The settlement was a no go.

I wasn’t upset. I wasn’t even surprised. Mortgages require such a huge amount of paperwork on the part of so many different people it’s a wonder that anyone ever manages to get through a sales process. The way I understand it, an underwriter for the lender, who is out in California, is unhappy about some grammar in the report from the appraiser. So he won’t sign off to give the buyer his loan....

You know what else I don’t worry too much about? Globalization. We can’t even get things done efficiently on both coasts of this country. Imagine how bad it would be if somebody was overseas.

Anyway, the result of all of this is that the poor buyer, who is a very patient man, is not able to move into the house this weekend. He had movers all lined up, etc. The Hub felt bad about it, but he just didn’t feel comfortable allowing the guy to move in before papers are signed. The fellow asked if he could do some yard work and maybe “stage stuff” in the carport, and The Hub said that would be fine.

So. The plan is that the appraiser is going to fix the syntax in his report and re-fax it to the underwriter, who will sign off and somebody will send something next day mail and then there’ll be a packet and we’ll all be ready to go on Monday.

Or, at least, that’s the hope.

Incidentally, if you are suffering through some English class wondering what the hell any of the work has to do with anything in the real world, guess what? This whole deal has been held up over the misplacement of commas. That’s three consumers, two realtors, four movers, any number of co-workers of the buyer who have to cover for him at work (twice) while he goes to settlement, to say nothing about all the blood, sweat, and earwax expended by who knows how many people at the settlement company, realty offices, mortgage company, appraiser’s office, etc. It matters where you stick the comma.

Of course, I’d rather have gone to settlement than have the importance of my English degree validated.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.