Quite a few things had been on our mind this past weekend. It is real estate and real estate. Of the homes we saw the previous weekend; we finally decide to make an offer. We have been looking for 9 months now. Prices in the South Bay area haven’t gone down as much as we would like. Just for comparison, in the inland empire, prices had dropped by 40-50% since the height. In Irvine, may be 20%, in RB, 10-15%. So what you hear in the media doesn’t really apply here. We are still looking at over $600/sqft for a SFR in the coastal area. Pretty crazy, isn’t it?
The home we made an offer on is old, older than Tom or me. But this also means it was built in a great location. We are paying for the location. It is 20% more than what we want to pay for a home. But we figured if we get this, this is it. We don’t plan on moving again. Even though it is painful, it is probably worth it….well, that is our side of the story.
Then here is the other side of the story. The new home has been out on the market for a week. We are now in counter offer timeline. There are a total of five potential buyers, all supposedly with proven credit and down payment funds. Yes, FIVE!!! Guess people are not as broke as we think. We are not talking about pocket change here either. Basically, this has turned into a silent auction situation. Everyone puts their best number up, and the buyer will pick the best. We think someone may even go higher than the listed price if they really want to make sure they get the place. Yes, in this bad economy, high jobless number, major credit crunch market, real estate is still hot, for the right property. So we signed our life saving away, and hope we are the chosen buyer. We will know soon enough, probably within the next 24 hours.
On the other end in OC, I packed my belonging and prepped for the sales of my house in Irvine. Yes, it is a weekend of heartache. By deciding to buy the new place, I must give up the house in Irvine. I know that is to come when I married Tom. But to actually pack up the boxes and clear out some of the furniture, things that I lovingly picked and placed in this home, a place I probably spent the longest time ever in one location, the only place that ever truly belong to just ME, I felt very very sad. Even though I look forward to a new life and a new home together with Tom, I am not a light switch that can just be turned off in an instance.
So when Tom lovingly suggested we hired someone to help us packed and moved, I broke down and cried. How do you hire someone to pack your heart for you? Maybe it is the uncertainty with the new place, as we still wouldn’t know, I felt a bit lost. I can’t really explain it. Maybe I thought I can have it all. The reality is I can’t. I can only pick one. I told Tom, it isn’t because I am not looking forward to being with him, starting with a new base together. It isn’t even about Tom. This is about me, I am uprooting everything I have and know and merge with another person. I haven’t figured out the “I” in the “We” yet. And there is no hand book for that...
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