Next week our house will have been on the market for a year. It has been an extreme roller coaster of emotions trying to sell this house. It feels as if we are being held hostage by a home we once loved and now just want to be rid of. I keep reminding myself how great it was raising our children in this house and community, and it was, but I'm so emotionally tired of all of this.
Last Wednesday we got a call that buyers that had put in an offer in January contingent on selling their home wanted to come look at the outside at noon. Their offer was withdrawn because we had a 2nd offer. Then those buyers become extremely greedy and we ended up backing out of that offer. So, we left and they came. When we got home, we had a message they wanted to come back at 2:00 and see the inside again. We left again. Then we wait and wait and hear nothing. So today I called the agent (who is really beginning to annoy me) to find out what gives.
Now that they sold their house, suddenly our house isn't good enough anymore. They put in a lowball offer on a newer, more expensive house. Our agent doesn't think their offer will be accepted, but I'm so very very very tired of this. I just don't know how much lower I can feel. I keep reminding myself how lucky we are in all other aspects of our lives, but this emotional roller coaster is killing me.
We have decided we may just leave the house behind and begin our journey anyways. Financially, we could do it. It just seems so irresponsible to keep making house payments on a house that is vacant. And later on, we may regret "wasting" that money if we come upon hard times. We also have a couple interested in a lease to own. We are hesitant about that because there are so many things that could go wrong.
I try to stay hopeful, but I'm getting really worn down. Sorry to bring a downer to the forum. I guess I just needed to vent to others who would understand.
GENECOP said
03:51 PM Mar 19, 2010
One day in the near future you will look back on this difficult challenging time with fond memories. Try to let go, and it will sell, G
Jim01 said
05:12 PM Mar 19, 2010
K & E,
We went through just about what you are going through with some of our property. We finally had enough and took it off of the market for almost a year. We rented it out, (which wasn't a good idea, because we weren't there to keep an eye on the property), but then when we got it fixed back up and put it back on the market, it sold.
Keep the faith. It will sell, but it may take longer than you want. This can be one of the down sides of getting ready to full-time.
Hang in there. We'll be waiting for you when you get out here on the road.
Jim
Racerguy said
05:30 PM Mar 19, 2010
Not to long ago I posted on here that our house was sold and felt the thrill of all the people congratulating us and Linda and I were on cloud nine finishing packing,renting storage pods,making plans.Well right out of left field in a matter of one day the deal fell through due to lack of financing which we were assured was not a problem. Now all the sudden we felt the lowest of lows and felt like we had been kicked in the face. Guess what? The sun still came up the next day.I waited a couple days and posted on here about loosing the deal.The RV-Dreams family opened their hearts once again and gave us hope and inspiration. We now are working on a possible lease /purchase deal we swore we would not consider and have another showing to a new looker Sunday so who knows,but things are still looking up once again. The only caution I have is that it is worth talking to a good Real Estate Attorney on the pro's and con's of going this route.Ours includes a lot of non refundable cash up front and is not the usual deal so you have to look at your own situation. We are also tired of the whole process but just can't give up on our home of 22 years that we have put our lives into. What I'm trying to say is hang in there, it will happen eventually and like Gene said if you let it go sometime things have a way of working themselves out.Here's hoping our deal actually works out this time and you get one soon.
rjenkins said
06:11 PM Mar 19, 2010
If you can afford to go FT'ing without the sale of the house, I would look into renting it. I know some have said they regretted it but I know people that do and the key is proper screening. Background check on credit rating (most important) criminal (you can do that with the local county on the website and surrounding counties), etc. If you have someone that you can trust to keep an eye out on the house and handle the rent (pay them for their troubles too), it would be even more beneficial. Remember when you rent you can only keep an eye on the house from the outside. You are not entitled (at least in Florida) to just go in the house, you have to request permission and it can be denied. You may also rent month to month and keep the house on the market. If the contract stipulates that the house is for rent but also for sale, then I think an agent is allowed to make an appt with the renter to show the house to prospective buyers.
