The House is Sold!

The first showing of our house was Sunday at 4:30.  The potential buyers were there already at 4:20 so Jim and I hurried out as they waited in the cul de sac.   We walked at Notre Dame and then headed back at 5:20 but the realtor and his clients were still talking in the driveway.  So we hung out at the parking lot of the neighborhood pool until Wendell, our neighbor,  texted us to say they were gone.

We felt that it was a good sign that someone stayed more than an hour and it was.  Monday night we got word that the couple was waiting for pre-approval of their mortgage and hoped we would let them know if we got another offer.

We had one more showing on Monday--this time we hung out at the library.  And Tuesday morning we had an offer from the first clients for the full price.  Faith said she'd present it to us Wednesday morning.  We had one more showing Tuesday evening.

Faith was here this morning at 8:45 with the contract ready to go.  There were no problems with it--and the closing was set for June 3.  We signed with our Iphones again and that was it!  Only three showings which was disappointing, but we needed just one.

Faith said the family had six boys and so our big house was ideal for them.  They asked for beds--and the table tennis table.  Great.  They can have more if they want it!

There could still be complications with the mortgage and the inspections but that is unlikely--we hope!

Now we need a place lest we be homeless.  I contacted Avalon Princeton again and am on notification lists for 2 bedroom apartments with lofts.  That would be a great location and more space--and more expensive too of course.

We will move up our plans to go to Princeton from late April to early April and check out a few more places across Route 1.

This evening I felt free to leave my cookbooks on the counter and to take my library books out of hiding in the closet.  However, we did enjoy the uncluttered look and may try to keep that up somewhat.

Hooray!  The house is sold and I am happy to think of a big family living here. 

The Contract is Signed

Faith Fleming spent some time with us yesterday morning going over the contract for selling our house--which we signed electronically on our iPhones.  She walked through the house and thought we had done a great job of "staging" or in other words, "purging." 

A table looking unusually clear!

Tomorrow the photographer will come and Saturday the house will go on the market.  The lock box is on the door.

I emailed the family yesterday afternoon and got responses from Susan and Michael immediately and Alex shortly after.  I was amused that it was the spouses and friend who were the first to give us positive feedback on this move!  But then Laura also emailed and eventually Jeff and Dan as well.  I am grateful that we can feel welcomed by them.  I am sure we won't be helicopter parents and grandparents!

Once again I checked apartments in Princeton.  The Avalon which would be the most convenient but has only 2 bedroom apartments actually has nothing available right now.    The Copperwood which is close to Jeff and Susan's has only 2 bedroom apartments also and is in a lovely wooded setting.  However, in Princeton Junction across Route 1 and congested traffic, there are several complexes with 3 bedroom apartments for less money.  It will be a decision between space and location.  Space would mean keeping the piano and lots more books.  But it would also mean giving up a goal of being able to walk to stores, church, libraries, and the university.

I felt quite emotional about the whole decision last night.  It means a big change;  I am trying to think of it as an adventure.  I know I want to be closer to our children and grandchildren.  The time will come when we will not just want but need to be closer to them.

And it occurred to me that every move we have made in the last 51 years has been because of Jim's education or career.  This was a move I instigated and he has agreed to but with some reluctance.  We both feel that we are ready to rent and no longer be responsible for home ownership.

 I know we can be happy elsewhere.  I envision being more a part of our grandchildren's lives.  I can see more train trips to New York City to see Dan and Alex.  We already have good friends in Princeton, the Moorheads,  who will welcome us.  Jim has colleagues at Princeton--one of whom is coming here for a colloquium honoring him later this month.  We are certainly familiar with the town and environs.  We will need to find a good place to worship--and good doctors.  It may take a year or so.  It took a year to adjust to our life in Raleigh and in South Bend as well.

We won't lose touch with family and friends here thanks to texting, emailing, and Facebook.

  I hope someone will really want our house and would be happy in it--and that this is all settled very soon.

The Second Book Give-away

I wish I had counted the books that we brought to church yesterday.  We estimate that there were 100 or more.  We also brought vintage Golden books--some from my childhood--and music, including songs from the 30s and 40s from my parents.  I set aside a book of poetry for Jake Schepers, himself a poet,  and gave David Banga two Dutch psalters and my cherished split page Scottish hymnal that Jim gave me during our year there in 1971.

I sent out an email on Friday and know that several books were selected even before the church service.  I made an announcement at the end of the service referring to Maria Kando's mantra saying that many of the books "sparked joy" for Jim and me but that it would spark even more joy if people took them home with them.  There was laughter!

It did spark joy to see "Fire, Fire" and "The Monster at the End of This Book" in the pew ahead of us going home with a little three year old new to our church.  And my own old "Miss Frances--Ding Dong School" books chosen by Mary Brown who liked the old illustrations.  And the Snite Museum volume that was a "Godsend" to Wendy Baxter Banga because she was teaching a class at Trinity on works at the Snite.  And the Updike volume of short stories that Jeff Snapper said was a treasure.  The Lincicum daughters each had a volume in hand--the older one wanted a study Bible--but I'm not sure if she left with it or not.  Scott DeVries followed up on my announcement by saying her dad was trying to convince her to take Harry Potter instead! No concern about witchcraft there!  Leah Hanstra was looking through the piano music and took some with her.

I'll clear the table at church temporarily tomorrow and then put them out one more week.  What is left can be donated to Better World Books.  I am curious to see what did not seem of value to anyone else.