House Update!

Originally, this post was going to be of a different nature.  I started a draft post update when my house had an accepted offer and an offer we put on a house was accepted. Unfortunately, our situation has changed.

I was recommended a great realtor by my friend and I can't thank her enough for the recommendation.  The realtor has been wonderful and been excellent with communication and advice every step of the way.

When we first met with her and agreed to work with the realtor, everything after that went very quickly.  We spent a good part of a weekend putting away things and getting the house ready to be sold.  The rule of thumb for house showings is that a potential buyer has to imagine themselves living in your home.  Scarlett's preschool artwork had to be taken off the wall, all magnets off the fridge, any family photos off the wall and so on.  It's a lot more work than we thought but it was for the best.

Once the photos of the house were taken for the online listing, there was no turning back. The listing went live a few days after that and I was bombarded with calls.  I think we had 6 showings in one day and a total of 13 showings in about 3 days.  It was madness.  I was scrambling to keep my home clean and always in order for potential buyers.  It felt like Lynnie and Scarlett and I were always in the car since you can't be home when the individuals come over.  It was hard for me to say no to anyone asking to view the home because I felt like I was turning away someone who could potentially be interested.

Our hard work paid off because after four days on the market, our home had an offer.  The offer was 10K less than asking price and it felt too good to be true. The family had a 15 month old girl and the wife was pregnant with another girl.  They wrote us a very nice email saying that our home felt like home to them and they couldn't wait to make memories here.  Scarlett's room is pink with flowers and animals and would have been perfect for the girls.  The note made me cry because reality was setting in that we'd soon be leaving and this was a special house to us.  I didn't expect to feel that emotional about it, but I did.

About a day later, a beautiful home came on the market in a neighborhood that we primarily can't afford.  The price tag was shockingly low and we could easily afford it.  We went to see the home twice and the amount of interest in the house was unreal.  Realtors and their clients were backed up down the street waiting for their time slot to see the house.  Of course there was more interest than normal because of the low price tag and how beautiful the home was.  Due to all of this, a bidding war ensued and we had to submit an offer over asking price.  Two days later our realtor told us that the seller's agent was accepting best and final offers and this was the end of the road.  We submitted an even higher offer and it was accepted.  We were thrilled.

The home had a huge backyard and boasted four bedrooms and plenty of storage.  With over 2,200 square feet it surely would be the upgrade we were looking for.  I started mentally planning how I wanted to decorate the rooms and envisioning Scarlett and her friends playing in her backyard for the first time.

Everything was smooth sailing after that and the buyers had an inspection on our home which came back clear.  They asked for a few minor things but nothing out of the ordinary. Our inspection on the new house was set for the following week and we were ready to go through with that.

Everything changed this past Saturday when they asked to come back to our home for a second look.  They spent more time than normal here and we took that as a negative sign. Ultimately, the buyers became obsessed with squeaky floors in the house which wasn't a true problem, but they made it out to be.  This was the beginning of the end.

They were dragging their feet after this and we could tell something was not right.  Our inspection was set for the next day, and we told our realtor if the buyers are not going to seriously go through with purchasing our home, we are not spending hundreds of dollars for no reason on our own inspection.  In the end, they backed out and said they were sorry.  There was no given reason, but I honestly think it was buyers remorse and they didn't want our house.  They used the floors as a way to back out even though they didn't give a specific reason.

We are sad but know it obviously wasn't meant to be.  We're on to bigger and better things and know another house we'll love even more is just around the corner.