Well, we decided to put our house on the market, after living here since 1989. We have about 3.5 acres of land, and that is just too much for me to keep up, plus the house is also too large for just the two of us.

Our neighbor two houses down is a real estate agent and we talked to him about listing the house, a few weeks ago. I told him I was shooting for Labor Day to have it as de-cluttered as I could get it and ready to put on the market. He asked if he could put up a Coming Soon for sale sign, and I told him sure. Well, to everyone's surprise, a lady was driving by, saw the sign, called to see if she and her husband and two little girls could see the house. I scrambled and cleaned for a solid day and got it passable. They came on a Friday, I think two weeks ago. Then they came back on that next Monday with their contractor to get an idea of how much "updates" would cost, I have no idea what all they want to do. So after he finally got them some numbers last Sunday, they made an offer on Tuesday. It was a good offer and we accepted. My agent was shocked, I was shocked, my husband was shocked, everyone we have told has been shocked, but in a good way.

If this closes, in 60 days, this will be such a relief not to have to have people going through all the time and keeping it clean and leaving at a moments notice and putting the kitty in a cage, etc., etc., I told my husband that was worth several thousand dollars right there. I was just in the process of getting quotes to get all the trim painted, which wasn't going to be cheap, and they said I didn't even need to do that.

Apparently they are like us, when we bought the house, in that they want the acreage and they want this area and the house is sort of secondary to the deal. This is exactly how we felt when we moved here 27 years ago. They told our agent that they really see raising their family here, which made me feel good. It is perfect size for a family of four. I hope nothing comes up and they spend as many years here as we have.

We found a new townhouse, where they do all the upkeep and maintenance, and hopefully we can do a back to back closing on Halloween. The new place is supposed to be finished by then, or maybe just a few days after. We have a contract on that, with a contingency that our house has to close. Hold good thoughts that this goes smoothly and we get to move.

Now, I am shell shocked at how to deal with purging and packing up 27 years worth of stuff. I have been purging for weeks, but I have so much more to do. I will not be taking all my furniture and a bunch of other stuff, so I plan to hire someone to come in and do an "estate sale" lol for all the stuff I don't want. I will not be doing this till just shortly before we are supposed to close, just in case it doesn't happen.

What a whirlwind these last couple of weeks has been. I think I need a vacation, before and after the move.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

That's great news. Good for you guys though I'm sure there is sadness too. Tell them they have to be nice to the bunnies. Lotsa empty-nesters are moving to be near the symphonies, theaters and restaurants.

Your place was so irresistible because you did such a nice job keeping up the yard!

I can't believe how many people are selling so quickly after putting a house up for sale (B'Zook?). I'm looking at retreat/retirement houses in the U.P. and it's nothing to see a house that's been on the market for well over a year.

And yeah, that house you have now is waaaaay too big for just two people!

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Congratulations! Whirlwind is right. Granted. Ours sold in a week. But we actually had people come and look at it. And the wife had to do the "pack up the cat and go work at starbucks" several times.

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Wow, it sounds like it will be good for everyone involved....I'm happy for y'all!

Congrats! I'm amazed at how much stuff I've accumulated in the 28 years I've been here. And it's a small townhouse to boot! More amazing is how unattached I've become to a lot of it. Why did I need it in the first place? It'll be stressful but exciting at the same time. Good for you!

When is moving day? Cause Im sure I'm busy that day...

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Congrats!! I'm so jealous. Buying/selling houses is my least favorite thing to do. I'm just no good at it. When our house was on the market last year, we had an offer the first week. It was a low-ball and our agent told us to hold out. About 4-5 months later, we sold it for about the same amount as that initial offer.

Where is your townhouse? Moving ITP?

We sold our house within a week of listing. The neighbors who were planning to sell were concerned that we priced too low (and affected their sale price), but we were moving out of state. A few grand less was worth avoiding having to manage an out of state property stuck on the market. Plus we had two preschoolers and a newborn...imagine trying to straighten up the house on short notice with that gang! As it turned out, we only had to do it a few times.

Congrats on the quick sale!

Our house is on the market after 17 years here. My wife is disappointed that we don't have a contract offer after nearly three weeks on the market. Her three prior home sales sold to the first or second person who saw the house and she was sure this would be the same. School just started, though so folks are kind of settled in right now.

But, but, but....

what about ME?

Very good news, and mostly painless!

I need to start getting rid of stuff. I got a house with an extra bedroom just to hold everything I have accumulated over the last 25 years.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

Quote
DavidS
Congrats!! I'm so jealous. Buying/selling houses is my least favorite thing to do. I'm just no good at it. When our house was on the market last year, we had an offer the first week. It was a low-ball and our agent told us to hold out. About 4-5 months later, we sold it for about the same amount as that initial offer.

Where is your townhouse? Moving ITP?

Not ITP but a little closer in. We will have a Roswell address, but will actually be in east Cobb. We wanted to be there becaae we will save a ton on taxes. Since my husband is over 65, we will be exempt from the school taxes which will slash our tax bill from what it would be if we stayed in Fulton county.

The people who are buying wanted to get us under contract before we went on the market, and I was more than happy to do it. I am definitely a bird in the hand type of person and our agent had listed the house for more than I thought we would get anyway. I think they thought the house might go quickly if we went on the market, but I was afraid of exactly the opposite, lol. I really hope this deal goes through.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Quote
Racer X
But, but, but....

what about ME?

You'll live.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Glad to hear you doing what you want. I am sure it will be a change. I don't know, if a house sells to quickly without that competition, makes me think it sold for a little low. But I live in Southern Cal, where you can get more than the asking price. Getting very tough out here for housing and rentals.

Congratulations and good luck with it all. Glad to hear you have a place to go to, we're still waiting for ours to be built.

Paul

Congratulations!

Sounds good, although the idea of packing and moving from a space one has occupied for a long time makes my blood run cold.

Congrats!
The real estate market around here is as insane as I've ever seen. Talk about locking the barn door after the horse got out! Prices all over the shop and banks not wanting to give as much as sellers want so a big roadblock for sales. Same crime rates in my neighborhood as in neighborhoods in Los Angeles yet as where our house might get $100K, e.g., in LA it would be $500K or $600K there! Yes, I know but it's more than just location desirability.
Enough of my rant... Hope it all goes well for you! Admit it tho, you'll miss that smell of freshly mowed lawn and skunks. Oh, wait. I guess there are skunks in town too...

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Hoping all goes well with the transition for you guys whether it is to plan or not.

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Best wishes for a smooth closing!

congrats! my initial thought on seeing your subject line was Wow! That's a long time! then i realized i've been in this house 22 years next month. my how time flies.

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Good for you! Really, really good for you!!!

We moved into our newly built home in 1989, too. My wife retires in four years and we will move out then. Mixed emotions, even four years out. But I know I will be happy to move out the closer that day comes. BTW, we will almost be neighbors then as we will probably move about 500 miles south of you.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.