HOME - It's Where We Live

We currently have our house for sale.  I should say, The Greek has the house for sale because it's his.  We've had it listed since the week after Thanksgiving but haven't gotten a single offer on it yet.

I know the housing market is down.  There are a lot of foreclosed  houses out there.  We've had a few lookers, more now that the weather has been getting nicer and school is about over.

Yes, it's our HOME, until you buy it!

The internet is a great tool.  We've been checking out houses in the southern Phoenix metro area, where we want to move.  It also allows potential buyers to leave comments on houses they have looked at.  Some complaints are legitimate.  "Too close to a busy street"..there is a major street a block away.  Some are snobs.  "We don't like the condition of the houses across the street".  This house was built in 2000 but the neighborhood across the street was built in the 1950's.  The houses are older brick architecture but well kept up with clean yards.

The one that gets me, and we have had quite a few people make this comment, is..."The owners still had their furniture and belongings in the house."  Excuse me?   We LIVE here.  I'm not sure what they want.  We have packed up stuff we don't use and moved it to a storage unit.  Maybe they would like us to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor and stash them away every day?  Or watch TV standing up?  Oh wait, that means our TV would still  be in the house.  They want our pantry bare, no dishes in the cupboards or drawers, no furniture in the rooms (so they can picture their own furniture there) and no clothes in the closets.  I guess that's one way to lose weight.

Many of the complaints come from the clients of one particular real estate agent.  Yet, she keeps bringing them here.  I told The Greek she was lucky that it's not MY house we're selling because I would greet her and her clients at the door like this...

"Hello!  Come in and feel free to look around.  Please excuse our furniture and belongings as we are forced to live here until the house is sold as your agent, Ms. Smith, won't pay our mortgage so we can live elsewhere.  *Big Smile*"

Damn B*tch.   OK I don't swear, but I can think it!

Get Me Out Of Here!

We've had the house on the market since just after Thanksgiving.  We've had a few lookers but no offers.  We've been waiting a couple of days for an offer to come through.  The guy loved the house and went to the bank yesterday.  So we're waiting.

The Greek has lived in this town nearly all his life.  He knows it like that back of his hand but he's getting sick of the snow and cold.  I had promised myself that I'd never live where there was snow again.  See the stupid things that love makes us do?   I don't drive in the winter.  My car stays in the garage from about October till May.  Having snow or ice on the roads makes me tense and I end up with a headache.  Since The Greek seems happy to chauffeur me around, in true diva fashion, I let him.

Snow half way up our sliding glass door.  That's a 6 ft high fence behind that  snow!

I've lived in California, Hawaii, Colorado and now Wisconsin.  I've traveled quite a bit around the western half of the United States.  When I got to Kenosha, almost 2 years ago, I thought...Mayberry!  Or  "The Big Green".  It reminds me of stereotypical small town America, especially the neighborhood we live in.  It's quiet and most of the houses were built in the 1950's.  We live in a good area, close to conveniences.  There is an awesome Italian grocer, Tenuta's.  I love going there for sandwich meat, spices and good olive oil.

My Favorite Olive Oil


The downsides are many though.  Snow in the winter!  No good Asian restaurants.  No good Asian stores.  We haven't found an outstanding restaurant of any kind here yet.  There are a few good restaurants, but nothing that makes you dream about going back.   Barnes and Noble and Lane Bryant are too far away, as is Costco.  No Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.

The biggest reason that I'll be happy to get away is that there is something in the air here.  Not sure what it is, maybe from the power plant.  I have a perpetual sore throat.  I have to take massive doses of ibuprofen just to be able to sing.  I had chalked it up to being sick all last year, until we made a visit to Arizona last November.  Both The Greek and I felt so good down there.  His nose stopped dripping and my throat didn't hurt.  Within an hour of being back home, we started to feel sick again.

We are SO ready for this move.  For now, we've got all our fingers and toes crossed.  Legs too...oh wait...brb...

Much better.  Still, I can't wait to get out of here and move on.