Good Things
Escrow is closed on my first-ever real estate sale, which just happened to be my parents' house. This first-ever deal may also be my last-ever deal. Now that I've relocated full-time to Dana Point, I don't know which career path to take. There were a lot of things that I liked about being a Realtor, but not knowing when I'd get my next paycheck was not one of them. Plus, there are some people who are just inherently good at sales. I am not one of those people.
Handling the sale of my parents' house was made more difficult by my close relationship to my clients. When I gave them advice, I think it was hard for them to listen to me as their professional Realtor, and not as their daughter. And when we had discussions, it was also hard for me at times to interact with them professionally as clients, not as my parents.
But in the end, the deal got done. And although they refused to take my advice to hire people to help them pack up the 18 years' worth of accumulated stuff in the house, garage, garden, and two sheds, we got it done. Don't ask me how...when I arrived a week before escrow was supposed to close, I was worried about the vast amount of stuff that remained unpacked. My worries were not allayed by my parents wishing they had "one more week" to pack. The night before escrow was supposed to close, I just started throwing stuff in boxes. I actually labeled one box as "Misc. crap". We had to extend the close of escrow by four hours, but at least we closed on the day we were supposed to close. And in a few days, I should hold in my hands the biggest check I have ever received in my life. Of course, most of it is already spent. Do you know what happens when you live for several months with no income? You charge everything to your credit cards. And then you have to pay them off.
Now my parents are in their temporary home in Napa, which comes with a whole new set of problems; namely, how to fit all the possessions from their previous 3,700-square-foot abode into their new approximately 2,000-foot-shelter. The 10x15 storage unit that my mom rented does not even begin to make a dent in the the mountain of stuff that needs to be stored. The new house is wall-to-wall boxes, and the front porch and driveway are littered with excess furniture and all the potted plants that had previously dotted our 1.25 acre grounds. It is a sight to behold.
But again, this situation is temporary. Eventually, their dream house/retirement home will be built in the midst of our vineyard, and then all will be right with the world. That day can't come soon enough!
Handling the sale of my parents' house was made more difficult by my close relationship to my clients. When I gave them advice, I think it was hard for them to listen to me as their professional Realtor, and not as their daughter. And when we had discussions, it was also hard for me at times to interact with them professionally as clients, not as my parents.
But in the end, the deal got done. And although they refused to take my advice to hire people to help them pack up the 18 years' worth of accumulated stuff in the house, garage, garden, and two sheds, we got it done. Don't ask me how...when I arrived a week before escrow was supposed to close, I was worried about the vast amount of stuff that remained unpacked. My worries were not allayed by my parents wishing they had "one more week" to pack. The night before escrow was supposed to close, I just started throwing stuff in boxes. I actually labeled one box as "Misc. crap". We had to extend the close of escrow by four hours, but at least we closed on the day we were supposed to close. And in a few days, I should hold in my hands the biggest check I have ever received in my life. Of course, most of it is already spent. Do you know what happens when you live for several months with no income? You charge everything to your credit cards. And then you have to pay them off.
Now my parents are in their temporary home in Napa, which comes with a whole new set of problems; namely, how to fit all the possessions from their previous 3,700-square-foot abode into their new approximately 2,000-foot-shelter. The 10x15 storage unit that my mom rented does not even begin to make a dent in the the mountain of stuff that needs to be stored. The new house is wall-to-wall boxes, and the front porch and driveway are littered with excess furniture and all the potted plants that had previously dotted our 1.25 acre grounds. It is a sight to behold.
But again, this situation is temporary. Eventually, their dream house/retirement home will be built in the midst of our vineyard, and then all will be right with the world. That day can't come soon enough!
posted by Astera @ 4:17 PM
2 Comments:
At 9:57 AM,
Anonymous said…
Amen to that. But now there is a complication with the dream house, as unexpected as snow in July in Napa.
At 10:04 AM,
Unknown said…
Moving is hard. Packing sucks. Packing someone else's stuff is easy, no trips down memory lane, etc.
Congratulations on the transaction closing.
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