This president’s day weekend Gilday and I took a small road trip down to Norwalk to visit good ‘ol Paul. He recently tricked out his knee and has been house-bound for the last week recouping. Aside from the stir crazy looks he kept dishing out, he seemed to be in good spirits, especially when he took the monopoly master title away from Gilday. I personally think it’s because we had to play by the “Connecticut rules” of free parking.
What are the Connecticut rules you ask? Well, it’s the way that Monopoly is played by abnormal people. Free parking is just a space to relax and chill out until your next turn. By New Yorker rules (the right way), we take all monies derived from payouts to Community chest, Income tax, & Chance and place it in the middle of the board. On the event that someone lands on Free Parking, they receive the pot. It adds an element of added luck to an otherwise cut and dry game. We had 4 native NY’ers at the game on Saturday night that were on board with the free parking lottery. But of course, house rules prevail and CT rules were enlisted. Lame.
Sunday led to us leaving “Cabin Fever Lenhart” after a hearty breakfast made by yours truly and Caroline (Paul’s new lady). It was a homework day for both of us and hoped to be rewarded for our studiousness by a relaxing Monday without work or school to bug us.
Monday started out ok. The dogs let us sleep in until 8:30 which was a great gift in itself. (Riley usually starts up around 6:30 until a winner-sleep-in “rock-paper-scissors” game.) But with rested bodies, ee both did some homework and were debating what we were going to do with the day.
Answer came by Super Agent Eric calling to tell us that there was another offer on the house and we needed to come in with our highest and best. First off, we’ve had our offer in for a week and a half and we’ve had no response. Nothing. Now since there is another offer and they want us to come in with highest and best? Not to mention that we’re supposed to be dealing directly with a bank, which should have been closed for Presidents Day, it being a bank holiday and all…. It just seems so shady. Even to Super Agent Eric who told us that he hates dealing with the particular agency because they have a tendency to be very fishy. Even their website looks fishy.
So, we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. We don’t want to lose the house because of a low counter offer, but we don’t want to be swindled out of money we need to put into the house. SAE wants us to try and remove the emotions from the deal and go in like it’s a business transaction. But the whole reason we’re doing it is emotional. With his help we came up with a respectable highest and best and now we’re waiting again. If it’s meant to be, it will be…
Oh, and don’t decide after 6 months to use that work bonus and run out to buy a PS3. We can say from experience that as you leave the driveway in your 7 year old VW, one of your rear shocks will go. Which, ironically, will cost the same as a PS3 to get replaced. Woo-hoo.
6 comments:
First off, should you read the official rules to Monopoly, you'll see that Free Parking is meant to be a free resting place, not some kind of dumbluck lotto payout:
http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/monins.pdf
Secondly, tough thing about the house. If this is truly an emotional thing, then money should be no object. Since it is - even though it is because you want something left to fix up your old place - maybe you need to re-examine your motivations? Like, are you buying it to stay there forever or just to fix it up and sell it to someone else who will let it fall apart?
I'm not interested in arguing about how people play monopoly. I was mearly pointing out the differences... As you are from CT, I would assume that you would play by the "official rules".
Money no object? Money is always an object when you don't have much of it. We're talking a major renovation that will cost us tens of thousands of dollars. I'm not going to put my families future in the red to close a few emotional doors. That's not how I roll. Our intent is to heal the house from all its demons but still be able to walk away with some money in our pocket. That's the motivation.
Any way you slice it, buying your childhood home will be a difficult thing. It was probably already tough to take a tour of it and see what's happened. I'm sure you'll do what's vest for you and Gilday in the end.
You are right. It's definately going to be difficult. The thought does scare me, but I know that (if we get it) we'll emerge victorious, on multiple levels. Free Parking and all.
I've been waiting to hear again about the house...it is soooo frustrating with the wait!
And we're stillllll waiting! Its Thursday (2 weeks to the date of the offer) and still nothing. We told our agent that if we don't hear anything by tomorrow at 4:30, to rescind our highest offer and go back to our original. Its just not how you do business.
Hey, if we dont get it, there's going to be more motivation to move out to your neck of the woods.
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