Cloudkookooland

When you immerse yourself in something, it's easy to lose perspective.

So it is with the Big House.

Having been up to our necks in contingencies, financing papers, inspection reports, defects, amendments, counter-amendments - and the phalanx of details that would accompany us to an eventual closing, we'd missed one important fact.

The seller is nuts.

Their response to our latest wish list demonstrates that, sagging market and mandatory defect cures aside, they have a number - and they won't budge.

It would appear that having immersed themselves in every little detail of their house for the past decade, they have stopped seeing the flaws and only see its assessed value.

A prior item they agreed to is now off the table - they're foisting it off to us and lowering the price in "exchange." With the eight grand reduction in price we are expected to rewire the house, replace the roof/sunroof/rain gutters, install a new furnace, and remove their asbestos.

Obviously, this is not going to happen.

We will re-offer our list with the one concession we can afford to make, but its pretty clear that this deal is DOA.

We have to be out of our current house in less than three weeks, so right after the holidays, we're going to start arranging for temporary living quarters.

To some extent, I'm relieved that the contractor/escrow logistics aren't going to happen - but in the back of my mind I'm still living in an updated house in the neighborhood I wanted.

*hands over ears*

LaLaLaLaLaLa... LaLaLaLaLaLa...