My house is SOLD!!! Yes, I am happy but I am also disappointed that after all of the blood, sweat and tears - literally - I just broke even! It goes to show you how much of a difference you have to sell a house for to actually make a profit. I sold the house for $40,000 more than I bought it for but I spent $25,000 on renovations and another $5000 to run the house vacant while it was for sale for the past 6 months and then the last $10,000 to the realtor who finally sold it for me! I do, however, get my investment paid back to me though. I put $10,000 down on the house and I have paid down another $10,000 in principal on the mortgage over the past 2 years and I did earn close to $5000 in rental income early in the year and $14,000 the year before when it was rented. So I will have a nice lump sum of $20,000 to pay to other debts :) and then I will start the process all over again! Yes siree, you heard me right, I will start the process all over again. I didn't lose and I learned a lot so I feel better equipped for the next time around. I can tell you the #1 thing that led to my pseudo-failure here.....If you want to sell a house for top dollar you must get it on the market April 1st. As soon as Spring is even thinking about being in the air people start thinking of moving. In April/May a house identical to mine sold for $276,000. $16,000 over listing price in a bidding war. And, my old neighbour sold his house for $14,000 over asking price in a bidding war around the same time. Why? Because inventory was low and people wanted to close deals and move before summer started or before summer ended (it is so damn short after all). TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
I picked up a the nice shiny cheque from my lawyers office this morning. 3 days after closing, albeit, but I got it! You know, it's become a joke to the people around me how nothing ever comes easy for me. For some reason shit always goes wrong. For example, after the deal was accepted and signed something came up with the house inspection (those effin things are useless...but that's another story...) so I had to drop the price another $2,000. Then once the paperwork got to the lawyers another issue came up with the common area parking lot behind the house and I had to give her another credit of $1000 which my lawyer agreed to pay 1/2 of because he never pointed this issue out to me when I bought the house. Don't think I didn't have to fight for that one though. Then, the day before closing the law clerk called to tell me everything was ready and would I like to come in. I said I would come the following day, on closing. So assuming things weren't ready for some silly reason, I gave her a whole other day to get shit together but, what do you know, when I showed up on closing they claimed to be waiting for some things and didn't have my money yet!!!! What up with that?
Anyway, I have to laugh if only to save myself from crying. My husband took one of my old lines and used it on me the other night when I was feeling particularly discouraged. He said "well you didn't lose and you learned a lot." I ALREADY KNOW A LOT....JUST ONCE, CAN I WIN....CAN I JUST FUCKING WIN WITHOUT ALL THE BULLSHIT LESSONS ATTACHED! I'm tired of learning. At the ripe old age of 35 I should be close to knowing everything there is to know in life after all the shit I've been through and "learned from". Give me a break!
I digress....
So, I am trying to stay house bound for the next year or so, so that I don't drive by anything I might be tempted to buy. I need to save up some money first....but don't run away....cause I'll be back with another house flipping funny story someday!
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