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Questions to ask when buying a house

Posted By: DH and I are fixing to look. on 2007-06-14
In Reply to:

We are going to look at a house we are both interested in in about an hour.  I made up a list of questions.  First off, I think the seller wants too much and have already told them so, they want 125k.  They said they will consider coming down though I don't know how much.   It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath brick home about 1600 sq ft.  I don't think it is worth more than 80k and that is being generous, IMO but I am no expert.  It is a nice house but not flawless.  The outside gutters are coming off I know for sure.  Dh had been in and he said some of the carpet is comming up.  There are old trailer houses all in that block.   The house directly behind us is an old abandoned house with sheep in the backyard.  The neighbors beside us have chickens. 


Anyway, the questions I came up with is: Aprasial value, property taxes, age of the house.  Also I have been wanting to some how ask about Dh farm equipment.  He has had it parked out here and the neighbors have yet to complain the whole 8 years we have lived here.  However, some of my relatives across town have old cars parked in their driveway and they get complaints.  My bestfriend's mother lives 2 blocks away from this home and she says there is not a crime problem.  Howvever, sometimes kids drive up and down the street too fast so I would have to keep a close eye on my two little ones.  We would still be in the same school district so that is not a question. 


Anyone have any more tips to look for.  Is it too nosey to ask what the utility expenses are?  I thought about calling WTU but I don't know if they would tell me or not. 15 years ago they would because I asked about an appartment complex I was interested in living in.  However, back then they had a local office I could call, not anymore.    TIA. 




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buying house with BF
Bear with me. I am not judging here as I do not know the circumstances other than you stated you and BF want to buy a house. I am assuming you are young, which to me, anyone under the age of 40 falls into that category! If and when buying a house comes to be, consider hiring an attorney to protect your interest, and your BF should do the same. Buying a home with a BF/GF is VERY scary. Will both names be on the mortgage? If so, what if one dies, becomes disabled, flees to Tibet to do lunch with the Dali Lama? The other is left holding the bag with all the financial responsibilities. The same things can happen if you're married too, but it's harder to legally resolve such issues if you are not married.

I don't mean to rain on your parade here! Just want you to think. Buying a house is so exciting but it's the biggest financial commitment you will ever make. You don't want it to come back and bite you in the butt years down the road.

To save, keep only one credit card and pay it off each month. That saying 'pay yourself first' is tried and true. Open an account and have 5-10% of every paycheck auto-deposited in it. If you don't have it, you won't miss it. Open short-term CDs with your savings. They are risk-free, you can access your money if you truly need it, and you'll get more interest than a savings acct. Do your research, stay away from adjustable rate mortgages,and buy beneath your means. Think of every worst case scenario you can and talk them over with your BF BEFORE you buy. This is your financial future you are about to change. You will be committed to a house/mortgage, but not to each other - legally.

OK - my doom and gloom post is done! Regardless, all the best to you!
buying a house
Wow, this is great info as I am buying a house too.  I am wondering about one point though - my realtor did recommend an inspector that I set up an appointment with - is it  absolutely necessary to find my own inspector?
Does anybody know anything about buying a house from a tax auction? SM

I live in a small town and in our local paper there are always public listings of properties that are going to be sold on the courthouse steps in an auction because of foreclosures or failure to pay taxes, etc.  I'm kind of interested in learning about this process because a cute older home I've had my eye on for a while is going to be sold this way in a couple of weeks and I am in a position to maybe buy it because I FINALLY settled with my insurance company over my house fire.  So I have a nice little chunk of money (not a huge amount, but enough to buy a decent home for me and my kids).  My ex-husband severely damaged my credit and so this may be the only way I can buy another house, besides I'd rather not use the money as a down payment on a big, huge fancy house I'll probably struggle to make payments on.  I'd rather just buy a nice little three bedroom that is comfortable and affordable and allows me a little wiggle room with my finances.  I'm living with family now and don't even get me started on how stressful that is! 


