48 hours

What a difference 48 hours can make - twice in one week...

After listing our house Friday afternoon, June 19th, and after six showings (one on Saturday -five on  Sunday).... by Sunday night, we had an offer for full price!  Closing was initially for July 21st but we asked to have it extended to July 24th to allow more time for us to find a house in St. Louis.  Feelings of relief and joy.

After spending two days in St. Louis on Thursday and Friday, June 25th and 26th, looking at I can't even remember how many houses and condos all over the city....we found a house twice and made an offer twice but we won't know until tomorrow at noon if our second offer was accepted!  If it isn't, we are back to square one!  Feelings of anxiety and doubt.

We knew, going to St. Louis, that what blessed our life earlier in the week - a sellers market - was going to be our challenge as buyers.  We didn't know how much of a challenge it would be.  Even though we got full price for our house, we only actually have $133,000 to work with because we have to pay off our construction loan and pay the realtor fees.  Alicia, our St. Louis realtor, initially sent us so many houses to look at that would require taking out a mortgage that would equal in amount what we took out 24 years ago when we bought this house.  NO!  We don't want to be saddled with another big house debt.  So, we asked her to dial the price down and then the "fun" began.  Houses for under $133,000 in St. Louis are either currently rentals with vacancy way into August (remembering that we have to be out by July 24th), fixer uppers, or they have a MAJOR flaw - like being on a flood plain (we found two really cute and remodeled ones like that), or being a pre-fab home (we found one that looked perfect until we learned that it was a pre-fab with no known serial number - and all trailers HAVE to have them from the DMV in order for them to be bought or sold).  And, as fixer uppers, they run the entire spectrum from being a total dump to just lots of painting and renovating.  Plus, competition with the flippers is fierce in this price range.  We found condos in that price range but only with two bedrooms.  Some didn't have covered parking.  Many were on second levels (no stairs is a big requirement for me).  Some had really pricey condo fees.  There was one that was relatively large (i.e. room for the grand piano) that also had a garage and an elevator to the second floor but it didn't go down to the garage and, ultimately, we just felt we needed more room than a condo can provide.  We did find a fixer-upper in an ideal neighborhood - Maryland Heights -  (close to Emily, Beckie, and the temple) that just came on the market that day (Thursday).  It was not so bad that we couldn't live in it while renovations were done so we made an offer right then and there.  It met all our major criteria except for the laundry was in the basement.  We could see a place to move the laundry to the main level, though.  The seller requested 48 hours for all offers to be made so we returned to our hotel that night not knowing if we were accepted or not and worried about all the work that we were going to have to do AGAIN to have a livable house.

On Friday, after much discussion and thought, we switched our thinking to looking at houses where we only had to take out a teeny additional mortgage in order to avoid the flippers and to maybe find something that wouldn't require a lot of renovation.  Alicia had three in that category to look at Friday afternoon (it was Southerland piano lessons that morning).  And, the first house we looked in St. Peters seemed perfect.  The main level is completely redone - and in the colors of gray and white that we did our house in.  Gas stove and a fireplace (neither on our must-have list but really a bonus)  All new appliances and bathroom fixtures.  Large living area to put the piano AND an additional family room.  Three bedrooms.  Full bath off of the master.  Fenced yard but not too huge of a yard (mowing is getting hard these days).  We had to capitulate on the washer /dryer in the basement but again, there is potential to put a stacked unit in the master bedroom closet since it is right next to the bathroom plumbing.  Close to Emily, Beckie, temple  AND only 1 1/2 hours from Columbia.  The only negative is that the basement smells musty.  Some time in the life of the house (built in 1973), floor tile was installed on half of the floor area plus walls were put up.  There is evidence of crack repair in the unfinished side so we suspect that water has seeped under the tile and walls creating the mildew.  But, our thinking is to just tear all of that out, fix any additional cracks, and just use the basement for storage (and Steve's model train room).  So, we immediately rescinded our bid on the Maryland Heights house and made a bid on this one.  Again we have to wait until Monday noon before a decision is made.  And, who knows how many other offers will be made???  At almost every house we looked at, we were just part of a continuous of potential buyers.  We believe that since this one has just been remodeled, we won't be in competition with the flippers.  And, we hope that the musty smell will turn everyone else away.  We also hope that our larger amount of earnest money and a slightly higher offer than asking price will tip the scales in our favor.  In spite of the offer, we decided to still look at the other two houses just in case this one fell through.  Both were fine but neither were not in as good a shape as the St. Peters one and both were way south of St. Louis meaning that the Columbia family would have a much longer drive to come visit.  

We celebrated Emily's 43rd birthday Friday evening and then we drove back to Columbia, totally worn out.  I took a benedryl and two ibuprofin and thankfully, I slept better than I did on Thursday. But, since then, my brain has not shut off and I slept horribly last night.  Now I am worrying about the mildew/mold potential and wondering if it was mentioned in the seller disclosure and if we can put cleaning it up in a buying clause.  And feeling dread that we might have to fight the crowds of buyers in St. Louis yet again this week with no guarantee we will find anything again.   And, then when I am not thinking about buying, I am organizing our packing and moving in my brain.  My mind just goes around and around.....

