Mortgage Limbo: My Agonizing Wait for Keys

It’s my second time and yet the emotional rollercoaster hasn’t gotten any easier.

Embracing Discomfort.
2 min readMay 1, 2024
Photo by Nerene Grobler on Unsplash

“Got my mortgage approved!” to “Here are my keys!” — sounds seamless, right?

Wrong.

It’s an agonizing purgatory. Every minute crawls by, packed with dread and what-ifs. Will the bank back out? Is our funding solid? What if another buyer swoops in? The uncertainties are endless and maddening.

Here’s where I am: trapped in the waiting game, a mental maze of hypotheticals. What if I have to juggle rent and a mortgage simultaneously because of misaligned contracts? Is everything in the house even working? Should I pick paint colors now, or is it too soon? What about the big remodels — the bathroom, the kitchen? Then there’s the logistical nightmare of furniture — buying, fitting, possibly returning things that don’t work out. And oh, the insurance and address updates!

It’s a time vacuum, an empty space filled only by my spiraling thoughts. Some folks seem to handle this wait with grace. Not me. I don’t crave control, just clarity — clear, timely updates rather than the cryptic, error-riddled crumbs from brokers, agents, lawyers, and banks.

It’s infuriating, feeling so powerless, so dependent on the nebulous timelines of others. But I remind myself, this is the path I chose.

Will the eventual handover of the keys be a moment of pure joy? Probably more relief than euphoria, to be honest.

For now, I’m channeling my inner stoic. Focusing on what I can influence, starting with reigning in my runaway worries. The countdown continues, and so does the struggle to stay sane amidst the chaos of closing.

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