RamblingNana's Blog
RamblingNana's posts about: real estate
Whose idea was it for us to move anyhow?
Jul 11, 2008 | 10:55 PM PST
Tags: condo , moving , selling , real estate , market
Well, we would appear to have survived the first week of having our apartment on the market. I think I've aged at least 10 years in the process . . . at least my face certainly looks 10 years older. Can you say "haggard?" OMG!!! Talk about stress! What a production this is! I don't ever recall moving (or attempting to move as the case may be) being such a trial. I'm too darned old to move. I've got roots here for Pete's sake! I'm settled. I need to sit quietly by the window and just watch the world go by . . . maybe rock back and forth a little.
Our real estate agent tells us to make sure the apartment is absolutely perfect. It is totally staged. We've put a ton of "stuff" in storage so that it's de-cluttered. Actually it looks very nice. I couldn't even tell you what I'm missing. I may be hitting Craig's list with a vengeance once we get moved. I'll try to sell off some of my treasures. That will thrill my husband. I just hope my Mother isn't watching.
We get sudden phone calls that announce "someone" is coming for a viewing in 30 minutes and can we be ready to clear out and go hide during this process. We've had 9 viewers. We've spent a lot of time sitting in our underground parking lot . . . waiting.
I can't believe the cleaning I'm doing. It never stops! I don't want to cook or bake because my stove and oven will get messy. I don't want to eat because I'll mess up the counters and the sink. I don't want to comb my hair because I'll leave hair somewhere for sure. I get up at the crack of dawn so that my bed looks like no one has ever slept in it. We never stop Swiffering and washing floors and vacuuming carpets. I dust and polish incessantly. There is absolutely nothing out of place. We even hide the laundry and our golf clubs in a janitorial cupboard down the hall. We don't want anyone to think we have any dirty clothes. Actually I'm thinking I may look into buying some disposable underwear (hee hee).
We are getting very positive comments on our place. We had our first negative comment yesterday from a really sweet couple who I think really suited this place. The condo was "perfect." Unfortunately our balcony was too small. They were coming from a big house and ... they were right. It would be too small for them to enjoy sitting out.
Unfortunately the market here has been affected by the real estate shmozzle in the US. It shouldn't be, but fact is, it is. We got our first offer today: $25,000.00 lower than our asking price . . . and our asking price is right in line with what it should be. Our price is what other condos in our building have gone for in the past year. I was choked! We were so disappointed. All I could think of was: How DARE she insult me with such a low-ball offer? How DARE she?!!! If she can't afford to pay the advertised price she should go condo shopping somewhere else! Grrrrr.
Whew! Got that off my chest. Obviously I'd make a lousy real estate agent.
So, that was the end of that offer. Now we start all over again. It's awful. There is so much product on the market right now. People just aren't buying like they were a few months ago. Of course if our new place had been completed when it was supposed to be completed, we would have sold our place in the blink of an eye . . . months ago!
Still no word as to when we can move into the new place. They wont tell us anything other than "the end of Summer." That may be a blessing in disguise if this place doesn't sell.
And the saga continues . . .
Jul 11, 2008 | 10:55 PM PST
Tags: condo , moving , selling , real estate , market
Well, we would appear to have survived the first week of having our apartment on the market. I think I've aged at least 10 years in the process . . . at least my face certainly looks 10 years older. Can you say "haggard?" OMG!!! Talk about stress! What a production this is! I don't ever recall moving (or attempting to move as the case may be) being such a trial. I'm too darned old to move. I've got roots here for Pete's sake! I'm settled. I need to sit quietly by the window and just watch the world go by . . . maybe rock back and forth a little.Our real estate agent tells us to make sure the apartment is absolutely perfect. It is totally staged. We've put a ton of "stuff" in storage so that it's de-cluttered. Actually it looks very nice. I couldn't even tell you what I'm missing. I may be hitting Craig's list with a vengeance once we get moved. I'll try to sell off some of my treasures. That will thrill my husband. I just hope my Mother isn't watching.
We get sudden phone calls that announce "someone" is coming for a viewing in 30 minutes and can we be ready to clear out and go hide during this process. We've had 9 viewers. We've spent a lot of time sitting in our underground parking lot . . . waiting.
I can't believe the cleaning I'm doing. It never stops! I don't want to cook or bake because my stove and oven will get messy. I don't want to eat because I'll mess up the counters and the sink. I don't want to comb my hair because I'll leave hair somewhere for sure. I get up at the crack of dawn so that my bed looks like no one has ever slept in it. We never stop Swiffering and washing floors and vacuuming carpets. I dust and polish incessantly. There is absolutely nothing out of place. We even hide the laundry and our golf clubs in a janitorial cupboard down the hall. We don't want anyone to think we have any dirty clothes. Actually I'm thinking I may look into buying some disposable underwear (hee hee).
We are getting very positive comments on our place. We had our first negative comment yesterday from a really sweet couple who I think really suited this place. The condo was "perfect." Unfortunately our balcony was too small. They were coming from a big house and ... they were right. It would be too small for them to enjoy sitting out.
Unfortunately the market here has been affected by the real estate shmozzle in the US. It shouldn't be, but fact is, it is. We got our first offer today: $25,000.00 lower than our asking price . . . and our asking price is right in line with what it should be. Our price is what other condos in our building have gone for in the past year. I was choked! We were so disappointed. All I could think of was: How DARE she insult me with such a low-ball offer? How DARE she?!!! If she can't afford to pay the advertised price she should go condo shopping somewhere else! Grrrrr.
Whew! Got that off my chest. Obviously I'd make a lousy real estate agent.
So, that was the end of that offer. Now we start all over again. It's awful. There is so much product on the market right now. People just aren't buying like they were a few months ago. Of course if our new place had been completed when it was supposed to be completed, we would have sold our place in the blink of an eye . . . months ago!
Still no word as to when we can move into the new place. They wont tell us anything other than "the end of Summer." That may be a blessing in disguise if this place doesn't sell.
And the saga continues . . .
