phase i don't know

This just in...

Jill came over this morning and we tiled. We tiled like the fabulous women we are! We tiled like there was no tomorrow. We tiled and talked of our day tomorrow, which will include grout.

It's nearing an end. Well, it's nearing it's next resting point.

According to my calculations we still have to grout, seal the tile one more time, finish replacing the drawer and door pulls, stain and install some quarter round to finish of certain edges, paint, get the new table and bench made, possibly have a cabinet made for by the fridge for the microwave and extra storage (or find a really cool dresser that would fit the bill), and get new lighting for over the table and the back door. Really, not much left...right?

the time draws near

Soon, when you come to this site to read what words I have written down, you won't see anything about the sale and purchase of our home(s). I look forward to writing the posts about what funny things we learn about our new place. I crave figuring out how it is all going to be put together. I dream of color.

We got the word that the seller is agreeing to each of the things we asked her to fix before closing. There were two large things needing attention (the oil tank and the sewer). We are allowing more time until the close date. We are thankful that we asked for the full two weeks of renting back our little gem. We're not sure what date we will close on our new house, but we're thinking about a week later than originally thought.

We will probably be moving the week of the 24th. The week before my parents come out to help with who knows what. I can hardly wait...but wait I must.

inspection

The inspection was this morning. We got there right around 9:30. We left at 12:30. We took photos, but honestly, there is so much crap of the woman we're buying the house from in each one that I don't feel it does the house justice.

I do like two.

The one of Kev in the garden just makes me smile. It was right before he walked through a large spider web we'd been avoiding all morning.

The view of the garden from the kitchen also makes me smile. That will be my view every morning as I sip coffee and eat my bagel. Sigh...

I think I will be mean and wait to post any others until we've signed and her things are no longer taking over the space. It's a great home.

There are only a couple of things we need to have her take care of. One, the oil take needs to be decommissioned (we fear she feels it already was, but there is nothing in file with the city so it needs to really be done) and the sewer line needs to be redone from the house to the street. Her agent seemed to think this would need to be taken care of so we're hoping it won't be a surprise like the tank.

Other than that, nothing huge. This is good.

meet my kitchen

We close on the 17th. We're locked in as of tonight.

This kitchen is the greatest place on earth (besides the garden in the back, but there were no really good photos of it).

If you want to see the rest go to www.hasson.com and type in 7074767 in the mls search.

So, there you have it. Things are really happening. And now, let the sleep begin.

best! sign! ever!

Alia came by this morning to pick Kev and me up to go look at houses. She let me put the sold sticker on the post!!! I'm telling you, it felt great.

We've got some exciting things happening here. Kev loved the one house I was leaning towards the most. We've written something and Alia is faxing it shortly. We are hoping the seller will get back to us tonight, but we've given her two days.

I won't send out the photos of the house yet, or the rmls number. I know, I always say I'm not superstitious, but...

The best thing? We love it more than that house on Long. It's in a quiet hood. It's on a sleepy street. It's close to many great things. We could walk to a great pizza place. I could bike to yoga at Diana's house. It's got an enormous veggie garden already established in the back. The curb appeal isn't there in the photos, the front is covered by shrubs and wisteria vines and a butterfly bush. BUT that means people aren't looking at it online...

So, until we hear anything back, keep those fingers and toes crossed!!!

my brain hurts

Well, I went out this morning with Alia and looked at 15 houses. Two are contenders, two others have potential. Eleven were NO!

I am jazzed about one a bit more than the other contender, but am waiting to see what Kev thinks when we go out tomorrow.

I swear, being a home buyer is so much better than a seller!!! Although I am pleased with how quickly our house sold. In the grand scheme, it's all about pricing correctly for the market, staging well, and burying St. Joseph!

We got the information back from the inspection and only have a few things the buyer is asking us to do. No biggie. Electrician has been called and will be here on the 12th of September in the morning. Contractor will be out soon to take a look at a broken window and check out the furnace flue (?). We are thinking the inspector means the furnace venting pipe, but we've got a call out about that. Not sure. If anyone out there knows what "replace flue" means in a home that does NOT have a fireplace, comment to me baby!!

Okay, must run off to yoga. YEA!

