Does it always take 6 months to purchase a house?

Anyone who tells me the housing market is down: I point you to Arvest bank, who is so BOOMING with the mortgage business, that they must take a month to get an appraisal in and another 2 weeks after everyone else is ready to get themselves prepared to close.

Also, I forgot to mention jewelry in my last entry on what things I didn't pack because I was only going to be at my parents house a couple of weeks.  Pretty sure I'm going to be getting my ears re-pierced soon.  Also: no form of hair curling/straightening.  It's a pony tail or frizzy.  Those are the options.

So, found out on Friday after work that the judge signed off (yaaay!)  So we're ready to close on Tuesday!  YAAAAY! 

Then today I found out the bank, who I thought had finished everything, and what else do they need? are not able to close until the 29th.  My lock in agreement expires the 28th, which they reminded me  would expire then when I said  last week "well... I'm waiting for a judge, we don't know how long he's going to take, and I can't really call the court house and hurry him up, now can i?"  I responded "remember how the appraisal took a month?  well, that set us back, so I hope you'll honor our agreement as it was your apprasier who delayed us."  Good news: since THEY can't close until the 29th, they'll extend the agreement, with the appropriate paperwork.  Bad news: WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO THAT HAVE TO DO UNTIL THE 29TH?

It's going to be AWESOME moving into a house at Hoedown time.  Just great.  I might be in by mid November!  MAYBE, BUT I'M NOT GETTING MY HOPES UP.