O Where Art Thou, CrankyPuppy?

Captain Woodford Taylor, 1860

I'm here!  Rumours of my death after a 7-day Sudoku-playing bender have been greatly exaggerated.

:-)

Honestly, I've been moping.  I mean, sometimes you just have to feel sorry for yourself, right?  I STILL haven't closed on the project house.  There are still title issues preventing us from closing and my agent is a terrible communicator.  Apparently, when the owners bought the house, the previous owner helped out with their down payment by holding back $10,000 as owner financing.  They refi'd 11 years ago and the refi paid off that loan, but it apparently WASN'T RECORDED.  So...

• the title company screwed up. 
• and the title company is out of business. 
• and the owners didn't keep their paperwork (really?!!)  that would show the loan was paid.
• and their lender, Fieldstone Mortgage, filed bankruptcy in 2007 so who knows where any of the records are at this point.  As part of the bankruptcy, they had petitioned the court to destroy 40,000 boxes of records.  This is the same company whose Executive Vice President killed his wife and then committed suicide shortly after the company's bankruptcy was announced.
• all of this means that, unless we can find proof or find the previous owner and have him sign a release of the lien, then NO ONE except him owns the house.  Even Citibank (the current mortgage company) can't foreclose because his lien precedes theirs.  They've supposedly hired a skiptrace to find him.  But, if he's not an honest person, he could refuse to sign the release.

What a mess.  It's no wonder the housing market keeps tanking.  How many more of these zombie houses are out there?!

Our latest amendment extending the closing ends today and I got an email yesterday afternoon from my agent stating that the seller's agent talked to Citi (the current mortgage bank) yesterday to see what they want to do and he was told to call back Monday.  If we pass our closing date today without closing, I am technically released from the agreement and can get my earnest money back.  I really want this house, but I'm starting to think that the universe doesn't want me to have it.  Maybe that's a good thing, given that the housing market is imploding again.

But that's enough negativity for today - especially since it's Friday the 13th!  How about some cuteness?  Here's my top 5 list of cool stuff I've found on the Internet this week:

1. Baby burrowing owls and more owls (why are baby owls so cute!)
2. Fantasic close-ups of bees and other insects - these are gorgeous!
3. Baby goat sees herself in the mirror (for you, Mary Ann!)
4. Hot historical hunks.  Who knew Mark Twain was so hot when he was younger?  Had I lived 153 years ago, Captain Woodford Taylor (pictured above) would have captured my heart.
5. World's furriest cat named Colonel Meow.  I've got enough problems with Pomeranian fur, so I definitely don't need a Himalayan in the house.  Even if they're beautiful.  By the way, if you're a cat lover, check out all the stuff you can make with cat fur.  Maybe I should write my own version of this with Pomeranian fur and call it "Got hairballs?"  

I hope everyone has a fantabulous Friday the 13th - stay away from those black cats and don't walk under any ladders today.