A Week of Stress and Turmoil!

Many of you know the old adage that anything that can go wrong, will.  You may have also heard that if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.  This week tested many things.  My husband said it best:  I know now that my heart is strong for I didn't have a heart attack.  I know that my brain is strong because I didn't have a stroke.  I also know my mind is strong as I didn't go postal and kill anyone.

You may think I am being a bit melodramatic, but I am not.

Our closing was scheduled for Wednesday. We had planned to move out of the house on Tuesday, spend Tuesday and Wednesday in a hotel and move into our new home on Thursday.
Tuesday began and we still didn't have a set time for our closing.  The movers came and at noon as they were finishing up our agent called to say that no one was answering her phone calls.  The buyers agent, the bank or the lawyer.  She also spoke to the buyers agent the night before and in broken English he convinced her that everything was alright.

At 5:30 we heard that our buyers loan was denied.  WTF?

So here we sat in a hotel room thinking what are we supposed to do?  The only positive was that the bank stated that they could get a loan if they put 3% down (they were trying to get 100% financing) and that they were quite able to afford it.  The only problem is that it could take another 3 days putting closing on Friday.

Everything seemed ok.  The only problem was that the buying agent was never available to talk.  We were left blind by all parties.  Our sellers were freaking out since they had moved to Maine.  We were freaking out because we were without furniture, power or water (at our old house) and we couldn't move into the new house until we closed on the old one.

Chris and I moped about on Wednesday. We scheduled another night in a hotel and planned the movers to come on Friday. We didn't do anything else so we just slept  and watched tv.   Per the buyers agent, when he felt we were worthy to know, all was moving forward.

On Thursday, my agent received an email from the buyers agent.  They felt because they would be required to spend more money down on the house, they wanted us to pay another $1000 in closing costs.  SERIOUSLY?  ARE YOU HIGH?  I am paying an extra night of hotel, kennel, storage and meals out and you want us to pay more?
My agent refused to answer the email.  She did finally get in touch with the bank who stated that things were sent to the lawyer.  She did mention the $1000 that the buyer asked for.  The lender said ABSOLUTELY NOT!  He was not going to write up another loan packet on this house.  This was taken off life supported and it was done!!!
We asked for an early signing.  We didn't want to deal with the buyers.  Their lawyer was an odd man.  He babbled on a bit but  he was nice enough.  He made mention that it was in a lawyer's right to "fire" a client.  He was known to raise rates or be too busy for certain agents and he felt this agent may be one that he won't have to work for again.
He also stated that if a bank was stupid enough to give these people a loan, they would be really dumb to walk away from the purchase.  
The closing on the old house was scheduled for 10am.  We could not move into our new house Friday until our new house signing which meant the movers would have to come another day, charging us more money for storage and a loading/unloading fee.  We were bleeding money.
We asked if we could move in early and we would "rent" our new house.  We thought we would just camp out until the movers came.
Our sellers came back by saying that if we wanted to move in early we would have to relinquish our contingency.  If our buyers bailed we lost $2000.  SERIOUSLY?!?!   Can no one cut us a break?
I was terrified.  I had no confidence that this would happen.

My gf and her husband offered a room to stay at their home.  Another friend offered to keep our 2 dogs at their home and we signed off on the contingency late in the evening to get into our home early.
We scheduled a dry closing for 8 am, around the time the movers would show up.  Our friend who watched our dogs, came to hang with the dogs and kids as the movers came and we headed to our closing.   Ours went smoothly and we were home in about an hour and a half.
We just had to wait.   And wait we did.  11am, as the movers left, our agent called to say that the buyers never showed up.   No one called.  No one notified the lawyer.  Nothing.
The lawyer had called up the agent about quarter to 11.   Our buyer's wife went into labor and delivered her baby early in the morning yet the agent didn't feel the need to communicate that with ANYONE.

So now I am sitting in a corner not wanting to do anything.

The lawyer told the agent, get the buyer in and have him sign.  The lawyer then would go to the hospital and have the wife sign.  He would then go back to the office, re-write the HUD, which had changed twice and then send it to our lawyer.  If he didn't make it in time, he would have to file on Monday.

At 4:31 he was able to make it to the court house and file the sale of our house.

I am now sick.  I am self diagnosing a sinus infection.   I was scheduled to volunteer for a 10k/5k run with my daughter this morning.  My alarm never went off and we ran out of the house without coffee for me.  I cheered those runners on.  Had lunch and then came home.  To Wake Forest.

