Showing posts with label selling our house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selling our house. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2011
Moving
My Blog has been silent lately as we are in the middle of moving! The previous owners moved out last Saturday, so since then we have been moving in. It has been a lot of work, but fun, too. The kids have been great help and have enjoyed rediscovering toys that have been in storage for a year.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Our new HOUSE!
We will begin moving in 23 days! The previous owners are renting back from us for a few weeks while they complete the sale of the house they are buying.
It has been a longer journey than I anticipated, and we are thankful to be nearing the end. All we need to do is actually get moved. The pool is only 6 months old. Isn't it amazing that God even had them put a pool in for us? Perhaps that is what we were waiting for.
These are a few pictures I have. Kevin has many more, but these are the best I have. Of course, I'll have lots more once we actually can move in.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Family Updates
There is so much going on in my life these days, sometimes it is impossible to keep it all straight. However, here are a few of the things I am asked about these days.
Melody - She finished active Physical Therapy and made great progress. We'll have a visit in December, but won't start active PT again until January. This is actually a blessing right now. Getting there two mornings a week was a challenge. Melody is starting to push up on all fours (crawling position), move herself across the floor either backward or foreward, sits and rolls over regularly. She has unorthodox ways of doing things, but she's getting it done. I have lots of exercises to do with her each day and am figuring ways to fit them into our routine and not forget them.
If we can ever get insurance issues worked out, Melody will be seeing the Orthopedic doctor for a follow up on her hips and going to spina bifida clinic for her next checkup there in December.
A House - Still no house for us. We were in escrow on one, but fell out due to the bank's failure to get us a letter on time. It came a week late. We have another offer being sent to the bank, but we have yet to see that house. It is a "subject to interior inspection" so you can't see it unless they accept your offer. We hope to see it soon. So, we will see. The market can go weeks without a any homes that fit our needs go on the market. Renting a home for awhile may become a real possibility in the new year.
My Mom - My Mom does indeed have pancreatic cancer. We are all still trying to wrap our heads around this difficult news and it's implictions. We know that she will begin treatment, but as of now, we aren't sure what that will be or when. It was caught fairly early as the tumor is blocking the liver and pancreas ducts, so Mom was turning yellow and itching all over from the build up of bile in her body. They have placed a stent for the liver to drain and given her medication to replace pancreas enzymes. Unfortunately, it is inoperable due to the fact that is wrapped around a couple arteries. Right now the goal is to get Mom feeling better. A couple weeks without sleep due to constant itching have taken their toll and her liver needs to rebound. She also needs to figure out some diet and exercise issues. Right now the cancer is isolated to the pancreas and at least one duct adjacent to the pancreas.
Travels- I will be going to Idaho this week with Melody for just a few days to see my Mom and Dad. It is important for me to see them, even for a very short time. My brother, Steve, will be there for a couple days as well and Tim, if the weather allows him to travel. In just a few weeks, at Christmas time, all our families will return for Christmas. There will be 15 of us total, so we are praying Mom is up to that by then.
Lego League - David's Lego Robotics team won the Grand Champion at the qualifier a couple of weeks ago, so we are off to Legoland in early December to watch them compete there. It is great to watch the kids work together. The competition is judged not only on the performance of their robots, but the kids teamwork, attitudes, spirit, judges questions, presentation skills and how they interact with other teams. We are proud of their academic achievements, but most importantly we are proud of the character these 10 students are showing.
An Old Fashioned Christmas- On the 7th at 7pm Elizabeth will be performing with her school in An Old Fashioned Christmas. She is so excited to have a solo and has been practicing Christmas songs for months. I love to hear her singing loudly and proudly around the house. If you want to come see her, let me know as tickets are limited and I have to buy them next week.
Crafting - Hannah chose crafts as her elective in school this year, so she is having a blast. A huge box of crafts arrived recently and she would have them all done by now if I would let her. We are saving some of the smaller ones for the trip in the car to Idaho at Christmas. Now we just need a house so we have a place to display them all.
T-Ball- Joel has 2 more t-ball games left and the season will be over. I'm not sure how much he has enjoyed it, but he has been a hoot to watch. Of course, the snack after the game is the most exciting thing for him. We're trying to figure out if he is left or right handed, so that has been a challenge as he switches. If I can get it off my phone, I have a picture of him in all the catcher's gear. Very cute.
