So I've been quite busy in my "free" time lately, spending most of it thinking about or planning or working on paperwork for my new house. Perhaps I've been spending too much time on that. To date, if there's one thing I would have done differently, and something I would definitly suggest to other first time buyers it would be this: find a good book and read it. The simple fact is I've seen so much shady stuff already in my dealings with agents and brokers. If I were to be paying for an agent, I would want to make damn sure they were doing their job for me, and well, I've seen agents not doing that. I've been lied to, seen other people lied to, had contacts breached, and have had attempts to cheat me out of a fair deal - and I'm not done yet. So far I think I've been doing pretty good, thanks mostly to knowing advice from others who have gone through the process, especially by not soley my brother. The simple fact is, even if I had hired an agent, with all the things I've seen I would doubt that they were doing their best to get me what is fair, and I would need to be checking up on them.

So where I'm at now in the process, I've got the inspection report, and will need to present to the seller's a report of things I want them to fix before closing (or proivde me with a refund to fix them). Loan is finalized, I just need to get the bank all the paperwork, and insurance is more or less taken care of. Things left to do, appraisal, seller's discolsures (which I was supposed to have 2 days ago), and final negotiations.

I've of course been planning all the stuff I will need to acquire, and want to acquire, after moving. And then trying to save some for all the things I've forgotten about that I'll need. Good thing is I don't think moving will be that difficult. A couple trucks should get all that won't fit in my car. Heck, I've still got over a month to figure all that out.