Going....Going....G

This will be the last blog post I write in California.  As of Thursday, Fred and I will be on our way to North Carolina.  

It has been an extremely busy month--deciding what to keep and what to sell, preparing for a garage sale and then holding the two-day garage sale, then cleaning up after the garage sale, and between it all, packing, packing, and more packing.  We have sold or given away everything we don't want to take, which is about half our household; yet, we still have a lot of "stuff" left.  Where it's been hiding all these years I have no idea.

We're having a pod from Pack Rats delivered tomorrow (Wednesday) and we've hired helpers to come Thursday and load it.  When it's fully loaded and locked, we'll be on our way.

One thing I've learned, moving is not for the elderly.  We work half an hour and rest half an hour.  I look forward to the day I can stand up straight again without my lower back crying out in pain.  My arms and legs look like Fred got upset and punched me, but it's just from carrying what seems like hundreds of boxes.  

We're tired, exhausted actually.  And our tempers are short.  It's been hot and humid for over a week which hasn't helped our dispositions.  I haven't been able to sit down and write for I don't know how long and I really, really want to.

Two things keep us going.  The first is knowing that when we get in our vehicle Thursday afternoon, all the packing, all the lugging, all the reaching and bending, will be behind us.  We can finally sit for 2500 miles and enjoy the scenery with absolutely nothing to do.  The second thing is knowing that at the end of our journey there will be rocking chairs on a front porch waiting for us.  I long for those rocking chairs.  They are on the porch of the house my daughter and son-in-law are buying and have graciously allowed us to stay in while we look for a place of our own, somewhere in North Carolina.  

When we have an address and an email address, I'll let y'all know where we are.

In the meantime, we've both been treated to farewell events by so many wonderful friends here. It's going to be hard to leave people that have meant so much to us over the years.  Fred was born here and I've been in California for thirty years.  You make a lot of friends in that time. Heck, I had to say goodbye to my hairdresser today; she's been doing my hair for over twenty-five years.  For some silly reason, she refuses to move to N.C. with us.  

I'll see you on the other side, dear friends; on the other side of the country, that is.

Today's Quote:  To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. Reba McEntire

Boxes, Boxes Everywhere

Well, our house has been sold.  We’ll still be here for a few months while the short sale goes through, but at least we have a buyer.  There is a SOLD sign posted on top of the For Sale sign outside our house.   We've been here eleven years and that is longer than anywhere I've ever lived my whole life.  Reality is setting in that we really are going to be moving out of this house.  For even more reality, you should see the boxes, empty and full, piled high in our spare room!  The ones that are packed, are going with us.  The empty boxes are yet to be packed, either for a yard sale or for moving.  The bare bookshelves and certain empty cupboards give further evidence that we really are moving.  Or else getting a really good head start on spring cleaning!

For those who don’t know about a short sale, let me explain according to what we've heard and experienced.  Our house is under water, and probably would continue to be for another year or two before we could sell it for more than the mortgage we owe.  With a short sale, and a hardship reason, we can sell the house while it’s upside down and walk away owing no first or second mortgage.  We won’t make anything on the house, but we won’t owe anything, either.  We also, and here’s a biggie for us, have been advised that we do not have to repair, fix, paint, or do anything to improve the condition of the house.  Since Fred and I are financially and physically unable to make any repairs, this is super good news for us.

So why would a bank offer to do a short sale?

Scenario One: The homeowner can’t make the mortgage payments and lets the house go into foreclosure.  The bank now owns the property and, in order to sell it, has to repair, fix, and paint, the property.  They have to advertise the property for sale and maintain it before a new owner moves in.  In addition to losing the mortgage money, it is now pouring money into the house.

Scenario Two:  The homeowner can’t make the mortgage payments because of a hardship and applies for a short sale.  The bank is no longer getting the mortgage payments, but is also not having to repair or sell the property.  The real estate agent sells the property and the new owner makes the repairs.  It’s almost a win-win situation for the bank.

With a short sale, you cannot buy another house for two years.  That’s fine for us because at this age, we’re not about to be starting a thirty-year mortgage.

To add a cherry on top, to keep the homeowner from foreclosing, the government and the bank offer a “Relocation Incentive.”  That means we will get our moving expenses paid!  We couldn't have asked for a better ending to our story as we get ready to close the book on this chapter of our lives and prepare for a new chapter in North Carolina.

Today’s Quote:  Everything happens for a reason, people change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they're right, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can come together. Marilyn Monroe