Gary said
06:19 PM Mar 19, 2010
Keep your chin up! Tough times tend to move away and find the path to the good. Sometimes it just takes time.
Spirit of 76 said
06:44 PM Mar 19, 2010
Yes, hang in there! Houses always sell. One thing you could consider is similar to a lease to own: selling on a land contract. I have bought and sold 4 houses this way. I did not properly screen my buyers and got some real doozies but I still came out ahead. Basically, you sell the house on a balloon payment. For example, if your house is worth $250k today and you have a current mortgage of 6% you could:
Sell for $275k
Require minimum downpayment of $10k
Finance at 7.5%
The Land Contract requires the buyer to get his own financing in 2 years
If they decide not to get their own financing they lose their downpayment and then you can either offer them moving cash ($500-$1000) or extend the contract (for more downpayment).
Believe me, in this market there are buyers out there that will do this.
Just an idea if you get to the point where you do not want to wait anymore to sell it traditionally.
2fortheroad said
08:42 PM Mar 19, 2010
K & E wrote:
Next week our house will have been on the market for a year. It has been an extreme roller coaster of emotions trying to sell this house. It feels as if we are being held hostage by a home we once loved and now just want to be rid of. I keep reminding myself how great it was raising our children in this house and community, and it was, but I'm so emotionally tired of all of this.
Last Wednesday we got a call that buyers that had put in an offer in January contingent on selling their home wanted to come look at the outside at noon. Their offer was withdrawn because we had a 2nd offer. Then those buyers become extremely greedy and we ended up backing out of that offer. So, we left and they came. When we got home, we had a message they wanted to come back at 2:00 and see the inside again. We left again. Then we wait and wait and hear nothing. So today I called the agent (who is really beginning to annoy me) to find out what gives.
Now that they sold their house, suddenly our house isn't good enough anymore. They put in a lowball offer on a newer, more expensive house. Our agent doesn't think their offer will be accepted, but I'm so very very very tired of this. I just don't know how much lower I can feel. I keep reminding myself how lucky we are in all other aspects of our lives, but this emotional roller coaster is killing me.
We have decided we may just leave the house behind and begin our journey anyways. Financially, we could do it. It just seems so irresponsible to keep making house payments on a house that is vacant. And later on, we may regret "wasting" that money if we come upon hard times. We also have a couple interested in a lease to own. We are hesitant about that because there are so many things that could go wrong.
I try to stay hopeful, but I'm getting really worn down. Sorry to bring a downer to the forum. I guess I just needed to vent to others who would understand.
It has only been 2 months for us, but our agent assured us that the transaction could be handled via email and fax. And as you we have a mortgage payment. We are going to follow thru with our trip to Alaska, and it may put a strain on the budget. Hope it sells before we go or at the worst we have to deal with it on the road.
Just a thought: If you don't want stray too far before the sell, maybe you could make plans for a week or two at a time. Last year we parked our trailer at a RV park up in the Idaho mts, and commuted every week or so. It was affordable and we met some great people.
Hold your head up, our houses WILL SELL.
traveljunkie said
09:08 PM Mar 19, 2010
We were in the same boat as you. Our house was on the market for almost 2 years and had 2 deals fall through - after both buyers made us jump through a ton of hoops. Meanwhile we tried to make lemonade out of the lemons and did what Ron & Sharon suggested above, we parked our rig in a permanent spot a few hours away and spent a ton of time there - and LOVED it. Our main house finally sold, we still have a rental property and business to sell, but we are on our way. Have faith, it will happen, and once it's done you won't look back. Meanwhile be open to anything - good deals happen all the time, and yes, some bad ones too, but is the risk of 'something' bad happening worth not following your dream?
LUVBYTES said
09:46 PM Mar 19, 2010
KEEP YOUR CHIN UP AND YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH AND I WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!! PLACE IT IN HIS HANDS AND ALL WILL SEE ITS WAY THROUGH! BTW NICE TO MEET YOU!
