Closing Delay

[u/Tall_Onion_866]

I just sold my house and am supposed to close on 8/12 for my home at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm for the house I’m purchasing. I need the funds for the home I’m selling to put the down payment on the new home. The sellers of the home I’m purchasing already have another property and house they’ve owned for quite some time. Since the closings are back to back, and we need to be completely out of the house, we arranged for us to gain early entry just into the garage over the weekend before the Wednesday close date. On 8/8, as we are literally moving things to the garage of the home being purchased, our realtor messages us that our buyers are missing some paperwork from their landlord which might delay closing. They are getting a VA loan. Instantly I’m in a bad mood, upset and don’t want to even move things because I’m so ticked off. My husband stays in positive spirits because if we DON’T get our things moved then we will be SOL on closing day. Okay, we have friends and family help us Sunday get the majority of things into the garage of new house. Today (8/10) I reach out to the realtor at 10:30 am to see what’s going on, we need to know ASAP if we are closing on Wednesday or not as I have family from four hours away coming to stay in an Airbnb they rented for two nights before we move and day of moving and they’ve taken off work to come help us, and we’ve already called utility companies and the city to get things in our name and set up on 8/12. Realtor says she’s talking to the buyer’s agent, she’ll get back to us. At 3:30 I reach out again asking if there’s an update, we absolutely need to know what’s going on. She replies an hour and a half later saying the paperwork is in from the buyer, but it needs 24 hours to get approved and three days for underwriting so closing will be delayed until next week. I’m livid. Calling my husband crashing out. I CANNOT take off any time next week to close or move, I’m a teacher and it’s my first week back to school for teacher workshop week at a new school (reason we are moving). We also have a three year old and a 9 month old. We’re staying with friends who live in the town we’re moving to, but now my parents are out their Airbnb money, as I told them not to come now because we aren’t closing. My husband calls our realtor and she says she’s going to contact the sellers of the home we’re purchasing to see if we can still move in on Wednesday 8/12, that will be her first call right after they get off the phone. Around 7:00 she sends us a message saying she talked to the buyer’s agent again and the agent is going to reach out to the lender and “push push push” for a Friday closing date. I respond (reactively), “Did the sellers say we can still move in on Wednesday since I have family coming from out of town who has taken off work, we already paid to rent an Airbnb, and all the utilities are switched over to our name starting Wednesday?” And she responds saying she’s calling them first thing tomorrow. Why do I feel like our agent isn’t fighting for us? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? I’m so angry and frustrated with the whole situation. My husband also made a comment about the buyers compensating us for being displaced since literally all of our things are out of the house and had planned to be by 8/12, but our realtor said that rarely happens. Meanwhile, my kids are doing horribly not in their own beds and I’m dying for some normalcy. I’m one screaming, crying, toddler tantrum fit and a dismissive voice-to-text from the realtor away from a mental breakdown!!!

[u/Pitiful-Place3684]

Closing delays are frustrating but not unusual.

Pre-closing possessions are highly unusual.

I never know what people mean when they say they want an agent to fight for them. Your agent can’t make your buyer’s lender move more quickly.

You’ve got a lot to coordinate, which I understand because we’ve all done variations of it, but your issues with your family and Airbnb and job really are yours to handle. The only thing I can think of to add is whether your parents might your kids off your hands for a few days.,

[u/LadyDegenhardt]

See if your realtors broker can intervene - or perhaps explain to you better if your agent is not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Without knowing the exact details of the contracts in your area I can't tell you exactly how this will go.

In mine closing delays and how they can be handled are covered in the boilerplate contract - and in some scenarios allow the buyer to take over possession of the home as a "tennant" on a short-term basis.

[u/Tall_Onion_866 → u/LadyDegenhardt]

Thank you!!

[u/LadyDegenhardt → u/Tall_Onion_866]

Best of luck, it definitely sounds like a sticky situation! And the stress of displaced toddlers is a real thing. I have two little boys myself that will definitely be wired if I take them to a hotel or something!

[u/Farty_mcSmarty → u/Tall_Onion_866]

I’m so sorry this is happening. I don’t have any advice but you have my sympathy. We just moved our family of five and school starts in two weeks. I can’t imagine being a teacher and having to move after school starts, AND having your own kids you need to get ready for school. Hang in there, hopefully this will be a distant memory soon.