It was a cold, snowy day in March 2021 when I received calls from my daughters suggesting I sell my house. My first reaction was “NO Way.” They both tried to convince me, but I stood my ground and would not budge.

A few months later my cousin decided to sell her house and move to Israel. In a matter of days, the house was sold and she had made a substantial profit. Between the seed planted by my daughters and the success of my cousin, I started thinking that maybe I should sell my house.

Speaking to my daughters, I told them my idea, and the very next day a real estate agent was sitting in my living room. The next couple of days were a complete blur. The house was listed, and visitations were scheduled for that weekend. My cat, Lady Deva, and I left for the day. That night my agent called and reported he had received 16 bids. The two higher bidders were in a bidding war. I became very nervous and wanted to run away.

After discussing the bids with my agent, daughters, and son in-law, we decided to accept the next-to-highest bidder. Our feelings were that they would be easier to work with – what a big mistake.

I hired a lawyer and was excited about the next chapter in my life. The Agent scheduled appointments to view properties for sale or rent in 55-and-over communities. I fell in love with one house, but the monthly rental was very high. Having a limited time frame, I decided to rent the house.

The prospective buyers’ lawyer took forever in accepting the contract for sale. Then the nightmare began, as the buyers hired an inspector who found 32 items needing repairs on my 60-year-old home. At that point, I reevaluated the idea of selling my home.

I wasthe type of person who hardly got upset, but through this drama of moving I became a monster always screaming at everyone. It was a very fearful time, and when anything went wrong, instead of rationally speaking to someone and trying to find a solution, I let my anger take over.

During this nightmare, I continued packing, begging my daughters to take dishes, figurines, photographs, and everything I did not want anymore. At one point, they said, “No more.” I donated whatever was left: clothing, kitchenware, linens, etc. When I moved into my new home, I had to re-purchase some things that I had donated.  

The prospective buyers wanted to buy the house, but their lawyer advised them to hire inspectors to ensure that the house was in perfect shape. They were spending a huge amount of money on hiring inspectors and going through their own nightmare. Their lawyer forgot the house was sixty years old and needed repairs.

Finally, we made a settlement offer which they accepted for the repairs. Next thing I heard, the offer did not include the structural damage. The first structural engineer inspected the damage on Zoom with the new buyer carrying his phone to the different areas. His report was not accepted by the buyers. Another structural engineer was scheduled for the next day. He came, examined the structure, and assured me the damage was minor. Speaking to the buyer’s agent, she told me it would not be over $50,000.00.

After they left, I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I was supposed to move the following week and had no idea if my house was sold or not. That night I sent an email to my lawyer and agent explaining what transpired during the structural inspection and telling them I was not moving. I received a call from my lawyer early the next morning. After calming me down, he asked if I truly needed to sell my house. My answer was, “NO”. He would call the other lawyer and get back to me within the hour.    

His assistant called me back, saying she had never heard my lawyer screaming so loud at another lawyer. They came back with another repair offer which I felt was too high and countered. They accepted the offer, and a closing date was scheduled for the following week. I immediately called the mover and confirmed the moving day – which went off without a hitch.

I am so happy living in my new house; everyone is so friendly. Now that the Club House is open, I’ve joined a Book Group, Women’s Group and attended special event functions. In the beginning of March, a presenter will be presenting a talk on the “The Beatles” from Liverpool to Abbey Road.

I am so happy I made the move, even though it was an experience I never want to go through again.