A few updates for y'all.....both trip-related and personal.
I got an email from Frontier yesterday letting us know that our flight times had changed slightly, both coming and going. I was quite pleased to see that we now get there an hour earlier on our Friday arrival (landing just before 5 pm rather than almost 6 pm), but was a little bummed that we also now leave one hour earlier on our departure day (meaning we have to get our lazy butts out of bed at a fairly early hour). On the plus side, we'll be back in metro Detroit just after 1 pm on the day we come home, which is actually kind of nice. We can get the luggage unpacked, have time to get groceries, and spend some time with the two fur balls before hitting the sack nice and early that night.
Of course, those flight time changes are just enough to foul up my car rental pick up and drop off times
. I plan to fiddle around with rates tomorrow to see if I can make the adjustments to our existing reservations. If not, I'll have to cancel and re-book.
Steve and I were chatting today about the trip (this yucky winter weather makes us both yearn for some Florida sunshine!
), and I think we've decided to cancel our Discovery Cove cabana and add on the upgraded drink package to our DC day instead. We're really not thinking that we'll get the value out of the cabana for just the two of us (more than likely, we'll spend the lions share of the day lounging in the Freshwater Oasis or floating along the lazy river), but the upgraded drinks sound right up our alley
. I'm a sangria girl (especially if is a red variety) and Steve loves his rum, both of which are available with the upgrade. Neither of us are big beer drinkers (I hate the stuff) and we can take or leave wine, both of which make up the lions share of the standard drink offerings. We'll end up getting more value for our money with the switcheroo and a refund to boot (the cabana is $225 plus tax, while the upgraded drink package is $30 per person plus tax). They have also finally released prices for Aquatica cabanas for our May dates (which are an absolute must....we've never been to AQ without one!!) so hopefully I can book that upgrade on the same phone call. I'm going to try and make those adjustments tomorrow, since we'll likely be snowed in and staying put anyway.
And now, some more info and updates on our condo purchase. I guess, if we're looking on the bright side, the deal is not 100% dead.....though its not in a good position, either.
While the seller has been difficult and uncooperative during this whole process (he's an investor and has absolutely no 'personal' connection to this property.....he never lived in the condo and has essentially renovated and flipped it for a tidy profit, with a brief rental in between), this latest snag is not his doing. The current issue lies solely at the feet of the appraiser, who has valued the property unusually (and, it appears, erroneously) low. Low enough that it is causing an issue with our financing. The appraiser, for whatever reason, did not factor in the two most recent sales on units in the same community with identical floor plans (both of which were very close in sale price to our offer), he did not factor in market growth (which has seen a 12% increase in the past year) and he didn't factor in value-added upgrades to the unit by the seller (granite counter tops, upgraded flooring throughout, a new guest bathroom, new stainless steel appliances, etc.). Instead, he used comparibles that seemed to make little sense, evening using the sale price of a distressed property as a basis for his evaluation
. So, after reviewing the appraisal report in greater detail, our realtor has swung into action on our behalf and submitted a request for reconsideration on our behalf with a host of supporting documentation to substantiate our position. She's been honest with us....apparently she's challenged several appraisals in the past, with success in 50% of the cases and no luck in the remainder....so what will happen from here is quite up in the air. We are hoping to get a response from the appraiser sometime this week, but for now.....we wait. I am bouncing back and forth between wanting to be hopeful and not wanting to get my hopes up only to be disappointed. In the meantime, if anyone wants to throw a prayer or two my way (or, if you're not a praying kind of person, I'll take crossed fingers and toes or anything else you do for luck!) we would certainly be grateful for those good vibes. There is literally nothing else right now on the market that appeals, and when we've already invested a decent amount into this property ($525 for the appraisal, $355 for the inspection, $100 for the condo association documents, etc. etc. etc.) I'm praying that the appraiser will reconsider his valuation. It's literally the only remaining hurdle that we need to clear.
The countdown to Orlando currently sits at 83 days
.
I hope you all are enjoying a good weekend, wherever you happen to be
.