Of Bedrooms and Rate Cuts

On Sunday I admit it: I was lazy and worn out. Wife finally pushed me out the door about 2pm. We drove to Gallery Furniture just north of us on I-45. HUGE furniture store. Sales people waiting vulture-like as we enter the store. "Irene" latches onto us and leads us to five separate areas with bedroom sets. We spend probably three hours wandering back and forth finally narrowing things down to five different sets that are "possibles". Good prices ... better than at Fingers the day before ... maybe not the highest quality furniture, but pretty good.

We finally burn out without making a decision and drive to another store we'd seen on the way to Gallery -- Star Furniture Outlet or something like that. Another big store but not filled with people like the other. Immediately I don't like that there are no prices listed. You have to have a salesperson run off and come back to you with a price when you want something. We wandered, but couldn't get enthusiastic about anything.

We drove to Kroger near the apartment, but decided we were too hungry to shop. We hit Gulf Coast Kitchen for a glass of Kendall-Jackson chardonnay, shrimp-crab quesadillas, smoked-corn-and-crab chowder, and crawfish etouffee. We're becoming regulars at this place. Excellent food if a tad pricey.

Suitably fuelled we hit Kroger for $200 worth of groceries. Everyone had the same idea and the store was pretty jammed. Too tired to cook, it was sandwiches for dinner and then some TV before bed.

Monday, yesterday, was a day of days. Hurricane Ike is headed right at Houston it seems. My insurance agent calls to verify we're closing on 19 September because she wants to get policy in the system before storm arrives. Evidently (and logically) State Farm shuts down order taking right in front of a storm ... sort of like not selling health insurance to someone who's already sick, I guess.

Then I receive a call from one of our Company-preferred lenders -- Citibank. They're offering 5.500% 30-year fixed mortgage. I'm sitting on an offer from another lender -- Wells Fargo -- for 5.875%. I decide I should give them a shot and write to my contact there. While I'm waiting for his reply, I receive another call from Citibank: rate is now 5.375% with a "float" -- meaning I get a one time option to take a lower rate if that happens between now and our close date. Plus I don't have to put taxes or insurance into escrow -- so I earn interest on that money instead of someone else earning it. I write to WF and receive a quick reply, "Can't match that." I call Citibank and say, "Sign me up." Citibank says, "Rates are back to 5.5% already, but I locked you at the lower rate so you are good to go." How cool is THAT?

What's it mean? A difference of about $400 per month in house payments -- about $4500per year savings. More than $120,000 total savings over the course of a 30 year loan. Zowie. Plus I've got to feel that with rates that low, more people will get back in the market and we should see house prices go up from here.

I NEVER time anything correctly. I'm sure the other shoe will fall and I'll find out that this really IS too good to be true, but, until then, I'm basking in my glory.

A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off Drinking From a Firehose

I missed a day or two of posts. Sorry. Here's why:


Monday

• Wife decides she doesn't like the house we bought.

Tuesday

• I ignore Monday's problem.


• Tried to resolve address problem with Company credit card in UK. Failed.


• Obtained cashiers' check from credit union to cover earnest money for house.


• Wrote to financial advisor asking her to arrange for handling downpayment


• Visited Company fitness center and decided for $30 per month, I'll join. Did that online 'paperwork'.


• Tried to sign up for Company's automated expense report processing. Couldn't because I had no copy of a check from the credit union with me. Grrr.


• Applied for and received permission for Company-subsidized covered parking space in near-by building. It'll be about 1/2 the cost of the $5 per day I've been paying up to now.


• Sent expense account form to UK HR to get reimbursed for money we spent for our flights from UK to here


• Drove to sales agent's office in our new subdivision to deliver earnest money and to sign preliminary paperwork. Met our realtor Marla there. Nothing scary showed up in the paperwork. Found that the house has built-in pest control system. Found that they're in the process of constructing a pool and fitness center for subdivision residents less than 5 minute drive from the house. Found that the builder has a website that shows our house from the time they started laying our slab through construction. Only disconcerting part: Our yearly home owners' fee is $650; the home owners association takes 1-point-something percent of our selling price when we eventually sell the house. Oh, well.


• Drove home and made telephone calls to three Company-approved lenders. Decided on Wells Fargo when they showed up with best rate (5.875% on 30 year fixed when I put property taxes into escrow.) Citibank a close second. GMAC a distant third because they seemed disorganized on the phone.


• Called State Farm insurance agent from whom I'd purchased car and renters' insurance and asked her for quote on new house.


• Arranged Simple Power as electricity provider for new house based on comparison website for electric providers in Texas. Only locked myself in for six months, so if I've goofed, it's not forever.


• Made Campbells vegetable beef soup for dinner. Threw in some left over veggies too. Yummy. Can't get it in UK.
  
• Lasted about 5 minutes on the couch in front of TV before falling asleep.

Wednesday

• Picked up parking badge.


• Brought check from home and submitted application for automated expense reporting. Now I can request reimbursement for Company mobile phone.


• Sent estimated tax payment to Internal Revenue


• UK HR agreed to reimburse for airfare, but whined that it should have been handled by US HR.


• State Farm calls back and emails insurance info for new house: ~$1300 per year. Seems OK to me.


• Booked business meeting for next Tuesday. Changed it to Monday at vendors' request. Changed it back to Tuesday when vendor says he made a mistake.


• Gave additional info to Wells Fargo to get mortgage process officially kicked off. Citibank calls back and wants back in the game. I say, "Nope, you had your chance."


• Talked with Company IT Procurement in California. I've apparently broken someone's rice bowl and I need to glue it back together. Nice guy though and the end result is going to be good, I think.


• Received notification that our sea shipment has cleared customs! I arrange delivery on Tuesday 23 September ... giving us time to have house cleaned after we close on 19th.


• More talks with our own Procurement people to make sure I've not done anything incorrect with them like I did with IT Procurement. I don't think I have and we're all going to teleconference next week to start pulling on the same end of the rope.


• Toyota dealership called to let me know they are mailing our license plates to us.


• Went to gym for first time in three months. Fifteen minutes on rowing machine; 15 minutes on 'stepper'; 15 minutes cooling down walking on treadmill. Thought I was going to die.


• Drove home then walked to "Fish" restaurant near our house. Poor Wife still has terrible stomach upset from the antibiotics she's been taking for her toothache. Tries to eat, but nothing tastes right, and then she's sick again anyway. Fortunately, last day of pills is tomorrow.


• Wife allows that maybe the house will be OK afterall.

Other than that, not much going on. Sorry I've not posted more often.