House For Sale!!!!!

Steve and I finished staining the deck Monday afternoon.  James came and worked that day but then we didn't see him until Friday because he and his family ate some bad lettuce and he was sick for most of the week.  But, all the important visual repairs / remodels were done by Wednesday when our realtor came to take photos of the house and yard.  And, on Friday, our house was officially listed with SIX showings scheduled already before the end of tomorrow!!!  One yesterday, four this afternoon, and one tomorrow afternoon.  I have savored two feelings all week: looking behind and knowing that all our months of hard work are finished and looking ahead and anticipating looking at houses in St. Louis.  

I actually went to St. Louis on Tuesday but it was with two friends, Elizabeth and Tracie, to shop at IKEA.  Elizabeth had a piece she had ordered that needed to be returned and she wanted to buy a piece of storage furniture for her scrapbook room.  Tracie and I mostly just went along for company, although Tracie had never been to an IKEA before - and I also went to look for dish washing brushes and a grater for a friend.  

I found the brushes but the graters are no longer offered. Tracie was completely wowed by the store and she got some plant pots for her mother-in-law.  Elizabeth made the return with no hassles but she did NOT get the piece of furniture because IKEA was completely out of stock. She was not happy, as you can imagine.  I had thought we could look at a house in O'Fallon on the way home but by the time Tuesday rolled around, it was already under contract.  Darn!  Aside from Elizabeth's failure to get her long-awaited furniture, it was a nice outing.  

For the rest of the week, I spent a couple of hours each day from Thursday through Saturday going over to Elizabeth's to help her paint her bathrooms (as if I had not done enough painting already!) because, now that our house is finished, what is there for me to do???  The project is not done and I expect I will be going over in the coming week to continue helping.  

Wednesday, Steve and I visited the scrap metal yard to get rid of the car parts we had to show for our insurance claim and to turn in two bags of aluminum cans I had collected while walking along Blue Ridge.  We brought home a whole $3.00 for our efforts.  Elise came over that night and we watched "Justice League" together.  

She came over again on Thursday to borrow the Element to move more things into her storage unit.  We saw her again last night when we moved the rest of her belongings out of our under-the-stairs area and into her storage unit.  She also stayed for dinner.  Pork steaks cooked on the grill.  Mmmmmmm!

We had a lovely time last Sunday evening with Beckie and Kyle and Micah.  They came into town to celebrate a friend's birthday on Saturday and stayed over into Sunday and came to dinner.  We ate outside under the backyard trees - weather was perfect - and just enjoyed each other's company.  Kyle and Micah brought their dogs, Luna and Armand, and Steven and Tamara brought Bacon.  All three had a grand time together.

Steve got the results of his bronchoscopy.  It is not the fungus so prevalent in the southwest.  It is "simply" sarcoidosis - which he also has in his kidneys.  He was actually prescribed hydrochloroquin for his condition - yeah, the stuff that was supposed to cure Covid19 and that President Trump is taking as a prophylactic - and he is reducing his steroid dose in steps.  His potassium and calcium levels are now within normal range but his creatinine levels, while getting lower, are still not within normal perimeters.  My x-ray showed mild osteoarthritis in both hips.  Certainly nothing to be done about that at this time except take ibuprofin when I need it.  And, I have not needed it as much lately.  All the remodeling activity just caused it to flare up.  I have noticed that I need more pills since I have been helping Elizabeth.  

So, going forward - our future, while a bit fuzzy,  still looks bright!

Doctor visits and our first time to St. Louis since February

Wow, this past week really zipped by!  Maybe because it was pretty busy....

Monday afternoon was Steve's echo of his heart and his pulmonary function test.  Monday morning was my visit to my primary care provider about a painful right hip that has been bothering me quite a bit the past month or so.  She ordered an x-ray which is what I wanted to have happen.  Is it early manifestations of arthritis exacerbated by all the painting and yard work that has been going on?  I had the x-ray done on Wednesday and all I know is that one of the positions I had to lay in really hurt.  Wednesday also was Steve's bronchoscopy.  He checked in at 12:00 and he went one way and I went to x-ray.  His procedure went well and I was back at the hospital at 5:00 to bring him back home.  No results for any of the above so stay tuned....

