skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Well hello friends! Long time no see! I'm technically still in my blogging hiatus period but I wanted to provide a brief life update explaining where I've gone and why I haven't written for the past few weeks.
If you follow us on Instagram, you will have noticed some rumblings regarding our purchasing a liveaboard yacht here in Washington, D.C. Well I am here to confirm these rumors! Mark and I are in the process of closing on a 1988 Carver yacht at Gangplank Marina, one of the largest liveaboard boat communities on the East Coast.
Why, you ask? Two main reasons: 1) renting or purchasing property in DC is astronomically expensive and 2) we own a pitbull, which dramatically reduced the properties we could even consider. Thankfully, the marina could care less what kind of dog we own! We spent several months weighing the pros and cons of liveaboard life and decided that we really wanted to give it a try while we're young and still childless. After all, you only live once right?
However, as it turns out, buying a liveaboard boat is one of the most complicated things you will ever do. It makes buying a house look like a walk in the park. After the recession, many lending and housing rules changed, thus preventing marine lenders from being able to loan to liveaboards. I could count on one hand the number of banks that will lend to a liveaboard. To compound the issue, many of those banks have dreadful customer service. Including the one we're using. Let me just say that our original closing date was May 9th.... We're now almost into June and just now getting the final paperwork.
At this point, you're probably asking "Wait, didn't your house sell on April 29th?" Why yes! Yes it did! We have been bouncing all over the state, staying with family and friends in the interim. Thank goodness for our loved ones! At present, since closing seems to actually be happening soon, the boat owner has allowed us to pay a deposit and semi move on board. While I'm still nervous until everything goes through completely, we at least have a place to stay and are getting used to the movements and sounds of the boat. Meanwhile, Solo is in love with boat life-- I'm pretty sure he thinks he is captain.
See what I mean?
We're certainly not "out of the woods" yet-- but I hope that in a few weeks, all of this hassle will just be a memory! Once the documents are all signed, I imagine I will deflate with relief. And hopefully see the end of the stomach ulcers this stressful situation has caused!
Keep us in your thoughts over the next few days!
I will write again once everything is finalized!