Melody - She finished active Physical Therapy and made great progress. We'll have a visit in December, but won't start active PT again until January. This is actually a blessing right now. Getting there two mornings a week was a challenge. Melody is starting to push up on all fours (crawling position), move herself across the floor either backward or foreward, sits and rolls over regularly. She has unorthodox ways of doing things, but she's getting it done. I have lots of exercises to do with her each day and am figuring ways to fit them into our routine and not forget them.
If we can ever get insurance issues worked out, Melody will be seeing the Orthopedic doctor for a follow up on her hips and going to spina bifida clinic for her next checkup there in December.
A House - Still no house for us. We were in escrow on one, but fell out due to the bank's failure to get us a letter on time. It came a week late. We have another offer being sent to the bank, but we have yet to see that house. It is a "subject to interior inspection" so you can't see it unless they accept your offer. We hope to see it soon. So, we will see. The market can go weeks without a any homes that fit our needs go on the market. Renting a home for awhile may become a real possibility in the new year.
My Mom - My Mom does indeed have pancreatic cancer. We are all still trying to wrap our heads around this difficult news and it's implictions. We know that she will begin treatment, but as of now, we aren't sure what that will be or when. It was caught fairly early as the tumor is blocking the liver and pancreas ducts, so Mom was turning yellow and itching all over from the build up of bile in her body. They have placed a stent for the liver to drain and given her medication to replace pancreas enzymes. Unfortunately, it is inoperable due to the fact that is wrapped around a couple arteries. Right now the goal is to get Mom feeling better. A couple weeks without sleep due to constant itching have taken their toll and her liver needs to rebound. She also needs to figure out some diet and exercise issues. Right now the cancer is isolated to the pancreas and at least one duct adjacent to the pancreas.
Travels- I will be going to Idaho this week with Melody for just a few days to see my Mom and Dad. It is important for me to see them, even for a very short time. My brother, Steve, will be there for a couple days as well and Tim, if the weather allows him to travel. In just a few weeks, at Christmas time, all our families will return for Christmas. There will be 15 of us total, so we are praying Mom is up to that by then.
Lego League - David's Lego Robotics team won the Grand Champion at the qualifier a couple of weeks ago, so we are off to Legoland in early December to watch them compete there. It is great to watch the kids work together. The competition is judged not only on the performance of their robots, but the kids teamwork, attitudes, spirit, judges questions, presentation skills and how they interact with other teams. We are proud of their academic achievements, but most importantly we are proud of the character these 10 students are showing.
An Old Fashioned Christmas- On the 7th at 7pm Elizabeth will be performing with her school in An Old Fashioned Christmas. She is so excited to have a solo and has been practicing Christmas songs for months. I love to hear her singing loudly and proudly around the house. If you want to come see her, let me know as tickets are limited and I have to buy them next week.
Crafting - Hannah chose crafts as her elective in school this year, so she is having a blast. A huge box of crafts arrived recently and she would have them all done by now if I would let her. We are saving some of the smaller ones for the trip in the car to Idaho at Christmas. Now we just need a house so we have a place to display them all.
T-Ball- Joel has 2 more t-ball games left and the season will be over. I'm not sure how much he has enjoyed it, but he has been a hoot to watch. Of course, the snack after the game is the most exciting thing for him. We're trying to figure out if he is left or right handed, so that has been a challenge as he switches. If I can get it off my phone, I have a picture of him in all the catcher's gear. Very cute.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
SOLD
Today the sale of our house closed escrow. It still doesn't seem real to think that we have really sold our home. When we first began to discuss it, Kevin told me there was about a 10% chance we would sell. Needless to say, a lot has happened between January and now. It has been a wild ride, and one that we know God's hand has been upon. We were able to sell our house for very close to what we paid for it 6 1/2 years ago. We made back every penny we spend updating it before we placed it on the market. It sold so fast and to the very first buyer. A coworker of Kevin's did some math and figured we lived in our house for $700/month! Not a bad investment. We anticipate having money from the sale in our bank account soon. Maybe that will make it seem more real.
Though we had a lot of wonderful memories in that house, everyone is moving on well. Only one of the kids even wanted to go back and see it this week before we closed.
Now we begin looking for our future home. We are not really in a hurry as we have a wonderful place to live currently. However, it will be nice to get settled into our own home. We are looking for a single story home, preferrably with a pool. We also are looking for a level driveway, no stairs or steps to access the house, and on a street with sidewalks or at least a walkable street. It will be easy to get discouraged as finding one in our price range that has what we need makes the possibilities slim. However, we know that as God has had His hand upon this whole process, He will provide. The hardest part is being patient.
