How you move in 60 days or less? In my case, you don't. We finally took possession of the house on July 1st. Yes, that's right! JULY. What an amazing, chaotic and humbling adventure of an experience. I'm sure you can say it right along with me...I'm glad it's over!

I could try and fill you in on how we are just getting the Internet from the move order we placed on June 14th, or how between the home inspection and closing a window has been cracked/shattered but still standing, or how the HVAC service rep told me we needed frion (turns out there is something more expensive than gas) and that the unit hasn't been serviced since 2001.

But the important thing is that we finally have a place to call our own, the PODS have returned with all of our belongings, and things are slowly but surely getting back to normal.

So, that's that, hope to post a few good deals for you this week. If I haven't said it already, thanks for sticking out the journey with me. It tickled me how many of you were really interested in the updates. Until our next adventure...

Ok Folks, I know it seems like I've disappeared from the face of the earth. I assure you I haven't.

I don't even know where to start with how crazy a move this has been. To be a planner, I can say I did a poor job putting together a plan to move out. I really think I just spent too much time trying to find out if we could take over the property sooner (so we could walk everything across the street). Some of that time could have been used for actually putting Plan B together instead of being thrown into a tailspin after we no longer heard from the bank regarding our request to rent the property for the week before we actually own it. Yes, that does suck. So our request wasn't denied...just ignored.

It was F.T.L.O.J. friends that really whipped me into shape. They came in guns-a-blazin and ready to take names. So when the 1st POD was too small, they wouldn't let me fall apart. That's right, too small!!! I was ready to lose it. It appears it was a case of hearing what I wanted to hear rather than what I was told with the POD company. Turns out a POD holds a particular number of rooms, not a household of that many rooms. So when I ordered a POD to hold 3 rooms. It is 3 rooms, period. Not a 3 bedroom household. I have 8- 9 rooms (office, dining, living, kitchen, man cave, garage, etc.) in my house, so need less to say I came up grossly short. LOL, I can laugh about it now.

F.T.L.O.J. friend Kristen made space and offered me as long as I needed in her very comfortable basement, so why am I in a hotel? One knock at my door changed everything last Thursday...the Mr. came home!!! Yup, just flew back from his deployment, without a word, and knocked on the door. He explained the situation to his command and thankfully they have allowed him to take emergency leave to aid in getting us situated, since we are technically without home. Tears were shed, the ugly cry was had and it turns out the light at the end of the tunnel was not a train to run me over.

So even though it's still CRAZY busy with making sure closing will still happen on Monday, lining up service people for as soon as we take possession of the property, school/activities, and making an unpacking plan...things couldn't be more perfect, as I'm sure you could have imagined.

I haven't touched, looked at or shopped with a coupon in weeks, and today will be no different. End of the Year picnic at the man child's school put all plans on ice today. But I look forward to getting back into the swing of things with you soon. Hope this gives you your moving fix for the week. Make today a good one...in spite of all you may have going on. TTYL.

Only at this house would a military spouse have a deployed husband, have to move in 60 days, and start teaching her son to ride without the training wheels. WHO DOES THAT? As if I don't have enough going on, I am not adding running after the man child trying not to trip him but trying to keep him from falling too bad. Today was day 2 and it ended in tears and sobs of "I want my Daddy!" LOL. I don't take it personally because I know he'd rather have me, Daddy would more than likely go ahead and let him fall.

I think I'm concluding that I must be out of my mind...Anywho, on to the house. Looks like the house is ours. We had the home inspection yesterday and the things it revealed were all manageable. So we're pretty happy. We got back our addendum back signed late yesterday and I sent it on to my lender this morning. So I'm hoping their initial date of closing June 13th will still stand. Whoo-hoo!

Now that does have us out for a little while but it may work out as well. It may give me the chance to have hardwood put in the additional rooms before we even move things in. And maybe a little paint too, lol. We'll see. It hit me today that I may want to look into a pod. They can pick it up and bring it back. Wonder how much it costs? I'll keep you posted!

And thanks for reading. All of you. Really! It meant a lot to me to hear a friend say she checks it everyday. Also, made me  feel a little guilty that I haven't had the chance to post much lately. Hopefully, I'll have more breathing rooms to get back into a good routine soon. 

Lastly, Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. 9 years in the making and more than loving each other, we like each other more every day. (He did good! Sent chocolate covered strawberries from Shari's Berries, along with a trio of individual cheesecakes, YUM).

I am so out of order, feels like I haven't blogged in forever. The schedule is crazy between work and the end of the school year approaching. And never mind the move! One day just keeps running smack dab into another day. UGH!

I hit the packing wall like a week ago, so no additional progress there. No word on if this contract is being signed by the seller and/or when we will receive it back. No worries, Jill (the fantastic realtor) is all over it daily. So it still looks like Plan B will be in affect until the end of school; storage and a hotel. So my husband's entire closet that I was really hoping to walk over on the hangars. Looks like we'll have to box it all up.

