I realize my post from this morning sounds very negative. We all have our bad days, of course, but I like to think of myself as a person more positive than negative. So I will post this second item:

Denny and I are going to Al and Irene’s for dinner, and it’s going to be good.

I took a quiz about which presidential candidate best reflects my views. Here were my results:

1. Your ideal theoretical candidate. (100%)
2. Cobb, David – Green Party (89%)
3. Nader, Ralph – Independent (89%)
4. Brown, Walt – Socialist Party (78%)
5. Kerry, Senator John, MA – Democrat (74%)
6. Badnarik, Michael – Libertarian (34%)
7. Peroutka, Michael – Constitution Party (15%)
8. Bush, President George W. – Republican (8%)

I like how they have that imaginary ideal candidate. I’m fantasizing about voting for her right now. *daydreams*

OK, the house saga continues. Get this:

Denny has been keeping a close eye on interest rates, because we want to lock in a rate when they get low. The generally accepted maximum time to lock in a rate is 30 days before closing; as of today, we are 40 days away from our latest possible closing date. There’s a good chance we will actually be able to close sooner than that, because the new home construction of the current owners is going well.

So…Denny noticed yesterday that interest rates had fallen to the point that he wanted to lock in. We realize that this may mean closing early, so it would mean a very slight financial loss to us, because there would be a 10-day overlap between when we closed and when we moved in. But no biggie, especially compared to the savings associated with locking in that low, low interest rate.

We had discussed closing VERY early, because there were some good interest rates available back when we first agreed to buy the house. We brought up the idea with the owners of having them rent from us for a month or so before they moved out. No, no, they didn’t want to do that. Well. OK. So we waited. Now that rates are low again, we wouldn’t even ask them to pay any rent for that 10 day overlap.

They would be living for free for 10 days. There is absolutely ZERO disadvantage to them in agreeing to close early. It’s 10 freaking days, people. It will cost them nothing. So Denny ran that by their realtor.

“They’re conservative people. They don’t want to feel like they’re living in someone else’s house.”

Wha-wha-what?? For 10 DAYS? Who the hell cares? I’ve been living in “someone else’s house” for the last 8 years that I’ve been renting, and let me tell you, it’s no big deal, especially if it’s free.

All I can think of is that they just don’t want to do us a tiny little completely painless favor.

Our realtor (Denny did manage to get a hold of her, thank goodness) is going to work on it some more and try to convince them via their realtor. Apparently it’s bad form to just talk to the people. That’s what I wanted to do, but Denny said it’s bad manners. I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know.

Sheesh.