Oh and Becky, not sleeping much better because of work stuff now. :) Here's to hoping everything settles down FAST!!!

good better best

I just spoke with Charles (my other half at work). I told him how we were going with the thought that the house being so close to the train yards would probably be really loud and we were glad we didn't get it. He said, "Actually, it IS really loud. It's not just trains rushing through, it's the clanking of unhooking and hooking up the cars. People in that neighborhood have lodged complaints to the city about the noise. The city responded with 'the train yard has been there longer than your homes.' So yeah, it IS a good thing."

This makes us feel better than he knows.

So we'll see what IS out there that is the house for us!!! It's exciting all over again...

Thanks for the support, kids! It does not go un-felt!!!

not the one

Well, as much as we wanted that house, the seller went with the "first" offer she got (does she not realize we were the very first offer a month ago?) because she doesn't want to hurt the people who made it.

M'kay.

So, that just means it was not the house for us and we will find the one that is (all before we have to be out of our house). Thankfully Greg (buyer of our house) gave us the option to rent back for 2 weeks. I'm hoping that we don't have to go too far into that 2 weeks...

So, that's the news. Sucky as it is, we're doing well. Feeling like this really is what is supposed to happen.

this post brought to you by the letter a

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This morning we got word that our house on Long already had an offer on the table. There had been a bit of countering between parties and was waiting for the seller to decide if she wanted to accept the last counter. She was meeting her agent at 12:30 this afternoon.

Alia called in a right state saying we needed to come in and offer full asking price (still well in our comfort zone). And we needed to do it NOW!

Without going into all the details, I was stressed beyond what I thought was possible.

We got the new offer off to Alia, who got it to the selling agent. We included a letter to the seller saying how much like home we felt in her house, among more things. Alia added her own.

We also had our house inspected by our buyer's guy. So that meant getting Diggity out of the house all day. I ended up meeting Greg (the buyer) and instantly liked him as much as I thought I would after reading the letter he wrote us about our house. He felt like someone we would even hang out with...

So I am sitting in the park with Josie, waiting to go home. I'm chatting with Alia. I ask her if it's bad to take J bird home when they are still there. She said I could go and tell them that I needed to get back to work and couldn't take her with me. The guys were all very nice and accommodating. We joked about Simon lounging all day.

However, while in the park, before going back to the house and meeting the guys, Alia tells me that there is a third offer coming in on our house on Long tonight. WTF?!?!?

So, we added an escalator clause saying we'd go to X number of dollars over the highest offer, but not to exceed X amount. We're still in our comfort zone if this has to happen. The good thing, the third offer is being made by a new, less experienced agent AND the lender is not someone the selling agent has ever even heard of. We are with Wells Fargo and considering many lenders have gone under recently...this is good. He tells us our offer is the strongest.

So there we have it. We are supposed to find out tomorrow if our offer will be the one accepted. I still feel like it's home. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I'm so tired.

boost

It was just yesterday morning when I was screaming into my phone to my friend Reagan that "the only way this *ing week will be any better is if I get a *ing offer on my house!!!"

Last evening, Chris brought his client back to look at the house again (they'd been by on Tuesday to look at it). Alia called right after Kev called to make sure I could get Digs out. We laughed about how the cats hated me (they both used the potty box RIGHT before I was heading out the door...Simon even pooped, the jerk). She kept saying, "just make it as cool as you can inside because it's HOT outside..." Yeah, that's not possible when it's 96 degrees out there and 83 inside.

Josie and I drove around, went to the park, called my parents. I was calm. I'd gotten worked up about second viewings in the past. I was tired and didn't want to waste the energy. Although deep down I think I knew this was the one.

Alia called about an hour or so after they left the house (they were here at least 20 minutes) saying they were at Chris's office and they were writing up an offer!!! My heart sang! But I responded with "cool."

This morning she dropped by with the offer. The money was spot on what we'd been planning. The time frame for the inspection, a little long (10 days). We countered with 7 days for the inspection. It's tomorrow at 1:30. Um yeah, I think Greg wants the house!

We are putting another offer in on the house we looooooove (you remember, the one we offered and they rejected and then lowered it by 15,000?!). So I am having to remember to stop and take deep breaths every so often.