It will be at least another 16 years before I am stupid enough to go through this again.

At a Loss

So the big move came.  We knew that there were issues.  Supposedly our buyers loan was taking a bit of time to come through.  The person in charge of their loan left and the new person was trying to get things put together in a very short period of time.
Our agent diligently called and emailed to get some idea of what was going on.   We scheduled our change of service, set the move date and off we went.

Yesterday, the movers came and cleared out our house.  When the house was at it's 90% we heard that there would be a 50/50 chance that the loan would NOT go through.  Well, it was denied.
Our house is back away, I am in a hotel and in several hours the power, etc will be shut off.

I cried, I curled up in my fetal position and just wondered "What do I do next?"

At 5:30pm we received a call saying that the buyers still have options (but what of ours?) and that if they can get them to agree to a few things, the loan "may" go through.

So now we wait.  If the contingent plan goes through, we can "rent" our new house, move in and keep moving forward.  If not, I have to move BACK into my old house and start over.   I so don't want to start over.

Please keep the positive thoughts headed this way.  I really, really need it.

Moving boxes and anxiety

We are one week away from our closing date.

Chris and I have been slowly transferring utilities and packing boxes.  We have been sending in the last few items for our mortgage and have scheduled the moving van, reserved a hotel room and reserved 2 spots at the puppy motel.  

Unfortunately, not all is moving smoothly.

Our buyers are having issues with finalizing their mortgage.  

We have had to re-sign for due diligence twice.  The buying agent states that all is fine and not to worry.  Unfortunately, we are.   I guess that due to "cultural issues", the bank is having a hard time verifying credit.  I don't like to hear this 1 week before closing.  It does not increase my confidence!!!  Supposedly, the person handling their loan left the bank within the last week.  A new loan officer is now on the job and he seems to be working at his own pace.  Meanwhile, our sellers are moved out and on their way to Pennsylvania.

As I am typing away I noticed a email alert.  My MORTGAGE IS FINALIZED!!!!   WOOOhOOOOO!!!     I have a mortgage for my new house!!!!!! Now all we have to do is get our buyers one!!!!

So….say a little prayer that our buyers mortgage goes through.  I would hate to be sitting in my old empty house with no power or water come next Tuesday night.  

Reminiscing nature and things….

This morning a twitter feed made me think of some of the good times and bad in our soon to be former home.  So I felt the need to share.
Some of the stories friends have heard a billion times and I apologies….

Chris and I built this home.  It was our first and by no means were we planning to be in it 16 years.  We were very lucky that the "seller" liked us.  She went on about the property that she had and how she thought the one next door didn't have a premium.  Because of her, we saved $5000.

Our property is definitely worth a premium.  It is butt up to a large common area that now holds the playground.  It was perfect for sitting on the deck and watching our kids play.  It was very close to the house so we could take the children there when they were very young.  It has also has been frequented by an array of neighborhood teens late at night.  My bedroom window opens to the playground.

I have spent time over the years catching neighborhood children practicing cheerleading, smoking pot, drinking and occasionally having sex at all hours of the night.   I have witnessed a girl hike to the back of the gazebo to cop a squat. One neighbor, committed suicide in the woods behind us (thank GOD, I didn't see that). You name it….

The back of our house has a large wooded area.  It is home to a lot of wildlife.  Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night to screaming fox?  My dogs have been sprayed by toads, bitten by copper heads, tormented by deer.  We listen to cicada, owls and a multitude of beautiful birds.