So I was wondering if any my virtual colleagues and friends here at MTStars had any experience or knowledge of how this whole foreclosure/tax auction process works?  Will there be an auctioneer and I will have to bid like at a regular auction?  And usually how much do houses go for when sold this way?  Do they go for the amount of taxes owed or how much the house is worth?  The public notice from the county says the buyer has to put 10% down and pay the remaining balance in 30 days.  So I'm trying to get an idea of whether I will have enough to pay cash the day of or if I will still need to get a small mortgage loan.


Any suggestions?  I'm really dumb when it comes to stuff like this.  I've never really had a head for business, but since leaving my ex, I've vowed to learn and be savvy and take control of my finances.  And this would be a big first step towards that.


Thanks!


Self-employed/IC and buying a house?

Ok, here's my story....I've been an IC for 3-1/2 years and an MT for 6. My husband and I are moving to another state and buying a house. The mortgage company wants me to get a letter from the company that I have a contract with stating that I can continue to receive work from them even after I move. My question is, is this normal to request this?? It seems really unprofessional of me to even ask them to write this letter as I'm NOT an employee of this company. The mortgage guy we're dealing with seems very young and doesn't seem to have experience with self-employed people, so I'm wondering if I really need to get this letter or if we should just use a differnet mortgage company? I would really appreciate it if anyone has been in a similar position could let me know if you needed to get this letter as well. FYI: We have excellent credit and have both been gainfully employed since we were teenagers. Thank you!


Thanks for your insight when buying a house

I wondered that too if all the houses gone up that much.  I know they did some remodeling since they bought it 5 years ago but we have done some remodeling in this house too (same kind of remodeling)  but I won't dare think it would sell for 66% above what we originally paided for it. 


Than again, I would have to get an expert to come through here and tell me what they think it might sell for.  I have not a clue. 


My gut feeling  tells me that they need to come down.  I saw the new house they were moving too.  It is a huge, two story, maybe $300K home.   DH and I think they have jacked up the price on this other home in order to help pay for the one they are in now.


 Then other things would have to factor in like property taxes, cost of utilities which I know all that would be more than what we are paying now for this little house we are in now. "sigh"  Oh well, maybe one day we will have something bigger. 


Buying a house with someone who is not legally your spouse, is

Need help with ideas for remodeling house and decorating. We bought a house

in fair condition about 10 years ago, got into some medical problems, and have just now paid off the mortgage.  Hubby and I agreed we would do nothing to the house for remodeling because we wanted to pay it off first, then the medical bills.  I need to know of some websites/magazines/books to start researching for how to go about this.  These will be major repairs - roof, septic, basement, windows, pretty much everything except wiring.  Where do we start?  Maybe hire a general contractor just to do an evaluation and give us recommendations?  Hubby is a handyman but cant seem to get a handle on where to begin.  We would like to do as much of the work ourselves as possible - labor of love and all that...   


Thanks for any and all kind suggestions!


 


Unless you are buying it yourself, yah, there is.

Maybe he has an heirloom ring that has been in his family for generations.  Maybe he just really wants to get something you that is a personal expression of his and his alone.  If he's buying it, don't look a gift horse in the mouth!  It's not about the ring, it's about the marriage...and marriage is gonna be all about compromise.  Congratulations on the engagement!



PS--I had to buy our rings and he got to choose what he wanted and so did I.


 


buying a used car
What's the general rule of thumb as far as negotiating price?  How much should I expect the dealer to come down in price on a used car?  I stink at this stuff
Yep, been buying here! sm
Never stopped buying.  Great time to buy in if you can.  Money to be made in the long run. 
Maybe she was buying food for someone?
If your car is above a certain value, you don't qualify for food stamps.

She may have buying food for someone with their food stamps/food stamp card.




You have to be buying the cheaper
brand because at the QT close to my house, about the cheapest, in Atlanta, the price is $2.40 something for the brand I have to burn.
buying home
Thanks AnnieM! You gave some great advice and some things to think about that I hadn't thought of.
I would tell her that I was offended and was buying elsewhere (sm)
I have learned over the years to stop wishing in hindsight that I had said what I should say to begin with. She is being rude and thinking you will pay her asking price just to prove to her that you can afford it. She is banking on you being offended and trying to prove to her that you can indeed afford it. That is a sales tactic I have seen used before - don't bite the bait!
I'm with you. I can't believe they are buying her story. nm
d
Don't think people are buying it!
I have an ex-brother-in-law who is a compulsive liar and whereas we don't call him on the lies, they are a joke to us and we laugh about it later. So to the liars out there, don't think we're that gullible!

