This past week has been a tad crazy, strange and down right stressful
Last weekend I brought Izzy home to get into show condition. She needs to loose some weight and I have to work with her core muscles to bring her topline up.
Conditioning dogs is very similar to horses. Dogs who have bad toplines usually walk strung out on the forehand, and not engaging their hindquarters.
Izzy and I are on a "Run the stairs" daily exercise routine getting her to power up with her hindquarters, and I've been tickling her belly which causes her to lift her back evening out the topline. My youngest son is sometimes willing to run the Collies up and down the hill in my yard too.
We've got until April 9... lots of work!
I've been in major stress factor over buying this farm. It's not the purchase of it, or the what if we get it, it's the whole "it's up to someone else to say yes" thing. So we met today (again, 2nd meeting) with the farm owner. He had sent us to his bank to discuss any options they had for us purchasing the property.
The bank discussed traditional financing which would be possible if we had the 15% down on $650,000. Even liquidating every asset we had we would fall short. So the BANK recommended discussing Land Contract. They gave us really good information so we took that to the farm owner today.. and Guess What?!?!
HE
DID
NOT
SAY
NO !!
He said "Let me talk to the bank this week and get more information about Land Contract." He discussed our plans on filling the place will full board clients... It is currently full but 12 stalls are partial care. He wanted to know what our time frame was on that. It's all in the business plan so we had answers for him immediately.
He also read our Business Proposal and Business Plan. He said it was very sound, and in our expense column we over estimated insurance cost, but we were spot on with everything else.
I'm still wrapping my head around "He didn't say no!"
February also marks the anniversary of my mom's death. February 26 will be three years gone. Maybe next February I will be celebrating the first year of success.
Yay - he didn't say no! Keeping fingers crossed for you :)
ReplyDeleteYou must be looking at some facility! Wow. I sure hope it comes through for you. What a venture!
ReplyDeleteVery exciting! I love reading about how your plan is falling into place. :)
ReplyDeleteCan you explain what a Land Contract is? I don't recall hearing that expression before.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is very exciting. I hope it all comes together for you. My fingers are crossed on your behalf :)
@ Carol - Land Contract is were a contract is drawn up for purchase and filed with appropriate gov't agencies, the payment is made to deed holder. The deed holder pays the bank. Equity earned on property goes to one paying on the land contract. Bank stated in 3 to 5 years we should be able to finance without issue.
ReplyDelete@ Lori - 31 stall full boarding facility on 65 acres. It's currently full =)
@ Calm and Karen - Thank you!
So exciting!!! I sure hope it goes from "not no" to yes!
ReplyDeleteVery exciting. I hope that this Land Contract thing goes through and you will own your own farm soon. Good luck with all this.
ReplyDeleteI need to get my dogs in shape too. The winter couch potatoes have gained some weight and need to exercise more (me too). Izzy is beautiful. My mom always had collie's too. Her favorite dog.
Super exciting stuff! What is your time frame?
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on Post #200!
You are in my thoughts - a lot! Strange, eh?
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a commercial-type stable I think of you and wonder how things are going. And, since there is a large stable across the street from our new home, I think of you and your dream. I guess I like to live vicariously through other folks.
It sure sounds like you are going about this all the right ways - I can't wait to hear more!
Woohoo! With a bank, "didn't say no" is a really good sign :) Good luck!
ReplyDelete@ Dreaming ~ All the good thoughts, prayers, and vibes are welcome!
ReplyDelete@ Teaspoon ~ Welcome to my blog!!! Thank you =)
@ Leah ~ You know we don't really have a time frame. I just want to do it right, make sure I'm not jumping in head first AND blind, if you know what I mean. If we got a "yes" this week, there are still contracts to drawn up, Lawyers to meet with, meetings with current boarders, etc to be done. Not to mention the whole move thing. Transfer my boys to different school district etc.
Happy 200th!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Yay to not NO! You are so going to succeed with this! And someday on my way to visit Ohio, I will stop by your fully boarded barn! :)
xo, misha
Wow! Great for you!!! We are in real estate (we have our own company) and there was a time when you could barely get anyone to discuss a land contract, let alone consider it. but now with the real estate meltdown, it is a whole new ball game. I sincerely hope this works out for you....Best of luck!!!
ReplyDelete@ Misha ~ My front porch is always open to you (I don't have one right now. So my Stoop is open to you. I would love to meet you and J =)
ReplyDelete@ John and Regina ~ You should have seen the owners face when we told him how much just the down payment would be with a traditional loan. He agreed it was wayyyy steep. I'm very cautiously optimistic.
I can't wait until this time next year. How exciting the changes that will be happening over the next year! I'd give you a hug if I was there....and if I wasn't still sick. lol!
ReplyDelete~Lisa