Hdrider said
07:37 AM Mar 20, 2010
Roll with the punches,,,, I know it's easier said than done but things WILL happen in there own time. In the last 12 years we have built and sold a # of homes,, moving every 2 years. I feel your pain of the rollercoaster you mentioned. Even though the market has been MUCH better during the time we have been doing it. We are doing it again ourselves now,,, it won't be as easy thim I'm sure.
Speedhitch said
12:50 PM Mar 20, 2010
Good Things...come in time.
Ken & Sarah said
03:32 PM Mar 20, 2010
Hang in there, Dreams Do Come True.
K & E said
04:11 PM Mar 20, 2010
Thanks for all the encouraging words. Yesterday was really a low point for me. But after sleeping on it, I'm feeling much better today. Your kind words and a good cry worked wonders
Selling a house in this economy is certainly a very frustrating and trying undertaking. After really thinking about what was getting me so down, I realized it is not the actual sale of the house, but rather the thought of staying at my horrible job that bothers me so much. We've crunched all the numbers and I will not have to stay much longer. If the house doesn't sell, we are pretty sure we will go with the lease to own option. There is a couple who really want to do it. They seem very nice and stable and are just in an understandable situation as to why then can't get a mortgage for another year. We would, of course, do a credit check and they are willing to give us a substantial amount of non-refundable money for the option. Like some of you said, we need to stop worrying about what might go wrong. I'm not advocating just blindly jumping into a situation, but we really have thought all of this through from every angle. We are making informed decisions.
I just am not willing to be on hold any longer. If it costs us a little more in the long run, we're willing to risk it.
I inherited some money from my dad a few years ago and that is money we weren't depending on, but will let us escape before the house sells. I was hoping we wouldn't need to go that route, but we're at a point where we are ready to do it. I know my dad would be thrilled for me.
So, thanks again for your kindnesses. I promise to keep my chin up. You are a great group of people, and I look forward to meeting you all one day!!
LUVBYTES said
06:58 PM Mar 20, 2010
CANT WAIT TO MEET YOU TO WE WILL HAVE TO BE NEIGHBORS FOR A WEEKEND AT SOME KOA KAMPGROUND I WILL MAKE DINNER FOR YOUR FAMILY AND MINE AND WE WILL GET A FIRE GOING ILL SHOW YOU MY NEW HOME AND YOU CAN SHOW ME YOURS IT WILL BE A FUN MEMORIBLE WEEKEND!!!! HEY DREAMS DO COME TRUE SO ONE DAY I WILL MEET YOU!!!!
LUVBYTES said
06:59 PM Mar 20, 2010
OH I LEFT ONE THING OUT CANT FORGET THE MARSHMELLOWS SINCE IM GONNA MAKE THE DINNER YOUR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BAG OF MARSHMELOWS I LOVE EATING THE BURNT ONES!
Happytrails said
03:25 PM Mar 21, 2010
Hang in there. Many of us have been right where you are today. It took us about three and half years to sell our house. I remember so well keeping it clean, taking our three Shih Tzus on a "road trip" to show the house and one Shih Tzu was right at 18 and very ill. Then the wait to see and not hearing and it goes on and on. I say all this to say that "all things in time." It does get discouraging but please know we are out here cheering you on. It will happen. We have now been full-timing for 7 months and it is terrific. Well worth the wait and all we went through to get here. You all will make it.
Sending you "happy thoughts." :)
heyduke said
07:00 PM Mar 21, 2010
then there is always the fate line... it will happen when it is meant to be.... and you will be rewarded...
-- Edited by heyduke on Sunday 21st of March 2010 07:00:29 PM
jagco said
10:40 AM Mar 22, 2010
heyduke wrote:
then there is always the fate line... it will happen when it is meant to be.... and you will be rewarded...