We drove to St. Louis on Friday.  It was time to have an "in-person" piano lesson with Noah, Lucy, and Quinn.  They all three are really doing well and I am so pleased.  Noah, in particular, has really taken off with playing things on his own.  He is mastering a book called "Primary Passages" which consists of simplified church songs.  And, he is doing well with another simplified hymn book.  They are way more difficult than the stuff in his level 2B method book so, of course, he is doing great in those books.  Lucy and Quinn have wonderful innate rhythm and their note reading is right on track.   Another reason to go to St. Louis was to meet our realtor, Alicia Vazquez, face-to-face at a lovely park in Des Peres (pronounced "depair").  She already had a list of possible homes - although most were way out of our desired price range.  We would have to get a mortgage of 100K and why on earth would we saddle ourselves with another 100K mortgage??? We just paid this one off!!!  So, now she knows.  There were two homes on the list that we could afford and hopefully, the one in O'Fallon will not be snatched up this weekend because I would like to see it....

We saw our seller's real estate agent, Ted Webber, on Tuesday and signed papers and he measured rooms, etc.  He will come over this week to take photos and hopefully by the end of Friday, we will have a "For Sale" sign on our front lawn.

We REALLY had hoped that James would have been done by last Friday but, alas, all he finished was the deck.  Which was the most important project by far so we are happy about that.  We had a deck staining"party" planned for yesterday where we invited both sets of missionaries - Elders Pottle and Hawkins and Sisters Gonzalez and Park.  All six of us painted and then we had another cookout with brats, salads, and s'mores.  They still cannot go inside homes due to Covid19 so an outdoor meal was the next best option.  James did get the ceiling repair in the garage finished.  The rest of the things he has to do will hopefully get done on Monday and Tuesday of this week.  I am sure he is more than ready to be finished with our house so he can move on to all the other jobs he has lined up.

We spent time on Tuesday moving things around in the garage to allow James access to work on the ceiling.  He brought his daughter AJ (a recent college grad - masters degree) to help with the ceiling install on Wednesday.  We spent time Saturday morning moving things back into place in the garage to allow us to park our car in the north half.  I worked my three hours at the Music Suite on Thursday.  We watched "Wonder Woman" Thursday night and "Jane and Emma" on Friday night.  The Thursday night movie was great.  Not so impressed with the Friday night one.  Questionable script, inaccurate filming, confusing story line although good acting.  

We had tropical storm Christobal come through Monday night into Tuesday that dumped 3 inches of rain but, aside from that, weather this week has been amazing.  Our deck staining project had perfect temperatures - plus the sun was behind the backyard trees.  We got about 85% finished so Steve and I will get the rest tomorrow afternoon.  The worst part of the job is already done - doing all the spindles. 

I will close with photos from our visit to Emily and family....

 

How can it possibly be June???

....and our home remodel is moving along nicely.  I will show you some before - in between - and after photos of the downstairs bathroom.

The laundry room is not quite finished - one more piece of molding needs to be installed.  The living room window FINALLY has molding around it but, because of the settling of the house and the wonky way the window now fits into the opening, there is still a teeny bit of molding that has to be put in to cover up more of the gap.   Nevertheless, I at least had the largest part up to enable me to hang curtain rods.  We now have curtains again - no more living in a fishbowl!

Baseboards are now around the dining room and living room.  

Only a partial photo of the counter top because there is still a small part of the backsplash that needs painting.  I can't do that until James has sanded down the patched drywall.  

James also got a lot of work done on the deck until we had two days of rain.  

Which is how our inside work got finished.

Most of the mulch we bought last week has been spread around front flower beds and around all the trees.  I collected two more hostas from Elizabeth and divided and planted them in the back yard.  Elise rented a storage unit and over the last three days has moved her things out of the garage.  Making ready for the garage ceiling install that is scheduled for this Wednesday.  Look for before/after photos next week on that project.   

So, as you can tell, it has been a productive week.  In addition, Steve and I managed to make a little trip up to the Amish yesterday.  We weren't sure if they were open to the "public" due to Covid 19 but I was running out of gluten-free flour ingredients so we thought we would venture up to see.  Happily, they were and we returned home well stocked.  As we were driving back, I commented to Steve that this trip of just fifteen miles was the furthest we had traveled since the first of March!  

We had the Music Suite owner - and my boss - Pat Rybolt over for dinner last night.  She had never eaten a pork steak (how is that POSSIBLE????) so Steve grilled one for each of us and I made baked beans and marinated carrots and a sugar free chocolate mousse for us to eat.  Pat said everything was delicious and I think she had a good time.  It was nice to have her over.  Aside from her somewhat dogmatic idiosyncrasies as a boss, she is really a nice person.  

We watched several movies throughout the week thanks to the public library opening up a drive-through service.  We FINALLY finished  "The First World War" mini-series.  A very well made documentary but, boy, what a dumb war.  We saw "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" and Taika Waititi is rapidly becoming one of my favorite film makers.  We watched Steve's June movie "Chariots of Fire" and we saw "Shazam" which, being made for juvenile viewers, made it annoying in parts but overall rather heartwarming.  I look forward to the sequel with the whole Shazam team. 

I will close with two nature photos.  The first one is a very unusual moth we found by our front door and the second is a puddle with a TON of earthworms at the bottom.  Are they loving the water and having a party or are they drowning?  Wouldn't robins think this is a birdie Golden Corral?