carsonheim-we are right there with you. We put 1/2 of our stuff in storage before we listed our house in May (it seems like half but really we did a lot of cleaning out/donating too). We have to be out of our house this coming Tuesday and between de-cluttering and prepping the house for sale and now packing to move I am wore out of it! We have moved a few things to the rental garage and I have already been there twice to dig through boxes for something we needed now (packed the printer paper and had to print some realtor documentation for closing - oops). I am ready to even just settle in to the rental for a bit before moving yet again to the new build (we have yet to break ground - hopefully October so it'll be at least 8-10 months in the rental). I am sure we will be back in the storage unit when the weather turns as all of our fall/winter clothes are already there as well as Christmas stuff. I was sure to mark the boxes on the top and then on the side. The key was making sure when the boxes were shelved the wording was facing OUT so you could read it. The simple things, lol! Lot23 - that is a great idea! Too bad we are 95% boxed up already! Good luck. You are in good company!

Hmm, I hadn't thought of bugs and vermin getting into them in the shed. But that's a definite possibility. Maybe just one large clear plastic box of whatever I can fit into it (paper, bubble wrap, peanuts) and a couple of small-medium boxes in my garage. I have my wrapping paper in a long plastic box on a high shelf and the packing materials box could go up there too. I have to keep reminding myself that I can get this kind of stuff again, if I need to. I don't need to keep it at my house. I can let other people who need it now, have it. And I'll be able to find some later if I need it. I have 3 categories that describe the bulk of my clutter: *** sentimental from relatives (vases, linens, photos, handmade dolls, etc.) *** useful things I might need later (packing materials, office supplies, craft supplies) *** and paperwork (bank statements, credit card statements, old insurance papers, etc.) Of those 3, the sentimental stuff is hardest for me, because that's what can't be replaced. The packing stuff, yeah, I can let go of that. Thanks!

Yes, we did have a purchase contract that we submitted to BOA. The buyers were willing to wait 2 months for an answer. They asked for nothing. It was a clean deal. This statement is correct" "No, the seller signs and then you try to convince the note holder to release the lien for less than the balance (a short sale)." There was NO way to know if BOA would accept it or not. They wanted nothing to do with the process until we had a buyer. We had a contract signed by both us, the sellers, and the buyers. We spoke to the negotiator. Get this, she said we have good credit and we are not behind on the payments. We told her we haven't made payments since January. She said she doesn't have access to that information. What the heck? So she made a decision based on old information and because one department doesn't talk to another, they think we are still making payments. I called corporate headquarters and filed a complaint. Now we have someone helping us along. They cannot make the SS go through but they are our point of contact. She can delay foreclosure, supposedly. We decided to do a deed in lieu, but they want us to go through the entire process again (all new paperwork, statements, tax returns, etc.). AND, the house has to be for sale. OK, so it's been for sale, we got an offer, they rejected it. Why in the world would a realtor put anymore time and effort into this house and keep it on the mls when they know no contract will be accepted?

MOST municipalities or states have laws that say essentially the same as your old lease said--if the landlord finds a new tenant, they can't keep charging you rent. So really, I bet your situation isn't ANY different than it was in the last lease. It's just that in the new lease, they didn't bother to put in the stuff that's probably covered by local or state laws. And, quip is right--while the landlord has to make reasonable attempt to rent it out, he isn't required to steer whatever tenants he finds, to YOUR apartment. He may not even be required to rent YOUR apartment to any tenant YOU bring him--he may be allowed to say, "thanks for finding me a tenant; I'm going to rent him 2B instead of your apt." That's probably no different, really, than your old lease. You want to buy in an area you don't currently live in--that means market research will be slower and harder (bcs you'll have to travel a short bit to go to open houses, etc. I'm betting March will be just fine. Also, if you're ready to put in bids in December, you'll probably find that sellers are pretty motivated then. If they're selling in Nov,/Dec./Jan, it's usually because they HAVE to. So that might stand you in good stead. I wouldn't sweat the "breaking the lease" thing right now--you need more info on your market, etc. You don't *need* to rush, really--you're living together now, so you're not in a hurry to accomlish that. And the market is probably not rising rapidly, so you don't need to rush on that account. It's possible your current rent in the more expensive area is more than your potential mortgage would be, but by the time you factor in moving costs, points, etc., I don't think you'd come out that far ahead by moving sooner and not later. Esp. if the market is dropping a bit. (also, if you're ready to buy a house together in the next few months, why not just get married in the same timeframe? I've never quite understood the "we know we want to get married in the future but not now" mindset. Either you want to get married, or you don't. If you do, why are you waiting a long time? If someone is willing to go through all the financial permanency and paperwork, etc., of buying a house, why not a marriage ceremony? I work at a weddings magazine, and I really hate that my daily work contributes to the fact that so many people are waiting until they can "afford" to get married--which translates "until we have $20k to waste on a fancy party")