-- Edited by heyduke on Sunday 21st of March 2010 07:00:29 PM
That's typically my thinking about things.
Sunriser said
03:55 PM Mar 22, 2010
I only just put my house on the market. I will have no options until it sells. All the "realistic" people tell me it's the worst time to sell a house. My way of coping is to "stay in the present" and enjoy what is in this moment. But it sure helps to know there are so many others out there who understand how tough the waiting can be.
tntlowrider said
10:34 PM Mar 22, 2010
Hang in there. It will sell, sometimes it takes time for the right offer. My friends always ask me if mine has sold yet. I just tell them that of all the lookers and prospects, it just takes one good offer. Good luck and do not give up. I tell myself that every day, just think positive.
travelinmama said
06:11 AM Mar 23, 2010
My daughter and her dh are military and rented a house through a rental agency. The owners are military also and move frequently. The agency does everything, including re-renting the house, charges that are necessary for repairs, etc. When my dd got orders to Mississippi, the house had to be in showing order to rent it again. They too, had to leave for the showings.
What about a reputable rental agency? Then you can still take off, knowing that someone is watching your place and it isn't empty.
Just my two cents, okay maybe 5 for inflation.
Dreamers said
10:58 AM Mar 25, 2010
You're not alone in this needing cheering up. We do too, even though our house just went on the market on 3/15. However, at our age, we don't have much time to waste - already too old. And I too want to get out of this job but can't do it until we're on the road.
We made our decision to FT in Nov and the house was supposed to go on the market the first of January, which due to several different health issues didn't happen. And besides that we bought our tow truck by the end of November - very nice used one and then discover it won't pull any the 5th wheels we like so we're also dealing with that frustration. Do we sell the truck at a big loss and repurchase or do we settle for the RV that it will pull. Really frustrating.
Hope all goes well for you soon.
2fortheroad said
08:12 PM Mar 25, 2010
Boy did I hate to do homework when I was in school. Bet you couldn't tell from my grammar. But we are finding out that RVing is not a subject anyone should skimp on or try and take short cuts. That's why we love this group so much, no one person claims to be an expert, but share their knowledge of lessons learned. Some are graduates of "The School of Hard Knocks".
Gary said
07:06 AM Mar 26, 2010
2fortheroad wrote:
That's why we love this group so much, no one person claims to be an expert, but share their knowledge of lessons learned. Some are graduates of "The School of Hard Knocks".
I think it's more of the "University of Hard Knocks". You are absolutely correct though. This site has been invaluable in gaining knowledge. I haven't asked too many questions but all one has to do is read and the answers are there from the many fine "Road Scholars"!
Keep your heads up. The time to get on the road will come sooner than you expect.
hogans1947 said
08:41 PM Mar 26, 2010
We moved out of our house before it sold, hit the road and never looked back.(had been on the market not quite a year) Everything had been given away or taken to storage. The house was empty and clean and we didn't have to deal with the hassles of living in a house while it is for sale. It sold 5 months later and everything was handled electronically. That was 3 years ago and I know the housing market was better then but we just decided to not postpone full-timing any longer. We went to a camphosting position and that is pretty cheap living. Don't let a stix 'n brix keep you from fullfilling your RV dream if it is at all possible. Life is way too short !!!!! Brenda
K & E said
09:20 AM Mar 27, 2010
hogans1947 wrote:
We moved out of our house before it sold, hit the road and never looked back.(had been on the market not quite a year) Everything had been given away or taken to storage. The house was empty and clean and we didn't have to deal with the hassles of living in a house while it is for sale. It sold 5 months later and everything was handled electronically. That was 3 years ago and I know the housing market was better then but we just decided to not postpone full-timing any longer. We went to a camphosting position and that is pretty cheap living. Don't let a stix 'n brix keep you from fullfilling your RV dream if it is at all possible. Life is way too short !!!!! Brenda
Thanks Brenda for the encouraging words. It's nice to know someone else took the leap before their house sold. We have done all of our homework and know we can make it work. I guess I was just feeling guilty about quitting my job before the house sold. I am cleansing myself of the guilt and will not look back. Time to make the dream a reality!