We did have an opossum that used to like to frequent our bird feeder that was placed on our back deck.  Our deck is about 10 feet off the ground and the ugly thing would eat the seed and drool all over our railing.  My husband finally in annoyance, asked a co-worker by the name of "Redneck" what to do.  Redneck stated that if you were to hit it with a broom it would play dead.  You could then pick it up by the tail and walk it back to the woods.  It would play dead for about 30 minutes and then wander away and never come back.
So one morning my husband saw the nasty thing at the bird feeder and attempted to scare it away.  He tried to spray it with water, yell at it and the thing just hissed.  So Chris grabs the broom and with my children at the window, marches out to try and get rid of it.
Chris felt extremely guilty in regards to hitting it, so instead he whacked the handrail.  The opossum sat straight up, went completely stiff and fell over…..14 feet off the rail to the yard below.
Chris and children were hysterically laughing by this time.  They ran to the rail to see the ugly beast lumber away into the woods never to be seen again.
Our neighborhood backs up to a farm that has cows, goats and horses.  Several occasions calves and cows have found themselves through the fence and wandering through the neighborhood.  One morning we woke to a calf on my neighbors front porch.
One night about 2am I heard one of the cows just mooing in distress.  As I dozed I noticed the mooing getting louder and louder and then quieter and quieter.  I thought in my confusion of sleep "I bet if I sat up I could see a cow!"  Well, I was on the mark because the next morning we woke up to cow patties on our neighbor's driveway!!
My last story….
I was coming home from work early one afternoon with both children.  As they went to the front of the house a truck came full throttle down the road.  It slammed on the breaks in front of the dead end near the farm.  A man jumped out of the truck, grabbed a rifle, and hopped the fence.  I yelled at my kids to get in the house, I grabbed my phone in preparation to call 911.
The man came back over the fence and asked if I had seen anybody go over the fence?  As I looked down the road I noticed several boys hop the fence and sneak back around a house.
Turns out that the bull was rutting and was not very nice.  The man basically told the boys "Now that bull would kill you and I would have to kill him.  Now he is a very pricey bull and although I would shoot him, I wouldn't be happy about it."  Ahhhh…country living!!!

Our home has been through ice storms, hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.  We have brought 2 babies home and raised them.  We have had 4 dogs and a multitude of neighbors.  Although I am ECSTATIC  to be leaving….I'll still be sad just the same.

Inspections and Repairs

We have been slowly plodding through the action of buying and selling.  Our latest endeavor is the process of having inspections performed.  Our current home's inspection went fairly well.   We had several items that required repairs but they were relatively minor.

The most difficult of the repairs entailed fixing dented gutters.  The gutters were damaged when a tree came down on our house.  Chris took on the repair prior to Irene coming to town.  The gutter outside our bedroom window tended to dump water in front of our window.  I had been complaining about it for some time and with the hurricane heading for a direct hit to North Carolina, it appeared to be the best time.

Although the actual gutter looks a bit worse for wear, it held up fantastically during the storms over the following days.   Chris continues to take care of the few issues and we now have to deal with the new house.
For the record, our current house is 16 years old.  It has been through SEVERAL hurricanes that had resulted in a few repairs over the years but Chris has always dealt with these things.  Chris also, being a HVAC tech, has maintained our major equipment throughout the years.

The house we are purchasing is 4 years old.  Although there were only 4 items requiring repairs, one has reared its head as a potential major problem.

It appears that there is a foundation issue causing water to drain under the house.  Structurally the house is sound but the potential for major foundation issues is a real issue.   Not a couple hundred dollar quick fix but a MAJOR problem.

We have asked for the sellers to repair professionally.  We have opted for a re-inspection and if it isn't performed correctly we will terminate the sale.

I could be homeless in less than a month.  Oy.

Buying and Selling

So.....
84 days and finally we have sold our house.  The couple who showed up on our doorstep have finalized the contract.  We have just received the inspection report and the fixes are fairly minor.  Unfortunately, now comes the difficult searching of homes for us.

If I haven't stated before, we have very tight criteria for buying a home.  We are moving my father in with us.  So we need a 4 bedroom with one bedroom on the first floor with a connecting bathroom.  We need an area that my father can call his own.
We wanted a neighborhood that had a pool.  We wanted a house that has flat property and few stairs to enter.  We hoped for a fenced yard for the dogs.  A house that has busing to my daughter's high school and better base schools for when my son enters middle school.

We went house hunting with our agent on a Sunday.  We had about 14 homes to view.  Some houses had a first floor master others a "guest" suite.  Some were in established neighborhoods, some near friends.

Lord.  You can never trust what you see or read online.  Some houses were dumps.  Some were in horrid locations.  Some the property itself was a nightmare.  Examples:  One house was located literally on an expressway.  Yeah, no.
One, the floors were like a fun house.  Another home had a driveway that appeared to be at a 90 degree angle.
My husband and I picked out our top 3.  2 were in the same neighborhood in Wake Forest, the other in an established neighborhood in Raleigh.  We left with our heads spinning!

I went back with our children and my father to check out our 3 favorites.  Our number 1 was still number 1 and my dad and kids agreed!!!
We let our agent put in the initial offer.

The response was not good.   "We are not dropping the house any more and will consider renting the house out if we don't get our asking."

Really?  I just dumped my house and you are going to be this way?

