Friday, January 25, 2008

Consequences

Today I went and picked up a few groceries with my kids. On the way home 3-year-old Elijah informed me he was thirsty. This is how our conversation went:

Elijah: I'm thirsty!
Me: Okay, we'll get a drink when we get home.
Elijah: But I'm thirsty NOW! (getting angry)
Me: But I don't have anything for you to drink in the van. You'll have to wait until we get home and then you can have a drink.
Elijah: But I need a drink NOW!!!
Me: There's nothing to drink in the van! We are just a couple minutes away from home.
Elijah: (pointing his finger at me and looking at me with a very stern face) Wait! Are you telling the truth or are you lying?
Me: I'm telling the truth!!
Elijah: Stop saying that! If you don't stop saying that there will be consequences! Capiche?
Me: (while laughing) Capiche!
Elijah: (calmly now) Good!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

C / S !!!!!!

Today was a good day for me.
I really liked today.
I liked the way I felt.
I felt lighthearted.
I had a skip in my step.
My face looked bright and relaxed.
I felt like my eyes and my brain were smiling.
I felt good.
Still do.
So good.

If you were to drive by our house, I'm sure you would see the bright yellow "C/S" on our "House For Sale" sign. I can't say for sure, because I haven't been to our house lately, but I'm sure that bright and cheery sticker is on that depressing sign.
As of yesterday, our house is Conditionally Sold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like screaming excitement!

We closed the deal early evening yesterday. And the only conditions are the buyers financing (for which they are already pre-approved for) and the house inspection (which our house already had in September, and passed with flying colors) which need to be fulfilled by January 29th. So it feels like a done deal.

The possession date is March 14th. THIS YEAR!! It feels very surreal.


After 6 months of riding a rollercoaster of hope and hopelessness, excitement of possibilities and discouragement, I am ready to get off.

We have had one special condition on our house, which fell through in October when the potential buyers gave up on selling their house.

We had one couple love our house but said there was no way they could buy it (and I ask, why were they looking at houses out of their price range in the first place?).

We had another couple almost put an offer on our house but then another house came on the market and they liked it much more and snatched it up, dropping our house in the process.

We had another couple who wanted to buy our house but had no downpayment (again, why look when they can't buy?).

We had another couple say they were going to put an offer on the house, they just had to talk to the bank (argh with the people who don't get pre-approved!!) then we never heard from them again.

We had someone else put an offer on our house and our realtor advised us to not even look at it because it was ridiculously, almost insultingly, low.

We had another couple negotiate price and conditions with us, conditional on the sale of their house with a May 2008 possession. So once again, this translates into a special condition on our house. We only came to a verbal agreement with them, and the day that our realtor was writing up the offer, this other offer came in and plowed their offer right off our table, even though they were offering less money.

And inbetween this all we had dozens more showings, especially in December and the first half of January.


I am tired of living out of suitcases.
I am tired of relying on the goodness of other people to provide us with shelter.
I am tired of moving every month.
I am tired of feeling hopeless and discouraged.
I am tired of not knowing when this situation was going to end.
I am tired of not feeling any permanency.

I am excited to look for our new home.
I am excited that I know we will have our own place in about 2 & 1/2 months.
I am excited to live with my own things again.
I am excited to have that settled, permanent feeling.
I am excited to unpack and find a place for everything.
I am excited to have people over to my home.
I am excited because I feel hopeful and uplifted.
I am so excited!!!!!
So excited!

Thank you God!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Six Months and Counting

No. Our house has not sold. That is why we are still counting.

I'm tired of people asking. I know that everyone just wants to know. They want hear the words that I want to say. I'm at the point where I won't even be excited when our house sells. I actually won't believe it until the end of possession day when the money has crossed hands because I'm sure everyone who looks at our house just wants to give us false hope and then screw us over, offering us offers that our realtor refuses to write up because they are so freakin' ridiculous and would not afford for us to be able to get back into the market, or else saying they will come with an offer after they talk to their bank. Right-O.

I swear once our house sells, no one will know what to chit-chat with us about. For a while it will be, "How's your new house?" "How's the move going?" or "How are you settling in?" and then I'm sure people will just approach us, mouths open, ready to say something, and then draw a blank.

I must say that I have become ultra flexible through this all. I mean, I'm a pretty flexible person anyways, but now I'm ultra flexible. You could even say that that's one of my superpowers now, like that stretch-girl from The Incredibles, what's her name? Elasti-girl? Totally flexible. And now is when you hear my low chanting "Try to see the good. Try to see the good. Try to see the good. Try to see the good."