April-June, 2018
We spent 3 months in Texas. It flew by here is why: After MUCH discussion (prior to our arrival in Texas), Greg and I decided to sell our home. The decision was tough because we LOVE the location. We know that if we had to settle again, THAT is right where we would want to be. So then, why did we sell? Of course, if we were rich, we would just keep it and keep on paying for all that goes along with taking care of the home. But we are not rich, and we are super tired of returning to Austin to deal with bushes that still need trimming and plants that need planting even though we have a yard crew, decisions about what to do with our yard because the shade is killing the grass, worrying about if the beautiful trees are getting what they need and so on.... It's definitely a joy stealer. We decided it was time to rid ourselves of some of the cost and hassle and open up time to do FUN things in Austin and see our friends when we are there.
So we worked our tails off for two months to purge and move out so that our house could go on the market. On June 1st, the house listed and a couple wanted to put in an offer that night and ultimately, we accepted their offer. Having had our pre-inspection, we thought this would be pretty smooth sailing and June would be filled with days to relax and see friends. WRONG! Their inspector came back with 3 issues. Two were non-issues but certainly consumed time and effort. The third was that the foundation had shifted and was out of tolerance. WHAT?!
That meant three separate appointments from three separate foundation companies to get bids and opinions. The shift was not much out of tolerance and all of the foundation guys said it was standard work and par for the course in our area especially after the drought four years ago.
All was well, so it seemed. The buyer husband was on board and then on June 9 we get a call that they backed out. WHAAAA! So we went back on the market and after another week or so, we received another offer with LOTS of questions. All valid but they all take time to address. In the interim though, this delayed the final move-out because our furniture was being used for staging.
At this point, we are still under contract waiting for the closing. The foundation was stabilized in mid-July without any complications. We finished clearing the house and closed the door behind us at 8 pm on a Friday evening and then we pulled out of Austin the next morning. EXHAUSTING!
I NEVER WANT TO MOVE AGAIN! But I will...
So what now? We did not decide to remain "houseless" but we have our eyes set on a particular location and will hold out a while to see if we can get it. We want less maintenance and to get that, we are buying a townhome. There will still be home maintenance, but no trees, yard or other outdoor things to take care of. And there is a pool, that WE will not have to maintain! We think it makes sense for US and our lifestyle.
So we are in the holding pattern, but in the meantime, we will continue to see this beautiful country and make more wonderful memories with our kiddos. The townhome may not come available this year, but that's okay. We will still return to Austin to see our friends and families and we won't have that to distract us.
Let the next adventure begin!
