Monday, June 11, 2007

It's a Buyers Market

I have three friends, in three different states, and each are in a selling-their-house nightmare. Well, maybe not a nightmare, but definetly not having a good time. My friends in Oregon have already missed out on one house they had a contingent offer on and very few lookers on theirs. My friends in Washington are playing the "show the house and wait" game, and with a two year old and a four month old. And our friends in Texas are expecting their sixth (SIXTH!) child in October, and have missed out on one expired contingent offer while they wait for prospective buyers for their house. And the bummer is that they have a beautiful big house, and are downsizing for financial reasons. And all I can think is "better them than me", because the experience from selling our house in California is still too raw for me. Not that I don't feel bad for them, because I certainly do. I know exactly what each of them are going through. I was pregnant when we put our house on the market, we were still showing the house when being "pregnant" became "post-partum", and selling the house very much became about financial reasons towards the end. I was saying prayers every day for seven months that our house would sell. First I would ask that our house sell "soon", then "by the end of this month", then "by the end of this week". Every day, a prayer to St. Joseph, a prayer to St. Anthony (I figured our buyer must be lost), and a prayer to St. Jude (for helpless cases). Now I'm saying prayers to the same saints, but this time for Vince to find good employment. We're in our sixth month here, and my prayers have gone from "soon", to "by the end of this month", to "by the end of this week", to "Now!". And if my prayers would be answered, we'd be able to take advantage of this buyer's market.

3 comments:

Over Coffee said...

You guys could probably get a good deal on a house in 3 different states. ;-) It is a warp kind of comfort to know that others are going through this same house selling nightmare that we are going through. I miss the good ole days of a house being on the market for a day before being sold for $10,000 more then the asking price cuz of buyer bidding wars!

I will think positive thoughts about Vince getting a job!

Jessica said...

Maybe seven months is the charm for you guys. I certainly hope Vince finds a great job soon. You can't begin to know how much I admire you and all the stress you've gone through (and continue to have). I feel like such a wimp compared to you. ;)

I don't know if hearing stories of others in the same boat is helpful or depressing...

Over Coffee said...

How is the job market there? Are there any good prospects? Do you know what you are going to do if he does not find a job soon? I think the new company that I am going to is hiring phD chemists. ;-)