We counter offered again, receiving less than stellar response.
As I sat on the beach, visiting my college roommate, my husband and I decided to give one final offer and if they didn't take it, walk away.
I was angry and a bit depressed over the whole experience.  I was frustrated with the loan process and I just wanted something to go MY WAY!
We finally received the call that said our offer was accepted.  We were able to drop the price 2K and get 5K in closing.  
The house is move-in ready and really lovely.  They have done a lot with the yard, which is fenced in, and it's in a large growing neighborhood.
Dad has his space and we have ours.   I will be stuffed in a small bedroom for the time being but that's ok. My daughter doesn't have neighborhood bussing but I will deal. My son will be in a great school district when the time comes.  Things are definitely moving in a better direction than before.

Wow.  I'm moving!

Happiness, Sadness and Everything in Between

84 days.

That is the time my house has been on the market.

On Saturday, a hispanic couple showed up at my front door.  The woman was pregnant and asked most of the questions.  She introduced herself as someone who had viewed my house *warning*.
She stated her agent wanted her to ask a few questions about the house *warning*.

Woman: We heard you were dropping your price, is that true?

Me: Uh….no.
W: Oh, I have the house confused.  Ignore that I said that.
M: Uh…o.k?
W: Do you pay a lot in electric?  We don't want to pay a lot in electric.
M: I'm on an EPP.  I pay the same amount every month.
W: Do you pay $200?  We don't want to pay $200.
M: I don't pay $200.  But it's equal payments….they average it out.  I don't think we pay that much.
W: Will you pay closing costs?
M: Um…that's what negotiations are for.  Our agents should be dealing with this.
W: Will you make any repairs to the house?
M: That's something we need to negotiate with the agents.
W: Will you leave the refrigerator?
M: That's part of the negotiations.
She then spoke to her husband in spanish and they left.  I immediately called my agent. *DANGER WILL ROBINSON*
What we have determined is the woman is the most fluent in English.  This includes the agent!

The offer came as such:
Drop the price $5K and pay 3K in closing.
No Due Deligence
$499 for a home warranty.
Counter:  Price dropped 3K and pay 3K
Due Diligence of $250 and 350 for Home warranty
2nd offer:
Drop 5K and pay 2K closing.  Due diligence and home warranty as we asked.
Counter : drop 5, pay 1 due diligence and NO HOME WARRANTY
This was accepted with us making any home repairs as found NECESSARY and within reason by a licensed home inspector.

PHEW!
Papers  are signed.  YAY!

I had mixed emotions.  I have been in my house 16 years.  Both children were born here.  It's a bittersweet feeling.
Panic ensued….Am I going to be able to afford what I want and most importantly NEED?  Oh yeah…BTW: Closing is scheduled for September 27!!!!!!!!

To get prequalified I need papers.  I need 2009 and 2010 tax returns.   I found tax returns from 1994 to 2009.  Hello? Where are my 2010 returns?  My fear is that they are PACKED IN THE POD!!!  Remember that thing?

Lord help me.

I still need prayers lifted up for me.  I REALLY appreciate all of your support!

Holy Sh*t.  I sold my house!

Chickens and Playgounds

The price was dropped about 2 weeks ago.  We have had about 4 showings in this time and limited feedback.  The feedback we did receive was very positive but at this point, no offers.
Our neighborhood FINALLY placed the second playset on the playground and tomorrow, more pictures will be taken and updated.

The new set is a HUGE monstrosity but it is already in use and the children are enjoying it.

Neighbors of ours decided to get chickens.   They have unfortunately allowed them to wander around the neighborhood which is against our covenants.  I like the girls but I agree they shouldn't be wandering free especially when I'm trying to sell my house.  My daughter has made friends with them and took their pictures.

Keep us in your thoughts.  ;)

Stress and Control

As I age, I become more aware of my need for control.  Selling a home is not conducive to control.  Just FYI.

My father had another medical blip that snow-balled into more issues and our need to sell is becoming more necessary.  

Our realtor has pressed us to drop our price.  I have dug my heels in for a while thinking our neighborhood would finish the playground, giving another plus for home buyers.  I should learn that I should never depend on others for things that I want/need.  I either do it myself or not get things done to my (most likely) high standards.

Last Monday we dropped our price.  I must emphasize, not by much.  Just  enough to fall into the next lower purchasing level.  It's all numbers and since there were no home viewings in our price range, we must drop it to the next active level.

