After languishing unwanted on the market for more than a year, our house is suddenly a hot commodity. Over the weekend another family made a very good offer, so after another round of Saturday-night negotiations, we have a backup contract in place.
Then, yesterday, yet another agent called saying her buyers wanted to make an offer. Rather than being third in line for our house, they decided to move forward with their second choice. Sometimes all you can do is shake your head at the real estate game.
Our backup contract is void if our primary contract closes, as we expect it to, but it immediately goes into effect if our primary contract is terminated for some reason. The backup would close on July 1, so either way, the dates are perfect for moving into our rental house. It's a nice dose of extra security for us. Best of all, it looks like the backup buyers might want us to build them this house on another lot if they don't move into primary position.
When we move, we're going to experiment with canceling cable. We talk about this all the time but there always seems to be some (usually sports-related) reason not to bite the bullet quite yet. I think it's going to be easy. Matt isn't so sure.
He watches DVR'd TV while he runs, and he definitely gets our money's worth out of ESPN. But the number of shows I watch has dwindled to four, all on network TV: "Modern Family," "Parks and Recreation," "30 Rock" and "The Office." I literally never turn the TV on during the day and I don't like reruns. I really don't think I'll miss it.
Wireless Internet is another story. That, we're keeping (so I can blog while Matt watches TV, apparently).
Book club meets again tomorrow night -- yay! This month's book is "The Help," which coincidentally I had read right before the last meeting. I liked it a lot but I bet it would have been better if it were 100 pages shorter. Parts of it definitely felt a little debut-novelish. Although, let's be honest, if I wrote a debut novel and it turned out half as good, I'd be overjoyed.
Choppy post, sorry. Can I blame it on being distracted by the TV?
Showing posts with label real estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real estate. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
We will walk to the park!
Around here it is HARD to find a reasonably priced rental house in good condition and in a good neighborhood. It's even harder to find a landlord who will accept less than a 1-year lease. We have to be out of our house in three weeks, so I knew our options were going to be limited for renting while we build in Aberdeen.
I checked the MLS, the newspaper and a few other sites for rental listings but nothing jumped out at me. Then I decided to start calling owners of vacant homes for sale to see who would consider renting instead. Friday afternoon I looked at about 10 of these in Southern Pines and Pinehurst.
It's funny how my priorities in a house have changed since Claire and Evan joined us. Having a fenced-in back yard is a huge perk that I would have considered a negative a couple of years ago -- I don't like the way fences look, but they sure are handy in keeping Claire in our yard. A split-bedroom plan is another big bonus -- I always preferred it for resale, but now I prefer it so whichever baby wakes up first won't wake up the other one.
Of all the houses I looked at Friday only one was a possibility. It had been on the market for a year so I was optimistic that the seller might be willing to let us rent. I called the listing agent, who told me it was an estate situation and the heir has no interest in renting, just wants to sell and be done with it.
But, the listing agent happens to own a house in that same neighborhood that she plans to renovate and move into once her own home sells. For the past year she's been renting it out six months at a time. And just that day, her current tenants had given their 30-day notice. Which means they'll be out four days before our home closes.
We met her this morning to walk through it and IT IS PERFECT. I don't have any pictures but believe me, I will. It's a late-1950s Cape Cod-style cottage in great condition with all the important updates and ALL of the character you could ask for. Plus a fenced-in back yard and a split-bedroom layout. The price is exactly what we were looking for -- even though it could easily go for more.
It even has a wooden swingset/clubhouse/sandbox that she said we can take with us when we move to Aberdeen. It's weathered and worn, but with a little work is going to be great -- especially for free.
I forgot to mention that this house is in a neighborhood Matt and I have dreamed of living in (Knollwood Heights, for you locals), but we could never afford most of the houses there. It is absolutely gorgeous and ridiculously convenient -- two minutes to church, a small park and the trails I used to run with Katie C.; five minutes to downtown Southern Pines and Matt's office; less than 10 minutes to the fitness center (which I joined today).
This may be the first house I get emotionally attached to. Actually, I think I already am.
I checked the MLS, the newspaper and a few other sites for rental listings but nothing jumped out at me. Then I decided to start calling owners of vacant homes for sale to see who would consider renting instead. Friday afternoon I looked at about 10 of these in Southern Pines and Pinehurst.
It's funny how my priorities in a house have changed since Claire and Evan joined us. Having a fenced-in back yard is a huge perk that I would have considered a negative a couple of years ago -- I don't like the way fences look, but they sure are handy in keeping Claire in our yard. A split-bedroom plan is another big bonus -- I always preferred it for resale, but now I prefer it so whichever baby wakes up first won't wake up the other one.
Of all the houses I looked at Friday only one was a possibility. It had been on the market for a year so I was optimistic that the seller might be willing to let us rent. I called the listing agent, who told me it was an estate situation and the heir has no interest in renting, just wants to sell and be done with it.
But, the listing agent happens to own a house in that same neighborhood that she plans to renovate and move into once her own home sells. For the past year she's been renting it out six months at a time. And just that day, her current tenants had given their 30-day notice. Which means they'll be out four days before our home closes.
We met her this morning to walk through it and IT IS PERFECT. I don't have any pictures but believe me, I will. It's a late-1950s Cape Cod-style cottage in great condition with all the important updates and ALL of the character you could ask for. Plus a fenced-in back yard and a split-bedroom layout. The price is exactly what we were looking for -- even though it could easily go for more.
It even has a wooden swingset/clubhouse/sandbox that she said we can take with us when we move to Aberdeen. It's weathered and worn, but with a little work is going to be great -- especially for free.
I forgot to mention that this house is in a neighborhood Matt and I have dreamed of living in (Knollwood Heights, for you locals), but we could never afford most of the houses there. It is absolutely gorgeous and ridiculously convenient -- two minutes to church, a small park and the trails I used to run with Katie C.; five minutes to downtown Southern Pines and Matt's office; less than 10 minutes to the fitness center (which I joined today).
This may be the first house I get emotionally attached to. Actually, I think I already am.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
We will walk to the library!
On Saturday the four of us plus Amanda, Bri and Hunter took a day trip to Charlotte to visit the wonderful Armenta family. It was so much fun to all get together! Ruthie, Bri and Claire are all within about six months of each other, and Wright, Hunter and Evan are within about four months.
