The waaaaaiting is the hardest part...

[msmoto]

We made the decision to move to the BI in February, got the house ready to sell and the pets ready to go. Our house has been on the market in So Cal for 2 months now, and we have just lowered the price, trying to get some action. So now we are in limbo, just waiting for something to happen. We want to move and get on with our lives already!
Anyone else in the same boat?

[mella l]

Oh Yes! We've been planning and searching and drreaming for over 2 1/2 years. Land is purchased 9-04, cleared 2/06, and while arranging pet transportation and moving 4/06, found out our pets are now a prohibited breed, and considered a hybrid by the state. So we are on indefinate hold while we petition the powers that be. So limbo it is for us also.

Hang in there the market has slowed but not dead. So Cal is a desireable market. Are you building or buying a home on the BI? The building market may be slowing on the Big Island somewhat and if that is so your building will go a little smoother perhaps.

Don't you just love the qualifiers! LOL

Best of luck.

mella l

[punafish]

Been there, done that. We started out trying to sell the house by owner but weren't getting enough traffic so we ended up going with Coldwell Banker. Had a good realtor who helped us get the place ready including an interior designer. Within days after our partial "home makeover", we had two offers. We ended up taking 9K less than we had hoped for, but considering the down R.E. market, it could have been worse. We're not greedy folks anyway, and count our blessings for the money we made in appreciation over the last 14 years.

Keep the faith, it'll happen!

Tim

[msmoto]

Oh Mella, you really are in limbo. What an awful wrench in your plans. I hope it all works out and you and your pets can make the move soon.
We definately want to build, however we might buy a smaller fixer upper to live in and renovate while we build. We are not making any concrete plans until we sell here.

Thanks for the encouragement Tim. When did you sell your house? We too tried to sell it ourselves and got nothing but calls from realtors. ha! We then listed with a friend and have been getting alot of showings but no written offers. Hopefully the open house on Sunday with the new lower price will be the turning point!

[punafish]

Our house closed on June 14, 2006, the very day we arrived here. We had our chicago home on the market from late February. Got some traffic early on (and calls from countless realtors) but then in mid-April the traffic dwindled to almost nothing. My realtor admitted that 1 year ago it probably would have sold quickly even "by owner", but with today's market it just didn't work.

Another point worth mentioning: we were in a desirable area/neighborhood (NW suburb of Chicago), but I'm guessing the S. California market is a completely different animal. Is the market as slow on the West Coast these days? Surely the values exceed those in Illinois, so hopefully you've at least got potential for a bigger payback in equity/appreciation gained over the years (?)

Yeah, I did a lot of work on the house (new oak doors, fresh paint, landscaping upgrades, etc), decluttered with reckless abandon (not so hard being that we are minimalists to begin with)...but I really think the interior designer input helped move the house. Now I'm a firm believer that those "silly" subtle touches have a huge impact on marketing your home.

Good luck!

Tim

Edited by - punafish on 08/03/2006 18:02:25

[msmoto]

Yes, "if only" we put our house up last year! Apparently it's pretty flat around here right now, so rather than keep waiting, we lowered our asking price and are prepared to go even lower. We have been here 9 years, so like you Tim, we feel blessed we are going to do so well wrt equity when we sell.

Luckily, my mom is an interior designer, and my husband has an incredible green thumb. Really, our home has never looked more beautiful. The MLS pictures look amazing. We did however, break that cardinal real estate rule and bought the best house in the neighborhood, which I think may be contributing to it still being on the market. But what could we do? We fell in love with a 1932 spanish style home on a 1/4 acre (HUGE for a so cal lot). So the street may be a little busy, and the townhomes across the street aren't that pretty, and there may be a liqour store on the corner (ha! comes in handy!)...it's an awesome home and just needs a little time to find the right buyer. I hope the new price does the trick.
That said...maybe I should go declutter some more! Ha!