I have found several homes (online) that I would like to view but again….fear keeps me from viewing.  I don't want the disappointment of not being able to have a house because we couldn't sell ours or we lose it to another buyer.  

We had our first viewing yesterday at this price range.  While I was at work, my husband cleaned, which was fabulous!    Unfortunately it was not to my too high standard.  Poor man!  ;)

Diets and Selling

It has been a slow few weeks.  I am still resistant to dropping the price now that some new accouterments are being added about and around.  

This past week, Chris and I joined "The Biggest Loser" competition at work.  Hunger and selling is not necessarily a winning combination.   Just FYI.

On Wednesday I received a call from Central Showing that we had a scheduled view.  This is the first in the last month.  The schedule wasn't until 7:30 so I felt comfortable dealing with it when I got home.

Of course, as I opened the door, I began to channel Stalin, screaming orders to the children!!!  You! Put your bag away! You, to the shower!  BOTH OF YOU, PICK UP YOUR STUFF!!!!!!

I cleaned as if my life depended on it.

Soon the bathrooms shown, the floors(except for the kitchen) were clean, and the house was close to viewing ready.   Chris came home to me in full mode and he had little protection from my barking of orders.
His job was to mop the kitchen floor.   "But I just walked in the door?"   FLAMES SPOUT FROM MY EYES!!!!


We finally left to hit Larry's Oyster Bar for a well deserved dinner and beer.  For the record:  Oysters are very low in calories.  Condiments, beer and hush puppies are not.   But I truly believe that I burned off the calories in a cleaning frenzy.


When we returned home we spoke to our neighbors.  They said the couple spent a good amount of time looking at the front of the house and out the back.   They were around the same age as our neighbors and since we specifically asked them to have their 3 year old twin boys out playing, we hoped that would help.
Thursday night I went with friends to a Thursday night Live.  The Embers, famous for Carolina Girls, were playing.  I spent a good amount of time looking for emails.

We finally received an email with our feedback form.  EVERYTHING was good.  But the buyers weren't planning on buying because they didn't like our finished garage and didn't want to spend the money to re-convert it.
Hello?  We stated we would re-convert if needed!!!   Our realtor immediately was in a email/phone session with the buyer agent.  
Unfortunately,  they bid on another house……

It still is positive for us.   As for the biggest loser.  Chris lost 10 pounds this week.   Me, 1.5.   Keep em coming…..

Tension and Turmoil!

I have not been overly concerned that my house has not shown this week.  The children are home for the week, alone, and they are not necessarily maintaining Mommy's standard of clean.  So I have been less than worried....


....until now.

I have not really been house hunting.  I have a couple homes I have been looking at online and as they come and go, I just keep my eyes open. 

Several of my friends have been gently pushing me (ok, demanding) to purchase a house in their neighborhood.  They keep sending me links to houses and saying "Come on, Karen, you want to live here!  We can hang at the pool!!  etc. etc. etc.

My friend Carol has been the ring leader and sends me some inappropriately expensive homes.   Especially one.  It started $25,000 over my budget.  She kept saying "But it's worth so much MORE!!!"
I did appease her and actually put it in my "possibilities" folder. 

The price has slowly dropped.....

It is now $5,000 over budget.... 

It's huge!

In a FABULOUS neighborhood!!!

Excellent SCHOOL DISTRICT!!!

WITH A FIRST FLOOR BEDROOM FOR DAD!!!!!

Oh God, what is a girl to do?   *sigh*

Fixes and Finishes

Chris finally installed our new sliding glass door!   One more thing dinged off the list.   He also burned the stump a bit further down into the ground!!

Here are the men being men.  Enjoying our redneck stump removal.  

Watkins keeps watch for lizards and squirrels.  

The house has not been viewed since our active week.  I'm hoping it wasn't just realtors snooping about. I will have them come out to take more pictures since the door is now installed and the playground is in the process of its update.  Unfortunately, all the money we have put into updates and paint will pretty much be a loss for us as our realtor is convinced we need to drop.  I hate to say that all realtors are in cahoots with each other, especially when I have friends in the business.   They will still make their money and I will lose mine.  

I'll stop my rant now….   

And the heat is on!

Our house has now been on the market for 2 weeks.  After our "viewing" on Friday we waited patiently for feedback which to the dismay of our realtor (and myself) resulted in nothing. 
On Tuesday, a call came in that we would have a "preview".  Supposedly, a realtor would check out the house for a client who was either too busy or out of town and then decided whether it was worth showing the client.  I ran home at lunch and did a super vacuum and mop job.
His feedback wasn't very positive.  Dumb-ass.  LOL!   Actually, nothing surprised me considering we are still working on getting the house ready. 
Tuesday I returned home to a message on the machine saying we had another viewing.  3 in a week!!  SaWeet!  No feed back from view #3 (is that good or bad?) as of this moment.