The boys are too young to play together but the girls had a blast. Claire's only issue was figuring out which of Ruthie's toys to play with next (usually she settled for whichever one Ruthie was currently playing with). The weather was perfect and it was so good to spend a relaxed day with some of our favorites -- it had been way too long.
While we were in Charlotte an agent called wanting to show our house. My phone was in the car so I missed her call but Matt had a message from her. By the time he called her back she had called every Kirby in the phone book. She said she had clients who were basically desperate to get into our house. They had already walked all around the yard but hadn't gone inside because they couldn't get in touch with us.
The house was NOT in showing condition so Matt asked if they could come back the next day. But they really wanted to see it that day. We agreed, but explained we had rushed out the door that morning, had two kids under 2, etc., and asked them not to judge. (When we got home we were relieved to find it wasn't a total wreck -- the bed was made, all toilets were flushed, only one pair of underwear was in plain view -- it could have been a lot worse.)
On our way home from Charlotte the agent called and she and the buyers were still at the house and had some questions. A few minutes later she called back and said they were writing an offer. YES! It was a good offer that became very good with negotiations and by 11:30 that night we were under contract!
The buyers extended their trip by a couple of days so they could be here for the home inspection, which was done Monday morning. As always, anything could happen, but I'm feeling good about it. The due diligence period ends June 10 and at that point it will be pretty much a sure thing. We're supposed to close on June 24.
Considering how many times I have second-guessed whether we should even keep our house on the market (Matt is a very patient man), now that it's under contract, I am awfully excited. I do love to live in different houses and neighborhoods and I am SO excited to build in downtown Aberdeen! We'll probably rent while we build and with a little luck we should be in the new house by Christmas. Claire is not going to know what to do with herself when she realizes that our new house and Riley's new house are side by side.
Since our Aberdeen houses are in the historic district they are basically required to be super cute and cottage-y. I cannot tell you how many times I've dragged Matt through downtown Southern Pines houses and begged him to buy them. I have succeeded only once:
But these awesome old houses are exactly the look we're going for in Aberdeen, so today he told me to drive around Southern Pines and take pictures of some of my favorites to work off of in the design of our new house. Holler!
I got a little awesome-old-house giddy and took quite a few pictures. I won't post them all, but here are two homes that are near to my heart.
The very first "one that got away":
And the most recent one:
I'm also making a wish list for the inside -- stained glass, old doors, beadboard, hardwoods, built-ins and more built-ins ... ahh. It's fun to dream!
The boys are too young to play together but the girls had a blast. Claire's only issue was figuring out which of Ruthie's toys to play with next (usually she settled for whichever one Ruthie was currently playing with). The weather was perfect and it was so good to spend a relaxed day with some of our favorites -- it had been way too long.
While we were in Charlotte an agent called wanting to show our house. My phone was in the car so I missed her call but Matt had a message from her. By the time he called her back she had called every Kirby in the phone book. She said she had clients who were basically desperate to get into our house. They had already walked all around the yard but hadn't gone inside because they couldn't get in touch with us.
The house was NOT in showing condition so Matt asked if they could come back the next day. But they really wanted to see it that day. We agreed, but explained we had rushed out the door that morning, had two kids under 2, etc., and asked them not to judge. (When we got home we were relieved to find it wasn't a total wreck -- the bed was made, all toilets were flushed, only one pair of underwear was in plain view -- it could have been a lot worse.)
On our way home from Charlotte the agent called and she and the buyers were still at the house and had some questions. A few minutes later she called back and said they were writing an offer. YES! It was a good offer that became very good with negotiations and by 11:30 that night we were under contract!
The buyers extended their trip by a couple of days so they could be here for the home inspection, which was done Monday morning. As always, anything could happen, but I'm feeling good about it. The due diligence period ends June 10 and at that point it will be pretty much a sure thing. We're supposed to close on June 24.
Considering how many times I have second-guessed whether we should even keep our house on the market (Matt is a very patient man), now that it's under contract, I am awfully excited. I do love to live in different houses and neighborhoods and I am SO excited to build in downtown Aberdeen! We'll probably rent while we build and with a little luck we should be in the new house by Christmas. Claire is not going to know what to do with herself when she realizes that our new house and Riley's new house are side by side.
Since our Aberdeen houses are in the historic district they are basically required to be super cute and cottage-y. I cannot tell you how many times I've dragged Matt through downtown Southern Pines houses and begged him to buy them. I have succeeded only once:
But these awesome old houses are exactly the look we're going for in Aberdeen, so today he told me to drive around Southern Pines and take pictures of some of my favorites to work off of in the design of our new house. Holler!
I got a little awesome-old-house giddy and took quite a few pictures. I won't post them all, but here are two homes that are near to my heart.
The very first "one that got away":
And the most recent one:
I'm also making a wish list for the inside -- stained glass, old doors, beadboard, hardwoods, built-ins and more built-ins ... ahh. It's fun to dream!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Nothing a pot of coffee can't cure
Sunday night I went to bed at 7:15 (before Claire) and that uninterrupted stretch of, I guess, almost 11 hours of sleep worked wonders. When I woke up yesterday morning I was still tired, but like a normal person is tired, not like a zombie who might actually fall asleep standing up.
Being somewhat rested felt so good that last night we were in bed before 10, but if I had to guess, in another day or two we'll be back to our old ways. I tend to forget very quickly how much sleep matters.
----------
I've been spending a lot of my "free time" lately listing items on eBay (they now allow 50 free listings per month). The main thing I've been selling is clothes -- lots and lots of clothes. I'm learning what works: well-known brands, lots of measurements, stupid-low start prices. Then the market does its thing.
Buyers seem to love a robust bidding war. I can start a skirt at $7.99 and it will sit and sit and then expire, but if I start it at $2.99, it will get eight bids and sell for $10. I'm pretty fascinated by the emotional and psychological components of pricing, buying and selling.
It's interesting that I would drive across town to save $20 on a $40 grocery bill, but not to save $20 on, let's say, a $10,000 car. $20 is $20.
Also interesting that I spend hours and hours each month clipping, organizing and using cents-off coupons -- yet I hardly bat an eye when we decide to (yet again) drop the price of our house by thousands of dollars.
