<p>Veryhappy…we did rush getting the house ready because we wanted the house on the market for the spring…</p>
<p>We had so many people working on the house at the same time…it was unreal…but it worked out…</p>
<p>We won’t rush getting a house ready for sale again though…</p>
<p>“Financially it makes so much sense that I’m kicking myself for not having done it years ago. (Like, at the peak??) And I’m really looking forward to something different.”</p>
<p>Yeah…</p>
<p>I wanted to take my property tax to my next house…(you can do that in Cal when you are 55)…in retrospect I probably should have just sold the house…then again…I would have bought something else and that would have dropped in price…</p>
<p>Inventory is still very low…both where I am selling and where I will probably buy…Since we are already in mid-April…looks like a very strange year…not a good year to be a real estate broker…I don’t know how real estate brokers are financially surviving…</p>
<p>wow, dstark, that’s fabulous news. I’m so jealous ! Our house went on the market on Monday, with the broker open house on Tuesday. No showings or anything yet, while you’ve already gotten interested buyers. Definitely jealous.</p>
<p>We painted the entire inside, and replaced the carpets, and redid the baths. Nothing - as in nothing - had been done to the house since 1995, so it was time. </p>
<p>If this were a race, you’d definitely be winning. Good luck!</p>
<p>Congrats to Hayden and NEMother for getting on the market! </p>
<p>dstark: I would take a request for the form 17 as a really good sign! I would never expect that to happen if the interest were anything less than very serious.</p>
<p>VHappy - I also kick myself for not selling earlier, but like dstark, I would have had to buy another house at the inflated prices. As it is, we bought a house this winter that we never could have afforded during the boom. I figured out what I think the difference in value is between the old house and the new house, and will be happy if we sell the old house for a price that matches that relative value.</p>
<p>Dstark - thanks for the good wishes and same to you. House went on @ 3pm yesterday - have 3 showings this a.m. (any appointments made for the afternoon I am not notified since I will be gone on vacation). I am very hopeful.
VH - I started prepping/fixing March 2010 - and so glad I did. Even so I was working like crazy the past month to do all the recommendations pointed out by the inspector and realtor. House looks great though.</p>
<p>Good luck to all - I have heard some good sellers stories lately (niece sold her house in less than a week - 4 showings with 3 offers, one over list) and a friend sold at the first open house - full price. There are buyers and I am hoping they come quickly to all of us here!</p>
<p>A good friend just emailed me that she and DH have put their house on the market. Their house is similar to ours, but it is somewhat better – they have a pool, a better plot of land, and so forth – and I’m eager to see how the process goes for them and what the outcome (i.e., the PRICE) will be.</p>
<p>Unfortunately it’s not that “easy” for me. Our pool is indoors and an integral part of the house’s design. We have to find buyers who actually want a pool (or can talk themselves into it).</p>
<p>We use it during the warmer months but not much during the winter now that the kids are mostly gone. We do still enjoy it, as the wall between the pool room and the main part of the house is all glass and the pool is really lovely.</p>
<p>Hope springs eternal . . . The one saving grace is that we don’t have to move. We have a lot and the start of house plans but we will not break ground until the money from this place is in the bank.</p>
<p>How does it work in California – do you have an attorney represent the buyer and seller, or it’s all done through realtors? The reason I’m asking is – make sure your buyer (hope you get multiple offers!) is thoroughly pre-approved (not just pre-qualified) by a lender before you accept their offer. Sellers used to be able to insist on contracts with no financing contingency, but I think those are rare now.</p>
We have to find buyers who actually want a pool (or can talk themselves into it).</p>