The. End.

If you have been following my other blog, you know why it has been so long between posts. LOTS of personal and family medical "stuff" has held me hostage for WAYYY too long.

But, here's the scoop: The inspections all went well. The other couple got their financing in order with no problem. The house closing on Sept. 17th went off without a hitch.

We are OUT of this house.
Done.
Fini.
Through.

YES!!

Will I miss this house? No, not really. As I said before, it is a very nice house, and we made it a very nice, comfortable home. But, we are insanely happy where we are now.

And the couple who bought this house? LOVE it. They are so happy to be there, and I'm very glad for that! Now the house will no longer be lonely - - it has people there to love it and take care of it.

This blog is now finished. Thank you for coming here and reading my ramblings. But, you can still read my other blog, "Dizzy Ms. Lizzy" - - feel free to stop by anytime!

SOLD!!!

Finally! After 20 months of blood, sweat, and many, many tears (not to mention many sleepless nights) - -



More on the details later. Today was my first day back to work following my surgery, and my hand is killing me.

Mind-Numbing

You know, I just looked at my previous post, and it just all of a sudden hit me how SICK and TIRED I am of having to still be going over to this house and clean, vacuum, do yard work, etc., and this has dragged on and on and on . . . for 19 months now!

This is a very nice house. It is well-maintained, lots of updates, HUGE garage, beautiful yard, a very good neighborhood with wonderful neighbors - - and for some damn reason, it just will not sell.

It's a very nice house, but it needs to be a home. It needs someone living there to love it. It's lonely. It needs someone.

I know this may sound all crazy and stuff, but I'm serious. The past few months, whenever I walk in the house, I get such a sense of loneliness - - I don't care what you may think of my ramblings here - - I am SENSING this! That house is lonely, and it needs people inside it to love it and take care of it.

I never loved the house - - I lived there for 12 years, and I know it's a good house, but I never LOVED it. Steve liked living there well enough, but he didn't LOVE it either. But, we did our best to make it nice, and well-maintained, and made it a very nice home.

But, we always knew that there was another place for us, a place that we would LOVE, and that we would be totally happy in, knowing that this is where we belonged. We found that in our present home.

Now it's time for THIS house to be happy, with people inside who love it and who know that this is where they belong.

I hope it happens soon.

Another Open House

We had another Open House today.

Actually, this one was kind of "unexpected" since our realtor called us on Friday about it. She had another house scheduled to show today, but it sold, and she wanted to slide ours in to take its place. So we decided, what the heck.

SO - - Saturday was lots of mowing, trimming, sweeping, and using the blower vac on the yard, patio and driveway. Also pulled som stray weeds that decided to show their ugly heads. Inside we dusted, cleaned mirrors, and vacuumed. We spent HOURS out there to make it look "pretty" and nice for company.

Our realtor said she had 5 groups of people come through, and is hopeful that one of them is interested.

But who knows - - we just need to wait and see.

Good Day

Our realtor said the Open House went really well! In fact, she said it was the best one she had ever had there.

So now it's time to sit and wait, and keep our fingers crossed that something good comes of it.

We are SO ready!

Open House Time (again)

We have another Open House scheduled for this Sunday, so we have been spending time getting things spruced up at the house.

Wish us luck - - WE NEED TO GET THIS DAMN THING SOLD!

Open House

Well, we have another Open House scheduled for tomorrow. I hope our agent gets a lot of people to come through . . . actually, I hope she just gets the RIGHT ONE to come through!

We went over today to make sure the house was ready to show. We brought the tractor and blade, because we knew the snow would need scooped out of the drive. We also brought the shovels to get the walkways cleared.

However, we were totally unprepared for what we saw when we pulled up to the house . . .

Apparently someone who had shown the house left the front storm door unlocked. When we got the 45-50 MPH winds this past week, it ripped the storm door glass right out of the metal frame, tore part of the metal frame completely off the door frame, tore part of the wood door frame away from the house wall, and just for good measure, took out the outside light fixture (which was hanging upside down by its wires).

Crap.

The snow was so deep, we were not sure where the glass was all laying, and figured we would have to wait until the snow melted to find all the pieces. But as I was shoveling the front walk, I found the glass - - still inside its metal frame, and unbroken! Not even scratched!

We picked up the glass and moved it into the garage, and collected all the door parts we could find and put them in there also.

SO - -

Early tomorrow morning we are going to go over and take off the rest of the metal door frame, reattach the wood door frame to the house, and replace the outside light fixture with an extra we (luckily!) happen to have, and at least make it look decent for the Open House. That will give us a little time to see what we can do to get the door fixed and put back on.

I would love to find the agent who left that door unlocked and kick their ass!

Wish us luck on the showing - - the house has been on the market 13 months now, and we are damn sick and tired of dealing with it. The sooner it is sold, the better we will feel.

New picture

We have had our realtor change the picture of our house on the website and the posting. The one we are using now is a really good shot, with good 'curb appeal' . . . hope it helps.

Our realtor told us that the website is getting a good number of hits, and views of the picture gallery, the floor plan, and even a couple of flyer downloads.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

A Year Ago . . .

We listed the house a year ago this weekend.

One year ago.

It's still on the market.

It's very frustrating . . . it's a beautiful house, and it's still not sold.

One year.

Our agent and us have all heavily marketed it. We have dropped the price NUMEROUS times. We have maintained it and kept it up to make sure it always looks its best for anyone it is shown to.

We really don't know what else to do.

And have you noticed - - any time you are having a problem, suddenly everyone on the planet has to weigh in on it?

YES - - we know that the housing market is bad. Everyone in the whole damn media market makes it their civic duty to make sure we don't forget it.

