Former "Buyer" Released

Things apparently went pretty well with our home inspection. I haven't heard the final report, but when the inspector asks, "Did you put on a new roof? It doesn't look 20 years old at all!" I think that's a good thing. Bridget (our realtor) was there for most of the inspection and said there wasn't anything major found.

The Forest Edge folks officially released their former potential buyer yesterday. These hopeful-buyers had already paid for a home inspection, radon testing & termite inspection. We've found through conversation with the Forest Edge realtor that those folks had a Pre-Approval letter, but that's all they had. They couldn't actually get the financing they needed. This could be our second experience with buying a house only after a previous offer fell through.

Testimony time:

The day we came home from looking at the Forest Edge house we decided to finish the jobs that it would take to list our house. We'd looked at lots of homes over the previous ten months, but this was the first house that excited us. So we got busy pulling the wallpaper in our master bathroom and finishing up all of the little projects that needed done, and de-cluttering the house. We went through Forest Edge on August 12, and then it went "Pending" on August 20. Analogy: the air was let out of the balloon in a big way. But we knew we had to keep plugging away with our house because we didn't want to find another winner only to have to take more time to list our house. So that's what we did.

It was also after Forest Edge went pending that every night before Lincoln went to bed we'd pray for two things:

1. That God would provide a family to make an offer on our house.
2. That God would make available a house that would be good for the Gates family as we grow.

We prayed that prayer many days without answer. Then things started moving very quickly on our house and we found what might be God's answer to our prayers. But there were still several unknowns. Our prayers shifted from "Please provide a buyer and a house," to "Give us wisdom as we proceed and help us to accept whatever outcome plays out as Your will for us."

A week and a half ago there were a series of about 7 steps that had to be completed in order, and to this point we're through six of the steps. The only thing left to do is to have the Forest Edge people officially accept our offer (they'd be foolish to do otherwise). After that, there will probably be some small negotiating things, but the major hurdles will be over and hopefully we won't be homeless at the beginning of December.

God is good, and while we don't always receive the answer that we're looking for, we can always look back and see that, provided we are seeking Him, He has our best interest in mind.

Mixed into all of this is the vacation that Jenn and I had planned months ago before this crazy scenario began. Grandma Laura and Grandfather Dave are staying at our current house with Lincoln for the front half of the week, and then he'll stay with Grandma Paulette and Grandpa Doug for the back half of the week. I can't say we're looking forward to leaving Lincoln for a week, but that will be great Grandparent time, especially for the Parkinsons who don't get to see him too often.

I imagine will find out some news today or tomorrow, and I'll share it with you when I receive it.