And don't even get me started on money spent eating out and my (mostly) irrational justifications for it. That's fodder for a whole 'nother post.
Time to sleep. 10:36 p.m., for the record.
Being somewhat rested felt so good that last night we were in bed before 10, but if I had to guess, in another day or two we'll be back to our old ways. I tend to forget very quickly how much sleep matters.
----------
I've been spending a lot of my "free time" lately listing items on eBay (they now allow 50 free listings per month). The main thing I've been selling is clothes -- lots and lots of clothes. I'm learning what works: well-known brands, lots of measurements, stupid-low start prices. Then the market does its thing.
Buyers seem to love a robust bidding war. I can start a skirt at $7.99 and it will sit and sit and then expire, but if I start it at $2.99, it will get eight bids and sell for $10. I'm pretty fascinated by the emotional and psychological components of pricing, buying and selling.
It's interesting that I would drive across town to save $20 on a $40 grocery bill, but not to save $20 on, let's say, a $10,000 car. $20 is $20.
Also interesting that I spend hours and hours each month clipping, organizing and using cents-off coupons -- yet I hardly bat an eye when we decide to (yet again) drop the price of our house by thousands of dollars.
And don't even get me started on money spent eating out and my (mostly) irrational justifications for it. That's fodder for a whole 'nother post.
Time to sleep. 10:36 p.m., for the record.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Floolooops
Here's one thing to like about Duke basketball: A late game makes Matt stay up late, which means I stay up late and get to blog. The house could stand some straightening up and wiping down, but I already did that once today and don't really feel like repeating it right now. These real estate agents really keep you on your toes, cleaning-wise -- I've been surprised how many calls I've gotten asking to show our house in an hour (or 15 minutes, or "I'm sitting in your driveway ...").
Speaking of which, we relisted today, dropping the price about 10 percent from what it was originally. I've gone through most of the stages of Non-Selling Home, from surprise to indignation to frustration to embarrassment: A Realtor who can't sell her own house feels uncomfortably comparable to an overweight personal trainer, in a "Why would anyone hire her?" way.
Now I'm mainly just intrigued by the situation. We get plenty of showings and glowing feedback, and if anything are underpriced. I feel like either we have a huge blind spot that no one is willing to point out to us, or we just aren't meant to move right now.
Evan woke up to eat while I was writing this (surprise!) and now the game's over so although I have blog build-up in my brain I'm going to stop here. Claire has MMO tomorrow so if the stars align and Evan cooperates and I once again can overlook the disarray surrounding me, maybe I'll write some more in the morning.
Speaking of which, we relisted today, dropping the price about 10 percent from what it was originally. I've gone through most of the stages of Non-Selling Home, from surprise to indignation to frustration to embarrassment: A Realtor who can't sell her own house feels uncomfortably comparable to an overweight personal trainer, in a "Why would anyone hire her?" way.
Now I'm mainly just intrigued by the situation. We get plenty of showings and glowing feedback, and if anything are underpriced. I feel like either we have a huge blind spot that no one is willing to point out to us, or we just aren't meant to move right now.
Evan woke up to eat while I was writing this (surprise!) and now the game's over so although I have blog build-up in my brain I'm going to stop here. Claire has MMO tomorrow so if the stars align and Evan cooperates and I once again can overlook the disarray surrounding me, maybe I'll write some more in the morning.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Rumors
Somewhere in Pinehurst, a paralegal thinks I got into real estate after being fired from Bojangles (where I worked nights while getting my GED) because I started a grease fire.
False, for the record.
Happy Friday the 13th.
False, for the record.
Happy Friday the 13th.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Brain break
I've been trying extra-hard to be productive today, but the editing site just went down and I'm being held hostage by the baby sleeping against my leg, so here I am. Claire's four-month appointment was today (a little early -- she'll be four months on Nov. 2) and she got great reviews. :) She weighs 14 pounds and is 24 1/2 inches long. Her head is still on the small side but it's growing. She took the shots like a champ, which is not to say she didn't scream bloody murder, but she did calm down quickly.
Afterward she and Matt and I went to brunch at Old South Diner. Although it's nice to break up the day with lunch, sometimes it's nice instead to have it out of the way so you can sit down and get some work done. Or blog. (It was also nice to run into Mom, who was having her hair cut next door.)
November, which among other things is National Blog Posting Month, is just a few days away. Although I've committed to NaBloPoMo (post every day for a month) several times, I've gone through with it only once, I think -- the first time, two years ago. But since I'm frustrated with my lack of blogging as of late I'm going to go for it again. And so is Rachel, I think. Right, Rachel? :)
Problem! I just realized this is my last chance to complete NaNoWriMo (spit out a 50,000-word novel in 30 days) for my 101-things list. I actually started NaNoWriMo last year -- I don't remember whether I even told anyone except Kate. Regardless, I quit after about three days.
We finally got our house listed, about four weeks after we meant to. Now that the punch list is (mostly) complete, the challenge will be to keep everything clean and ready for short-notice showings. We can't move until we've been here two years (Dec. 21) anyway so I don't think our procrastination will hurt us.
I'm already dreading the move itself but looking forward to the next place, wherever it may be (the plan is to rent while we build). I love trying out different houses and neighborhoods. Maybe because we lived in the same house all my life (Mom and Dad still live there), maybe because I like change and variety, maybe because it's the only way I can stay on top of clutter. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing, because being married to a builder means you're in for a lot of moves.
Afterward she and Matt and I went to brunch at Old South Diner. Although it's nice to break up the day with lunch, sometimes it's nice instead to have it out of the way so you can sit down and get some work done. Or blog. (It was also nice to run into Mom, who was having her hair cut next door.)
November, which among other things is National Blog Posting Month, is just a few days away. Although I've committed to NaBloPoMo (post every day for a month) several times, I've gone through with it only once, I think -- the first time, two years ago. But since I'm frustrated with my lack of blogging as of late I'm going to go for it again. And so is Rachel, I think. Right, Rachel? :)
Problem! I just realized this is my last chance to complete NaNoWriMo (spit out a 50,000-word novel in 30 days) for my 101-things list. I actually started NaNoWriMo last year -- I don't remember whether I even told anyone except Kate. Regardless, I quit after about three days.