I did receive a phone call at 11am to say that we had another viewing today.  I'm hoping that with the holiday weekend we will have LOTS of interested buyers and HOPEFULLY good feedback!

This weekend, the painting continues and our new back door gets installed!!!   We also have to replace the doorbell, as it has cracked yet again.    I'm feeling somewhat better about all that is happening.  My sleep pattern has definitely improved!

Saint Jo keep our viewings rolling!  We really are happy with your results thus far!

Insomnia and Our First Viewing!

Through my adulthood I have been plagued with intermittent insomnia.   It rears it's ugly head in times of stress.  I find myself waking up at some hour between 1-4am and then proceed to stare at the ceiling and worry about something that I have no control over at that ungodly hour.

Money has always been my go to worry.  I toss, turn and usually end up doing online banking or reading or what not….I fall asleep a short time before my alarm goes off and then I'm off.   It usually lasts a night or two and then I find myself back into my sleep routine.

Until now….

I have spent the last several weeks tossing and turning.  I will struggle with sleep for several days and then get a decent night in to start the process all over again.  The house, my father's health, money, the end of the school year, work all have been seeping into my nocturnal hours.  

I tried Melatonin for the first time this week and had 2 non-sequential, restful nights.  I am fearful to take meds if I can't go to sleep early enough and with the children having evening activities and such, I have had several late nights.   

After a fairly stressful week which included working 6 days straight and several activities in the evening I came home Friday spent.   I had an evening scheduled to play Bunco with the girls but I just could not muster the energy to go.  

My girlfriends prodded and texted me to PLEASE show up but I begged them off.  I lazed on the bed willing myself to sleep but I appeared just too DAMNED exhausted to pull it off.  

At 7:40pm the phone rang.  Chris looked at me.  "Central showing?" he read from the caller ID.   ANSWER IT!!!!!

Could we have a viewing from 8:15-9:15?  Sure.  

Chaos then ensued…..throwing things together.  Shutting drawers.  Leashing dogs and straightening up the house that seemed to fall apart in the 3 hours after I walked in the door.

I looked a dream in my sweatpants and t-shirt.  We hit Starbucks (not for me) and wandered through Petco with the dogs before heading back in the neighborhood to peek.

What do we see?  A sheriff's deputy parked on a street in the front of the neighborhood.   Nice.  I'm sure our potential buyer found that a positive attribute to the neighborhood.  We drove about for 20 more minutes until we assumed the PB's (potential buyers) were long gone.   

Our neighbors spoke to someone checking out the house.  They appeared interested and were looking forward to peaking at the house.   No information has been forwarded to us.

I finally fell into bed about 10pm.  I woke at 3:45 but was able to manage to get myself back to sleep.

Today I have painted and cleaned and Chris caulked the shit out of the bathroom.  Oh yeah….the cartridge came in the mail yesterday so our shower is fixed too.    :)

Hurry up and wait.

One week has past since our house has gone on the market.  There have been no phone calls, no viewings, no potential buyers. 

Yet, I clean and straighten and fix and clean.....  

Our leaky shower continued to drip, drip, drip....like a Chinese water torture.  I was about to lose my mind when a patient recommended taking a fitting to temporarily plug the shower.  We now are a one shower family.  Silence is golden. 

The realtor stopped by yesterday to check on things.  She was happy with what we have done but still had one or two things for us to work on.  Those things were already on the list but whatever....

The weather has been wet, school is about to be out for the summer.  People are busy.  I hope that is why they don't want to stop in.....

The Sign Goes Up!

