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We bought our first home as a family (DH and I had both owned homes in our prior lives) in Bangor Maine. After his residency was finished, he got a job an hour away, and with 12 hour shifts, he wasn't seeing much of us on the days he worked. So, stupidly thinking we'd have no problem selling our house, we bought another one near his job. We had the house on the market a year with no offers, and reduced it from $224k to $199k. It's a lovely 2400 sq ft 100 year old home with gorgeous woodwork, a bridal staircase, remodeled kitchen with new bamboo floors, but it's on a busy street and the neighbor is a crazy old cat lady who doesn't take care of her house. We've had tenants in it for 11 months now, and while they are good kids, it looks like student housing now with Doors posters on the walls and student-looking furniture, so it does not show very well, but we can't afford to lose that income. It's being listed next week at $193,900. We will just about break even at that price (well, we'd lose the $7500 we spent on the kitchen.)
We've decided to move to the Berkshires, as DH got a job offer we can't refuse. So now, we need to sell our current house, too. It's on the coast of Maine, 6 acres with ocean and mountain views. The original structure was a boat-building shop, and the house was built on top. It was clearly a self-designed project, and has some weirdness to it, but we fell in love immediately, and it certainly does have character. It's 3200 sq ft with an awesome library with walls of shelves. We have painted some rooms that needed it, fixed the roof, new well-pump, and new appliances and decks. The driveway is an issue -- it's very long, and we have an easement over our neighbor's land to get to the road. It's gravel and in desperate need of grading and filling, which we will get done soon. The house is a bear to heat (cost us over $6000 last winter for oil and we were never truly warm.) We might invest in a gas furnace to make it more marketable.
So, we need to sell 2 houses, both with some issues (our current home was on the market a year when we bought it - it's going to take the right buyers.)
We bought our first home as a family (DH and I had both owned homes in our prior lives) in Bangor Maine. After his residency was finished, he got a job an hour away, and with 12 hour shifts, he wasn't seeing much of us on the days he worked. So, stupidly thinking we'd have no problem selling our house, we bought another one near his job. We had the house on the market a year with no offers, and reduced it from $224k to $199k. It's a lovely 2400 sq ft 100 year old home with gorgeous woodwork, a bridal staircase, remodeled kitchen with new bamboo floors, but it's on a busy street and the neighbor is a crazy old cat lady who doesn't take care of her house. We've had tenants in it for 11 months now, and while they are good kids, it looks like student housing now with Doors posters on the walls and student-looking furniture, so it does not show very well, but we can't afford to lose that income. It's being listed next week at $193,900. We will just about break even at that price (well, we'd lose the $7500 we spent on the kitchen.)
We've decided to move to the Berkshires, as DH got a job offer we can't refuse. So now, we need to sell our current house, too. It's on the coast of Maine, 6 acres with ocean and mountain views. The original structure was a boat-building shop, and the house was built on top. It was clearly a self-designed project, and has some weirdness to it, but we fell in love immediately, and it certainly does have character. It's 3200 sq ft with an awesome library with walls of shelves. We have painted some rooms that needed it, fixed the roof, new well-pump, and new appliances and decks. The driveway is an issue -- it's very long, and we have an easement over our neighbor's land to get to the road. It's gravel and in desperate need of grading and filling, which we will get done soon. The house is a bear to heat (cost us over $6000 last winter for oil and we were never truly warm.) We might invest in a gas furnace to make it more marketable.
So, we need to sell 2 houses, both with some issues (our current home was on the market a year when we bought it - it's going to take the right buyers.)
Hi Lawmom,
The first house sounds like it would be highly marketable, as you can use it as a SFH, or a rental...good possibilities. Your second house, wow, ocean views and mountain views, and a big house. Someone special is going to love it, but it will take the right person, and they will "just have to have it"!
Opening a can of seller's whoop *ss for you, and seasoning it with some pixie dust!
Maybe we should invent a new carpet fresh smell, with some sort of pheromone in it that makes people feel like buying a house. Of course it would be our secret formula for posters on this Crazyma thread only.
Welcome to this crazy bunch, Lawmom...You have your hands full with 2 houses..but patience and the right price will git 'er done. Gee now I am talking like CrazyMa!!! We all have nutso stories and I will tell you I would NOT have survived without this wonderful group of friends, and I mean FRIENDS..God bless them all..
Vent, laugh, cry whenever..we are here for you!
Barb
AKA Dogmom
One thing you can do also is take Fabreeze, vanilla, one of the scented oils for your home, or any liquid scent you like, and put it on a cotton ball then put the cotton ball in your vacuum bag. When you vacuum it will make your house smell really good.
I have that in my air return, plus in my artifical plants. Febreeze works great too.
Weekends here are dead as realtors don't work weekends. Their offices close noon Sat. That blows my mind as in NJ weekends were the busiest and realtors took off during the week.
Vanilla, that sounds very homey and comforting, to me. Will try it. Hope it blends well with "Eau du Dog". Maybe I'll apply some right on the dogs, and they can walk around the house deodorizing it as they go! Four-legged air fresheners. Maybe a dog collar with an air freshener attached.
Welcome, Lawmom. i bet with all this positve selling energy, aka pixie dust, we're gonna start selling our houses, one a week. has to happen, doesn't it??!!! maybe we should start looking into "group discounts" with moving companies?? can't hurt to dream...
Okay realtor just called with the long awaited offer. It's $20K under asking price, contingent on their selling, $1K earnest money, normal things like inspection, water test. We are countering at $4k less than asking price.
They also want a 72 hr. on the contingency-we want 48.
Meeting with her tomorrow to counter. She feels they're fishing.
Hey Lawmom! Welcome to the boot camp....get ready to roll, you are in for a serious workout! We are glad to have you Feel free to vent or share fun or inspirational stuff to keep the spirits up. I luv me posse on here...that just cracks my DD up...she calls y'all my imaginary playmates LOL LOL
I'll be back, I need more coffee so I can write lawmom a poem.
hedwigger , you got one in you??
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