Getting an exchange date

[Walkermiss]

Asking for advice please. Almost 15 weeks in since our property got an offer. We're third in a chain. However, we were originally told by our buyer that he was selling to a first time buyer, so a chain of 2. This is why we accepted the offer (we had two more and is appeared to be the shortest chain). We found out yesterday this is not the case and there is one more buyer at the start of the chain who is the ftb! We were mislead here! We understood that all searches and enquiries are back and ok. We have now missed our third exchange date due to "one more question to be answered" by the ftb's solicitor. To add to the stress, the seller of the house we're buying is getting anxious as everything is in place for exchange. Our solicitor has been great so far and she's been pushing for dates for nearly two weeks. We spoke to our buyer yesterday and insisted that an exchange date takes place next week, if not, we will lose our new home. Any words of wisdom on what to do next. Thank you.

No advice really but can identify. I'm at seven months, with the ftb at the bottom still being an arse about every minor thing. Chain of 5. Solicitor and EA agree it's been the worst chain they've had in ages. I lost the house I wanted to buy last week when they understandably got fed up of waiting and relisted.

Should add - no real reason for the delay. I've lost the house I wanted. Another person in the chain had their mortgage offer expire. Huge unnecessary stress for lots of people because one person is dragging their feet.

Pedantry perhaps, but weren't you always a chain of three...the FTB, your buyer, you? Now you seem to be a chain of four and it (annoyingly) just all takes time.

This happened to us last year.

Told our buyer was sold and in temporary accommodation so we went with them at the advice of our EA.
Various exchange dates came and went until it came to light that our buyer had not in actual fact even exchanged on their sale (EA told outright lies)! I wanted to drop the buyer but again the EA convinced us to stick with them. We got to a stage where we thought it was going to happen when it turned out that their solicitor could not deal with their mortgage company (not unknown apparently) so they had to instruct another solicitor!
Needless to say that after lots of delays it did eventually happen but I just wish we had gone with our gut feeling and dropped the buyer when we first wanted to.