"
*crickets*
"Did you finish the work you said you would do yet?"
*crickets*
"You said I should have my official clear to close by now. Is that ready yet?"
*crickets*
I hate crickets.
Meanwhile, my agent's schedule is filling up and I have to do a bunch of administrative backend shit, and I don't even know if or when I should do any of it because I don't know if or when I'm actually going to close. All of this while a coworker is leaving next Thursday, which can throw my entire availability into complete disarray.
If I hire a plumber to fix my toilet, and they don't, then I don't pay them. If I hire an attorney to conduct my business, and they don't even reply to my email, I don't pay them. Or at least threaten not to. That will get a reply real fast.
In my limited experience, the closing gets thrown together in a panicky mess in the last two days leading up to it. Make sure they know of your window of unavailability.
If I hire a plumber to fix my toilet, and they don't, then I don't pay them. If I hire an attorney to conduct my business, and they don't even reply to my email, I don't pay them. Or at least threaten not to. That will get a reply real fast.
My attorney is answering my questions just fine. It's just that his answers are "the seller's attorney hasn't responded yet."
My agent is answering me just fine. It's just that her answers are "the seller's agent has been referring me to their attorney, so you have to wait for the attorneys to hash it out."
I'm basically sending the sellers questions by proxy, and have been doing so for a month, and my attorney has yet to receive an actual answer to most of them. The mold remediation is the only thing that I know for sure has actually been done and cleared.
Welcome to dealing with the average gatekeeper of the average commercial interaction.
People whose job it is to do a thing are often shockingly unable to answer even simple questions about said, thing, answer really any questions, respond to email, articulate ideas over a telephone, or understand a multi-sentence statement made to them in person.
What's funny is I don't think I've had an attorney involved in either of my house purchases... Well there probably was, but I wasn't actually aware of dealing with them in any way. It was just two real estate agents and the other owner.
What's funny is I don't think I've had an attorney involved in either of my house purchases... Well there probably was, but I wasn't actually aware of dealing with them in any way. It was just two real estate agents and the other owner.
He did all the contract negotiating for us. We told him what we wanted, and he made it happen. As first-time homebuyers, that was well worth paying for. Plus all the other shit he will handle related to the closing. This is a prime candidate for "throw money at the problem to make it go away" territory for us.
He's handled some very tense negotiations after the inspection as well. He basically fought the seller's agent and seller's attorney, advocating for our best interest.
He could do a better job talking to my agent, but I also didn't sign a form telling him to release information to her, so he's actually doing exactly what I told him to do in the most professional manner possible.
They could have lots of reasons for holding off on getting back to you. The sellers maybe waiting to hear back about closing on another house before they let you know when you can close on their old one. It happens. You'll be putting the eventual buyer of your house through this pit of hell when you go to sell.
They could have lots of reasons for holding off on getting back to you. The sellers maybe waiting to hear back about closing on another house before they let you know when you can close on their old one. It happens. You'll be putting the eventual buyer of your house through this pit of hell when you go to sell.
They actually have to close on this house in order to close on their next house, or so the claim has been made. At least, that was the reason they gave when they were racing to get the work done and pushing to get answers from me (which I gave with great haste). And now they seem to be taking their sweet-ass time.
But you have a valid point. I will likely be this asshole one day.
Well, the house they were going to buy fell through. Sucks for them. I have sympathy. They're looking to move out and sell ASAP.
Apparently, the leach field did not go in when they said it was going to go in. Oops. Also, they didn't want to move until after the 1st of May. I mean, we only had a contract saying April 21st, but hey, what the hell, I can play ball.
So I got a rate lock extension for free (yay free!) because we blew our original April 21st closing date.
Current prospective closing date: May 2nd. That's 6 days.
Everything else is done, but apparently they needed dry ground for the leach field. According to their contractor, they needed 3 consecutive days of 60+ degree weather and no rain.
Oh hey, we had that last week! Obviously the leach field should be in by now! Right? Because it would be fucking stupid to wait longer than that because you might, I dunno, run into a patch of rain not unlike the shower we are experiencing literally right now.
My attorney has contacted their attorney every day for the last several days looking for an update on that. Confirmation that it went in. And what has he received as a response?
Crickets.
Motherfucking crickets.
Meanwhile, the seller's agent has completely stopped working with my agent as of last week. No answers from him, not even a peep about whether or not a thing is done. He defers to their attorney for everything, and does not pass along my agent's inquiries.
According to a bunch of her coworkers (she's never worked with this guy before), this is how that agent rolls. In fact, they were surprised that he'd been as helpful as he had prior to this. They universally agreed that he's a dickbag.
Out fucking standing.
So we're supposed to close in 6 days after my first rate extension, and I'm waiting for confirmation that single largest and most important piece of work was done in the stretch of weather when it needed to be done, and nobody is fucking talking to my fucking side.
There is a possibility that we could close without the work done, by holding something like 10% of the payment to the sellers in escrow which will be paid back on the condition that they pay for the leach field post-closing. But I really don't want to do that, because that's One More Fucking Thing to deal with, and I really don't want One More Fucking Thing to deal with.
I'ma fuck some shit up. I don't what or how or when, but something's getting fucking broken in a fit of sheer rage before this fucking thing is done.
The current plan is to move at the end of June, but we can push that back if we have to. As long as we are out by October, we are good as far as the current place goes.
