Just a Bunch of Scrappin'

Well our meeting with the realtor went very well this weekend, she came over and checked out the house and left a bunch of paper work in terms of the comparable houses in the area. I felt like there should be an HGTV camera crew nearby or something. She did tell me that my house looked like something out of "Country Living" magazine. I don't think my house is country but hey! I'll take the magazine reference!

Anyways, the only problem that we're facing is that we bought my house way above value back in 2008 so basically what we still owe on it is more then it is currently worth on the market. We are weighing our various options to see if making a sale is still a good choice or just reworking it so that I am not on the loan and it's an income property for my parents. It's been a bit stressful.

There were some things that the realtor, henceforth referred to as Carol, suggested that we do in order to make sure we get a good appraisal if that time comes. One of them being to repair any exposed wood or cracked/peeling paint on the porch.

So Dad got to work with his extenda-scrapper!

Sebastian was a big help for Grandpa. He kept trying to eat the paint that Dad peeled off the roof. Probably bad for tiny puppy dogs. I'm gonna guess, so he had to stay inside.

We were able to get all the paint off that needed to be and also removed some of the broken down gutters. PS. That was nasty.  I will keep you posted on what we decide to do with the house, it might be nice to keep it as a rental, but it would nice to have a totally fresh start. We shall see! Be sure to follow on Facebook so you can see all the decluttering craziness that I have started.

Next step?

Painting.


Lots. Lots of painting. (Luckily! I have an outfit for that!)

Mission Home Sale: Phase 1

Happy Fourth of July!

I am so grateful for the independence of our nation, without it I wouldn't be able to do all the things I want to do in life. Thank you America!

So now that the big decision has been made to sell the house I have to move forward with the next step. Which seeing as I have never done this before is actually kinda confusing. The next step? What does that mean? Google houses in Arizona and put in an offer!!

No. No Meaghan, that is not the next step.

Well luckily my aunt is a real estate agent in Texas and is a lot of help. The first thing that I have to do is find a local agent to help with listing and selling my house. I've done some research on agents vs. for sale by owner and well honestly, I just don't have the time or the means to sell on my own, neither do my parents. We need a relatively quick and as painless as possible transaction.

I've reached out to a few local agents that I know of as well as asked my aunt for a referral. It helps her out and helps me out, good deal right? I do have a meeting with an agent tomorrow morning so I'll keep you posted on how all that goes.

In the mean time I'm going to go to a few open houses and see what's on the market and get an idea of the competition and I found a few good places for tips to getting the house market ready. Some are no brainers but it's still a good list.

You can see it here: 20 Tricks to Selling Your Home

I also made a list, because I love lists.

Steps in the Process of Moving:

1. Find an agent
2. Get the house listed
3. Rock student teaching
4. Graduate from college
5. Sell house (may come during 3 and 4)
6. Get Arizona teaching license
7. Get Arizona teaching job
8. Move to Arizona
9. Buy house in Arizona
10. Live in Arizona

Geesh. That's kinda a lot for 6 months. But I'm excited!

Something Bigger is Happening.

Sounds like a totally cheesy line from a commercial for cereal. But! It's definitely true. I have a big announcement for everyone and I hope you are all prepared for the adventure that this will lead to.

 I have decided, after 4 years of home ownership, 5 years of college, a lot of roommates, a Bachelor's Degree, and all sorts of other craziness, that it has come time to sell my home.

 I told you it was big. Huge! GIGANTIC! But it's also very, very exciting.

 It's not going to be right away, the housing market here is still a little slow, but it will hopefully be within the next few months that we'll put it on the market and then get it sold so I can start the next leg of my journey in life.

 My home has been fantastic and has taught me a lot about myself and the true meaning of responsibility. I graduate from Colorado Mesa University in the middle of December with a Bachelor's Degree in English with a concentration in Secondary Education. Essentially that means 7th to 12th grade.

 Let me just say, I am ready. I have one semester left of student teaching and then it is time for This Messy Business to really get the show on the road.

 Where does the road lead? Well for me it seems to be leading straight to Phoenix, Arizona. I've heard the girls are warmer there.

I always talk about Sam at the Junk House in my posts, I "met" Sam via a bloggy link party last summer and something about her (probably the way that she strung words together!) seemed to "speak" to me. Over the last year we've shared a lot of emails and a crapton of commenting. After reading her blog I decided to take a look into the Phoenix area, she's fantastic so the chances she lives in a good place are pretty good right?

Well the teaching market is dramatically better there. As in, I could actually get a job with my degree rather then continuing to work in a call center wasting my days away. I would have to do some relicensure things but it's not anything huge or unrealistic.

I love my home and still have a bunch of projects that need to be done before it is market ready. (I should probably mow the lawn, fix the porch, replace the roof, expensive stuff like that.)

I do plan on purchasing a home in the area where I'm moving, depending on where my job is at. Luckily Sam has been AMAZING and has endured my one hundred questions and babbling.



If you made it to the end of this I believe you deserve a foot massage and a cookie, and I hope you stick around as I figure out how to sell my first home and start a new life in a strange (extremely hot) place. I'm excited for this adventure and a whole new home to renovate and remodel!

I'm scared, intimidated, anxious, excited... all those things. But I've got an amazing family, wonderful friends, and the will to do it.


meaghan