We finally got our house listed, about four weeks after we meant to. Now that the punch list is (mostly) complete, the challenge will be to keep everything clean and ready for short-notice showings. We can't move until we've been here two years (Dec. 21) anyway so I don't think our procrastination will hurt us.
I'm already dreading the move itself but looking forward to the next place, wherever it may be (the plan is to rent while we build). I love trying out different houses and neighborhoods. Maybe because we lived in the same house all my life (Mom and Dad still live there), maybe because I like change and variety, maybe because it's the only way I can stay on top of clutter. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing, because being married to a builder means you're in for a lot of moves.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Rambling woman
I keep wanting to post more pictures of Riley, but a) Too many pictures are overwhelming and b) I'd hate to come across as an obsessed aunt, so my solution is to post one picture a day of her, indefinitely, starting today.
It feels like it's been a long week. I'm tired. The NFL cheerleaders article ended up being a lot harder to write than I expected -- it wasn't really a profile piece, but there wasn't really a story either, so it was hard to organize. I finally finished it this morning.
Tuesday I ran with Kate. We planned to do an eight-miler and I wasn't even sure I could handle that. I hardly ever run more than five unless I'm with her. As we were nearing the end she let it slip that "Vinny claims this route isn't really quite eight" and she decided to run an extra lap around the lake (two more miles) for good measure. I spent the next quarter-mile trying to decide whether I'd regret it more if I did or didn't join her.
In retrospect, I think I would have regretted it either way. I ended up running it with her because I have a lot of stupid pride, but it pretty well knocked me out for the rest of the day. But all in all it was a good run because we had a long time to talk plus I ran into my phenomenal high school coach, Coach Carter.
Yesterday I played tennis with a different woman from the same team and it was a lot more fun than last week. She was pretty good and I played a little better too. We had some marathon rallies, which I love, and she told me where to find courts with a backboard (the ones near Memorial Park on Morganton Road, for any locals who care). Even if I don't join the league maybe she and I can get together once in a while to play.
Let me think, what else ... I don't think I mentioned that Melissa and Thomas finally closed on their house on Friday, an hour before Riley was born! Of course my one closing of the quarter coincided with the birth of my first niece. But it worked out fine and I didn't miss either one. This morning Mel and Thomas found out they're having a BOY!
Matt and Stephen are going to check on some stores in Tennessee today and tomorrow so I'm on my own tonight. If I had to guess I'd say I'll be in bed by 8:30.
Amanda will be here any minute for lunch -- she has a mystery shop at Sonic and I'm joining her -- so the rambling ends here.
It feels like it's been a long week. I'm tired. The NFL cheerleaders article ended up being a lot harder to write than I expected -- it wasn't really a profile piece, but there wasn't really a story either, so it was hard to organize. I finally finished it this morning.
Tuesday I ran with Kate. We planned to do an eight-miler and I wasn't even sure I could handle that. I hardly ever run more than five unless I'm with her. As we were nearing the end she let it slip that "Vinny claims this route isn't really quite eight" and she decided to run an extra lap around the lake (two more miles) for good measure. I spent the next quarter-mile trying to decide whether I'd regret it more if I did or didn't join her.
In retrospect, I think I would have regretted it either way. I ended up running it with her because I have a lot of stupid pride, but it pretty well knocked me out for the rest of the day. But all in all it was a good run because we had a long time to talk plus I ran into my phenomenal high school coach, Coach Carter.
Yesterday I played tennis with a different woman from the same team and it was a lot more fun than last week. She was pretty good and I played a little better too. We had some marathon rallies, which I love, and she told me where to find courts with a backboard (the ones near Memorial Park on Morganton Road, for any locals who care). Even if I don't join the league maybe she and I can get together once in a while to play.
Let me think, what else ... I don't think I mentioned that Melissa and Thomas finally closed on their house on Friday, an hour before Riley was born! Of course my one closing of the quarter coincided with the birth of my first niece. But it worked out fine and I didn't miss either one. This morning Mel and Thomas found out they're having a BOY!
Matt and Stephen are going to check on some stores in Tennessee today and tomorrow so I'm on my own tonight. If I had to guess I'd say I'll be in bed by 8:30.
Amanda will be here any minute for lunch -- she has a mystery shop at Sonic and I'm joining her -- so the rambling ends here.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Rainbow power
(Morgan, I stole this picture from your Facebook.)Yesterday afternoon I kept Parker, the adorable 4-year-old daughter of our friends Morgan and Brian. Except for Kaleigh and Trevor, all of our friends' kids are younger than that, so I'd sort of forgotten what a great age it is.
Parker kept me laughing all afternoon. She claims to have invisible eyes in the back of her head, which she uses to spy on people (as well as hundreds of invisible teeth all over her body that eat germs and keep her from getting sick, usually, unless the germs are inside her body where the teeth can't reach). Despite the invisible eyes, she doesn't want to be a spy when she grows up; she wants to be a rock star and a mama. On the way to the park she asked permission to poke two holes in the Kleenex box so the tissues could breathe. We spent about two hours playing princess at the park. Actually, she was a princess and I was just a "plain old girl," but she took me under her wing.
She taught me how to use "rainbow power" (on boys -- they don't like rainbows) and "Superman power" (on girls -- they don't like Superman). She made me practice the powers and then told me actually I'd just attacked a good guy, but she could revive him, but in the future I should be more discerning. On the way home she asked me to roll down all the windows and open the sunroof, explaining, "I love the breeze! It lets me get all my wiggles out," and doing a crazy dance.
Today we aren't doing much. We caught up on sleep last night and are still working our way through a huge pot of coffee. Tonight we're going to a party at Wendi and Cory's to celebrate Cory's recent promotion. I know nothing about military etiquette and traditions but Wendi swears we don't have to since we aren't military and we should show up with only a card.
I'm trying to think what else is going on ... Melissa and Thomas have run into a snag with their lender. They got $5,000 off the purchase price of their new home in exchange for finishing the renovation of the master bathroom after closing. It is totally functional -- tub, shower, toilet, sink -- but there isn't a permanent floor. The appraiser noted it on his report and now underwriting is requiring the floor to be finished before closing. It will get done but it's a big inconvenience for them since we only have one more weekend before closing (and we need to close on time or they'll lose their rate lock). Lenders are being not just strict but stupid lately, and if you don't believe me, ask Carrie and Jacob.
