Thursday, October 16, 2014

So Slow and Then Really, Really Fast!


Waiting for a very important milestone - like hitting the road full-time - makes the time seem like it is crawling by. Both Bill and I have several countdowns - from the number of Mondays he has left to work, to how many months until Richie graduates, to how long until we can buy the rig. Looking back, the time seems to be moving at a pretty good clip, but looking forward, the finish line has always seemed very far away.

Until now. 

 
Here we go!
With the loss of our potential buyer, selling the house becomes priority number one. Timing the sale to put us in the right position at the right time with the right price becomes "the great juggling act of 2014/15".  Buying the rig is dependent on the sale of the house, and the sale of the house must happen before Bill's retirement date. 

Also between now and then are the Holidays and Brian's wedding - all considerations when timing a move. If we sell early we will need to rent an apartment for 4-5 months, and if later, then the move will be directly to the motorhome. A few weeks in the rig with a 17 year-old boy seems reasonable - more than that seems like a recipe for homicide.

Do we want to spend our last big Christmas with the kids in an apartment? No. Do we want to risk not selling the house in the first quarter of the year? Bigger No.

So the realtor came over on Tuesday. Do they ever walk in and say "We should list it at thousands more than you were thinking."? Not in my experience :-(. I've been paying attention to the flat-line of housing prices since the big 20% jump last year, and to the increasing inventory of listings in our area - not a positive trend for sellers. That's the reason I wanted to know the status of our potential buyer now, rather than later.

Which is why we've decided to list the house in two weeks.

And why now things are moving really, really fast!

In addition to all the fixes and staging (so thankful we have purged all the extra stuff already!) that have to get done in two weeks, are all the "timing" scenarios running through my head. The earlier the sale, the less stress about all the other pieces for next year falling into place. I know all too well the misery of having a house on the market for an extended period of time.  But an early sale also means one additional move between the S&B and the rig, and celebrating Christmas in a very temporary place.

Of course the gods could be smiling on us and the early buyer will want a long escrow, or will want to do a rent-back, and then we'll have the perfect scenario. I've told the realtor to look for that buyer. He wrote it down.

The Home Depot and Honey-Do lists have begun. Small-job contractors have been contacted for estimates with quick-turn-arounds. The family has been assured that the "drill-sergeant-from-hell" will leave as soon as the projects are completed (no better incentive for quality work at a rapid pace), and that she still loves them :-).

After so many slow months, the next few are going to fly by. Here's hoping for a smooth flight, ending in the exact place we want to be, with a landing that we all survive.

 

30 comments:

  1. Here we go...! This is exciting and scary, isn't it?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't think of a better way to wrap up the year! Hope it all goes as smooth as possible!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just think when a buyer comes, grab him. It could be a long time between buyers otherwise. My fingers and toes are crossed for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right?! We even listed lower than every other house in the area to bring them in - and we'll grab them quick!
      Thanks much for the good wishes :-)

      Delete
  4. Good luck! When we sold our place we had about given up on getting it sold, then someone wanted it but wanted the whole thing done in a week. You just never know with these things, but hope it goes smooth as possible.

    Maura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're so glad we already got rid of everything but what we're taking and what we're living with for the short term - we could be out in three days :-)

      Delete
  5. Good luck, ours took almost two years before we were finally rid of it. May the real estate gods send you the right buyer at just the right time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've done the waiting game too and we're sure hoping the current market is much better!

      Delete
  6. Good Luck! Wishing you the best! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh boy! You are off and running now. Things are starting to get very real! Hope it works out just exactly the way you want and that your agent didn't dream up too many things for you to need to do. My experience has been that the buyer redoes all the cosmetic stuff anyway. Waste of time and energy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're focusing on the stuff that may get called by the appraiser or pest inspection - and my OCD has me organizing cupboards and staging rooms :-) It is definitely very real!!

      Delete
  8. Good for you!! We hope you get the perfect buyer, at the perfect price, at the perfect time.
    Christmas may be easier in a house, but it's not about the location-it's about the people you share it with. It'll turn out great no matter what. I'm such an optimist :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS-I just noticed you added me to your blog list :-))

      Delete
    2. So true about people over place! We'll enjoy the kids all together if we're in a hotel room! Optimism is the only way to roll :-)
      I thought I had added you a while back - the Google + notice reminded me!

      Delete
  9. How exciting! We were in a similar place in May 2013 when we found the perfect renters for our home -- we weren't planning to go full-time until October, but finding great renters "encouraged" us to get our butts in gear and git 'er done by June. It was a huge, exhausting, but thrilling effort. And so worth it! Here's hoping that your home sells quickly, and that it works out for you to stay there until you're ready to leave.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, we would much prefer the stress of having to rush than that of a long wait! How fun that you got "out" early :-) Thank you for stopping by, and for your good wishes!

      Delete
  10. Oh, boy, following your story always takes me back to our beginning. Our MH came along a year earlier than we wanted but actually was a good thing because we got to do a six week shake down trip the summer before we retired. Of course, we were selling our house after the bottom fell out of the market. But the bottom also fell in MH industry, too, so what we lost on the house, we saved on the new MH! It all worked out except for the eight months we were on the road full time waiting for the house to sell. It all comes together in the end as I am sure it will for you:) But it is tough while it is all happening. I feel your frustration:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Knowing that so many have been here before us, it's like a rite of passage :-) We can see ourselves out there in our rig next Spring, so we're very optimistic!

      Delete
  11. Holy crap, that's a whole lot of stress!! Ok...breathe...breathe...and yes, maybe that dream buyer is out there. Hey, you never know....And I know what you mean - everyone keeps telling me that the next year will fly by and sometimes it feels that way, and at other times, not so much....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's never fast enough when you're the one spending the time :-) Ah yes - breathe indeed!

      Delete
  12. I have a similar "timing" problem with my daughter. She graduates LVN school & applies for her license March -June. Our lease is up in May. She doesn't want to live in the RV with us for a few weeks but it might happen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It seems like there's always "something" to maneuver around. Richie's graduation is from high school so at least those dates are set on the calendar. Having a lease expire instead of having a house to sell sounds so great right now :-)

      Delete
  13. Best of luck on your move as you begin your life on the road. We loved the FullTime Life ...lived in our fifth wheel for over 10 years ... It's a great life. (I saw your comment on Gaelyns blog and as we shared a love of Josha Tree NP, so thought I'd viintage).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Sallie, and for the good wishes! Wow, ten years is awesome - I can only imagine all the wonderful things you have seen. I was truly blessed to have so much time at Joshua Tree, and look forward to returning.

      Delete
  14. Can't find an email address for you Jodee. Can you email me at RVdreamlife@gmail.com?

    ReplyDelete