Need to know about cheese buying
I do not buy cheese but have 2 people on my list for presents this year that I would love to get some crackers and cheeses for. Do most cheese need refrigeration? I would think some would last longer than others, right? I can make this a 1 stop shop at Trader's Joe so need some ideas, anyone?
renting vs buying
Hi,
After I divorced some years ago, having had my own home at that time, and then having to live in an apartment, I recently opted to purchase my own home. You must weigh the pros and cons of your situation, particularly having children. I hated apt. living!!! You must consider that there will not be much room for your children to play. If they play outside, they will no doubt disturb other renters and consequently have complaints. No matter how good the apartment complex is built, it will always be noisy, no matter what. Being in this business, quiet is imperative and something I never found in an apartment. There is always someone or something to disturb you. You also have no privacy. I lived on a first floor apt. and someone was constantly walking past my bedroom window and patio doors. They cannot help but "peek" in and I hated that as well. I love bright sunshine and fresh air and refused to keep my blinds pulled. I did not feel that I should have to. Also, being a nonsmoker, I found it difficult to deal with those that did, what with their left over smoke drifting into my apt. on a constant day/night basis. I had a "nice" apt. with all the appliances, including washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc, plus a garage. It was nice, but after being aggravated by the 3 in the morning parties going on every weekend and sometimes during the week, and the managers not doing their jobs of shoveling snow, salting walkways, or mowing the grass and picking up other peoples cigarette butts, I opted to buy my own condo. I went with a condo because they do take care of the outside. the inside is your responsibility. yes, you have to replace things if they break or repair them, but to me the cost is minimal compared to the aggravation of living in an apartment. a down payment helps your bottom line, and of course, there are the closing costs, but you also have to consider that you get to deduct your property taxes from you 1040 at the end of the year. Each option has its pros and cons, but with children, i would definately opt for purchase rather than rent. but that's just me. these are just some things to think about. good luck.
Home buying grants.
Anyone know of some programs to apply for first time home buying grants?  :-)
Not buying any more doggie medicine
where she gets the medicine it is twice what I can get here in my town. i asked my veterinarian and ordered it one time for them (and paid that time) but have not paid since. I was asking hubs about picking it up and sending it as I doubt very seriously my veterinarian office would mail to her out of town. Guess I will not do that now- not trying to enable as she would pay for it.
Who are you buying for, your kids or relatives? If you
know someone is going to return whatever then go with a gift card and let them get whatever they want themselves. But, whatever you give them they can do with what they wish. You have no control over that.
Go to Walmart. Remember, buying the SM
original toothbrush is one thing; every six months or so, you have to purchase the replacement brush for the device. Wonder how much that costs?
Anyone own a Volvo? Thinking about buying
a used one.  Are the tune ups and regular maintenance expensive on them?  Good and bad experiences are welcomed.  Thanks.
I've looked into buying them just to have
on-hand just in case, but there are sooooo many different kinds that I didn't even really know what to look for...
Totally ridiculous, now everyone should stop buying it.......
don't ya think? But they won't. Never believed in it anyway. The real SECRET is those people are getting mega-rich!
I'm buying mine concer tickets! nm
nm
What about buying a bottle of 'Liquid Paper 2-in1" -sm
(which is a cool little combination wide brush or pinpoint correction fluid applicator, depending on which cap you take off), then paint the letters back on the keyboard? Then, once the Liquid Paper has dried, paint over it with clear nail polish to protect it from getting worn off.

