Wednesday, September 17, 2008

note to self


"Please remember to keep the laundry room door closed so Wrigley will not have access to my dirty underwear which will then be dropped at potential buyer's feet while previewing our home."

I am SO. READY. FOR THIS. TO BE OVER!!!

We just lowered our asking price another $100k and we are getting more calls which is good but still, it's a pain in the flipping ass having to pack for a move, tend to a sick cat with litter boxes in every room and keep this house looking "show ready" at a moment's notice.

We found a place to live in Seattle but we are leasing a house that we originally wanted to buy however, the owners would not budge on price. (Oh and did I mention that while we are living there we will have to have this "show ready" for their potential buyers as well???) We decided to hold off on purchasing for at least 6 months to a year because we don't want to be in the same situation that we were in here. Our house devalued over 35% in the last 2 years and we had the potential to lose $300k which is NOT an easy pill to swallow. Thankfully since this is a relocation we have worked out an acceptable offer with Tom's company so we are able to cash out some equity for purchasing a home in the future. Just the worst possible time to sell a house in S. Cal and apparently, not the best time to buy in Seattle's market. They have not been hit like we have out here, but from what we have been hearing...it's coming.

But at least we have a found a place to live even if it is short term and we can get a feel for the city, the neighborhoods, lifestyle, weather, etc. We're just taking this day by day and in a way I'm relieved we didn't commit to buying right now because who knows what could happen in the next 6 months...

9 comments:

Christina said...

I can't imagine having a "show ready" home when you move from CA and then move to Seattle. It overwhelms me just thinking about that. You must be so stressed. I wish I could do something to help you aside from well wishes. I am thinking of you.

In Small Spectacles said...

$100k-Yikes. That hurt me to read it. I really feel for you guys. I think you're wise to wait and see what your long-term plans are and where in Seattle you want to live before buying. I wouldn't worry about having the new digs "show ready." Geez, seems like a lot to ask. If they think the house was worth so much more money than you were willing to buy it for, they wouldn't have leased it to you. I predict your original offer will start looking mighty fine in a few months.

Anonymous said...

Yes, dropping it 100k, ouch! Thinking of you all..

ChiTown Girl said...

Apparently, I will NEVER be able to move since my home will NEVER be show ready!! Every year I promise myself I'm going to get a cleaning lady, and every year I mysteriously find something else to do with the money. You know, like feed my child, or keep a roof over our heads, silly things!! We started this school year with an extra $1,000 a month in payments ($800 in tuition, $200 for brace payments) so it looks like this house will have to just stay a disaster. Especially since now I have to work THREE jobs to pay the bills, so when the hell am I going to fit in housework!?

Whew...thanks for letting me vent on your blog. It keeps me from sounding like such a bitch on mine! ;-)

Busy Bee Suz said...

I think that renting for a while is actually a great idea. Who knows where you will be in a year...you may like the "other side" of town better.
Stinks that you have to be "show ready" though...that is quite a burden.
our housing market here is crazy also. people have to give away their homes practically now.
Good luck.
Oh, and our Cocoa likes to greet me at the door with one of the bras she has picked up from the three of us . Very cute. :)

Clippy Mat said...

well their standard of 'show ready' in Seattle and your 'show ready' standard in CA could be completely different right? i mean there'll be less pressure on you, cos if it doesn't sell, who gives a ... you know what?
not saying that you wouldn't want to accommodate the owners but just saying that it's not quite so important to you as it is to them is it?
they should pay for a cleaning service if that's the case, to keep the pressure off you and to further their cause.
i think i feel quite strongly on this subject don't i?
hence the long comment.
i'm going now.
i'll get my coat.
:-)

Gina said...

one of my cats likes to steal my moms blush brush and bat it around the bathroom floor; she growls when we try to take it away... maybe she thinks it a mouse?

Me said...

solus, that is exactly what we are hoping for! If we can wait this out 6 mos. to a year and the market continues to drop then who knows what will happen. We may even come in a lot less.

Clippy, would you like to be our attorney? Very passionate indeed but extremely valid points!

Thanks!

Unknown said...

I definitely think it's a good idea when making such a huge move to rent for awhile. What is a good neighborhood on paper may not be a good neighborhood for you guys. And with the changing in neighborhoods around here (condos and townhomes are still going up, despite the market, because the projects have been scheduled for years out) so you have construction sites popping up in new places all the time.

The market isn't great out here, although housing prices are still high. However, I've seen many more "just reduced!" signs on real estate listings and homes in the area...promising for the buyers, not for the sellers.

We actually rent still (have for the past 2.5 years in the same place) and like our area and place, but are looking to get into a larger place when I get pregnant. but we're still looking at renting...reason being #1 we don't know if we'll be here for another 5 years, thus making it hard to sell in this economy, and #2 we can rent a house for $500 to $600 a month LESS than a mortgage payment (unless we want to put $40k-$50k down up front, which would only really reduce our payment a couple hundred a month.)

Good luck with selling though, I'll be sending good real estate thoughts your way!

Oh, and with Wrigley eating underwear...is he a Golden retriever? I have a friend who has one and he eats her underwear ALL the time! It's become a joke but he's seriously eaten about 20 pairs of her underwear since they've had him and had to yak them back up. She always says it sucks because he only eats the nice, VS kind, not the cottony briefs! I guess he has expensive tastes in underwear! ;)