Over the last week, we have been in full tilt, preparation mode.  We emptied our closets, rid ourselves of excess furniture.  We covered nail holes and spot painted.  I cleaned and re-cleaned.  
Tuesday, my Northern husband, did the ultimate redneck stump removal technique and lit the stump on fire.  The fire pit was visited and enjoyed by several neighbors and burned well into the next morning.  Now our stump is  a burned out stump, at ground level, but not quite deep enough to be made into a planter.  One or two more times should do the trick, or so I have been told.
Wednesday, I came home to a Pod-less yard.  Chris went into full weed maintenance mode and mowed and weed-eated, so the yard, although not really grass, is still presentable enough for any people taking a view.
After yet another frantic evening of the never ending cleaning, Thursday, Amber the photo lady, showed up at 2:50pm and started snapping pictures and measuring rooms.  
As she was leaving she placed the key-box on the door and said that she would put the sign up in the yard!   10 minutes later the doorbell rang and Amber stated, "I can't get the sign in the yard!"   Oh, the cement we live on.  Did I mention we don't have grass?  After 3 days of rain we can't put a sign into the hardened rock we call our yard.
No worries, Amber!  Chris will fix it up when he gets home.  As she drove into the overcast horizon, I dug the hammer and screw driver out of the CLEAN garage and started pounding holes into the ground.  GOD ALMIGHTY, I WILL GET THAT SIGN INTO THE GROUND!!!!!   
I did finally get the sign to at least stand slightly upright and when Chris arrived home he was able to finish it properly.  And here it stands!

Knowing very well that Saint Joseph would not be able to be put into the ground near the sign….I wasn't digging THAT hole, I placed him under a bush near the house, head down, face out.  I recited my little prayer and hoped that my heathen self would not be ignored.   
Chris is convinced a non-neighbor slowed down in front of the house to SEE!  I think he's high.  I mean, we live in a neighborhood with only one way in and out.  No one wanders aimlessly through.  
Chris and I came up with a pretty reasonable way to keep the dogs cordoned out of the main house but still are able to go outside.   AND, after cleaning, yet again, we left the house this morning and waited.
BTW: We did have the house put on the market for a bit more than we originally planned.  I don't think our realtor is happy about that but it's easier to drop the price than to raise it.
At 3:30pm I checked the MLS.  YAY!!!  It's there!  The pictures look good and I am an official seller.  
So…..do you want to buy a house?

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Well, we are in the last week of prep work before the house goes on the market.  The closets are purged, the bathrooms are scrubbed and the walls are prepped for a coat of paint.  

Chris and I had second thoughts over the price.  We made the bold move to increase our asking price.  You can always drop the price but you will never be able to ask for more after its been on the market.  I don't know if our realtor is happy about this but with that being said….the worst that can happen is that we drop it later.  

My mother-in-law is here to help a bit which adds to a little of my stress.  She fixates on things like painting a temporary step and yet thinks we shouldn't worry about the fat that the walls are dinged in my bedroom and could use a coat of paint.  

She walked in and went off on me over a curtain we hung to cover our laundry area.  Yet the monster stains on my carpet are trivial.

I assisted my husband in the last bit of power washing that needed to be done to our deck.   It felt good to get my aggression out on the grime.

My Mother's Day has been spent cleaning and reading.  Yelling at my daughter to "PLEASE CLEAN YOUR ROOM!"

The pod should leave in a day or two.  Friday the pictures are taken and Monday a sign goes up.  Fingers crossed that I don't lose my mind before that day happens.  

It's a Brand New Day.

After several days to absorb, I am putting things into perspective.  I have searched for the silver lining, a hard task to do when you are overwhelmed, and have considered that my gain will be to find a house that may never have been in my price range in the past.   Those sellers are possibly in the same boat as me.

Chris has been hard at work keeping positive and making a plan.   He has started getting things together and made a tentative schedule.  He tends to go into projects like the white tornado and I in turn tell him to stop and wait and reconsider.  Have I ever mentioned the computer/doorstop story?

I have had an incredibly busy week at work and put in my 6th day to come home to this….

The children think it's cool.  "Did you go and stand in it, Mommy?" was my 10 year old's statement.

So my job today is to start the unloading of the house in preparation for staging.  

Saint Joseph still sits on my dresser.  I am still considering where to put him.   The sign shows up on May 13th.  Friday, May 13th.  I'm hoping my luck turns around…..

The Big Disappointment

Today I met with a realtor.  She was very personable, informative and realistic.  She also made me so depressed I can't stand it.

I knew the market was bad and I knew that I would have to give my house away to an extent.  I didn't realize that I would have to pay to get rid of it.

Yes, I will have to bring a bit of money to the table.  I am basically only going to get what I paid for my house 16 years ago.  It has not made any money.  None. Zip.  Zero.   Oh, yeah….and I have money that I still have to drop into the house to actually get it ready to sell.

I have never felt so depressed in my life.   I have been close to tears for the last 2 hours.  Yet, I still have to sell my house.   Oh yeah, and buy a house.   You know that retirement I've been saving for….  *sigh*

Superstitions and Miracles.