(Or, like the poster below, if you REALLY want to confuse people, you could always paint the wrong letters on the wrong keys!)
;D
I was not out buying designer clothes or stuff for myself - sm
in my case it was "we", mainly him, spent way more than we make. Everytime one of his cards got a large balance (he never looked at the statements and I pay the bills) I would tranfer it over to one of my cards, which again he never looked at, and I had a P.O. Box for--so in my case it was very, very easy to do, and with paperless statements today even easier. We had a lot of things happen in our life over the past 4 years which made the money/credit card issue much worse, easily added $40K onto it (at $89K now)--family death, serious child illness--still dealing with that some--, job loss on my part, private school tuition ($12K a year---no longer go there for the last 2 years), inability to pay bills and heavily borrowed on cards----d-u-m-b I know. So don't be so quick to judge, it is not always so black and white. Yes I did get a few things I should not have, but I know during some of this time I was depressed though not horribly so but enough so as to buy a few things I never should have, but for 95% of it it was my DH never denying himself anything (though he would have if he'd known, and now he is --granted not too happy about it---one tiny concession he has made is only 9 beers a day, down from 12, so maybe he can get 3 days out of a case of beer instead of 2.) So my days of robbing Peter to pay Paul are over. We plan to have an open book when it comes to finances once his are paid off, and mine are enrolled with a debt management plan--- then only use his cards for gas, and work stuff basically--I won't have any as they will all get destroyed and cancelled in the DMP, and will use my debit card for everything --which I do now anyway, so it won't be a huge change for me. I don't think she is lamenting, just realizing what a horrid mess she has to deal with, it is hard, and I have to deal with my DHs comments for years to come, he did a few zingers last night. I will be okay though and have to pay the piper, it is worth it not having to go through a nasty divorce and custody fight as I know it would not have been pretty.
my boyfriend (who is buying the car) wants me to get a Honda - I want a convertible! nm
x
Vote please on clothes buying scenario for kids...sm

Scenario:   15-year-old finished growing 2 years ago, stable sizes.  8-year-old growing like a weed, can't wear anything from last winter. 


It's getting cool now in my state and I need to get the 8-year-old some long sleeved shirts for school.  The 15-year-old thinks they should also get the same amount of money to spend on clothes - even though they have plenty to wear in their closet and state they have nothing in particular they want and make money doing neighborhood chores as well as chores around the house.  Also before school began both kids were given $100 to buy their school supplies and clothes. The 8-year-old spent the clothing portion on pants and new sneakers, the teenager spent it on various clothing items.   


Would you:


1.  Do it even though they don't need it because it wouldn't be fair to spend more money on one child than another. 


2.  Tell them that you're only getting the younger child clothes because they have no long sleeved shirts that fit, whereas the teenager does, and that they are welcome to spend their own money on extra clothes they want. 


Which way do you vote? 


Buying new living room furniture this weekend...
Can't wait!! :)
Happy Watching! I'm buying the whole series for myself as a Christmas gift.

I just got back from buying a sympathy card for my brother's MIL, glad I did now. nm
x
When I realized while dating what lousy taste he had, I started buying my own gifts. Been doing it
s
Questions

I have breastfed and am currently breast feeding and would like to ask you


If you were on the air plan which would you prefer the mother breastfeeding her child to comfort and keep him/her quiet in this cramped uncomfortable environment or to listen to this child scream bloody murder making your trip totally unbearable???? 


Some thoughts:


Children that young dont know how to clear their ears when changing altitudes and it easier to either have them sleeping or sucking.


Also some young children that are breastfed refuse bottles completely.


Older babies do not like to have their faces covered while eating they want to see their mommy and surroundings.


Personally:


I am the mother of a ten month old that will be flying (on a long flight) for the first time next month.  I plan on breastfeeding him if needed and if I do need to I will have my older daughter there to hold a small blanket up as a sort of shielding wall. I am more than ready to be done breastfeeding and am working very hard to get him there as well but because his schedule doesnt agree with mine I dont think that I should be barred from traveling on a plane and I think the other passengers on the plane would prefer I comfort my child to the best of my ability so that they can try and enjoy their trip as well.