Keep fingers crossed and thank St. Joseph for all he did!!! I loves me some St. Joe!!!

buried

I had originally nestled St. Joseph in a potted plant out front. In the "directions" that were included in the home selling kit it indicated you didn't have to bury him, as long as you believed it would help you.

After speaking with a few friends (both of whom are Jewish) they both buried him, facing away from the house, I decided this morning to go ahead and follow their lead. I said a little prayer and asked him to help sell my house.

The people who walked through yesterday loved it. It is on their short list (according to their agent). St. Joe...help me please.

when will i learn to listen?

I had just laid down with the 4th Harry Potter book (am starting from the beginning and rereading the whole series) and was happily reading away. It was about 4:30. My phone rang. My friend Rachel invited me to a cookout and then to watch her brother play kick ball. I was in!

I get to Rachel and Aaron's house before loading up into their car to head to her bro's house in NoPo (North Portland). I thought, before getting into their car, "I should really drive...might have to get the dog out." Did I listen? NO!

We are there not even five minutes when my phone rings. Of course I can get the dog out so you can take your clients in...give me 25/30 minutes to get my car so I can get my dog.

Aaron and I had a blast going back to their house so I could pick up my car and go get Josie out. I'd had a brilliant thought to call our friends who live around the corner, but then she remembered we'd taken their spare back...bah!

I got to the house, called the agent (as we'd agreed I would do once I got digs out) and told him I'd procured the dog. Josie and I walked around the park for a while and then jumped back in the car to go home. They were still in the house. Okay, wait down the block and watch the house. Drive by the house. See Timothy (buyers agent). Drive back down the block and park.

Finally they come out and they wave as they drive by.

Alia invited me to see The Breakfast Club in a park, but after kick ball I was tired, had to pee, and wasn't dressed for it (it's cold here!!!).

So when am I going to learn to listen to that inner guide?!

back

St. Joe is hanging out on our kitchen counter as I type. I got him when I was in Vegas. I will bury him tomorrow (my day off). It is interesting because the little leaflet that came with him says there are different beliefs when it comes to St. Joe. Bury him facing the house, facing away, upside down, in the East corner, or simply have him in the house. The most important thing, it reads, is to believe he will help you sell your home. :) That makes me smile. Kev says THAT is where he has a problem...the believing. I know I've said in the past that I'm not a superstitious person and here I am burying St. Joseph to help sell my home...it just makes me smile. I'll take any help I can right now.

I know that selling a house can take a long time. I'm okay with this. However, since we have found a home that we want very badly, it is making me anxious and nauseated.

But now onto my first day back from Vegas. Found a dead body in the store. Not a human, but not as small as a mouse...a rat. We got a call when we were standing in the lobby of the MGM before heading to the airport yesterday. Jessica informed us that there was rat activity, chewed napkins, poop, etc. She'd not seen the rat (which I told her we should name Roy). No, that was left for me.

I was coming around the counter to put some shoes back in the store room. I happened to look down at the floor and what should I see under a rack of shoes, Roy. Skin crawled. I freaked out, pulled in the sign saying we were open, turned the sign on the door to "shut" and called Ahmed. He came and was my knight in shining armor. I am hoping Roy (who we realized should have been named Rosetta) was a loner. But often times you don't have that luxury.

So today I will go into the store and work and just not think about it...instead I'll work on kids orders for spring/summer 08, read a bit of the first Harry Potter (I'm starting from the beginning now), and sell tons of clogs!

indeed

Alia wrote me that she got a "sign call" today.

In my imagination:

...a young couple are looking online to find their first home. They're approved up to 200,000. They go to the computer, excited to see what is out there for them. At the rmls site the enter 2 Bedrooms, 1 bath, 200,000.

In the many that pop up, the couple see a sweet little blue house with white trim and a red door. Their eyes widen and they turn to each other, smiling. They decide to do a drive by of the neighborhood to see if they like it as much in person from the street as they did in a little photo. They do. They stop the car in front of the house and call Alia.

