Sunday, January 18, 2015

FIVE YEARS, FIVE DAYS

“DONE!” That’s how I posted it on Facebook along with this lovely photo.

It’s a far cry from how I’ve felt for the past twelve months:

done.

Depending on how you look at it, five is my lucky number. I first tried to sell the house five years ago. I was over the whole rural living experiment. Reconciled with the reality that we sometimes make bad decisions, listed the place, applied for and accepted a job back in the Vancouver area. But then the listing languished on the market. I stuck with the five-hour daily commute (there’s that number again) for three years and any sense of resiliency got worn down and wiped out.

I resigned myself to living that line from The Eagles’ “Hotel California”: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Yes, I’d completely checked out. But I was trapped. And so I changed jobs again in order to work locally. Life became less hectic, but also less of anything and everything.

Just less.

All fall I delayed putting my house up for sale. I knew I had to do it. I just wasn’t ready—not strong enough—to have my spirit further beaten down by another long, long period of showings and up-turned noses from prospective buyers.

“Pass.”

“The place needs work.”

“The front door should be a different color.”

I met with a realtor in September. She took pictures for the listing and then I sat on the idea of putting the house on the market. I spent my weekends running away to San Francisco, Seattle, Whistler and Victoria. Too busy to think about the house, I told myself.

I am a master at avoidance.

But then I texted her in late December and we agreed on a date to meet, sign the papers and list the house. No turning back.

Perhaps timing is indeed everything. Five days after the listing got posted on real estate sites, I had competing offers coming in. Out of three showings, I had two offers being presented. Each offer was rewritten, the price upped. That’s unheard of where I live. Other houses in my area continue to have For Sale signs posted. One sign three blocks away from me is now completely obstructed by overgrown shrubs. Another house owned by a senior has basically been abandoned. The market remains bleak and yet somehow I am set up for an April 1st release date.

April Fool’s Day. I still brace for the deal to fall through. I delayed posting this news. Too good to be true? But all the conditions have been removed. I have to believe it’s done. Yes, DONE!

I can look forward once more.

High fives, indeed!

4 comments:

Rick Modien said...

RG, this is INCREDIBLE news. I'm so happy for you. Which just goes to show, when it's meant to happen, it will. Just like everything else.

I guess the only question I have now is, considering you took another job to be much closer to where you live, what happens when your place sells? Do you rent for a while, find a job in the city, and look for a place to live there?

oskyldig said...

Awesome for you - congrats. Even mainstream populations are aware that gays have class and therefore their living spaces are above average in condition, decoration, and class. Even if you don't have that style, the fact that a homo used to lived there is enough to add to the equity. ;)

Jack Urquhart said...

Congratulations. So, is it time for a post -- one perhaps entitled "what now?"?

Aging Gayly said...

Well, "What Now" should have been my next blog entry, but everything has come together so fast since listing the house. As of today, everything is singed and settled for me to become a condo owner in less that ten weeks. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed in hopes that "What Now" doesn't become a blog entry in May or June!