I SIGNED up Jason as my realtor, my seller’s agent.
Jason had this idea of listing my house for $242,000 just to test the market.
The house was listed on the late night of Feb. 13, but it didn’t really register until the morning of Feb. 14, 2021.
***
On the first day that I entertained possible buyers, I got five different people checking out the house.
The first viewer actually made an actual offer of $241,000.
Well, it was actually $245,000 on paper, but they wanted me to give back $4,000 as seller’s help. (Not an unusual request.)
I was happy with that, but we have already approved four more viewings the following day so I said, let’s see what the second day viewers say.
***
Four more people came to view the house on the second day.
The last one came between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
She made an offer before 8 pm that same day.
For $250,000!
No seller’s help requested.
I was over the moon.
***
I told Jason to accept the offer.
I didn’t want a bidding war even if the offers go up to $275,000.
I know people in the business call this a seller’s market.
But I don’t want to pump up the price of my house even if it is a crazy seller’s market, and houses sell like hot cakes.
I’m not greedy.
***
Could the house have sold for $260,000?
Maybe. But I didn’t want to take that risk.
Remember that my house was appraised for only $190,000 just 13 months before?
Remember that the first potential buyers walked away from my $170,000 deal?
***
Sure, I made house renovations.
Something like $26,000 in total — a little over my $20,000 budget.
But only because I bought new kitchen appliances even when the old ones (and the ones I bought three years ago) are still working.
Still, $170,000 plus $26,000 is just $196,000!
***
We took the $250,000 offer.
Everybody in my neighborhood was excited.
Because the last house sold in our development (in December 2020) was sold only for $205,000.
We had the inspections, which was rather useless because the buyer was ready to buy the house “as is.”
But what took so long was the appraisal.
I don’t understand why it couldn’t be scheduled sooner.
But COVID situation is a good enough guess or explanation.
***
I was on my knees for about three weeks.
I prayed a little that the appraisal will work in my favor.
Like appraise the house for $250,000 already!
Because the offer could be $275,000, but if the house appraises for only $220,000, which stupid filthy rich buyer would buy my house for $250,000?
***
Either God really loves me, or the real property market is really crazy.
But the house was appraised at $250,000.
So that’s that.
I became homeless in March.
But homeless with a quarter of a million dollars in my pocket!
***
After all the dust has settled — that is to say, after the settlement, and after the buyer’s checks have cleared, I asked Jason,
Were you confident that the house would be appraised for $250,000?
He said that he wished for it, but his true confidence was really in the $240,000s.
Which really made us both very happy for the $250,000.
***
I realized a few things while selling my house.
1. My husband can rest in peace. I am not angry with him… anymore. I loved my husband, but I felt betrayed that he didn’t take care of me after he died. Today, six (going seven) years after his death, I am not compelled to mourn him anymore.
2. I rather like the idea that I used my own money to renovate the house before selling it. So that in my mind, and in my good conscience, it was not a house that I just inherited, but a house that I “built” from the ruins. It was really my house that I sold, not my late husband’s!
3. I am not greedy. I may be ambitious, but I am not greedy. I know what I want, and I’m realistic about it. About things that really matter, I rather underestimate my worth. I’m not arrogant and proud as I project myself in my newspaper writing and social media posts.
4 . I am not a businessperson. I don’t do bullshit business practices. I don’t overprice with the thought that I could still make profits even if buyers haggle. My realtor may do that, and I may let him do his job, but that’s not really me. I have a very good sense of being fair and being just.
5. I am still affected by what people do to me, although I don’t let it stick too much. I like being underestimated. Not to be masochist about it, but because I do better when I feel like an underdog overcoming obstacles to be even a bigger success.
6. Marrying a house is not a bad idea. I mean, marrying for love is great. But when you are left with nothing after your spouse dies, that’s just adding insult to injury. As a romantic, I’d marry now for great sex. But a dick is just a dick, a pussy is just a pussy, and an ass is just an ass. And in the dark, all of them are just like the others.
7. I am a spiritual person. In all these financial and monetary business of selling the house, I see God’s hands, I see my life journey according to God’s plans, I see God’s grace, and the wisdom of “in God’s good time.”
8. After 50, it feels good to downsize. To not worry about keeping a house. To not pay monthly house bills. To have big cash on hand. To enjoy a little what money on hand can buy./PN
