The conversation finally changed from closing the house to starting the work.
Three weeks earlier, I thought I had found the last thing underwriting needed. That turned into more calls, more documents, and another deadline.
The broker eventually wrote that the house had to close by Friday one way or another. The lender said it was ready. The lawyer offered a time. I told everybody I would do whatever we needed and be in Poughkeepsie.
Then the emails went quiet for a few days.
The next message I sent was a signed contractor request. It ended with one question: what else is needed to begin work?
That felt like progress.
The first obstacle as an owner was electricity. I needed to open the utility account so the contractor and electrician could arrange for the meter to be turned on and the new service inspected.
I made the call and sent back the update. My information and billing were in place. The utility was waiting for the electrician's permit before it could do the rest.
There was more renovation paperwork behind that. Even the initial contractor request produced a correction and another form to sign. I asked whether the crew was already on site and what they planned to tackle first.
The answer was not in the thread yet.
That was fine. For weeks, every question had been about title reports, extensions, lenders, and closing times. Now the unanswered questions were about power, permits, and construction.
The badly damaged house was still badly damaged. At least it was finally becoming my problem to fix.