Merikay said
05:50 PM Mar 28, 2010
Our experiences have been in good markets and bad. Always took to long to sell, but eventually it did happen. It will for you too. I went out to some open houses in our area today and was depressed by the beautiful, unsold and discounted home on the market begging for new owners. It's a buyers market.
Keeping you in mind, and hoping you will get "that call" very soon!
Terry and Jo said
07:10 PM Mar 28, 2010
K & E (Evelyn),
While our home has been on the market for two years, we are still in an area that is pretty good for housing. (That would be the Oklahoma City area.) However, our home is in the price range from $225,000 to $250,000, so that price range isn't moving quite as fast.
However, I encourage you to stay positive in spite of any setbacks. Jo and I will soon get our Mobile Suites and we are even considering selling everything in the house anyway and have the RV for sleeping and almost everything else. (The else would be bathrooms and maybe cooking.) Another option is to go ahead and move to a mobile home park and live there while the house sets empty until sold. I'm not too sure about that option though.
We have even recently lowered our asking price again. We are at the stage that we don't even care if we make any money on the house at all.
However, the dream is still a "raging fire" within us instead of just a "spark". Keep fanning your flame and keeping hope alive.
Terry
tumwatergal said
07:41 PM Mar 28, 2010
I agree with the other poster who suggested you rent it out but use a property management person to handle everything. They handle the advertising, screening of tenants, collecting all money for deposits and rent, and can arrange for any repairs that may become necessary. I think the rate for this is 10% to 15% of what the rent collected is. Not bad when it means you do not have to handle a long-distance rental. Also....there are some income tax breaks for rental property owners. You might investigate this before you just give up or sell for a super-low price. I hope it all works out for you! You might be living your dream before you know it.
Last Wednesday we got a call that buyers that had put in an offer in January contingent on selling their home wanted to come look at the outside at noon. Their offer was withdrawn because we had a 2nd offer. Then those buyers become extremely greedy and we ended up backing out of that offer. So, we left and they came. When we got home, we had a message they wanted to come back at 2:00 and see the inside again. We left again. Then we wait and wait and hear nothing. So today I called the agent (who is really beginning to annoy me) to find out what gives.
Now that they sold their house, suddenly our house isn't good enough anymore. They put in a lowball offer on a newer, more expensive house. Our agent doesn't think their offer will be accepted, but I'm so very very very tired of this. I just don't know how much lower I can feel. I keep reminding myself how lucky we are in all other aspects of our lives, but this emotional roller coaster is killing me.
We have decided we may just leave the house behind and begin our journey anyways. Financially, we could do it. It just seems so irresponsible to keep making house payments on a house that is vacant. And later on, we may regret "wasting" that money if we come upon hard times. We also have a couple interested in a lease to own. We are hesitant about that because there are so many things that could go wrong.
I try to stay hopeful, but I'm getting really worn down. Sorry to bring a downer to the forum. I guess I just needed to vent to others who would understand.
We went through just about what you are going through with some of our property. We finally had enough and took it off of the market for almost a year. We rented it out, (which wasn't a good idea, because we weren't there to keep an eye on the property), but then when we got it fixed back up and put it back on the market, it sold.
Keep the faith. It will sell, but it may take longer than you want. This can be one of the down sides of getting ready to full-time.
Hang in there. We'll be waiting for you when you get out here on the road.
Jim
Now all the sudden we felt the lowest of lows and felt like we had been kicked in the face. Guess what? The sun still came up the next day.I waited a couple days and posted on here about loosing the deal.The RV-Dreams family opened their hearts once again and gave us hope and inspiration. We now are working on a possible lease /purchase deal we swore we would not consider and have another showing to a new looker Sunday so who knows,but things are still looking up once again. The only caution I have is that it is worth talking to a good Real Estate Attorney on the pro's and con's of going this route.Ours includes a lot of non refundable cash up front and is not the usual deal so you have to look at your own situation.