The sucky part about is I will be on the mentioned airlines soooooo may be my son wont get to meet his grandparent for the first time because my child comes first always!!!!  Take care everyone and enjoy your holidays I am climbing off my soap box now


you need to ask yourself 2 questions sm
1. Can the bridesmaids comfortably wear a strapless dress (not everybody can)?
2. Do the shoulders need to be covered if the wedding is in a church?

I'd choose number 2.
Two questions

Has she been anywhere that she could have come in contact with bedbugs? (stayed at a motel, slept over at a friend's house)


Is it possible she has been in contact with poison ivy?


We went through a similar problem with my husband a while ago. He has to travel sometimes for his job, and several years ago he picked up some bedbugs from a hotel.


Since then, we have moved to a new house and he got a new bed. When he started itching again we were concerned it was bedbugs, but the rash was similar to how you describe your daughter's rash, and we finally figured out he had probably gotten into some poison ivy in our back yard.


Good luck - I hope you figure out the cause (and cure) soon.


questions

1.You'll never see me watch___? reality TV



 


2.You'll never see me wear___? a designer dress



 


3.You'll never see me eat___?  chocolate covered ants



 


4.You'll never see me buy___? any male enhancement products



 


5.You'll never see me clean___? at all, unless I'm getting company!



 


6.You'll never see me kiss___?  Jack Black, ewwww



 


7.You'll never see me talking___? about wanting to work outside my home


questions
I think a lot depends on your specific circumstances. I got an apartment because he refused to move out. I had planned it for months. Legally though if you leave and the house is in both your names, that's not good because he'll get the house.

As far as the kids, so much depends on their ages but you'd be surprised how much they already intuitively know. Just be honest with them and make sure they know they are loved by both of you, and that none of this is their fault. Give them as much stability as possible and once they see you are happier, their lives will be too.
There are a lot of questions here,
1 being the fact that this "nanny" was supposed to be with the 16-year-old. The police said they are sticking with their story, the Travolta camp saying differently. Supposedly this child had two (2) nannies that were supposed to be with him at all times. If a cover up, it has a lot to do with it.
Some questions sm
Boy this is a tough situation. My first thoughts are to ask you if you feel he has been a good husband. In other words, if this DID happen 17 years ago, perhaps he has changed his ways and become a better partner. However, you indicate you think he's lying to you so I'm wondering if you have trust issues even today. You really need to sit down and have a long heart to heart with hubs and clear this up because it's not easy to throw away 17 years of a marriage and children together.
Well, more questions then
If this only happens once a month, or approximately every 28 days....

How long has it been going on?

Is she gaining weight?

Is there a boyfriend in her past or present?

I've had friends who got pregnant at 14. It happens. And nobody had a clue that anything was going on.
LOST, also Project Runway, Grey's Anatomy, various HGTV home buying/selling shows
x
Christmas questions

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?  - Hot Chocolate
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?  Mom wraps, Santa stuffs stockings.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored inside, white outside
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up?  When I have time.  Usually get the tree the first weekend in December.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Turkey
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:  Spending Christmas with my mom's parents who lived 2 hours away and then coming home and seeing my dad's parents who lived right down the street.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? My cousin informed me in elementary school and took great pleasure in crushing me. 
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I always wanted to, but wasn't allowed, so now my kids each get to open one on Christmas Eve, and my oldest is in college and still likes to do this.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? colored lights, all the oraments I have gotten my kids over the years plus the ones they have made in school since they were little, star on the top.  Probably nothing Martha Stewart would approve of - LOL.
11. Snow: Love it or Dread it? Used to love it, now dread it, but don't know why exactly.
12. Can you ice skate?  Yes.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Bionic Woman doll
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with my family and Christmas Even services at church and singing all those great hymns.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? pumpkin pie
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas eve candlelight service
17. What tops your tree? star
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Love to give and see the look on my kids' faces when they open their gifts.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night
20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?  Yum


Christmas questions sm

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog (loaded).
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap them all.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Weekend after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Baked ham.