Tomorrow afternoon Lee Smith, one of my all-time favorite authors, is being inducted into the N.C. Literary Hall of Fame, which is here in Southern Pines! Don't ask me how I didn't know that until yesterday. Past inductees include other of my favorites such as Fred Chappell, Doris Betts, Reynolds Price and Elizabeth Spencer, and you better believe I'll be keeping an eye on this in the future. Kaye Gibbons, for one, has got to be on the short list. Anyway, if anyone who reads this loves Lee Smith/Southern writers as much as I do, you're welcome to join me tomorrow!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday and Saturday
On Friday we finally closed on the downtown gem I was so excited about in July! Here are some pictures. I'm going to give it a good scrub-down tomorrow, and it also needs some touch-up painting and trimwork, but it will be ready to live in by the end of the week.
It has two bedrooms plus a small office, two bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout (tile in bathrooms) and great touches like beadboard and French doors and a covered front porch. The kitchen is large enough to eat in but there's also a formal dining room (which, alternatively, could work as part of the master suite).
The back yard is huge, especially by downtown standards. There's plenty of attic and basement storage space, plus a tool shed. Best of all, it is a block from Broad Street (the center of downtown).
Available for $800 with flexible lease terms. Washer, dryer and refrigerator are included. If you know someone who might be interested, let me know!
Friday afternoon, Matt's dad called to say he was flying home from the Turks and Caicos because his island was being evacuated because of the hurricane. He had planned to be there for another month and a half or so (once he's there, he tends to have trouble leaving). But on Saturday he called to say his flight had been canceled and no more were coming in, so he was going to ride out the hurricane.
We haven't been able to get through to him yet, but so far no injuries or deaths have been reported, so that's good, although it does sound like Grand Turk got pounded. I think Ike was a category 4 when it hit there overnight. As long as Ron survived, it should make for a great story, and definitely will add credibility to his proposed grandparent title of Pirate Ron (no "Grandpa" for him).
Yesterday was what I consider an absolutely perfect day. I had such a great time doing nothing with Matt. After finally getting out of bed we drank an outrageous amount of coffee and had a long, interesting, unrushed conversation on the porch. Then we ate a late lunch, cleaned out the garage and some closets and made a Goodwill drop, checked out the Habitat resale shop furniture (I found a great mirror to paint for $5) and bought an outdoor rug for the porch with some of my birthday money. We added some bookshelf space and rearranged our books, then read on the porch until it got dark, then ordered pizza and watched "Weeds" on DVD until almost 2 a.m. It was awesome.
Also, somehow we're getting the newspaper again -- weekends only -- I have no idea why. I think it's a sneaky marketing effort to make me realize I miss it. I think it's working. Chilling on the porch with a big cup of coffee and http://www.newsobserver.com/ pulled up on my laptop somehow just isn't the same.
It has two bedrooms plus a small office, two bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout (tile in bathrooms) and great touches like beadboard and French doors and a covered front porch. The kitchen is large enough to eat in but there's also a formal dining room (which, alternatively, could work as part of the master suite).
The back yard is huge, especially by downtown standards. There's plenty of attic and basement storage space, plus a tool shed. Best of all, it is a block from Broad Street (the center of downtown).
Available for $800 with flexible lease terms. Washer, dryer and refrigerator are included. If you know someone who might be interested, let me know!
Friday afternoon, Matt's dad called to say he was flying home from the Turks and Caicos because his island was being evacuated because of the hurricane. He had planned to be there for another month and a half or so (once he's there, he tends to have trouble leaving). But on Saturday he called to say his flight had been canceled and no more were coming in, so he was going to ride out the hurricane.
We haven't been able to get through to him yet, but so far no injuries or deaths have been reported, so that's good, although it does sound like Grand Turk got pounded. I think Ike was a category 4 when it hit there overnight. As long as Ron survived, it should make for a great story, and definitely will add credibility to his proposed grandparent title of Pirate Ron (no "Grandpa" for him).
Yesterday was what I consider an absolutely perfect day. I had such a great time doing nothing with Matt. After finally getting out of bed we drank an outrageous amount of coffee and had a long, interesting, unrushed conversation on the porch. Then we ate a late lunch, cleaned out the garage and some closets and made a Goodwill drop, checked out the Habitat resale shop furniture (I found a great mirror to paint for $5) and bought an outdoor rug for the porch with some of my birthday money. We added some bookshelf space and rearranged our books, then read on the porch until it got dark, then ordered pizza and watched "Weeds" on DVD until almost 2 a.m. It was awesome.
Also, somehow we're getting the newspaper again -- weekends only -- I have no idea why. I think it's a sneaky marketing effort to make me realize I miss it. I think it's working. Chilling on the porch with a big cup of coffee and http://www.newsobserver.com/ pulled up on my laptop somehow just isn't the same.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Finally
Melissa's house finally, FINALLY, closed on Thursday. I thought both of us were going to go gray in the process. It was more than two months behind schedule, and it wasn't her fault, my fault, or even the buyer's fault -- we were all dependent on third-party attorneys who never came through. (Click here for the basic background.)
In the end, Habitat for Humanity (who built the house in question) saved the day by paying the buyer $3,500 to close without a recorded easement and accept the property as-is, title issues and all -- AND they reduced Melissa's loan payoff by the same amount to make up for the hassles and extra expenses resulting from this. (Since the original closing date, Melissa and her family have been living with her in-laws, paying rent on top of mortgage for their empty house.) Habitat definitely will be receiving a very appreciative letter from me this week.
All that to say, Friday night Melissa and company were supposed to come over to celebrate and because we hadn't hung out since the park. But that afternoon she had to cancel because Thomas had family coming into town from Indiana, just for that night, on their way to the beach. Since I'd already bought all the food and had the baked beans ready to be cooked, we had a cookout anyway. Thanks to the usuals for coming through in a pinch. Special thanks to Amanda and Stephen T. (who got a promotion that day, congratulations!) for coming over even though they had to be up at 5:45 the next morning for work.
