Just moments ago my realtor left my house with signed documents providing him approval to put my house up for sale!!

It’s been quite a few weeks. From an unbloggable event to work, to the break in, to the mad sprint to finish the house, to calling a few realtors as I try to figure out who’s going to help me with escape. But you know what? Not a single part of it really been fun.

I’m sitting here this morning as some guy named Chris is installing an alarm system. I’ve decided to go with Guardian on recommendation from a friend. The salesperson claimed that cancellation of the contract would only cost me 20% of the remaining contract amount. However when I went to sign the contract I read it first and saw that it was 20% and a $900 fee. When I called her on it she crossed it out and I initialed it. So according to her, it’s just going to be 20% (but I have a feeling this will turn into a fight).

The only reason I’m getting a stupid alarm to begin with is because of the burglars lazy attempt at a 2nd entry. It’s not my worry so much of a break in (there’s not much of value in my house), but the need for things to go smoothly in the coming weeks as my house gets put up for sale. I don’t like the idea of an alarm system too much, and I hate the thought of another monthly payment (recurring payments eat your soul). But sometimes you gotta do things you don’t want to I guess.

Then comes the realtors and the house sale itself. I’ve spoken to three realtors so far and will likely choose one of these three.

The first realtor and I had a lengthy conversation on the phone on Thursday in which he slowly drove rusty nails into my heart. Mentally I have dropped my house price several times, however I was ill-prepared for what he would say. The price he thinks I should be chasing is horribly low. I got off the phone more than a little dejected.

This would be a great time to say: zillow can kiss my white ass! It seems that they’re estimating high these days and haven’t been agile enough to move with the market as it has plummeted these last 18 months. In relating my story to a friend at work, he asked if I had checked out the Chase Home Value Estimator. He noted that they seem to be the closest to what people are actually selling their houses for (he’s currently selling his house and buying another, so he’s been watching). Chase’s estimation seems to be much more inline with my latest (and lowest) expectations.

So there’s still a glimmer of hope that I’ll sell this house for my minimum.

Well after Chris from Guardian finishes putting in the alarm, I’ll be expecting realtor #3. He’s the first realtor to ask to actually see the house and give his opinion on what my house could sell for. I expected this from both previous realtors and was surprised that they didn’t offer the same. Anyway, I’m hoping to hear something positive from him and hope to get this house on the market.

Like I said earlier though, none of this is fun. I know life can’t always be sunshine and roses, but I find all of this nonsense that I’m going through a sort of a justification that what I’m doing is right. Maybe when life just sputters along we sputter right along with it and don’t spend enough time really asking ourselves if we’re doing what we want to be doing with our little time here. When life is a little more hassle you start asking yourself, “Is this worth it?” Maybe we should ask ourselves that question more often.

Anyway, I’ll let you know how the talk goes with the realtor. Wish me luck.

On May 25, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. I putup new shower curtain. In doing so I have officially completed the house!!!

=D =D

The text I sent to a handful of friends & family when I finished the house.

So, there we go. 18 months after I decided to leave Texas, and an almost full 10 months later than the date I expected to be gone, my house is finally done.

To be perfectly honest, there is some more work left in the garage, but everything on the inside is done and nothing that’s left to be done will stop the house from going on the market. So I’ve decided to officially call it.

Now come the part I was not looking forward too… putting it on the market and, then, just… …waiting. Well actually no, not just waiting; dusting, vacuuming and cleaning every crumb every second while I just wait.

But I promise, I’m not complaining ^{(too much)}. I’m just extremely ready to sell and run away. So keep your fingers crossed, pray to your gods, burn your incense and sacrifice your goats. I’ll need all the help I can get.

I’ve always realized that I’m pretty lucky when it comes to neighbors. I live in a blue collar neighborhood without a home owner’s association. Two characteristics I was specifically looking for. In the 7 years I’ve lived here the neighbors have all done their part to prove that home owner’s associations aren’t always required to keep a neighborhood from going to shit.

I know all (but one) of my immediate neighbors and several more within a stone’s throw. The night I came home to find my house sporting a broken window I went immediately to ask my next door neighbor if anyone had seen or heard anything. Soon two other neighbors heard the news and then it spread like wildfire.

My one neighbor, Scott, made it a point to tell everyone he could and ask if they heard or saw anything. He was, in all honesty, angrier about the situation than I was. In fact there were a couple of neighbors who seemed like they were ready for a good ol’ fashioned lynching. It was an unusual time for me when amongst a crowd I was the calm one. But the point wasn’t lost on me. These were good people who were angry about crime in their neighborhood, but these were also caring people who were upset that I was broken into.

When I commented that I would not be sleeping in the house that night, but instead would head to a hotel, three different neighbors opened up there homes to me. Insisting that it would be no bother and offering whatever assistance they could. What more could you ask for from neighbors? Honestly?

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve got good neighbors. But the burglary showed me that I’ve got more than good neighbors, quite a few of them are great neighbors. I lucked out here.

Before the burglary I used to keep the spare keys to my house in the nightstand by my bed. I really had no better place for them and I never considered what the security implications where if someone one day broke into my house. Well I never considered it until after someone broke in. Then I thought, “what a stupid idea that is.”

I wasn’t positive that one of the spare keys were taken, but I thought that one of them might’ve been. So just to be safe I changed the locks on my front door and garage-to-house door.

Well, take a guess what I found on the floor in below my front door today. No no no, why the hell would I have found a turtle wearing a summer dress?? Stupid guess. No, I found a key. I went to the trash which still contained some of the old spare keys and compared. Sure enough, they matched. My wanna-be-house-mate(s) returned sometime in the past two days and attempted to walk in the front door.

What amazes me is that the key was just left on the floor afterwards. There are some things about the burglary that seems painfully amateur, and others that seemed like he/she/they knew exactly what they were doing. Seriously, who just drops evidence that they were there like that? –sigh–

This whole this is annoying and incredibly frustrating. I just want out. I just want to leave. It’s like I’m being forced to deal with this when I don’t have any real good answer to do so. Does it make sense to consider an alarm system when I’m hoping to be out of here in the next 2-4 months? I don’t know. I’m really getting fed up with this though.