I do have one more trick up my sleeve. If I can just get a signed contract to say all parties are moving forward with the deal. I think I'll have my realtor approach them about letting us go ahead and move in and we pay a prorated rent until we close. It's a long shot but it's the last shot we've got before Plan B. Sellers dont like doing it because if the deal falls through people may get agree and begin to destroy the property and/or if you get in early, you may find out what you are really buying and walk away. So we'll see. We just want the signed contract first.

So as my 60 days wind down, it's time to get further along with my packing. It's time for the mental strategy I've been avoiding writting down will have to be brought to life. Time to pull out the colored sticky notes and  labels. And finally time to purchase boxes...and lots of them. Maybe I should post pics of my progress. That way you guys will be my accountability. I'll have to answer to you. All words of encouragement and decluttering/packing tips are welcome. Post a comment below!

Last time on Making the Move... ha, that kind of made me laugh. Let's see, Monday...2nd property...Fixer-Upper ...Offer... Our realtor calls the agent to let them know she's got a serious offer coming in. Turns out the property already has 3 offers on it. And by this morning, a contract.

So after my workout this morning, I decided it was time and a a pretty good idea to check out my storage options. Just in case I don't make my fast approaching, "get out" deadline. I got information and rates then tried to force together a list of things to see tomorrow.

I think now would be a great time to see where we stand 25 days later, shall we?

Not Going My Way:
~Foreclosure denied offer...multiple times. LOL
~2nd Choice...gone.
~Still have to be out by May 31st (about 30 days away now)
~Slim pickins on remaining on the market

Going My Way:
~Working with a great Realtor.
~Realtor calls, "Congratulations...you're offer has been accepted!!!" On, you ask? The foreclosure!"

I know right? She just wouldn't give up. She kept calling to find out why our offer kept being rejected. She finally got a representative on the phone (the same ppl that wont accept phone calls about it) and they couldn't understand why the offer was rejected either. She told my realtor to email her our terms and she would forward it on to the bank.

Day 26:

Jill, my beloved Realtor, ROCKS. Progress at last!


Today's Moving Lesson: GET A GOOD REALTOR!!! (yes I'm yelling) Do Not, I repeat, do not just walk into to any one's office and get started. Ask for recommendations, meet for coffee and/or interview a few agents. You really need someone who is on your side, as you've seen from my journey. Most importantly, someone you will work well with.

So much has happened since the last moving update. None of it, really great. Let's see.

Day 13
Terminate working relationship with Realtor- after sending an email about the status of our bid, this woman finds out this property only accepts bids online. Which means all the paperwork that was done was null and void. It further let me know that it had been almost a week since our pretend bid was placed and she hadn't even bothered to check on the status. In my world that means she would have found out sooner that the bid was never properly placed.

Day 14
~Have coffee to interview new agent.
~Like Her and move forward.
~Officially place bid on foreclosure...again for the first time.


Day 15
Get email confirmation our offer was received and being considered. Only 72 business hours to wait.

Day 16
It's the weekend. Throw your hands up and declare packing is for suckers.

Day 17
Wait some more.

Day 18
Begin to feel anxious and a bit nervous.

Day 19
We found out today our offer has been rejected. SUCKS. Because somewhere between watching HGTV and house flipping shows, I got the idea I shouldn't have to pay full price on a foreclosure. Then reality sits in and I get it...time is not on my side. Talked to my new beloved realtor, and we go all in, full asking price. OUCH! My realtor does reassure me that I could get more money, today, for the property than we're paying, in which I agree. But as a couponer, the challenge of free-er is hard to back down from.

Soooooo, 72 more hours of waiting. Begin to feel nervous.

Day 12: Get Packing Supplies
I'm ready to start packing up the sets of dishes I know we won't be using and it hits me, you have no packing paper or bubble wrap. Kind of essential in a situation like this. So I'm off to find the nearest U-Haul. This sucks already.

I just realized I am going to have to pack my crystal. I've always loved having someone else to blame or hold accountable for it. UGH! Oh well, get over yourself and get moving.

My moving saga continues (hince the lengthy post below). Although I'm starting to feel like we are going to be ok after all. I still have no anwers on where we are going to be or how soon we'll be getting there.

Day 8 (cont.): after I left you last, Day 8 shaped up pretty nicely. The local girlfriends offered their help with packing when I'm ready and allowed me to borrow large storage tubs for a greener way to pack and move. I've already packed the towels (with the exception of 4 sets).

At the last minute my realtor became available right before school was to let out. So I made on the fly arrangements for a friend to take the man child after school for a playdate at her house (thank goodness) and I was off to see 3 properties available for rent.

Small...Small...Small. On a brighter note, I did make an official offer for a foreclosed property directly across the street from me. PROGRESS!