Yesterday morning Matt and I went to Raleigh to get an iPod adaptor put in his car, then we came back for a very low-key pool party at Bill's parents' house. When it started to rain we took showers and went to Vito's, then Matt and I came home and crashed by about 10 p.m. Today we have Granny's birthday lunch, then a quick house showing and yardwork, and then dinner with Matt's Mimi. I love weekends, just wish they lasted more than two days.
In the end, Habitat for Humanity (who built the house in question) saved the day by paying the buyer $3,500 to close without a recorded easement and accept the property as-is, title issues and all -- AND they reduced Melissa's loan payoff by the same amount to make up for the hassles and extra expenses resulting from this. (Since the original closing date, Melissa and her family have been living with her in-laws, paying rent on top of mortgage for their empty house.) Habitat definitely will be receiving a very appreciative letter from me this week.
All that to say, Friday night Melissa and company were supposed to come over to celebrate and because we hadn't hung out since the park. But that afternoon she had to cancel because Thomas had family coming into town from Indiana, just for that night, on their way to the beach. Since I'd already bought all the food and had the baked beans ready to be cooked, we had a cookout anyway. Thanks to the usuals for coming through in a pinch. Special thanks to Amanda and Stephen T. (who got a promotion that day, congratulations!) for coming over even though they had to be up at 5:45 the next morning for work.
Yesterday morning Matt and I went to Raleigh to get an iPod adaptor put in his car, then we came back for a very low-key pool party at Bill's parents' house. When it started to rain we took showers and went to Vito's, then Matt and I came home and crashed by about 10 p.m. Today we have Granny's birthday lunch, then a quick house showing and yardwork, and then dinner with Matt's Mimi. I love weekends, just wish they lasted more than two days.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Bargain shopping on a large scale
I am so excited because we just went under contract for what I think is the best deal of my life in real estate thus far. I'm not going to go into detail or post pictures until after it's closed -- don't want to jinx anything -- but just had to say YAY!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Three things
1. What is up with the temperature dropping 20 degrees over the course of a day? What began as a warm, sunny day has turned drizzly and gray and chilly and I am not wearing enough clothes. I went rifling through our supply closet and found an abandoned men's old-school Nautica jacket so now I am oh-so-stylishly warm.
2. Last night only five people showed up for Bible study so Meg taught us how to play Speed Scrabble. It was fun and addictive and I definitely played it in my sleep last night. In high school I went through a short phase of dreaming I was playing Minesweeper, too. Does this happen to other people?
3. I am having such a frustrating work week.
One of my closings is being held up because of a driveway that's over the property line. The next-door neighbor orally granted an easement, but he died before it was put in writing and recorded. After his death he was discovered to have a boatload of liens and judgments against him. Now his wife and child (who wasn't even born when he died) can't buy or sell or even, that's right, formally grant an easement without going through the court system, which of course is taking forever and is not cheap.
One of my sellers' contracts is being terminated today because the buyer just snapped. First she changed her mind about buying the house, then she started threatening about what would happen if she didn't get her earnest money back, and now she's creepily trying to track down where my sellers live (she was buying a house they'd been renting out). At this point, her own agent is overnighting all the cancellation paperwork back and forth from Southern Pines to Whispering Pines -- a 10-minute drive -- to avoid dealing with her in person.
Another buyer and friend who's been looking for the right condo for more than a year finally found it and planned to make an offer a few days ago. About five minutes before she was supposed to arrive at my office, the listing agent called to tell me the sellers had decided not to accept the new job that was the reason for the move so they were taking the condo off the market.
I'm trying to remember that all real estate transactions have their complications, and they always get worked out. In the scheme of things, these bumps never deserve the stress they cause.
2. Last night only five people showed up for Bible study so Meg taught us how to play Speed Scrabble. It was fun and addictive and I definitely played it in my sleep last night. In high school I went through a short phase of dreaming I was playing Minesweeper, too. Does this happen to other people?
3. I am having such a frustrating work week.
One of my closings is being held up because of a driveway that's over the property line. The next-door neighbor orally granted an easement, but he died before it was put in writing and recorded. After his death he was discovered to have a boatload of liens and judgments against him. Now his wife and child (who wasn't even born when he died) can't buy or sell or even, that's right, formally grant an easement without going through the court system, which of course is taking forever and is not cheap.
One of my sellers' contracts is being terminated today because the buyer just snapped. First she changed her mind about buying the house, then she started threatening about what would happen if she didn't get her earnest money back, and now she's creepily trying to track down where my sellers live (she was buying a house they'd been renting out). At this point, her own agent is overnighting all the cancellation paperwork back and forth from Southern Pines to Whispering Pines -- a 10-minute drive -- to avoid dealing with her in person.
Another buyer and friend who's been looking for the right condo for more than a year finally found it and planned to make an offer a few days ago. About five minutes before she was supposed to arrive at my office, the listing agent called to tell me the sellers had decided not to accept the new job that was the reason for the move so they were taking the condo off the market.
I'm trying to remember that all real estate transactions have their complications, and they always get worked out. In the scheme of things, these bumps never deserve the stress they cause.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Hold your nose and flip this house
Our company is trying to buy a house that's an outrageously good opportunity -- a fixer-upper on the water in a nice neighborhood with amazing views, a large yard, good bones, curb appeal and the right price.
The house is a foreclosure and inside it's the most filthy, disgusting place I've ever been. All of the carpet is covered -- covered! -- in cat, dog and rat feces, some just lying there, others smeared into the flooring. The basement carpet is sopping wet and has been for a while, the refrigerator has not been emptied and smells like death. The whole house does, actually. The first time we looked at it, yesterday, we all breathed through our mouths to avoid the gag reflex. This morning we brought masks (but still breathed through our mouths).
I have no idea how a house can smell that bad. Moreover, I have no idea how anyone could live there. (Carrie: "If someone offered you a million dollars tax-free to stay here for two days, would you do it?") There were hundreds of cigarette butts throughout, but not even a hint of a smoky smell -- the other smells were so pervasive. I changed my clothes after going there this morning because it had seeped into what I was wearing. I think it's still in my hair.