YES - - we know that it is a buyer's market, thanks again to the media.

NO - - we have not considered renting it instead of selling it.

NO - - we are NOT considering changing realtors. The agency we are signed with is a large, reputable firm with a good standing in the community. Our agent is a very hard-working and honest person, and we are comfortable dealing with her. It is not her fault that the market is the way it is - - don't blame her, blame the media. And the government.

And NO - - we have not considered dropping our agent and trying to sell it ourselves. We don't have the time, or the patience, for that. We do not feel like doing all our own marketing, beating the bushes for buyers, holding our own open houses, dealing with lawyers and inspectors and the like.

NO, NO, NO. That is why we have an agent.

I know you all mean well, but really all you are doing is adding to our stress level, and believe me, that is high enough already!

PLEASE give us credit for having some common sense, and believe that we are trying our best to get through this situation. We are not stupid people. We need your support, not your criticism.

PLEASE.

Open House . . .

At the lot closing yesterday afternoon, we found out from our realtor that an Open House is scheduled for the house this Sunday. She apologized for the short notice, but said at her office they had just come to her and told her there was an open spot, since one of the scheduled Open Houses had just sold; did she want it? She immediately told them to put our house in there.

Dear Hubby Steve and I went by this afternoon and raked the leaves, and then he mowed the lawn while I went inside and vacuumed.

Tomorrow morning I am going to head over with a plate of cookies, and also kick on the heat a bit to take the chill off the house.

I hope she has a good showing - - wish us luck.

The Lot is GONE!!!!!

Finally - - *whew*

We all met at the title company at 4:15 yesterday afternoon to get the paperwork all completed and funds disbursed.

The buyers seemed like a really nice couple, probably early 30's, he's in construction, and she works at a TV station in Springfield. They are expecting their first child in April, and are excited about that, as well as getting their house built.

We made a point of telling them about the neighbors, and how nice everyone is. We (and our realtor) also said we were trying our best to find them good neighbors for the house we are selling.

I think they will be a good addition to the neighborhood. And, I'm looking forward to seeing the house they build.

I wish them the best of luck!

Closing On the Lot

Friday, November 9th, 4:15 p.m.

Thank goodness!

Finally - - A Closing On the Lot!

We finally have a closing date on the lot!

We did not get as much as we hoped for the lot, but still came out ahead (thank goodness!)

Now if we can just move that blasted HOUSE . . . . .

FINALLY!!!!

FINALLY - - some progress to report!

We received - - and ACCEPTED - - an offer on the lot.

The lot is finally GONE!

The couple who bought it are getting a new construction loan, and will be building a house on it. In fact, it turns out we know who the man is, and he is a very nice person. I'm sure he will be good for the neighborhood!

NOW - - let's keep our fingers crossed that the house goes soon . . .

Activity

Well, there has been SOME activity lately - -

We have heard that the house has been shown a few times over the past couple of weeks, and there is another Open House scheduled.

Hopefully something will come of all this activity . . .

I'll keep ya posted . . . . .

Finally, Some Interest Is Being Shown!

We had an unexpected Open House this past Sunday. A couple came through who seemed to like it quite a bit.

Also, there is another couple who has been showing some interest.

Our realtor sent us the statistics from our website posting for the past week, and activity shows an increase.

SO - - people are finally starting to get out and look at things.

Maybe one of them will turn out to be "the one", and this long, drawn-out process will FINALLY come to an end.

Just gotta wait and see . . . a little bit longer . . .

What???????

There was a realtor who showed our house a week or so ago.

The feedback she gave to our realtor is not to be believed . . .

She said her people were really surprised - - they expected it to be a ranch house, like it is advertised to be, and did not expect it to have steps.

Excuse me?

The house has ONE step. ONE. STEP.

Down from the living room into the sunken family room.

Actually, I'm lying - - it has TWO steps. One step on each side of the fireplace, from the living room to the sunken family room.

Each step has a banister.

And this makes it NOT a ranch????

*sigh*

The house we live in now is a brick RANCH house. And it has a LOT more steps than our other house does.

Some people just refuse to be pleased about anything . . .

Oh well . . .

Maybe "Third Time's the Charm"????

We have another Open House scheduled for tomorrow.

Dear Hubby and I were over Thursday evening. He did the mowing, fixed a loose shingle on the garage roof, and replaced a valve in the bathroom.

I "spiffed up" the place - - dusting, vacuuming, Windexing, and general prettying it up so that it will show well.

Keep you fingers crossed that the right person will walk in, fall in love with it, and not be able to live without it, and it will be sold.

Hey - - it can happen! That's what happened with us when we walked in THIS house! The very first step I took in this house, I felt like I had finally arrived home, and wanted to stay and never leave.

So I have faith, and high hopes. Our other house is a nice one, and will make someone a wonderful home.

I just hope that "someone" sees it tomorrow . . .

Nothing Yet

There have not been any posts here for quite a while, because there is absolutely nothing to report.

Zip.

Nada.

Nothing.

We have had a total of three open houses so far, but no luck on a buyer. Two weeks ago, the house was shown FIVE TIMES - - still no luck.

*sigh*

We are having another open house again very soon. Hopefully, with the weather being so nice now, our luck will change.

Say a prayer for us . . .

Keep Your Fingers Crossed

Dear Hubby heard from his work buddy this morning that he saw our realtor last night and stopped to talk to her. During the conversation, she mentioned to him that she had shown our house yesterday, and the people were going to look at it again today.

SO - - keep your eyes, ears, fingers and toes crossed . . . (yeah yeah, I know - - makes it kinda hard to walk or type, but hey . . . )

Keep ya posted . . .