Full Price Offer!

The short story: Our realtor called me on Wednesday of last week and suggested that we consider re-listing our house. Apparently she had a lot of buyers express interest in our house after we took it off the market. I agreed to "a one weekend last chance listing". On Saturday afternoon we received a very fair offer but it was less than our break even price, after a lot of conversation we decided we were going to decline the offer. Just as we were lamenting that "ah, so close" feeling I received a text from our realtor...FULL PRICE OFFER!

Long Story: As my loyal readers know we have been trying to sell our house since July. This is actually the second time in six years that we have listed the house. All summer I worked to keep the house ready for showings. I did every single thing the realtor asked and expected of me and we just couldn't get a reasonable offer.

By early September I was so burnt out from all of the showings and was ready to have my house, my privacy, and my sanity back. We took the house off the market on Monday the 16th. For two glorious weeks I let the kids get out every toy, we left towels on the floor, and I didn't dust a single knickknack. That is not to say I didn't clean, we have pets and kids after all, but it was amazing to loosen the reigns! We made plans to head to Maine for the first weekend in October to celebrate Mimi's birthday. Matt and I had also been throwing around the idea of getting away for a night so I booked us a cottage (at a motel) for one night in North Conway, NH.

The week before we headed to Maine was a pretty typical week. I had both kids all day on Monday and Tuesday, we ran errands and had a play date with a new friend from Lily's school. On Wednesday Lily went to preschool in the morning and Ben and I went for a run. This is the part where I should mention I HATE pushing the jogger, ugh! After school the kids and I met Vicki and co. for a picnic at the beach, it was 80 degrees. I am completely thrown by this unseasonable weather but I figure we should make the most of it. While having lunch Vicki and I talked at length about how the house had not sold and what we were planning to do from here.

When I got home from the beach there was a message on my phone from our realtor asking me to call her and that she had a proposition. She had also called the house phone and sent me an email. I put the kids down for a nap and returned her call. My gut reaction to her request to relist the house was, hell no! I did tell her that I would need to talk it over with Matt and that I would get back to her. Dingle and I exchanged a series of pretty hilarious texts and we were both confident that we would not be relisting. By 9pm on Wednesday night I sent the realtor an email approving the relist. Neither Matt nor I know how that happened, haha.

Thursday I showed my kids a healthy amount of neglect and Octonauts episodes so that I could undo the last few weeks of living in squalor. It took me all day. In fact, I still wasn't done when Matt got home from work, nor was I done the following morning. I put the last touch in place at a full sprint as I raced out the door to pick Lily up from school at noon. Keep in mind I also had to pack for the whole family for a three day weekend away. Good thing both the dog and Ben were standing in waiting at the door when I raced by, there is no guarantee that I would have remembered to pack them otherwise.

No more than three minutes after closing the door behind me my mind was on to the next thing and I had all but forgotten that our house was being show six times on Saturday. On Saturday morning Matt and I got up bright and early and drove to North Conway for a little retail therapy and alone time. It was Mimi's birthday and she insisted that babysitting our tots was the best gift we could give her, ha! Don't have to tell me twice.

We had a great morning shopping, it has been a very long time since I was in a store without a stroller or a child hanging from my leg. That being said I bought myself a new pair of jeans and spent 90% of my time looking at cute things for the kids that they totally do not need. ( I "splurged" on a yellow puffer vest for Ben and a sweater dress for Lily.) Matt was able to find a few new shirts for work which, when paired with the jeans his mom got him for his birthday, made him a happy guy. While heading to lunch we got a text from the realtor saying a couple had made an offer. Up until that point I had literally forgotten all about the house. It was too low for us to really consider but it did make me feel like all my hard work wasn't for nothing. We had a ridiculously good (not at all good for you) lunch complete with big beers. After walking around a bit more we decided to check out the Conway Scenic Railway and upon finding out that the tickets were very reasonable decided a train ride was totally up our alley, even without the kids.

After the train we found a cool little hole in the wall to watch the Sox game and have some dinner. Just after the waiter had taken our order both of our phones started blowing up. The couple from earlier had sweetened their offer and the realtor offered to lower her commission if we were able to come to a deal. All through dinner we weighed our options and in the end we both agreed that the offer was still just too low to take.. We didn't feel any real urgency to call the realtor back so we finished up our meals and watched the game for a bit. Just as we were about to settle up the tab we got one last text...a second couple had made us a full price offer!!!

There was still a chance that another offer would come in on Sunday so we held off on an official acceptance. That night we stayed in one of those little cabins that you often see along rural routes in New England. Yes, technically it is just a motel room but I have always wanted to stay in one. Of course I was terrified that it would be horrible and dirty since there were no reviews online but overall it really wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to stay there for an extended time, or with the kids, but for one night it was perfectly fine (and very clean). The only problem was that I had forgotten my flannel pj pants in Maine so I was freezing when I woke up around 6...too cold to go back to sleep. I let Matt sleep until 7 but I was craving coffee and missing the kids so I pushed him out of bed and we got on the road to come home.

On Sunday around noon we formally accepted the offer, no other competing offers came in. Now of course I am totally stressing about the home inspection, which is next Monday at noon. I have to remind myself that we are honest people with nothing to hide, and that the home inspection will not turn up any surprises. Fingers and toes crossed that I am right about that last part!

The plan if everything goes smoothly (which I know when selling/buying a house is a relative term) is to close at the end of November and move in with Mimi and Doe until we find our very own dream house in Maine.

Whether or not I allow myself to get too excited, I am not going to be any less disappointed if the deal falls through. You guys, MAINE! After 10 years in Massachusetts we are finally going home!