There is if your finances are unstable enough to guarantee that you will have the money in hand at the time it is due.
I've always had returns of varying sizes, but I don't mind the minor loss in interest because the Government gets that interest instead of me and they will use it for more important things than I would. ^_~
Juliane and I moved to a new apartment with similar rent to the old place, but moving always has lots of opportunities to spend money. We kept track, and in total spent just under €6,000 on the move. That's mostly on new furniture and cool stuff.
Last year Juliane broke her foot and her back in a ladder accident. It sucked! Silver lining: the initial insurance payment came through for about €4,000. And there might be more on the way in the summer, pending more medical reviews.
With the money we got subletting the old apartment via AirBnB, everything is just about covered!
Very nice! We are getting the keys to our new place today as well. We may not own it, but I'm super stoked to finally be in a house again.
It's amazing the difference it makes to be in a HOUSE. We're in a sorta-house... it's a duplex that has the feel of a small house. But we can't make certain repairs, and there are some costly issues that it's not our job to address and they're not getting addressed. Overall I'm just stoked to finally be someplace where we can pay for upgrades or to address issues and it'll contribute to our equity instead of going into a pit!
Equity is so great, just knowing that I could take a loan against my house in an emergency is nice.
I can take a loan against my 401k in an emergency, but I can't imagine an emergency that could be solved with that money. I have insurance for emergencies. Come to think of it, owning a house is the thing that makes you vulnerable to expensive emergencies. Haha!
Comments
Why can't people just fucking answer a question?
"Do you have like a ballpark idea when you might be ready to close?"
*crickets*
"Did you finish the work you said you would do yet?"
*crickets*
"You said I should have my official clear to close by now. Is that ready yet?"
*crickets*
I hate crickets.
Meanwhile, my agent's schedule is filling up and I have to do a bunch of administrative backend shit, and I don't even know if or when I should do any of it because I don't know if or when I'm actually going to close. All of this while a coworker is leaving next Thursday, which can throw my entire availability into complete disarray.
Why can't I have beer at work?
My agent is answering me just fine. It's just that her answers are "the seller's agent has been referring me to their attorney, so you have to wait for the attorneys to hash it out."
I'm basically sending the sellers questions by proxy, and have been doing so for a month, and my attorney has yet to receive an actual answer to most of them. The mold remediation is the only thing that I know for sure has actually been done and cleared.
People whose job it is to do a thing are often shockingly unable to answer even simple questions about said, thing, answer really any questions, respond to email, articulate ideas over a telephone, or understand a multi-sentence statement made to them in person.
He could do a better job talking to my agent, but I also didn't sign a form telling him to release information to her, so he's actually doing exactly what I told him to do in the most professional manner possible.
But you have a valid point. I will likely be this asshole one day.
Well, the house they were going to buy fell through. Sucks for them. I have sympathy. They're looking to move out and sell ASAP.
Apparently, the leach field did not go in when they said it was going to go in. Oops. Also, they didn't want to move until after the 1st of May. I mean, we only had a contract saying April 21st, but hey, what the hell, I can play ball.
So I got a rate lock extension for free (yay free!) because we blew our original April 21st closing date.
Current prospective closing date: May 2nd. That's 6 days.
Everything else is done, but apparently they needed dry ground for the leach field. According to their contractor, they needed 3 consecutive days of 60+ degree weather and no rain.
Oh hey, we had that last week! Obviously the leach field should be in by now! Right? Because it would be fucking stupid to wait longer than that because you might, I dunno, run into a patch of rain not unlike the shower we are experiencing literally right now.
My attorney has contacted their attorney every day for the last several days looking for an update on that. Confirmation that it went in. And what has he received as a response?
Crickets.
Motherfucking crickets.
Meanwhile, the seller's agent has completely stopped working with my agent as of last week. No answers from him, not even a peep about whether or not a thing is done. He defers to their attorney for everything, and does not pass along my agent's inquiries.
According to a bunch of her coworkers (she's never worked with this guy before), this is how that agent rolls. In fact, they were surprised that he'd been as helpful as he had prior to this. They universally agreed that he's a dickbag.
Out fucking standing.
So we're supposed to close in 6 days after my first rate extension, and I'm waiting for confirmation that single largest and most important piece of work was done in the stretch of weather when it needed to be done, and nobody is fucking talking to my fucking side.
There is a possibility that we could close without the work done, by holding something like 10% of the payment to the sellers in escrow which will be paid back on the condition that they pay for the leach field post-closing. But I really don't want to do that, because that's One More Fucking Thing to deal with, and I really don't want One More Fucking Thing to deal with.
I'ma fuck some shit up. I don't what or how or when, but something's getting fucking broken in a fit of sheer rage before this fucking thing is done.
But timeliness is a thing. We'd really like to get this done with so we can start moving things. The more delays we have, the longer we're in limbo.
I've always had returns of varying sizes, but I don't mind the minor loss in interest because the Government gets that interest instead of me and they will use it for more important things than I would. ^_~
We now have confirmation on the leach field! It's done! All the things are done! Walkthrough Sunday afternoon, closing Monday at noon.
Holy shit I can't wait for this to be over.
Last year Juliane broke her foot and her back in a ladder accident. It sucked! Silver lining: the initial insurance payment came through for about €4,000. And there might be more on the way in the summer, pending more medical reviews.
With the money we got subletting the old apartment via AirBnB, everything is just about covered!
Holy fuck I need a nap.