Just about a year ago now, I was headed for a fall. I had my bariatric by-pass surgery and was hoping to shed a lot of unwanted pounds and begin a whole new way of eating and relating to food. Not to mention moving through the world with a lot less weight on my bones.
Despite high hopes, and following doctor's orders, I would suffer from an ulcer in my stomach instead, and after not eating for almost 2 months (seriously) I was rushed to the hospital with a severe bleed in my stomach. Surgery and a long recovery that seemed endless, I couldn't possibly know that a year after my release from rehab in July, I would be moving to a new house! Selling my little condo and buying a 2 story home with room for overnight guests. I hope to fill those guest rooms with, well, guests!
I decided to call my former realtor and ask her to work with me. I wasn't necessarily prepared to buy right away, but I thought I would look around and see what the market was doing.
Suffice it to say we saw a lot of sub-par properties that cost a lot of money. I had the insane notion of looking at homes near our city's Old Town, which I knew would be pricey but I wanted to look anyway. It was a great awakening and it led me to look in other areas close to Old Town but not in Old Town.
This lovely 2 story farm style house was by far the best property I saw. I put in an offer and I knew there would be multiple people vying for the same home. I didn't hope too much, so I was shocked when my offer was selected! The big advantage of my offer is that I would assume the mortgage after a fairly quick escrow and let the seller (now my tenant) stay in the home until July. I'm in no rush to get out of my condo, so I could do this. I wasn't the highest bidder, but this consideration to the seller was what sealed the deal.
I put my condo on the market last Friday and on Sunday we (Shawna, my realtor and I) were entertaining two offers. Both cash. One higher but they wanted to assume the mortgage after closing and have me pay rent. I didn't like the paying rent part. So we negotiated on that and they gave me the same deal I gave my seller.
A good real estate agent is worth their weight in gold. The financial and legal considerations are many and complex. Shawna keeps me from doing a primal scream a couple of times a day. I don't know how she manages this business. 7 days a week, late nights and early mornings. You've got to love the work because it demands a lot from you.
My daughter is concerned that I'm going from a one-story to a two-story (with a finished basement to boot), especially at my age. I thought a lot about this, and decided that perhaps going up and down stairs would aid in keeping me fit. I might be delusional, but time will tell. It's a lovely house with lots of light and a fenced back yard for Lucy. After she adjusts to the move, my plan is do adopt another dog. That's something I couldn't do in my condo neighbourhood due to pet restrictions. I love the thought of another dog hanging out with us. An older dog, no puppies for me!
Unbelievably enough, after a year of languishing and feeling pretty damned depressed about it, buying a new home has given me a sense of purpose that I've been lacking. Another gift from my dearly departed parents, the ability to buy a stand alone single family home all by myself. I hope they know how happy I am. I wish I could call them on the phone and tell them all about it. Perhaps, wherever they are, they do know.
