That Lugnut Looks Loose

I've been waiting for days for word that the wheels were about to come off the deal to sell my house. I'm a pessimist by nature - I always plan for the worst - and this process was going way too smoothly.

We got info tonight that the home inspection had not gone as well as we would have liked. The inspector took issue with the breaker box - he went so far as to call it a fire hazard - and a problem with the subfloor under the guest bath.

The breaker box is original, but I've had electrical work done over the years, and none of the licensed electricians ever told me it was a fire hazard. That said, we are having another electrician come out to take a look.

The floor problem looks legitimate, which is really aggravating. We didn't know we had a problem, but it might spoil the deal.

While the pessimist in me isn't surprised, I'm still bitterly disappointed. We've worked very hard to get here, and I don't just mean to get the house sold. My wife and I have put a lot of blood sweat and tears into this house, and we are about to cash that in. We have a contract on a new place, a beautiful home in a great neighborhood, and I feel as if I am watching helplessly as that crumbles. If we can't close on our place, we can't buy the new one. It's nauseating.

The deal here isn't dead yet, but I think it just might be terminal. All I can do is wait for the electrician and carpenter to come back, and hope the buyer will let me fix some stuff.

Stay tuned.