The house has been on the market for a week.  We have been so focused on getting to this point that we haven’t really considered how this decision may affect those around us.  In a recent conversation with a friend, he asked us, “What do the kids think or what does your mom and dad say about this?”

Our son loves this house and didn’t want us to sell it.  If he were in a position to buy it, he would.  He is the emotional one who doesn’t like to get rid of things and took many items while we were cleaning house.   Even though he wishes we would keep the house he has told us to go and enjoy our lives.  Being a nurse in the cardiac ICU he sees on a daily basis the short lived lives of his patients and wants us to enjoy ourselves while we both are physically fit to do so.

My daughter on the other hand, is much more practical.  She understands the reason why we are selling.  Presently, her biggest concern is where we are going to spend Christmas if they house sells before then.  It might just be in our 5^th wheel.

My parents haven’t really said much.  I am sure they think about it but don’t want to rain on our parade. My dad is 81 and in good physical shape and he is supporting our decision because his motto is – We don’t know what life holds for us, so enjoy every minute.  My sister’s favorite saying to this is – Life is not a dress rehearsal.

This will be new unexplored territory for us.  While I will miss being in close proximity to those I love I am grateful for the modern world we now live.  Cell phones will keep us in touch and no matter where we are in the United States; we are only a plane ride away.

Our house is officially on the market.  The lockbox is on the door and the realtor has listed it on MLS.  After months of getting the house in the best shape it can be, the day has come.  Another pit in my stomach has formed.

Here is where the tough part begins.  Each morning when we leave the house, it needs to be in tiptop condition as you never know when a realtor is going to bring a potential buyer into our home.  No more lounging with a cup of tea and watching my favorite show, GMA before work.

It’s now a scramble to make the bed, clean out the shower, put the show towels on the rack and go around the house to see if something was missed from the night before.  The contract is for six months and hoping it won’t take that long to sell.

I’ve always been a planner, organizer, and methodical person all my life.  It may have something to do with being the first born and trying to live up to certain expectations.  I try not to leave too much to chance.   However, this process has been exhausting and I envy those individuals who have a carefree attitude everything will work out.   Those who have thrown caution to the wind by putting their house on the market and just getting rid of everything to start their adventure – full-time RVing.  Bravo to those people.

Below is the video posted on youtube.   Enjoy and keep watching for updates on our progress.

Do you remember the excitement of getting your first car?  Mine was an Impala my uncle had given me for $1.  My dad paid $650 to put in a new carburetor to get it running.  Wasn’t new, or a really cool car, but it was mine.

My next door neighbor’s daughter turns sixteen in October and they bought her a brand new, shiny Elantra.  They wanted her to get used to driving it before she could drive it solo when she turned sixteen.  The smile on her face was priceless as she proudly showed me her new ride.  I couldn’t have been happier for her.

My vehicle is a Ford 250 truck that has a long bed.  This pulls our fifth wheel so it is a pretty heavy duty truck.  I am 5 ft tall and drive the monster truck.  I have gotten so many comments on how a short person like me can drive this huge truck and often get stares as I exit the door and unto the running board to eventually put both feet on the ground.

The other day, I was going to the store and I backed out of our long driveway and went my merry little way.  I didn’t even get out of the neighborhood when my phone rang and it was my neighbor asking me if I had just left my house.  I said yes and thought I might have left my garage door open.  To my surprise, he said I had just hit his daughter’s car.  I screamed, “What”?  I never heard or saw anything.  I turned quickly back to the house to see what was happening.  Sure enough, there was my young neighbor and her girlfriend looking at the dent in the passenger door.

They were parked in the street and listening to the radio when they said they felt the car jolt.  I have never felt so bad.  Not only did I dent her new car but crushed her excitement of having a brand, new shiny car.  I told her not to worry as I would pay to get it back to its original condition.  Knowing I won’t be in this neighborhood for long, I had a troubling thought.  This young lady will always remember me not for being a good neighbor but the one who ruined her new car.   I don’t think I will be invited to her Sweet Sixteen, do you think I will be?

Originally, we were going to sell our house ourselves.  We put a couple of feelers out on Craigslist and didn’t generate any worthwhile leads.  Living on a cul de sac doesn’t provide an opportunity for a lot of flow through traffic.  My mom sold both her houses just by putting a sign out on her front lawn but we didn’t think that would really work for us.  We decided to interview some realtors to get a feel for what the marketplace was like.

We decided if we wanted to do a good job of selling it ourselves we would have to look into hiring a media expert to use social media to our benefit.  When looking at the amount of time we would have to invest to search for one, we realized neither one of us had the time to invest which would delay putting the house on the market.

One realtor we interviewed uses a social media person to market to other states, which is the route we wanted to take.  While I am not thrilled about the commission we have to pay, there comes a point when you have to say we have to turn it over to the people who do this for a profession, sit back and pray for the best.

We will be signing the realtor agreement this week.  We are now at the point of no return.