In my youth, I recall several times when my parents sold homes and moved.  The most vivid one included a young 12 year old me being shipped off to camp for 9 weeks over the summer.  It would not be an easy task to keep a house clean with a pre-pubescent, bored child in the house.  Those 9 weeks at Harand Theatre Camp in Elkhart Lake, WI, were good weeks and I still have a friend that I am lucky to be in touch with via Facebook.

One of the things I learned from my Jewish mother (this being said slightly tongue in cheek considering my children are presently munching quite happily on their Easter treats-this was not learned from my Catholic husband) was the power of St. Joseph.  

I have recollections of my mother burying St. Joseph, head down, in a corner of our yard, when she was attempting home sales.   My mother would sing "Thank Goodness for St. Joseph" in the tune of the baby aspirin commercials.   Whether St. Joseph assisted her in these sales, I will never know.  I did consider his holiness the last time I attempted to sell my home but I never made my way to the Catholic Bookstore to search out the little man of faith.

And then came AMAZON.   

Who would think that there were so many versions of our little helper out there?  So last Wednesday, with a giggle and a click, I sent for our man St. Joseph.  Three days later….there he be.

So now the conundrum begins….

Where do I place him?  Should I wait until our house is on the market or do I use this holiest of Christian holidays as a day of prayer to our friend  Saint Joseph?

I in no way want to minimize the Catholic beliefs in the power of their Saints.  I also feel that since my Jewish mother felt there was a power in these prayers, I too, feel the need to use it as it was meant.  I will pray to him and bury my little friend in the hopes that he will look down in my favor.   I hope you all will too.

The Unending Clean

How is it that I clean the house and destruction follows in my path?  I clean and clean and clean and yet….my house is a still mess?  I feel almost like pig pen….dust surrounds me.

I am feeling overwhelmed.  If I can't keep my house clean for over an hour how in the hell will I keep it clean for days, months at a time.  The thought is a bit daunting.

My children are starting to hear the mantra drilled into their heads.  "Is that where that belongs?"  "Scrape, rinse, place into the dishwasher".  "CLEAN YOUR ROOM!"  I then walk into my room… God, help me.

The carpets we cleaned are slowly wicking larger, darker spots into view.  The kitchen floor is grungy with puppy prints.  The air is masked with perfumed oils.  The brand new hand towel in the half bath is covered in chocolate shmears.   OH THE HUMANITY!

I would kill you for a maid.  Really.  Given the choice it would be the maid over you any day.   *sigh*

The Big Move! The life and times of a frazzled Mom trying to sell her house!

                                     

Here goes nothing.  I want to pre-empt my blog by saying, "I'm a crappy writer".  I was not meant to write so please be kind.

Here is my diary of my attempt to sell my house and purchase another.  It's a scary proposition!

To begin. My husband and I built our "starter house" in 1995.  We felt the area was quiet.  Close to my job.  Within our budget and perfect to start out with.  With that being said….it is now 2011.  So much for a starter house.

This is not our first attempt to sell the house.  Chris and I tried to put the house on the market over 5 years ago.  We weren't in any hurry and felt that it was the perfect time to sell.   Of course it wasn't that simple.   Our realtor was a quantity seller.  She didn't get that we didn't want to rush a sale.   Every week we would be told that we needed to drop the price, drop the price, drop the price.
She didn't know our area and didn't "sell it".

In my frustration, we took the house off the market and then proceeded to just deal.

Our home was perfect for a young married couple but it wasn't quite meant for school aged kids.  Our school system is pretty poor.  The middle school is "the most violent school in Wake County" and our HS is within the top 10.
Luckily, we had the ability to get our kids in decent magnet schools and now a new change has come requiring us to sell our home.

We are fortunate to have my father in the area but as he has aged his health has waxed and waned.  My husband and I have decided to find a home that could accommodate my father and so starts our need to sell, sell, sell.

So how does one sell a house?  Your guess is as good as mine.  We have the original heating and air.  The original hot water heater, old carpeting and the normal wear and tear of a 16 year old home.

I have started the closet cleaning.  The purging/vomiting of the home. We have replaced ALL our window screens.

Today we had our carpets cleaned.  YAY!!!   They actually look pretty good for old kid/doggie riddled carpeting!

We are slowly getting our house seller ready.   We must replace our back door and HARDEST of all.  Find a decent realtor!!!