We are also tired of the whole process but just can't give up on our home of 22 years that we have put our lives into. What I'm trying to say is hang in there, it will happen eventually and like Gene said if you let it go sometime things have a way of working themselves out.Here's hoping our deal actually works out this time and you get one soon.
Just a thought: If you don't want stray too far before the sell, maybe you could make plans for a week or two at a time. Last year we parked our trailer at a RV park up in the Idaho mts, and commuted every week or so. It was affordable and we met some great people.
Hold your head up, our houses WILL SELL.
In the last 12 years we have built and sold a # of homes,, moving every 2 years. I feel your pain of the rollercoaster you mentioned. Even though the market has been MUCH better during the time we have been doing it.
We are doing it again ourselves now,,, it won't be as easy thim I'm sure.
Selling a house in this economy is certainly a very frustrating and trying undertaking. After really thinking about what was getting me so down, I realized it is not the actual sale of the house, but rather the thought of staying at my horrible job that bothers me so much. We've crunched all the numbers and I will not have to stay much longer. If the house doesn't sell, we are pretty sure we will go with the lease to own option. There is a couple who really want to do it. They seem very nice and stable and are just in an understandable situation as to why then can't get a mortgage for another year. We would, of course, do a credit check and they are willing to give us a substantial amount of non-refundable money for the option. Like some of you said, we need to stop worrying about what might go wrong. I'm not advocating just blindly jumping into a situation, but we really have thought all of this through from every angle. We are making informed decisions.
I just am not willing to be on hold any longer. If it costs us a little more in the long run, we're willing to risk it.
I inherited some money from my dad a few years ago and that is money we weren't depending on, but will let us escape before the house sells. I was hoping we wouldn't need to go that route, but we're at a point where we are ready to do it. I know my dad would be thrilled for me.
So, thanks again for your kindnesses. I promise to keep my chin up. You are a great group of people, and I look forward to meeting you all one day!!
-- Edited by heyduke on Sunday 21st of March 2010 07:00:29 PM
That's typically my thinking about things.
What about a reputable rental agency? Then you can still take off, knowing that someone is watching your place and it isn't empty.
Just my two cents, okay maybe 5 for inflation.
But we are finding out that RVing is not a subject anyone should skimp on or try and take short cuts. That's why we love this group so much, no one person claims to be an expert, but share their knowledge of lessons learned. Some are graduates of "The School of Hard Knocks".
Keep your heads up. The time to get on the road will come sooner than you expect.
Brenda
While our home has been on the market for two years, we are still in an area that is pretty good for housing. (That would be the Oklahoma City area.) However, our home is in the price range from $225,000 to $250,000, so that price range isn't moving quite as fast.
However, I encourage you to stay positive in spite of any setbacks. Jo and I will soon get our Mobile Suites and we are even considering selling everything in the house anyway and have the RV for sleeping and almost everything else. (The else would be bathrooms and maybe cooking.) Another option is to go ahead and move to a mobile home park and live there while the house sets empty until sold. I'm not too sure about that option though.
We have even recently lowered our asking price again. We are at the stage that we don't even care if we make any money on the house at all.
However, the dream is still a "raging fire" within us instead of just a "spark". Keep fanning your flame and keeping hope alive.
Terry
I agree with the other poster who suggested you rent it out but use a property management person to handle everything. They handle the advertising, screening of tenants, collecting all money for deposits and rent, and can arrange for any repairs that may become necessary. I think the rate for this is 10% to 15% of what the rent collected is. Not bad when it means you do not have to handle a long-distance rental. Also....there are some income tax breaks for rental property owners. You might investigate this before you just give up or sell for a super-low price. I hope it all works out for you! You might be living your dream before you know it.
Good luck.