More House Update

We did it. We signed the contract for selling our house. I didn't realize it would be this hard. I sat staring at the contract last night, fighting tears. This is what we wanted, right?

This journey has been an interesting and soul searching one. When we started this process, our priorities were: get larger house for ease of expanding family; get close to trails for ease of outdoor recreation; get larger yard for kids and pets; get house that needs less work than a 1920's bungalow. Over the past 1/2 a year or so, things have changed somewhat. Priorities revolve a little more around personal relationships, surrounding ourselves with people that we would like to emulate, that help us to want to become "better" people. Being close to Asheville community events, being able to walk to breakfast, ease of riding bikes to downtown for a nice, romantic dinner. Having a sunny yard in which we can grow tasty vegetables and fruits by the sweat of our brow.

We have a great place. There is no doubt about that. And we have the best neighbors anyone could wish for. Our neighbors have become some of our best friends and our anchor in a lot of ways. The moment I found out I was pregnant, I walked outside to talk to my neighbor across the fence because I was a little freaked out and needed someone to talk to. Not over the phone, but in person. She was there. The first few months of being a new mom, our neighbors were their for us. While I was a wondering, what in the world we had done by having a baby, they helped keep me grounded. She would just come over and sit with Ella and I, listening to my concerns and telling me that she had felt the same way at first, but it gets WAY better. And she was right! She was not lying to me. They are the kind of neighbors that when I see them out in the yard, I want to go outside and talk to them, not wait until they go inside so that I don't have to. There have been some very life changing and important events that have occurred while living in this house and while being next door to them. It has created a great bond, that otherwise would not have been created. Had we not lived next door to them, we would have been acquaintances, but not great friends. Living close makes becoming friends and keeping relationships easier. Less work. We don't have to make plans, work around schedules, make huge efforts. It is community at it's best.

So here we are. Just having signed the contract to sell our house. We are leaving this house and this neighborhood if all goes through as planned. We are leaving our neighbors.

Have our priorities changed? Is this why this decision has been such a difficult one when the rubber actually hits the road? I think they have in some ways. I spend more time with my baby and spending time with friends and family and less time pumping my legs in the woods. I go to local farmer's markets, take quick trips to the organic grocery stores, take more neighborly walks, then spending time in the woods these days. I am more centered around family and friends, and this neighborhood, this location, and my neighbors have helped to facilitate that.

So, I do feel that priorities have changed to a certain extent. I still love riding, walking, and running in the woods. I still feel that it is an important part of my life. And this move will make enjoying that part of my life easier. Bent Creek also has a great community and we have many friends that live in the neighborhood that I will become closer to as a result of the move. We will have more useable space, and a larger yard for kids and pets. We will create our garden space so we can continue to be in touch with and teach our children where food comes from. And we will make a great effort to maintain our relationship with our current neighbors that we will moving away from. They have helped us along on our path of self reflection and growth. S, N and K, we love you!

Video of Ella and Peeta

The Scary Bent Creek House

Time for an update on the house selling and buying situation.

Our lovely home has been on the market since sometime in January. We have had 47 showings. I think we deserve an award for the most showings in Asheville. But we have only had one offer. And we knew it would be true, we told ourselves we would probably regret not taking the offer, and of course we do. But at the time, it was the best thing to do. We thought we would get more offers. We thought we would get better offers. Ah, well, that is the way it goes.

So our plan was to take our house off the market May 1st. After the expiration of the first time home buyer's tax credit. We were done. We felt done. We were ready to settle in. We were ready to stay in our cute little West Asheville bungalow for the long haul. Planting our gardens, having dinner with the neighbors, walking to Haywood Rd, taking runs in the park..... But on April 30th, we had one more house to look at. We had made the appointment a week earlier. A friend who lives in Bent Creek tipped us off that a neighbor was going to be listing their home. So, like good, thorough people that we are, that like to make sure all options are investigated, I gave this person a call. One last look at one last house just couldn't hurt.

Well, we decided we want the house. Of course. They listed it with a realtor, but we were written in as exemptions before they listed, so we can buy it from the owners sans agent. Which means less money for us, more money for them. So we are working on a contract contingent on the sale of our home. So here we are, with our house still on the market, and now we really, really want to sell. We have figured out what our bottom line price is so that we don't have to pay money at closing (disregarding all the improvements we have made to the house, disregarding what we have paid on the balance) and we have adjusted our asking price accordingly. Last ditch effort. For 2 more months we will be dealing with more showings, more emotional roller coaster rides, more keeping the house as show ready as possible, more feeling like wanting to settle in and start working on house projects, but not being able to, more of the unknown. Of course, if their house sells (which they are still allowed to take other, better offers if one comes their way), then we are off the hook sooner and we just rip this baby off the market and be done with the whole thing.
Maybe.
There is of course the Scary Bent Creek House.
Like I said, we are thorough people and like to look at all of our options. So last night we went to look at one more Bent Creek house that was just listed. Why not, right? It is at the end of a dead end street, 1800+ sq feet, .6 acres, sold "as is", with listed price very, very good. "As is" can't be that bad....
Yes, it can.
Enter, the Scary Bent Creek House..... try not to touch anything (which is very hard to do, because there is a lot of stuff)....exit the Scary Bent Creek House.
Here are the short and sweet details. The house is in a sweet location. The house is a sweet size. The house has a lot of potential. That is if you can get past the current state of things. If you can get past what is going through your head of what might have been going on in that house. I will spare you all of the details, but it looked like a bachelor from h.e.double hockey sticks liked there. Maybe two of them. Nasty, nasty mess. Trash everywhere, empty bottles of prescription pain medication, parts of carpets torn out, holes in doors from angry fists. Gave me the major heebie jeebies. And I am pretty good at looking past a mess, seeing the potential, but I have to say, this was beyond even me. Supposedly the house had not been lived in for a year, but it looked like someone had been there sooner than that, living in that filth.
Maybe if someone came in and completely gutted the thing and started over. And I could forget what it looked like. Maybe it could work. Might be a sweet deal. Could be a good investment if the price is right.
If the other house sells before our house sells. If we decide to try one more option. We could try the Scary Bent Creek House.
Chaos. I think we secretly love chaos.

Sweatband Ella

Ella is the best baby I have ever had. Oh, wait, she is the only baby I have ever had..... Well, she sure is a pretty darn good one!

We have been having so much fun lately. I keep thinking, "this is such a fun age", but it is funny, because at every age, I just keep saying that. Every age is such a fun age (except maybe screaming, crying, don't understand what life is all about teeny weenie infant stage), and it just seems to be getting better. I am wondering when it will stop getting better. I mean, it seems like there will be a ceiling to the funness. There can only be so much fun that a person can have, right? How does every day seem to be just a little more fun? It has to stop one day. Maybe it will be when she hits her terrible twos.... maybe it will be when she hits her rebellious teenage years.... maybe it will be the day that she puts me into a nursing home.... maybe it will be..... never. I don't want to ever stop having fun being a parent. Even when I am put into a nursing home. (Ella, if you are reading this one day, it does not mean that you should put me in a nursing home. I won't be much trouble, really!)

Well, I will worry about that some other day. Today, I am having fun. Yesterday I had fun. Tomorrow I will have fun.

Here are some pics of the fun we had today.

Sweatband Ella.