Day 9: Hope. Wait. And Pack Some More. 
My realtor has pretty much given me access to the MLS Listings, lol. So I spent Day 9 looking for more properties just in case things with the foreclosure fall through. I found 3 more for sale I wanted to see. I also was able to pack up the bookcase in the living room, seeing instant progress.

Day 10: Search, Pray, & Pray Some More. 
My realtor made arrangements to see 3 more properties on my list. It seems like every time I give my realtor a list of things I want to see, at least 2 are no longer available. Which says to me, I really know how to pick a property! We pull up to the first townhouse and there is a sign on the door...they received an offer on the house the night prior, lol. What are the odds?  I wanted to see it anyway and it's small. So I felt better. The next 2 properties were the exact same thing. Over $300k for not enough space. Amazing because my TN home was 138,500 for a whole house (front & back yard). Needless to say, the price pill is more than a bit difficult to swallow. Hoping now more than ever that things go well with the foreclosure.

Day 11: TGFF (Thank God For Friends)
On yesterday eve, I get a message on FB from FTLOJ friend Suzanne about her friends closing on a home and wanted someone to rent their townhome ASAP. She got me the address and contact info for me (we just love her, don't we?). Needless to say, I'm off to see it at 12: 30pm. Just in case the foreclosure doesn't quite work out, I WILL need a place to stay. So a Plan B is a must. 

It has been a full week and I still feel like I'm no where but progress can not be stopped or even slowed at this point.

Day 8: PACK! You may not know where home will be but you do know you've got to get the hell out of here.

The linen closet is a great place to start. You don't need all 15 sets of towels to get by for the next few weeks, 4 will do. If the linen closet doesn't suit your fancy, there are 2 other great starting places. Start with your bookshelves (in an office or your child's room). Set aside the ones you may refer to or use for bedtime stories and pack the others in a storage tub. It's a great way to see progress fast. Another great way to see instant progress is taking your art down from the walls. This may be a little drastic for some but it instantly looks like you are moving, which you need to keep momentum in this type of move.

Keep your fingers crossed, thinking of making an official offer on the foreclosed town home across the street.

Day 6: Get with a realtor and hope they aren't too busy to show you something.

*Our new realtor is Evelyn and right from the start she's been doing her best to help us on the fly. As soon as I called her (9:15), she began to ask about our needs and price range and said she'd get something to me by 1pm. I received an email at 1:30pm along with a few listings and an apology that is wasn't within the time frame she mentioned earlier. I love anyone who does their very best to keep their word. That's good business.

I've now seen 3 properties with 54 days to go but not bad for the first 24 hours of getting started. However, nervousness is starting to settle in.

So I had to focus on what I could control...regardless of where I'm going, I MUST pack, huh? Today's Tip: Designate an area for packing/moving. Mine is the "newly retired" exercise room. As I begin to organize and pack things up, boxes, space bags, and storage tubs will reside there so I  can see what I have done and what still needs to be done. It also allows me to take my time and label and color code things for an easy unpack on the other end and keep our house tidy and clean during the packing process.

Day 7: Research, Contemplate, Worry, & Wait Some More.

*Today is kind of a bust. I have appointments in the morning and our realtor is booked for the remainder of the evening. Booooooo. To top it all off, 2 properties I ask about this morning are under contract, making them unavailable at this time. But I can say, to have ask about them this morning, Eveylyn found out the info and at least emailed me although she can't see me today. Gotta love that. Hmmmmm....still on the fence about renting verses buying and shopping for both at the same time may not have been my best idea. But I've got to do, what I've got to do. Here's to finding a solution...tomorrow...I hope, lol.

So many of you are wondering, what? What's going on? Here goes. We are currently renting our townhouse. It's a big military town, so renting is big business here.  Many home owners in this area are military and they rent their property when they have to PCS, so on and so forth. We have a cute little military clause in our contract that states if we or the owner has to PCS or be in/out of the area (per military orders) for 90 days or more, either one of us can give the other 60 days notice and break the lease. Well..........you guessed it. The owner is coming back and I now have until May 31st to pack up a house with a deployed husband and the school year not quite over with. Yay, me!!! Apparently, God is sure that I work best under these conditions. 

Thus a new challenge in my life begins...How to Pack Up & Move It All in 60 days...more like 55.

Day 1: Freak Out!
I found out at 2:30pm on Friday, April 1.

Day 2: Get Over Yourself

Day 3: Wait! It's Sunday. Start researching properties for rent & sale online.

Day 4: Teacher In-Service Day...No School! Spend another day researching.

Day 5: Get Busy. Find a realtor! Recommendations would be great but any available body with access to the homes will have to do.

So needless to say, I'm off to the find the agent that helped put us in this property. I don't think she was the best but she has access to what I need. We'll just have to work out the rest. Watch out Prudential Carruthers, I've got my big girl shoes on and I don't have time to waste. Have a good week friends. I'll keep you posted.