Banks

OK, we're remodeling our kitchen. That entails money. I need to move money from our savings account to our checking account. I write myself a check. I go to the local branch to deposit said check. They tell me that the funds will not be available for 15 days! A few days I can understand, but in 15 days, I could walk the check to the bank it was written on in San Antonio, and bring back the confirmation of funds available. I think that it's because I wrote a check to myself. Today, I take a check from my brokerage account, a bank, and those funds are put on hold for another 15 days. Now, we have the time before we need the money available, but my bank won't accept a check from another bank? Ugh.