Status Update

Things have been happening fairly quickly lately, so here's a quick update on what has transpired recently:

1. We do have an offer on our house.  The inspection was last week and we passed with flying colors, but that didn't preclude the buyers from asking for $1,000 to resolve some very minor wear and tear issues - the items certainly weren't needed repairs.  We completely rejected that notion, but the buyers have a couple of days to respond.  If things stay on track, then the closing will be on 30 June, after an FHA appraisal is done.
2. The location of the van is still unknown.  We've decided to just sit and wait for the dealer to tell us when it arrives, as they rarely seem to have any concrete new information.
3. We listed our CX-5 for sale late last week, not wanting to wait until the new van arrives before attempting to get it sold.  We may end up being without a vehicle for a short time if it sells before the van shows up.
4. We had a great send off over the weekend from some of our Miata friends (though not everyone still owns a Miata).  Unfortunately, we were remiss and failed to take any photos.
5. We've scheduled movers for Thursday, July 23rd to help us transfer the remainder of our belongings to our storage unit.

Some issues are up in the air:  

1. If our CX-5 sells before we receive the van, then before the house closes we need to figure out how to get our trailer moved off the property.  We can park it at a friend's house until the van arrives.  I suspect if the van doesn't arrive this week and we haven't sold the CX-5 that we'll move it this weekend.  It's pretty much packed, with the exception of stocking the refrigerator.
2. We also need to figure out how to deal with the closing if we aren't in town, but it looks as though signing the deed is the only thing that needs an original signature, and that it is something we can do before leaving town.  Anything else can be sent by e-mail, printed at a FedEx store, signed and faxed back to the title company.
3. Our exact departure date is still questionable, but we're still optimistic that with every passing day the odds increase that our van will arrive and we'll be able to get everything done in time to be in Seattle on the 31st.  

We did some more checking about the timeline for a special ordered Transit Connect.  Back in 2012 it took 7 months (!), but at that time they were being built in Turkey.  Last year, even Ford Support was saying it takes at least 20 weeks, and I suspect they were talking about when it would arrive in the country, not when it would show up at the dealer.  A guy in California received his TC earlier this year, 25 1/2 weeks after the order was placed (almost six months!).  A guy in North Carolina got his last month after a 5 1/2 month wait (about 24 weeks).  I suspect the travel time crossing the states accounts for part of that difference, though how frequently Ford ships to North America is likely the bigger variable.  Today marks the beginning of our 26th week of waiting, with next Sunday being a full six months.