Chapter 17 - The house does not stay with Lucas
Lucas failed to refinance within sixty days.
Not because bank punished him.
Debt-to-income.
Lower salary.
Interest rate.
HPS obligations.
He could have sold retirement assets and increased down payment, but chose not to.
House listed.
Asking:
$649,000.
Offer:
$638,000.
Inspection found:
Roof repair estimate $11,000.
Buyer negotiated.
Final sale:
$626,500.
Mortgage/HELOC payoff.
Costs.
Net proceeds:
About $289,000.
Held in escrow until divorce settlement.
The front lawn where my belongings had been scattered became someone else’s grass.
I expected to feel victorious.
I felt sad.
Noah cried when we packed his room.
Lucas did too.
That mattered.
We were both losing a home.
Then one photograph.
The broken first-day-of-kindergarten frame.
Mom had saved the photo.
Glass discarded.
I put it in a simple new frame.
No revenge inscription.
No symbol.
Just Noah with oversized backpack.
Then Lucas moved into a three-bedroom rental twelve minutes from school.
I rented a townhouse nine minutes away.
No relocation.
No one got the house.
Problem solved by market.
Then corporate repayment.
HPS made first scheduled payment to Mercer.
$10,000 principal plus interest.
Second:
On time.
Lucas sold a work truck and ended one contractor lease to improve cash.
HPS survived smaller.
No bankruptcy.
Then one former Mercer client left HPS because conflict.
Others stayed.
Lucas complained.
No lawsuit.
Then company.
Mercer hired a new finance director.
Outside.
No family relation.
Good.
Barbara resigned from board six months later? Too soon? Could happen not necessary. Maybe she remained.
Everett stayed trustee.
No hero promotion.
Then the divorce property hearing remained because we still disagreed about:
Attorney fees.
A small tax allocation.
House escrow credit.
May you like
Main case not done.
Good.
