How many times does 2200 go into 310?
Selling Highland Park for me is like a caterpillar who has to wrap itself in a cocoon and shed its skin to be become a butterfly.
This morning I am home, sittin here in Provincetown... I never thought 3 years ago that I was moving home when I bought this condo. I bought it for an escape from New Jersey and to give me a gay escape (and Harry) in the months we were up north. But, Provincetown has a way of working itself under your skin and with a great family here at the condo and new friends all over town, Provincetown slowly became home and Highland Park slowly became a destination to escape when I needed space. So.. it maybe smaller (i.e. how does 2200 go into 310) but it is home and I slept like a baby finally being home last night.
This sale has made for a very trying month. Selling real estate, or more to the point being a seller of real estate, is not an easy or pleasant task. Inspections, repairs, permits, lack of permits by town folk that knew what was going on from the beginning , and all kinds of craziness go into a day to day sell of real estate making me wonder about ever doing this again.
I have now bought 4 places and sold 3 of them.. and I have to say the selling gets harder and harder. To sell in Rockland County New York took time, and patience. I was moving from a nice house to a larger house in Highland Park so at least the move seemed simple. I separated the two closings by a few days and would have plenty of time to move from one house to the knew one. But, as luck had it, the time was needed by the bank for the buyer and ended up closing both the sell and the buy in the same day. Not easy...
Looking back that was easy. This house was in very good condition and still every day for the last month there was something needed to be done. Since I have no where to move the furnishings and most of the stuff in the house, I had to sell and donate and clean out all of my belongings. I had to extend gutters 30ft that were fine. (no water in the cellar so the house was dry) Repair a broken window, to know where, which I know was broken at inspection because that was securely boarded up prior to my purchase; repair a gas fireplace, and make sure that every inch of the house was clean. I took the last 30 days to basically sell off my home furnishings down to the extra towel, or roll of paper towels. People want to move into a clean house that as they turn the key it is theirs so keeping any item of mine in the home would sour that I am sure.
The Realtor stayed the course very well. Focused on the closing, and making sure we did everything necessary to assure it closed as scheduled. Maria, came through one last time to clean and helped ship my bedroom furniture to Harry's spare bedroom. and Harry let me check into a wonderland of flowers, warmth, and genuine hospitality during his busiest month of the year while I finished cleaning out the house. My father who helped early on with legal advice, and to let me know when things were out of hand. My mother who allowed me to ship numerous boxes to Savannah and supported me by phone and IM. Without them, I may have either walked away from the sale or spent more time at the bar at Charlie Brown's (they made a great pear cosmo).
So.. the question that comes to mind.. sitting in Provincetown and procrastinating the next steps of organizing to make room for the last remains of Highland Park into 310 sq feet is what is next for me. What kind of butterfly will I turn into now that I have shed so much of my past.
Well.. keep reading.. now that the transaction is done hopefully will spend more time positing here on the blog.
This morning I am home, sittin here in Provincetown... I never thought 3 years ago that I was moving home when I bought this condo. I bought it for an escape from New Jersey and to give me a gay escape (and Harry) in the months we were up north. But, Provincetown has a way of working itself under your skin and with a great family here at the condo and new friends all over town, Provincetown slowly became home and Highland Park slowly became a destination to escape when I needed space. So.. it maybe smaller (i.e. how does 2200 go into 310) but it is home and I slept like a baby finally being home last night.
This sale has made for a very trying month. Selling real estate, or more to the point being a seller of real estate, is not an easy or pleasant task. Inspections, repairs, permits, lack of permits by town folk that knew what was going on from the beginning , and all kinds of craziness go into a day to day sell of real estate making me wonder about ever doing this again.
I have now bought 4 places and sold 3 of them.. and I have to say the selling gets harder and harder. To sell in Rockland County New York took time, and patience. I was moving from a nice house to a larger house in Highland Park so at least the move seemed simple. I separated the two closings by a few days and would have plenty of time to move from one house to the knew one. But, as luck had it, the time was needed by the bank for the buyer and ended up closing both the sell and the buy in the same day. Not easy...
Looking back that was easy. This house was in very good condition and still every day for the last month there was something needed to be done. Since I have no where to move the furnishings and most of the stuff in the house, I had to sell and donate and clean out all of my belongings. I had to extend gutters 30ft that were fine. (no water in the cellar so the house was dry) Repair a broken window, to know where, which I know was broken at inspection because that was securely boarded up prior to my purchase; repair a gas fireplace, and make sure that every inch of the house was clean. I took the last 30 days to basically sell off my home furnishings down to the extra towel, or roll of paper towels. People want to move into a clean house that as they turn the key it is theirs so keeping any item of mine in the home would sour that I am sure.
The Realtor stayed the course very well. Focused on the closing, and making sure we did everything necessary to assure it closed as scheduled. Maria, came through one last time to clean and helped ship my bedroom furniture to Harry's spare bedroom. and Harry let me check into a wonderland of flowers, warmth, and genuine hospitality during his busiest month of the year while I finished cleaning out the house. My father who helped early on with legal advice, and to let me know when things were out of hand. My mother who allowed me to ship numerous boxes to Savannah and supported me by phone and IM. Without them, I may have either walked away from the sale or spent more time at the bar at Charlie Brown's (they made a great pear cosmo).
So.. the question that comes to mind.. sitting in Provincetown and procrastinating the next steps of organizing to make room for the last remains of Highland Park into 310 sq feet is what is next for me. What kind of butterfly will I turn into now that I have shed so much of my past.
Well.. keep reading.. now that the transaction is done hopefully will spend more time positing here on the blog.
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