While the guys were checking out structural stuff this morning to decide how much we wanted to offer and how much it would cost to renovate it, I started going through the people's stuff (the house was trashed, but most of their belongings were still there. There's a dresser and a vanity I want to claim for refinishing if we get the house).
In one bedroom there were two notebooks from a little girl, one a school journal and one a regular diary marked "PRIVATE!" I couldn't believe that a child lived in that house. Can you imagine?
According to one of the notebooks, the girl's parents separated and the dad kept that house and the girl and her mother moved to a nearby town. He sounded like a jerk anyway. He and her mom fought all the time and he refused to get a job and was stupid with money, she wrote, and everyone was happier when they split up. I hope the girl and her mom are OK. The husband's probably in jail or something.
We might not get the house -- right now we're in a bidding war with three other parties. If we do get it I'm really hoping we'll "accidentally" go over-budget with renovations and "have" to hold it for a few years before selling. I wish!
The house is a foreclosure and inside it's the most filthy, disgusting place I've ever been. All of the carpet is covered -- covered! -- in cat, dog and rat feces, some just lying there, others smeared into the flooring. The basement carpet is sopping wet and has been for a while, the refrigerator has not been emptied and smells like death. The whole house does, actually. The first time we looked at it, yesterday, we all breathed through our mouths to avoid the gag reflex. This morning we brought masks (but still breathed through our mouths).
I have no idea how a house can smell that bad. Moreover, I have no idea how anyone could live there. (Carrie: "If someone offered you a million dollars tax-free to stay here for two days, would you do it?") There were hundreds of cigarette butts throughout, but not even a hint of a smoky smell -- the other smells were so pervasive. I changed my clothes after going there this morning because it had seeped into what I was wearing. I think it's still in my hair.
While the guys were checking out structural stuff this morning to decide how much we wanted to offer and how much it would cost to renovate it, I started going through the people's stuff (the house was trashed, but most of their belongings were still there. There's a dresser and a vanity I want to claim for refinishing if we get the house).
In one bedroom there were two notebooks from a little girl, one a school journal and one a regular diary marked "PRIVATE!" I couldn't believe that a child lived in that house. Can you imagine?
According to one of the notebooks, the girl's parents separated and the dad kept that house and the girl and her mother moved to a nearby town. He sounded like a jerk anyway. He and her mom fought all the time and he refused to get a job and was stupid with money, she wrote, and everyone was happier when they split up. I hope the girl and her mom are OK. The husband's probably in jail or something.
We might not get the house -- right now we're in a bidding war with three other parties. If we do get it I'm really hoping we'll "accidentally" go over-budget with renovations and "have" to hold it for a few years before selling. I wish!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wired
Time Warner was supposed to be here between noon and 2 p.m. yesterday, and they didn't show up until 4:15 p.m., but the important thing is that they did eventually show up and ... we're back in the land of the living!
Last night I showed two houses to a couple I sold a house to in late June. This makes FOUR families I sold a house to within the past year who are already looking for something new. Although once they crunch the capital-gains-tax numbers they might decide they can stick it out until the two-year mark.
I wonder whether this is normal or means I'm not so great at pinpointing and asking some of the important questions -- such as "Are you SURE you're going to be OK with that commute?" "Are you SURE you want to tackle a renovation?" "Are you SURE this house is big enough?" and "Are you SURE you don't care for a garage?"
I guess the fact that they're all coming back to me means that they, at least, don't blame me, which is good.
I am very very close to posting house pictures. I kept delaying it until everything was more put together. Tuesday's cookout motivated us to finally hang most of our pictures (my least favorite part of a move -- I hate measuring) and to "put up" (hide in closets) the boxes that had not yet been unpacked. Pier 1 called yesterday to say our bed has arrived so we might pick that up tonight, if we can borrow a truck from someone, and our couches are SUPPOSED to be getting cleaned today, right this minute, actually, except the couch cleaner, taking a cue from Time Warner, is 35 minutes late and counting. Lauren has always said that, generally speaking, service in this town sucks.
Anyway, my point is that if we pick up the bed tonight I'll take a round of pictures and try to post them tomorrow, finally!
Last night I showed two houses to a couple I sold a house to in late June. This makes FOUR families I sold a house to within the past year who are already looking for something new. Although once they crunch the capital-gains-tax numbers they might decide they can stick it out until the two-year mark.
I wonder whether this is normal or means I'm not so great at pinpointing and asking some of the important questions -- such as "Are you SURE you're going to be OK with that commute?" "Are you SURE you want to tackle a renovation?" "Are you SURE this house is big enough?" and "Are you SURE you don't care for a garage?"
I guess the fact that they're all coming back to me means that they, at least, don't blame me, which is good.
I am very very close to posting house pictures. I kept delaying it until everything was more put together. Tuesday's cookout motivated us to finally hang most of our pictures (my least favorite part of a move -- I hate measuring) and to "put up" (hide in closets) the boxes that had not yet been unpacked. Pier 1 called yesterday to say our bed has arrived so we might pick that up tonight, if we can borrow a truck from someone, and our couches are SUPPOSED to be getting cleaned today, right this minute, actually, except the couch cleaner, taking a cue from Time Warner, is 35 minutes late and counting. Lauren has always said that, generally speaking, service in this town sucks.
Anyway, my point is that if we pick up the bed tonight I'll take a round of pictures and try to post them tomorrow, finally!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Let's make a deal
I really love to negotiate. It's my favorite part of my job, even though sometimes it's frustrating to negotiate on behalf of other people.
Two things I always keep in mine during negotiations are a) You have to care less than the other person -- always have a backup option, and b) Both sides have to wind up feeling as if they "won" -- if not the war, at least a battle.
As a buyer, the worst thing you can do is fall in love with something before it's yours. The bigger the purchase, the more important this principle is. But you have to really be willing to walk away -- not just bluff. Otherwise, you'll come crawling back, look like an idiot and have no leverage whatsoever.
I'd be remiss not to note that the second-worst thing you can do is be stupidly stubborn. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Two things I always keep in mine during negotiations are a) You have to care less than the other person -- always have a backup option, and b) Both sides have to wind up feeling as if they "won" -- if not the war, at least a battle.