[Carolann R]

Okay, I'm gonna chime-in you guys. We are about to put our house up. In these past three years we have added a 500 sq.ft. room on, knocked out a wall and made a great room with island - all new kitchen walls, cabinets, appliances (you get the picture), tiled over 1200 sq ft of the house and laminate about 800 sq ft., new roof, major insulation and stuccoed the outside, arched doorways, all new interior and exterior doors, new lighting fixtures and fans, all new texture and paint on every wall, new bathroom fixtures/paint/floors, landscaped the backyard, enclosed the carport and put in an elect. garage door...SOOOO - We are aware of the market slowing and it's making us a little nervous.

I read on the Dark Side - about these St. Joseph statues that come in an actual kit. People were saying you bury them face down in the front yard facing the house...so last night we're talking to our realtor here in Arizona. He said yes...he knows about it! In fact he has one for us if we would like it. Says they come with all the instructions enclosed and you bury on the first day you list your house. (I don't suppose that's a REQUIREMENT though.)

I happen to believe if you've heard something it's for a reason. And not to mention we could use all the help we can get since we will be moving before the house is sold - the fear of two mortgages is upon on us LOL!!! I guess realtors are familiar with this - that he knew about it was the last thing I expected to hear. St. Joseph was a carpenter and the patron Saint of families.

I just found this website...check it out!
http://www.luckymojo.com/saintjoseph.html

Good Luck on your homes sales...I know we will be fine...I just do, somehow.



Carrie

"The opportunities to reach into the lives of others in an inspiring way arise in countless ways every single day..." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

http://www.hellophoenix.com/art

[punafish]

Wait a minute Carrie...aren't WE the dark side? I kind of like being associated with the "dark" counterculture of Puna

As an ex-Catholic (they'd have ex-communicated me anyway had they known about all my transgressions throughout life), I can't say I buy into the St. Joseph mythology, but hey, if it makes you feel good and brings good luck, who am I to judge? But I truly think there's something to Dr. Dyer's "Power of Intention". Proof? My unwaivering "intention" to move to Hawaii worked out in the end. (okay, the oak doors had a little to do with it

On a serious note, I truly believe that if you feel strongly enough about achieving a goal, are persistent, creative and flexible, then nothing in the world can stop you from making it a reality. Suppose it doesn't hurt to have St. Joseph on your side...

Tim

[Carolann R]

coident huit! LOL

Funny you mention Dr. Dyer...he talks about putting all the right things into action and that if you do that - whatever you want, no matter what it is - "is on it's way. It's coming to you." Yes, I do believe this very strongly.

I remember being in my early 20's and first hearing about "programming" yourself for something - whatever it was. (Even a parking space! LOL) I mean really "believing" it, no doubts. Words and thoughts are so powerful...people don't realize how sometimes they program for failure by saying "I want this but I just know it won't happen" or that something "is too big an idea." If you've ever seen What The Bleep Do We Know, you'll know what I mean. It's an AMAZING movie. Quantum Physics makes my brain hurt if I think too much about how it works, but that movie is a real fun intro to the way the universe operates.

I guess something like asking a Saint for assistance seems silly on some level but if you put it out there - who's to say? I know a lot of "realists." I have sometimes wished I were more like them. But to tell you the truth I love the thought of something magical! I'm fascinated by possibility.

Anyway - the "other" forum seemed like the Dark Side to me...not much positive stuff about Puna ever came out of that forum for me. Some would say Puna is too cold, too rainy, moldy, crime and drug-plagued. I see it as mystical, magical and steeped in beauty. If someone gets stink-eye, what are they putting out? My eyes are not big enough for Puna! (sorry to ramble - it's late and I can't sleep.)

Aloha!


Carrie

"The opportunities to reach into the lives of others in an inspiring way arise in countless ways every single day..." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

http://www.hellophoenix.com/art

[Cindy V]

Limo land for us too. But hey my St. Joseph arrives today, sounding desparate? Naw, will just try anything, couldn't hurt, may help. We bought land in 10/05, cleared 4/06 and building began late May, roof almost done now. House in CA has been on the market 2 months, just lowered the price. Many of us are in that same slow boat to the BI, but hey we are headed in the right direction and the boat will arrive