We praise God for what He has done and we look forward in faith to what He will do.
Though we had a lot of wonderful memories in that house, everyone is moving on well. Only one of the kids even wanted to go back and see it this week before we closed.
Now we begin looking for our future home. We are not really in a hurry as we have a wonderful place to live currently. However, it will be nice to get settled into our own home. We are looking for a single story home, preferrably with a pool. We also are looking for a level driveway, no stairs or steps to access the house, and on a street with sidewalks or at least a walkable street. It will be easy to get discouraged as finding one in our price range that has what we need makes the possibilities slim. However, we know that as God has had His hand upon this whole process, He will provide. The hardest part is being patient.
We praise God for what He has done and we look forward in faith to what He will do.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Happy Birthday, Kevin, Let's Sell the House
Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. We had a deliciuos dinner last night at Don Joses while the kids were with Carla for what we have come to refer as "Miss Carla Night." We sat and ate and talked leisurely and I think we were almost the last to leave the restaurant before it closed. I'm so thankful for the wonderful man of God I am priviledged to call my husband. The kids have presents and cookies ready to celebrate tonight when Daddy gets home. Kevin doesn't ask for much, but this year he has asked me to take a huge leap of faith.
After Christmas Kevin told me he thought now would be a good time to sell our house. He has wanted to do it before, but I have been unwilling. I told him, the best confirmation that he will probably get from the Lord is that I was even willing to consider it.
We discussed it and have been praying about it. We also made a list of things that would have to happen in order for us to sell it. I kind of hoped it would be obvious from the beginning that it wasn't going to work out, but so far things seem to be falling into place.
So, right now we are anticipating preparing our house to put it on the market near the end of March. A lot has to happen between now and then, and that thought alone can completely overwhelm me. We have a lot of work that needs to be done on the house itself, a lot of packing to do, and a lot of things to get rid of. It will sell better if we don't have near as much stuff inside. Last month we got the lawn and sprinkler systems put in and a lot of other outside things accomplished.
Since we received Melody's diagnosis and began to learn what spina bifida could mean for her, we have known we would likely need to move. If you've never been to our home, it sits on three different levels, on a hill and we have no sidewalks. We believe that Melody will be a walker some day, but what that means for her may be different than what it means for you and me. Having any mobility issues makes living in a house like ours difficult.
We could wait until she is older to move, but Kevin feels like the market is not going to improve for 5-7 years, so waiting is really not going to add value to our home. In fact, it may even decrease in value. We bought at a very good time, before the market really sky-rocketed and we said, "it will never drop below what we bought for." Unfortunately, it has and it may go lower. Of course, we don't know the future, so we just have to make decisions we believe to be wise and trust God with the rest.
Our plan is to sell our home now and move into a rental. We are not leaving Riverside, so we'll be looking locally. We have also been told that swimming is a wonderful exercise for someone with spina bifida. Melody's upper legs are strong, so with flippers she could swim and be on a level playing field with her friends and siblings more than when walking. I'm not sure I really want a home with a pool, so we are considering renting one to see if we like it.
We would probably spend then next 6 months + in a rental until we would qualify to buy a home and/or could find one that fits our needs. We would be looking for a one story home in a level community with sidewalks. Single story homes are harder to come by and we'd be looking for 4 bedrooms as well and possibly a pool. I'm trying to resign myself to moving into a "cookie cutter" home and neighborhood. I do love where we live, but a tract home/community will really be better for our family.
We would appreciate your prayers.
*We have just a week or two to finally decide whether we are really going for it, or forgetting the whole thing. Pray for wisdom for us in the final decision making.
*We need a significant amount of money in the bank to make home repairs and possibly close escrow if our home sells below what we bought it for. Pray for Kevin's sales that they would provide the income we need if it is God's will. It is looking likely, but we know house sales fall out of escrow all the time.
*Pray for our kids as we ask them to give away a lot of toys and pack up their things. Elizabeth especially does not do change well. Pray for their ablility to adapt and enjoy the process.
* Pray that I will not get overwhelmed with all there is to do, but will have strength and wisdom in when and how to get it done.
