City Living Sunday

Today is the big day where we are wishing, hoping, and praying that someone will want to buy our house. I had to work yesterday, so it was my husbands responsibility to make some last minute cleanups and to pack the kids in the car. And by kids, I mean our three rats, green cheeked conure, and pitbull who is known as Indiana PuppyDogO'Brien.

We had two showings, one at 9am and one at 1pm, two groups of people who our realtor said were "very excited about getting in to see the house before Rochester City Living, " and was pretty sure our "house was going to pop this weekend." After an afternoon of stressing out, we have heard nothing about what these people thought or any bids. I am extremely dissapointed and I feel like they probably should have just waited until today to come see it instead of inconveniancing us and wasting our time. But life goes on, and we are hoping that we have at least one offer today. I gotta say, I'm not too hopeful.

When being in this position of selling a house and waiting to buy a new one, it is ok to start looking to get an idea of what you want, but I implore you not to have your mind set on just one house. Chances are, the house may not be available when you actually want to put in an offer. My husband gets his mind set on a certain property, thinks of all of these great ideas to improve it, and then is heartbroken when he sees sale pending on the website.

Open houses are a great way to start looking. You don't have to take time off of work, and you can actually talk to the realtor that is selling the house and get a feel for the area including the neighbors, the school district, the traffic, etc. I have found that inexperienced realtors are not very helpful. I have asked these questions and they have just sort of gave me a puzzled look like I have snakes bursting out of my skull. But these are all very important questions to ask. You are making an investment in a home for a number of years, and if you don't get along with your neighbors, it puts you in a very awkward situation.

If you know months ahead of time that you are going to be moving to, start surfing mls listings. A tip is to first choose an area you want to live in and then go from there. Don't just look everywhere for a particular house that you want. Your dream house does not exist to be move in ready unless you are willing to dish out wads of cash. Keep track of homes that you are interested in and  see if they go down in price. Also, find out from your realtor how many days that house has been on the market. If it is something that has been up for quite a long time, the seller may be more motivated to come down in price to move it.

Just remember to work in your budget. Kitchens and bathrooms can always be upgraded, rooms can always be painted. DIY projects are cost effective, fun, and a great way for you to spend time and have a hobby with your significant other. Plus you can brag to everyone that you did all of the work yourself, and you should because it's hard work!