Some Sellers just have good karma on their side

Some sellers just have good karma on their side.  As I was reading Nancy Connor's post on Look what the Seller's left behind, and I could not help but remember the closing of my second home in Pine Mountain Lake, Groveland, CA.

I had visited Groveland a number of times and really enjoyed the quaintness of the town and, of course, being 26 miles from the gates to Yosemite National Forest was a pretty big draw.  And, I was a big time Regional Manager at a wholesale bank and getting another tax write off did make sense (wow, remember those days????).  So, I decided to buy my get away and entered into a contract.  Piece of cake.  All went well....of course!  I haven't closed thousands of loans to have my personal loan drive me crazy!  LOL!

Everything was set to close on my birthday (nifty birthday present, I thought).  The contract was written to include all the furniture (at no value, of course), which is pretty customary in the area.  And escrow progressed without a hitch.  But, it really was the closing and the after math that make this home purchase surreal.

At the time, I lived in the East Bay, approximately 120 miles from Groveland.  Of course, as luck would have it, I got out of work late, the traffic was a mess and halfway through the trip I ran into a horrific rain storm.  More delay.  Of course, being used to dealing with escrow/title companies in the metro area, I was in a panic about being at my appointment on time.  I called Patty at Yosemite Title and she calmly tells me, "Not to worry, I have some work to do.  I will stay until you get here".

Huh?  Did I hear correct.  So, about two hours late for the appointment I get to Patty's office.  We quickly sign the docs (I know what they say and I had already seen the estimated HUD so signing is a five to ten minute formality.  Ahhh, but I did not have final figures earlier in the day, so no way for me to bring a cashiers check to close.  "No problem", says Patty, "I can take a personal check".  (Okay, what planet did I just land on?  Never before and never since have I seen a un-certified funds accepted for closing).

Okay, well that went well.  Now, I just need to get a room to wait for the recording tomorrow so I can take possession of the house.  No wait, the agents and the sellers knew I was coming from the Bay area so they agreed to give me the keys that night.  Now I KNOW I am on another planet!  Alrighty then!  Off to the local market to get a fresh bottle of bubbly and I go through the gates of Pine Mountain Lake to my new home.

Remember, the contract said all furniture conveyed.  I had brought some blankets and figured I was good to go for the evening.  So, I pull up to the house in the dead of night and fuss around trying to find light switches and remember the exact lay out of the rooms.  Get upstairs and turn on the lights......and, low and behold, there is a coffee maker.  And, a toaster.  And, I opened the cupboards and there are dishes, silverware, pots and pans.......the kitchen is COMPLETE!  I walk down the hall to the bedrooms and, lo and behold, the beds are made with fresh linens and bedspreads.  The entire house was TURN KEY!

All that was left for me to do was light a fire in the wood stove and pour a freshly chilled glass of champagne.  And, sit back and enjoy my new home.  Yup, some sellers just have good karma.  Or, I must have been a real good little girl!