Discouraged
art by mockery
I’m discouraged that we haven’t had any good offers on our home yet. There was one offer a couple of weeks ago, but it was insulting. To those who would say that all you have to do is lower your price to sell, I would counter that there are quite a few places almost as nice as ours that have lowered their price a few times, and still not sold. It’s a slow market. Part of me says, don’t worry, if you have to accept less on this side of the deal, you’ll make it up on the purchase of your new place, which is in this same slow market. But there are no guarantees, and while the buyer may change their mind for the first 2 weeks, the seller is pretty much locked in. And so, we wait for an offer before we can make an offer.
And sometimes, I wonder…is this a mistake? Is it a mistake to take on more debt for a bigger place, even though we’ve run the numbers and we can afford it? Would it be better to settle down and stay here, wait until the market turns? But then, I think, but then…but then, the market will have turned on our buying end as well, so we won’t be getting the ‘deal’ we can get now. But then, we’ll need to get our books, clothes, and furniture out of storage, and it will again become apparent that we’ve outgrown this place. But then, Maya will have settled into the middle school here, and moving her would be hard. But then, I will continue to be frustrated by my ‘office space’, which includes a stuffed to the gills file cabinet that threatens to topple over when I open the top drawer, because it’s so heavy…which is crammed into our closet, where my printer and files brush against poor Ted’s shirts. But then, I’ll have to continue to listen to the construction of the new transit village they’re putting in over at the VERY close BART station, tearing out parking lots and putting in condos and shops.
After thinking all of these thoughts, adding up all of the ‘but thens’, I am again resolved to sell and move. Even though I’m sick, SICK of keeping the house spotless, just in case someone wants to show our place while we’re out. SICK of realtors calling, saying that they’re going to come by, and then never coming. SICK of not being able to leave a book on the coffee table, a dish in the sink, papers on my desk, clothes in the dryer. Sick of it all.
Sick and discouraged…but still resolved. We will move. To a bigger place. A place where we can have an office that isn’t in our bedroom. With room for our books and Ted’s drums. A place with good schools for Maya (which we admittedly have here as well). But I’m really looking forward to the day when we can leave dishes in the sink, or leave mail on the countertop without wondering who might see it. I used to hate how cluttered our house would get, and now, I’m looking at that mess with a bit of nostalgia. Yes, I’m really looking forward to the day we move.
And as I write this, I have dear friends who have much more reason to be discouraged than I…and we will all get through it. :)Â Soundtrack for discouraged folks: Don’t Give Up, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-p2sbt_C4w[/youtube]
12 Comments
Karen MEG
I love that song; just discovered your blog – wow!
Don’t feel discouraged. It is such hard work selling, moving, but in the end it will all be worth it. Don’t worry about the market dynamics – the time is right for you and your family, so it is the right thing.
I remember when we put our first house up for sale 7 years ago, the market was just starting to pick up in that neighbourhood. We had to move about 3/4 of our stuff to my parents’ basement so the house would show well. Actually it looked so great that we wondered why we were moving after all; but then we had to shake ourselves back to reality – it was just too small, especially for my expanding pregnant girth at the time. Now that neighbourhood is smokin’ hot! Our house was last sold for about 1.5 times what we paid for it. But you can’t look back; it wouldn’t have worked, and you can’t predict the market.
Our neighbours across the street have been trying to sell their house off and on for the past year and it was so tough for her, with 2 young boys ALWAYS making a mess; they finally sold for what they wanted and are very happy.
The stars will align for you, the right buyers will come and it will happen. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be sooner rather than later!!
Autumn's Mom
Awww Don’t give up J. It will happen..and when it’s my turn..please remind me that I told you this 😉
ally bean
Yeah, I’ve been there. What to do, huh? No advice here– every real estate deal is different. I do know that things work out one way or another eventually. Good luck.
Maya's Granny
The waiting to find out what will happen is always the hardest.
kookiejar
Oh my gosh, I’d forgotten that I love that song. Must put it on my Mp3 player, post haste.
My friend Meesh, is still trying to sell her house in Chicago. She and her family moved here to Omaha last winter thinking the Chicago house would be sold by now. You are not alone.
MsMamma
It sucks being in that mode because you can never quite relax, IN YOUR OWN HOME. Ugh. Could you bury a St. Joeseph in a potted plant? I mean, what the hell, why not?
Ml
Awww, J, I’m so sorry this is making you so discouraged. Please hang in there. I feel your pain. It took me a LOOONG time to sell my condo and when I did finally sell, I had to come to closing WITH money 🙁 Oh well, it was for a good cause. I got to be with Mr. Lew.
But, it’s a frustrating thing to sell, but it will work out!!!!
hellomelissa
moving sucks and if i am ever again forced to do it, i may jump off the nearest cliff instead. hope all’s well that ends well.
Pingback:
Gina
This is a tough, tough market and I hope you won’t have to compromise too much the price that you want. Even though I am not a buyer in that area, I know as a potential buyer, I am waiting to see how far prices will fall before I make the foray out into the market.
I’m sorry this is stressing you out so much, my friend. I can’t imagine having to keep the place looking perfect all the time.
And, that song is guaranteed to make me cry EVERY TIME I HEAR IT.
Cherry
It will happen. Someday soon, it will happen.
If you want to see a messy house you can come to ours! We will happily leave the mail ALL over the place, laundry in the corners, and of course in the dryer. I may even leave a glass in the sink, JUST FOR YOU!
3m
We’re selling our house, too. Slooooow market.
I’ll need your email if you want to post reviews on the site. Just send me one to the email I provided in this comment. Since you’re still a blogger member, it won’t be any problem for you to post once I send you an invite.