The vagaries of real estate

You'd think after ten years as Marketing Director at Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, I'd be immune to the kind of dreamy speculation that real estate buyers and sellers typically engage in. But after putting the house on the market, I almost immediately got interest, an offer and a backup offer. I was cocky enough to think that, as Herbert Hoover said, good times were just around the corner.

That was in June.

Since then, the offers have fallen by the wayside (financing or just plain cold feet), and the week of hundred-degree temperatures didn't help. Now, there's activity again, with a flurry of showings the last couple weeks, but no offers. That's probably because the place looked rather intimidating (read: ugly). In my defense, my plans for redoing the floor, painting upstairs and down and even getting the leaky roof fixed were put on hold as the first offer was "as is." But when that fell through, all subsequent showings were of the ugly house, not the spiffy one I'd intended.

That's being changed now. My neighbor Bill Bolton came over yesterday and helped me install the subfloor.* That included moving the piano. About a foot and a half, when one of the legs fell off. That necessitated a call to another friend, who came and slipped it back into place while Bill and I hoisted it up. Then a few lag bolts later and some dust in Bob Quinn's eye, the piano was rolling across the floor.

*By helping me install the subfloor, what I mean of course is that Bill purchased the subfloor, brought it over along with his pneumatic stapler and all his tools, measured and cut the flooring, while I did the stapling. Yeah, he helped me all right. Did I mention Bill's pushing 75? 

So anyway, the subfloor is now on, the piano is back in its place until it sells - who wants a 5-foot baby grand? I'll make you a great deal! - and painting will come next, then the floor tiles.

When that is done, it truly will be up to my Realtors to sell my house. No excuses, Doug and Judy. ;-)