As a buyer, the worst thing you can do is fall in love with something before it's yours. The bigger the purchase, the more important this principle is. But you have to really be willing to walk away -- not just bluff. Otherwise, you'll come crawling back, look like an idiot and have no leverage whatsoever.
I'd be remiss not to note that the second-worst thing you can do is be stupidly stubborn. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Free lunch! Cash drawing! Please come!
I am tired. Today I held a broker open house, only my second one ever. Broker open houses are meant to introduce new listings to other agents so they (theoretically) will be more likely to sell them.Some sellers think open houses are very important, but the ones for the public are much more useful as a way for agents to meet potential clients than as a way to sell a house. Broker open houses are useful for networking and little else.
For the first time I partnered with a mortgage broker, who provided lunch while I provided drinks and a cash door prize. Realtors usually show up en masse for free food and money. Who can blame them?
At first I thought that was a good idea (splitting costs) but a few days ago I started worrying that no one would show up and I would have asked the mortgage broker to spend a lot of money and go to a lot of trouble for nothing.
So I resorted to what annoying Realtors do all the time: a cheesy e-mail blitz. Day 1: New listing flier. Day 2: Open house flier. Day 3 (today): Reminder flier -- except today my email has not been working and that one didn't go out. (I'm sure it will tomorrow.)
The good news is that we ended up having a fantastic turnout -- 30-some agents. At one point I mentioned being pleasantly surprised that so many people came, and an older agent (they're all older) turned to me and said, "Honey, you're still new enough that people like you." Uh ... thank you?
I'm tired of hearing myself whine, so I'll quit here. Besides, I need to send out an email to all invitees announcing the winner of the cash prize.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Slowly going crazy
Mondays are so jarring after a relaxing weekend! Today was unexpectedly busy. I am spending a lot of time right now with some clients who I really, really like as people but who are difficult buyers to work with. We've probably looked at 75 to 85 houses in the past month, 10 percent of which have spent at least some time in their "This is THE house for us!" spot, and two of which they've made an offer on. So far.
When you first start out in real estate, you think it's great when you have buyers that like most of the houses you show them. They start measuring rooms and you start seeing dollar signs. But when they do that for 10 houses in a row you begin to realize they're going to be harder to work for than the straightforward super-picky buyers. The latter eventually find the perfect house (or get tired of looking and just pick one), whereas the former cannot pull the trigger to save their lives.
One of my main roles as a buyer's agent, in the house-hunting stage, is to help buyers eliminate homes that won't work for them. I've had a really hard time doing that with these particular clients because they have a good price range, are willing to live in any town in the southern part of our county, don't care about school districts because they're probably going to home school their children, and aren't very picky. (They'd prefer granite counters but Formica will do; would like an office but could use the dining room as an office instead; know a large garage would be a perk for resale but don't plan to park their cars in it anyway.)
So far neither of their offers has been accepted because they have unrealistic expectations of how negotiable prices are around here. (The gloom and doom of the national housing market just hasn't hit in our county, knock on wood.) The wife is starting to really stress out, but the husband is willing to keep making offers and being rejected until someone accepts a low-ball bid -- even if it's Halloween before that happens.
It's truly amazing how otherwise normal, reasonable people tend to approach real estate transactions with very little logic. These clients are good examples of a few quirks most buyers exhibit to some degree:
-- When it comes time to make an offer, most buyers don't want to study comparable sales or get their agent's opinion about what a house is worth. All they care about is how much they can get the seller to come down from the asking price.
If a house is listed at $340,000 and the buyers start out offering $310,000 and the parties eventually come to contract at $320,000, the thrilled buyers will tell all their friends what a great deal they got.
If the same house is listed at $320,000, the same buyers will start out at $305,000 and refuse to go higher than $312,000. The parties will not come to contract, and the indignant buyers will tell their agent, "Don't they realize it's a buyer's market? They're going to regret not accepting our offer. What nerve!"
I realize it's human nature to want to feel like you came out on top in negotiations, but come on. From a seller's standpoint it's especially frustrating because you want to list your house at fair market value, but it's smarter to list it 5 percent or so over -- the crucial wiggle room.
-- Too many options can have a crippling effect. Around here, if a buyer can spend no more than $150,000, and has to have a two-car garage and a dining room, and has to be within 10 minutes of work, he might have a dozen possibilities and maybe two that he really likes. In contrast, if a buyer's choices seem almost unlimited, they tend to get overwhelmed and the decision-making process will be a lot harder.
(I've experienced this phenomenon myself when shopping for clothes. If I like a shirt and only one is available in my size, I'll probably buy it. If it's available in 10 colors I like in my size, I'm likely to leave the store empty-handed. Matt doesn't get this, and I can't really explain it; maybe it says something about my personality.)
-- People always talk about how women sometimes get tied to a particular house and then are willing to do anything to make it theirs. But no one ever talks about how the men let pride get in the way of the purchase negotiations. Men can be incredibly stubborn if you don't let them feel like they're "winning" some of the negotiations -- to the point that they're willing to walk away from the house they really want. The expression "cutting off your nose to spite your face" comes to mind. Typically, they huff and puff and then come back around (but claim they're only doing it for the wife).
I could go on and on, but Matt and I are doing wine and exotic cheese and crackers for dinner tonight (thanks, Lauren, for the idea) and that's a pretty compelling reason to stop here.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Mortgage shopping
Shopping for a mortgage is stressful! I always give my buyers at least three names and encourage them to shop around.
Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to compare apples to apples in mortgages, so it's not as simple as picking the company with the best rate, I now see. Matt and I have an additional layer of pressure because the loan officers we're talking to are either a) friends, b) former clients, c) people with whom we already have a business relationship or d) people with whom we hope to establish a business relationship. I want to work with all of them!
We need to make a decision by tomorrow. If anyone has advice, offer it fast. Otherwise, we'll probably draw a name from a hat.
Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to compare apples to apples in mortgages, so it's not as simple as picking the company with the best rate, I now see. Matt and I have an additional layer of pressure because the loan officers we're talking to are either a) friends, b) former clients, c) people with whom we already have a business relationship or d) people with whom we hope to establish a business relationship. I want to work with all of them!
We need to make a decision by tomorrow. If anyone has advice, offer it fast. Otherwise, we'll probably draw a name from a hat.
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