7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Going sledding in Garmisch, Germany.  The adults went skiing.  Lived in Germany 10 years as a kid, and every Christmas was great there.  Very festive place during the holiday season. 
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 9 years old, my younger brother found all the gifts in the closet  - I was devastated. 
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Leave that to my daughter and grandson.
11. Snow: Love it or Dread it? I like to look at it, but dread driving in it.   We have enough here in Colorado to share with everybody. 
12. Can you ice skate? I would be afraid to try it now. 
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My first Shaded Silver Chinchilla persian kitten.  He lived to be 20 and I am now on my second one.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Giving.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Irish Christmas pudding with hot Bird's custard. 
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Baking Christmas goodies, watching Home Alone, and homemade Eggnog.
17. What tops your tree? Star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Jingle Bell Rock
20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum.


Sorry if I ask the obvious questions, but ...
Are you providing scratching posts loaded with catnip, fun toys, that kind of thing? I have had maybe a dozen cats over the years, none of them declawed, and none ever touched any of my furniture (some of it leather to boot)because I started them when they were young with taking them to the claw posts, praising them there, providing toys, etc. Give it a try before you declaw, please!!! Good luck.
thanks for all the answers to my questions--sm
I appreciate the input, even though it saddens me that this would even happen anywhere in the USA!
Common questions that men ask

Questions that I've been commonly asked in the "dating world" since I'm single.


"Why arent you married"


"Do you want kids?"


"Why hasn't someone snatched you up"


"Do you date?"


or when the guy states...


"I'm a really nice guy"


"I'm a great catch"


"I've always been too busy to meet someone special until now"


Another thing..for some reason, I find divorced men who have kids living with their mother to be a turn off.
I feel that they made their families and now they are dating while the brunt of child care is now on their ex wife.
Maybe it's ignorant of me, I don't know. I really admire men who LIVE with their children or I'd prefer to date men who didnt have children at all.


I guess the purpose of this post is mostly a rant..anyone identify with any of this?


I have the same questions except it's a second marriage? SM

A friend of mine is getting married for the second time.  The first time around it was a huge, and I mean HUGE, affair with an engagement party, bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, huge Catholic wedding with a huge reception with food and free booze, etc.  They registered at Macy's and expected everyone to get their presents from there.  There China was over $100 for a place setting!


The couple divorced and now she is getting married again and has sent out invitations to all the festivities.  She's planning another huge wedding and she has registered again at Macy's!  Now, personally I feel this is just wrong.  I think a small tasteful wedding is in order for the second go round and I don't think it is at all necessary to register anywhere for the second wedding.  How much China can one person use?  I mean, she got almost everything in her divorce!


I'm sort of a down to earth, pratical kind of person so Wal-Mart dishes are fine with me, so I guess maybe I'm not the best person to understand wedding traditions and etiquette, but do I really need to go to Macy's and get another expensive wedding gift?


Lots of questions

1. How old is the first house? The one with the sewing room and the carpet coming up?


2. How many sq ft is the second house - the newer one?


3. Have the rest of the houses in your neighborhood appreciated 66% in the last five years?  (from $75,000 to $125,000)


Your husband has a good idea about putting the money in savings for six months to make sure you can afford to pay a mortgage that is twice what you are paying now. And after six months, you will have $1800 more to put down on the house.


This is strictly personal experience - but last summer we moved from a 25-year-old house to a brand new one. We lived in the 25yo house for 12 years, and the money we spent remodeling and updating (+ original price) it would have bought us a brand new house of the same size. So I would say go for the newer house if it comes to a choice. Older houses can be a LOT of work.


OTOH, you say your husband likes woodworking. If you're willing to live in a house that is in a perpetual state of remodeling...go for it!


Some important questions
Are there people around who can look in on the grandparents and get back with you? If I were unable to get in touch with grandparents, aunts, siblings or the like and had always been able to, I would contact the police to get them to intervene. I would think they could check up just to ease your mind and make sure they are ok. Oh, by the way, you might text or leave message on cousins phones since you are unable to hear from them this is your plan-- It is surprising how putting this out there will get the attention you are wanting. I just recently got some wonderful results from a person not responding to my emails, realtor to be exact- told him what I planned on doing, no need for him to reply, 4th email and that afternoon a phone call and an email. Works wonders!