I need to vent

I vent better while writing. Ok, we have a house for sale. We moved out of the house in June of 08. We had a renter for a while, but they moved out. During the time they were there, the house was for sale by owner. After the moved out, we hoped it would sell. Last fall we got a call from a potential buyer. He said they really wanted the house, but their credit was not great. They would need some time to build their credit. Dean went home over Thanksgiving and rented to them. They said they would work on their credit and get back with us. In the summer, we sent them an email and asked them to please buy the house now. We wanted to get out from under it. Joy Anna was starting school and we needed the money from the sale.

He asked if we could owner finance. We talked to several people and came up with a proposal. It was higher interest rate than a bank, because we are not a bank. It was still not going to benefit us a great deal, as we still would not have a lump sum we could use to pay off debt, pay her tuition, etc. He was very much an arrogant jerk over the proposal and called us ridiculous. Said we were trying to rip him off. He said he would get traditional financing. We told him that was better off for us anyway, to please go ahead.

And so we waited for him to get financing. We had sent an email as per our agreement and told him that his rent was going up in September. September came and the rent was late. When it came, it was the old amount and then the check bounced. This was not the first time a check had bounced, either. Because by this time we were already in a contract with him to buy the house, we let the amount go. We had been told at first that we would close by the end of September. That didn't happen.

Then came October. After the inspection on the house, he complained that the little bathroom had some water damage. It did not have the damage when we moved out. He had never reported that to us. However, to keep the peace and let the sale go forward, we agreed to lower the price by half of the estimated repairs.

So, then we had a contract that was good through Oct. 15. October 15 came and went. There was no closing and rent had not been paid on the house. The lender asked us to extend the contract until the 24th. Again, no closing and no rent. On October 25, the renter called Dean. He told him the contract would not go through. He wanted us to hold the contract until April 1. He offered to pay us the rent in advance. I know that sounds like a good deal, but in reality it didn't benefit us at all. He told Dean he would move out and be 'out of our hair' by the end of the month.

We countered on Monday with a proposal that we sell them an option to buy. It would be 10,000 non refundable option. We would make a new contract and at the closing, we would take the 10,000 off the price of the house. He told Dean on the phone that they had a place to live for free, so they might do that instead.

Yesterday, he sent an email saying that they would not do the option to buy. They wanted to stay in the house and rent it, but they were not going to pay late fees, etc. We wrote him back a very nice letter saying that we needed to sell the house. If they wanted to go through with the purchase, we had given them options. If those options were not acceptable, we would expect them to move out of the house no later than the 0ct 31 just as he had told us on the phone.

Yesterday, 23 days late, we got the rent. With no late fees. He says he doesn't owe them because we had a contract on the house. What?

Today we got the rudest email saying that they had 60 days to get out of the house per the lease. That should we try any thing else, blah blah blah and he was on his way to an attorney. He also said our letter was hostile.

I am really, really struggling. I am so angry. I am hurt. I think we have bent over backwards over and over trying to be nice. We have continually been treated disrespectfully. We have let things go on and on trying to be nice and let them get their financing. All for what?

Yes, I am going to have my own private pity party now. I keep wondering what we do/have done/whatever to make things so bad for us? We trusted the jerk that moved us here and we all know that turned out awful. We trusted this guy to buy our house, and that has turned out awful. I say that like we have trusted them - and not God. That is not the case. We know he has seen us through so much, and he will see us through this, too. The move and selling the house were both done after a lot of prayer. We really felt we were supposed to be here. If we hadn't moved here there are so many people who would not have touched our lives. Now, it is time to cut the last thing holding us to Longview and let the house go. It just won't go. It is like the song that never ends.

If you made it this far, thanks for letting me vent. Please be praying for us - for this to end quickly and smoothly.