Sold. A War Story of Sorts.

We finally got our house in Manassas sold.

I still can't believe how awful that process turned out to be.

But it's done.

Up until the money showed up in our bank account, I doubted everything every step of the way.  We were supposed to close November 30th, although with Thanksgiving right before then, we figured that wouldn't happen.  We hoped for later in the week, but no.  Our buyers needed more time to get the money for their down payment (which apparently they got as a grant???  How come I never get grant money like that?).  We gave them two more weeks (but told them we'd give them a little less back for closing costs, since we now had to pay December's mortgage).  They sent us an addendum to sign because their names were wrong on the contract (???).  We signed it.  They sent us another addendum because their names were STILL wrong on the contract (???).  We signed it. 

I gave up completely.

And then that Friday-- the 11th-- my agent called and said they'd closed.  I was like-- wha???  Really???

Apparently it was true!  They'd closed the deal.

Then I immediately freaked out since we'd given power of attorney to someone (our agent's broker's lawyer?  I think?) and worried that somehow we'd given our house away.  The next day I spoke with our agent and felt reassured that this had not happened.  Then I freaked out that the money we'd get would be less than I'd calculated.  After playing phone tag all day long with the title company, I finally got a number and it was a few thousand more than I'd thought, so that was a relief.  And then the money finally showed up in our bank account Tuesday night.

Phew!

We ended up getting $19k less than when we'd originally "sold" the house, a fact which still stings.  I have to remind myself that we got enough for a down payment on our new house with a little left over, and what a huge blessing that still is-- plenty of people lost so much with the market crash in 2008.  Who am I to be greedy and demand more than what we got?  But this is totally one of those times where I have to work to see the glass half full, or else I get angry and/or depressed.

The thing I was most excited about was that it was DONE.  One less thing to worry about.  No more paying utilities on two homes!  No more stressing about if we should lower the price or wait until spring and see if the market would pick back up.  No more worrying about what else might break while the house sat empty (so far the water heater and the shed door had already broken, and then there was that tree that kept threatening to fall on our neighbor's house...).  So many things to worry about!  And-- added bonus-- it was done before Christmas so we could buy presents for all our extended family.  Because I do enjoy sending presents to people at Christmastime. 

The other thing I can never stop being grateful for is that my sister was willing to loan us the down payment money on our new house until the old one sold.  I honestly don't know what we would have done for 6 long months without her help.  Lived in separate places?  Rented a place?  It could have been SO much worse.  Tracy's help was a tremendous blessing.  And nothing made me happier than sending that money back to her!

So yes, we're down a house now.  And that feels wonderful!  Hallelujah!


I am never moving again.