* Pray that the Lord would send just the right buyer that will offer us a fair price as well as enough for us to be able to sell. If the offers are too low, we'll have to take it off the market.
I don't really mind leaving the house, it is just a house after all. But, getting from here to there and all the work in between is a bit much for me to handle sometimes. Also, I like the security of having a house and selling it for some future unknown is difficult for me. But, houses are not where our ultimate security lies. We trust God whether we are able to sell, or not. Either way we know He will provide for our family.
If you are local and can help out, we'd love to take you up on it! We are tentatively planning a "work day" on Feb. 27th, so if you are free that day, come on over. We need someone to hold a cute baby girl as well as help with the work. Our older kids would love to go play at someone else's house that day, too. :) We have so many friends who have already offered to help. We are abundantly blessed.
After Christmas Kevin told me he thought now would be a good time to sell our house. He has wanted to do it before, but I have been unwilling. I told him, the best confirmation that he will probably get from the Lord is that I was even willing to consider it.
We discussed it and have been praying about it. We also made a list of things that would have to happen in order for us to sell it. I kind of hoped it would be obvious from the beginning that it wasn't going to work out, but so far things seem to be falling into place.
So, right now we are anticipating preparing our house to put it on the market near the end of March. A lot has to happen between now and then, and that thought alone can completely overwhelm me. We have a lot of work that needs to be done on the house itself, a lot of packing to do, and a lot of things to get rid of. It will sell better if we don't have near as much stuff inside. Last month we got the lawn and sprinkler systems put in and a lot of other outside things accomplished.
Since we received Melody's diagnosis and began to learn what spina bifida could mean for her, we have known we would likely need to move. If you've never been to our home, it sits on three different levels, on a hill and we have no sidewalks. We believe that Melody will be a walker some day, but what that means for her may be different than what it means for you and me. Having any mobility issues makes living in a house like ours difficult.
We could wait until she is older to move, but Kevin feels like the market is not going to improve for 5-7 years, so waiting is really not going to add value to our home. In fact, it may even decrease in value. We bought at a very good time, before the market really sky-rocketed and we said, "it will never drop below what we bought for." Unfortunately, it has and it may go lower. Of course, we don't know the future, so we just have to make decisions we believe to be wise and trust God with the rest.
Our plan is to sell our home now and move into a rental. We are not leaving Riverside, so we'll be looking locally. We have also been told that swimming is a wonderful exercise for someone with spina bifida. Melody's upper legs are strong, so with flippers she could swim and be on a level playing field with her friends and siblings more than when walking. I'm not sure I really want a home with a pool, so we are considering renting one to see if we like it.
We would probably spend then next 6 months + in a rental until we would qualify to buy a home and/or could find one that fits our needs. We would be looking for a one story home in a level community with sidewalks. Single story homes are harder to come by and we'd be looking for 4 bedrooms as well and possibly a pool. I'm trying to resign myself to moving into a "cookie cutter" home and neighborhood. I do love where we live, but a tract home/community will really be better for our family.
We would appreciate your prayers.
*We have just a week or two to finally decide whether we are really going for it, or forgetting the whole thing. Pray for wisdom for us in the final decision making.
*We need a significant amount of money in the bank to make home repairs and possibly close escrow if our home sells below what we bought it for. Pray for Kevin's sales that they would provide the income we need if it is God's will. It is looking likely, but we know house sales fall out of escrow all the time.
*Pray for our kids as we ask them to give away a lot of toys and pack up their things. Elizabeth especially does not do change well. Pray for their ablility to adapt and enjoy the process.
* Pray that I will not get overwhelmed with all there is to do, but will have strength and wisdom in when and how to get it done.
* Pray that the Lord would send just the right buyer that will offer us a fair price as well as enough for us to be able to sell. If the offers are too low, we'll have to take it off the market.
I don't really mind leaving the house, it is just a house after all. But, getting from here to there and all the work in between is a bit much for me to handle sometimes. Also, I like the security of having a house and selling it for some future unknown is difficult for me. But, houses are not where our ultimate security lies. We trust God whether we are able to sell, or not. Either way we know He will provide for our family.
If you are local and can help out, we'd love to take you up on it! We are tentatively planning a "work day" on Feb. 27th, so if you are free that day, come on over. We need someone to hold a cute baby girl as well as help with the work. Our older kids would love to go play at someone else's house that day, too. :) We have so many friends who have already offered to help. We are abundantly blessed.
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