Monday, July 1, 2013

IT'S OFFICIAL!! We're Moving!

One of the many Daylilies that bloomed in my backyard on Sunday!
June 30, 2013

Two weeks ago, if you had told me I'd be writing these words, I would've laughed at you.  Sure, we've talked off and on for a couple of years about moving into a condo closer to the college where Bill teaches.   We'd search for a while both online and by driving around.   We discovered that the complexes we liked never had anything for sale and the others held no appeal whatsoever.  We'd remind ourselves how much we loved our 73-year old Cape Cod plus all the hard work and love we've put into it over the last 14 years and convince ourselves to stay awhile longer.  We always knew we wouldn't stay forever.  As we grew older and closer to Bill's retirement, our priorities would change and we'd no longer want to have to worry with it while traveling.  We also knew that when the right time came, the perfect place would appear and everything would fall into place.  

And that's exactly what happened.  Two Saturday's ago, Bill very nearly cut off the tip end of his finger while trimming hedges on our front yard.  He was hot, frustrated and just flat didn't want to be doing that so he admits he was careless.  It was also the day we said to each other that we were tired of the whole home maintenance/gorgeous yard scene.  When he was out of school, we wanted to lock the door behind us and go, go go!  

A couple of days later, I did one of my random searches on the real estate web site, zillow.com, for a condo within a four mile radius of Bill's college.  Up popped a new listing in a small complex I had NEVER seen before.  Looking at the pics, I surmised (correctly as it turns out) that the complex had been developed by the same builder as the one we'd had our eye on for a more than a year, but there had been not one single listing in all that time.  Later that afternoon, I did a drive-by and loved everything about the outside.  Bill drove by on his way home, we looked at it the next day, met with our realtor the next morning to see how she felt about selling our house, looked at the condo again the following day, made an offer that evening and our offer was accepted the next afternoon.  The whole thing happened in five days!!  Neither of us have had one minute of second-guessing or regret since then.  We are both totally convinced it's the right thing to do and the right place for us to go.

Bill's commute will go from 26 miles one way to less than 4 miles.  The small complex of 43 units was built in 2004 and most are still owned by their original owners.  Ours was available because the gentleman's wife died in January and although he tried living alone, just couldn't make it work.  His children have helped him move into a place where he will have some help.  To be honest, it looks brand new.  We plan to paint a couple of the rooms, but we could easily move in without doing one thing.  It is all on one level, three bedroom, two bath, huge great room, dining room, the biggest kitchen I've ever had, breakfast nook and a sunporch to die for!  Also, a covered front porch with rocking chairs that will stay!!  It is an end unit so we have a grassy area on one side and a patio that you access from the sunporch.  From the sunporch, looking to the left faces a wooded area and to the right an open field.  It gives the sense of being in a very rural area, but you are less than two miles from the largest shopping/restaurant/entertainment complex in our city.  

To say we are thrilled is putting it mildly.  I don't think either of us had realized how ready we really were.   I know I hadn't!  Please send prayers/good thoughts that our house will sell quickly.  It is a jewel and there is nothing wrong with it at all.  We just hope someone will buy it who appreciates an older home and will love it as much as we have all these years.  Our agent, who is the same agent who sold it to us 14 years ago, loved all the things we had done to it, and made the statement, "if I can't sell this, I need to get out of the real estate business!"  That was very encouraging, but also made us feel really, really good!

So that's our news!  We will close on the condo around August 1 once again reflecting perfect timing.  Bill finishes teaching his summer class on July 26 and does not report back for fall term until August 14.  We will have over two weeks while he is off to get moved.  

Obviously, Summer Adventure Part 2 has been cancelled.  One more example of how we feel so certain this was meant to be is that our offer for the condo was accepted on July 24.  We had paid in full reservations for our two cabins in Colorado both of which offered full refunds if cancelled more than 30 days out.  We made it by TWO days, so I was able to get all money back.  Amazing!

No pictures yet, but we are meeting the home inspector this afternoon, so I'll try and take some inside shots for you.  Then it's into "purge" mode for the next few weeks.  I refuse to move anything that hasn't been used in the last year!  

What does your week look like?

21 comments:

  1. I am soooo excited for you both! We actually bought our house from a retired couple who did the exact same thing, and felt the exact same way you did (didn't want home maintenance, and wanted to be able to just leave it at any time and Go!)....but they moved to a condo in florida. Ha!

