today was a weird sort of day.
I woke up tired after visiting a good friend who needed a shoulder; could be her dad has pancreatic cancer. Heavy shit. I wish I could lift all the sad-heavy-hard from that situ, but I can’t. Her call to me followed an offer on the house down the hill, an offer I could look upon as insulting but prefer to look on as opportunistic. Honestly, we asked a fair price initially on that house. We came down over 10 K from that price, and this offer was about 20 K less than our lower offer, once we paid more than half their closing costs. Daunting, to say the least.
So today, I woke up and did a silly mantra on my facebook, a sort of call for awesomeness in my day.
Did I find awesomeness as I worked crossing, or chatted with the Kid’s teacher about working up a class art-type-project? Notsomuch.
Was awesomeness waiting for me as I worked on straightening the house, doing loads of laundry and spraying down new pee-puddles in the living room? Nope.
Awesomeness also wasn’t lurking at Safeway, nor was it in my garden while I planted peonies and bleeding hearts and it certainly was NOT anywhere near the stank piles of dog poop I gathered. It might have been somewhere near the singing birds, the sunshine, and the warmish fresh air streaming through open doors… But I wasn’t able to feel it when I swept up mounds of dust bunnies or when I mopped, cleaned dishes, or prepped dinner.
Awesomeness was nearby when I looked out to the view, when I watched baby Poppy sleeping on the deck in a sun spot. Awesomeness came really close as I sipped on wine in a clean house, looking out over cerulean water and bright pre-spring skies.
But I was thudded back to not-awesomeness as we signed counter-offer papers.
I felt like the last two people –the only two people seriously offering on the house– didn’t “get” it.
Our house down the hill was purchased more than ten years ago. We got a more-than-fair price, but it took a lot of vision to make that house our home. People walked into that home and loved what we did. Carpet was ripped out, hardwood was refinished, new high-end carpet and ceramic tile were installed, a new kitchen was put into use, as was a new bath. We did much work in the yard, though most of that was overridden by the ravages of moss and weeds and dogs.
Still…
I guess my last facebook update today says it best, as to how I feel right now:
Dear First-Time Homeowners: “Buyers Market” does not mean “rape the seller.” Many of us (sellers) were once first-time buyers, paying fair prices for our properties. We lived in our homes, loved our homes, and improved our homes so that one day a new family could come in and reap the rewards of our hard work. So please, don’t insult us with offers that say, effectively, “bend over, dude.”
(for tomorrow, awesomeness is off the agenda. I’m thinking I’ll search for fabulousness, instead. That might just be something I can embrace…)