She calls and leaves a message on the couple's phone. While I'm at work tomorrow, Kev will have to get the diggity out of the house because Alia has heard back and they want to see inside. We'll get a call on Saturday that we have an offer. I'll feel like the biggest winner of all times as I head off to Vegas.

if anything

We looked at eight houses today. One was nice, I could have easily seen living there. However, it didn't feel like all that much more home than what we have now. It was just renovated and beautiful. So, we hold out hope that our first love can become ours.

We've got yet another showing today. One of these days, the person who is supposed to live here, is going to come through and we'll get that call. Just cross those fingers that that one day is sooner than later.

In other news (what, there is other stuff happening besides just house stuff...even though that has been all consuming) we both finished the Harry Potter book. The last Harry Potter book. Don't worry, won't spill any beans here. I've already got emails out to four friends who read it saying "when you are done, let's chat" and Becky and I have already started doing just that.

It is sad to see the series end, but at the same time it feels right.

went well

We just got back from lounging in the out of doors. We both had our Harry Potter books (Kev's reading the final one, I'm rereading the 6th). Josie was great (a bit of whining, but really good overall).

Alia said there were five groups that came through, not counting the two nosey neighbors and Jill and Mark. She said that the people we purchased it from came through. The only thing that upset the dad was the fact that the solar system mural had been painted over. Alia handled it great, though. Just said it didn't work with our decor...etc. He also wanted to know how we made the paint stick so nicely to the walls. What primer?!? Alia said she wasn't sure. He wouldn't let up so she finally said, "I'm pretty sure it was Benjamin Moore." That seemed to work for him.

So Wednesday we'll be looking at more houses. I sent her quite the list. We'll hit 7/8 she said, not all 12.

So, St. Joe may be bought in the near future...we shall see.

almost ready

I have vacuumed the majority of the house, with the exception being the bedroom. Kev's still in bed, sleeping. I've nudged him once, with about half an hour until Alia gets here. I will nudge him again, shortly, if I don't hear him getting up.

It's been easy, getting ready for open houses and other viewings. We've kept it cleaned up so all I ever have to do is run the vacuum. I dusted as well. Easier to do when you don't have a layer of clutter to pick up and put away before dusting/vacuuming. I'm sure my Mom was trying to explain this to us our whole lives.

So today, in about 40 minutes, our house will be open to people who want to come and look at it. I've got a list together of homes to look at on Wednesday with Alia. We're not giving up on our house (the one we love), but we figured we should have a plan B, just in case. And who knows, maybe we'll find a house we love even more?!

remembering to breathe

We still haven't heard from the original couple who we thought were interested in our little gem of a house. It's fine. Perhaps they couldn't get the loan. Perhaps they got more than they thought and got house hungry, wanting to see what else was out there. Perhaps they've had a hard time getting the pre-approval letter together and we'll still hear from them.

I still think our house will not be long on the market. However, the house we really love (remember, the one our offer got rejected on then they lowered their price LOWER than the offer, remember that one?) may or may not be there waiting. Alia has sent along a few other homes to check out next week. They are cute, but still a bit further out than we'd wanted. And, I noticed ones master is 9x9. That's tiny!

I'm really trying to keep in mind the positive things and be okay with whatever happens. It's just hard, waiting for the call that is going to make my heart sing and the adrenaline rush. Waiting isn't easy. But I will be patient. Because our next home is going to be worth the wait!

we have stars, and they are lucky

No, no offer yet. But we do acknowledge and thank our lucky stars that we've now had two agents bring their clients through the house. Alia held the agents open house today and had two show. The agent who called me to set up a time for between 4 and 4:30 today was not one of those agents.

I expect to hear some feedback in the next day or so from Alia.

I am also expecting to receive an offer from the first couple by tomorrow. It would be fitting, to get the offer from the first couple who looked at the house exactly one week from the day we listed.

And thanks, stars...

kamikaze butterflies return

Our offer was rejected. (the word contingent scared the hell out of them, I suppose. Even with bumpable listed as well.)

Their price reduced. (lower than our offer)

We've got wind that the couple who viewed our house Sunday, love it and are getting their pre-approval letter together so they can make an offer. (which I joked about being what would happen, so color me stunned, excited, hopeful, guarded)

Wouldn't it be a gas if we got the house we offered on for at least 16,000 less than the original listing price?!?

Again, things happen when they are supposed to. Thank you Universe. :)