    I can't WAIT to see pictures. And if you guys need any help moving, please, please, please just say the word.

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  2. This is going to be so much fun! I'm afraid I'm busy on your moving day, but otherwise, I'd be happy to help out. :)

    It just occurred to me that if you're on the west side of Knoxville, you're living that much closer to ME! (I'm guessing this is somewhere near where we met up last?)

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  3. Sounds like it was meant to be :-)
    How exciting and the sun porch sounds wonderful!

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  4. It sounds perfect. Houses are selling much better now, and our neighbor here in Mississippi sold his house the first day it was on the market. Don't make the mistake we made in the past thinking that it's such a short move that you can do a lot of it in your car or cars. The worst move we ever made was a mere 15 miles. We learned to treat all moves alike. Get it all on the truck and into the cars and do it in one fell swoop. Good luck. After living in one place for 14 years (we rarely stay anywhere more than three years) you will have a lot of decisions to make on what to move and what to let go. Exciting! :)

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  5. So happy for you two, Sharon. Seems as if this is truly God's plan for your lives --since it all happened so quickly. The same thing happened to us when we bought this house in 2002... It all just fell into place---just like yours has. I do hope you sell your home quickly... The housing market IS getting better --so that's good. I'll keep you in my prayers.

    CONGRATS.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  6. Wow, this really is big news! At first I thought, how can they leave that beautiful house? But then as I read, I truly related. My neighbor and I had a similar conversation, about how we had had our life in the country, and we were just about ready for city life. In fact, I decided that I had a five year plan, and at the end, I just might move into an apartment. But a condo like yours sounds even better!

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  7. Woo hoo!! I'm jealous because I'm at the ready-to-move-to a-condo stage, but Dave isn't. But if I find a place that is as perfectly suited to me as yours sounds suited to you, I may go ahead and move and wait there for him! Hugs and best wishes on your new home, and may the current-home-sales fairy smile upon you!

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  8. How exciting for you. I bet your house will sell very quickly. My sister sold hers in less than a week and got more than the asking price. A couple of folks got in to a bidding war over it. That was just last week.
    Lori

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  9. How exciting for you and your husband. Looks like everything has fallen into place nicely. Good luck on your move and please share photos of your new place.

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  10. How exciting. Hubby and I are in almost the same position. We have started to look at condos. When things fall into place like this has for you, it is meant to be. I'll be watching for pictures.

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  11. Definitely looks like this place was meant for you two. Sounds like it will fit your needs perfectly. Enjoy your transition to a place closer for hubby. Happy Fourth!

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  12. Awesome! Sounds like a great find and a great way to simplify. Congrats on being willing to change up life and move, Onward. :)

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  13. How very exciting! Wishing you nothing but good luck that this all continues to fall right into place for you!

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  14. How wonderful for you both! I absolutely love moving and settling into a new space, and part of me got a twinge to do same when I read your post. Not quite yet on our side - where we are currently works for now - but someday, yes, for sure!

    Now you'll be even more free going forward to have grand adventures. Enjoy!

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  15. So happy for you! It sounds like it was exactly the right time for this move. Looking forward to seeing pictures.

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  16. WOW! What great news for you! How exciting! And a place so close you could walk to everything, it just sounds perfect! Congrats!

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  17. Congratulations! That's so exciting! My husband has a long commute, too, and he would love it if we could move. We still have kids in school, though, and a move to a different school district wouldn't be great. Maybe we can move in 6 years!

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  18. This is so exciting and when I read your description of the condo you are buying I thought I might like to live there, it has so many goodies like enclosed porch, end unit, rural feel, etc.

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  19. Wow...talk about the universe operating on your behalf! So excited for you and your new place. We're moving in the same direction...hope it goes as smoothly for us as it did for you!

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  20. Congratulations Sharon! Well this sounds perfect in all ways possible. I am sure your lovely will sell in no time flat. I look forward to seeing photos of your new home.

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  21. Congratulations, Sharon! Your new condo sounds beautiful and I'm sure it will be a pleasure for your husband to shorten his commute to four miles. Having sold our house last year, I know how anxious you feel about that process, but I will pray all goes well and quickly! Such happy and exciting times ahead for you!

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