Going MIA

[Cooking Goddess]

Saturday. 4 PM. That's our appointment with the first realtor we will interview. I'm guessing that Maribeth with be our last, too. When I asked Himself if I should call any of the others we discussed to line up appointments, he said no. I told it I was OK with that because Maribeth has experience, success, and years in the business. I think she'll remind him of our agent back home, who sold all three houses we had owned as we moved up, then along, then out of town.

The only snafu is that we have to leave next week Tuesday for Allentown for a funeral on Thursday. I won't quite be ready to put a For Sale sign in front on our way down the street on Tuesday, but I will go up the next time we sling-shot through here when we come back to list. Instead, we might head to OH from Allentown, because I saw an existing house that looks acceptable that is for sale right now. I would prefer building again (we've never bought a "used" house), but from a totally practical moving approach, taking stuff from here and putting it into a house there would be the easiest. I have a call into the OH agent I've kept in touch with since we met with the builder last time we were in, left a message with the questions I had about the house. I hope she comes back with good answers, can do a walk-through tour with us via video call, and we'll go from there.

It would be so much easier to die and just move my ashes... I'm KIDDING!

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

@Cooking Goddess YAY!!!!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I'll say "yay", too, @Kaneohegirlinaz Himself was beyond impressed with Maribeth's presentation and credentials. We have us a realtor! She comes with a partner - her husband Mark. Unfortunately, they are both unavailable right now due to an already scheduled vacation. They leave tomorrow (Monday) for a week, then finish off next week with their son's wedding. We'll get together early in the week of 10-16 to do paperwork - schedule an unofficial inspection (Mark has completed the inspection classes but will not get certified - it would be a tad unethical to be both a realtor and house inspector. Still, he has the knowledge to catch any issues before a buyer's inspector sees the place.

Meanwhile, that house in OH? It was listed on 9-18. I saw the listing on 9-21. Called the agent and left a message with questions. She emailed me the next day (Friday) and said she would get back to me once she heard from the agent. House was under contract by 9-24. Less than a week from listing to sold. Probably already had buyers lined up before the listing went Live.

The plan now is to try and have this place ready for its photo shoot by the time Maribeth and Mark's son is saying "I do". If that is the case, the listing will go Live as we drive down the street on our way to...Allentown for the memorial of another relative who just died. He lived in FL, but will we back home in Allentown for the memorial and whatever. Don't know if Dorothy will be taking Herbie back to FL or having his ashes interred in a family plot up north.

Anyway, I'm hoping this place is up for sale this month. With the way houses around here are selling around here, it could be sold by the end of this month. A house at the top of the street our street is off of, a house I can see across two back yards from our sun room, went on sale 9-21 for $559,900. Open house 9-23. Right after the listing said "All offers due 9-27 by 6". We're guessing that means there were multiple bids. Now it's "sale pending". It will be interesting to see what it goes for. The market up here is beyond crazy. Wish us luck!

 

[Silversage]

I'm back!

 

[GinnyPNW]

Good luck @Cooking Goddess! Welcome back @Silversage!

 

[dragnlaw]

CG - do you make your sales conditional? Meaning, if you put a bid and win it on another house but your house doesn't sell - will you be stuck with 2 mortgages? I've seen it happen here. Not to me, but an acquaintance, you can bet that agent was blackballed by her friends!

Silversage - how was the wining and dining? Come back with any new recipes? or new takes on old recipes?
Welcome home!

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

@Cooking Goddess keep us updated, will you?
@Silversage photos? details? Maybe a in separate thread?

 

[Cooking Goddess]

CG - do you make your sales conditional? Meaning, if you put a bid and win it on another house but your house doesn't sell - will you be stuck with 2 mortgages? I've seen it happen here. Not to me, but an acquaintance, you can bet that agent was blackballed by her friends!

Mortgage? It's been about 15 years since we had one. After we inherited my parents' house in 2000, fixed it up, and sold it in 2005, the first thing we did with the proceeds was pay off our mortgage. My Mom grew up during the Depression and passed her frugality on to me.

As far as this house not selling, that isn't an issue around here right now. There is a house right around the corner from us - I can see the front from our sun room as I look across the backyards of the two houses between ours and that one. It had multiple bids before a week was up. And as far as bidding on a house back home, those are selling just as fast. Looking more like we will have to build the next one, too. Not our 1st rodeo - we have contracted to build each of the three houses we've had so far.

 

[Kathleen]

CG mentioned Ohio, and we took a long weekend to attend the Browns game there. While there, we enjoyed a great view and awesome food, and went to the game. However, the Brownie's lost. Very sad as we had the best view of the field to watch them not best a team they should have been able to beat.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Lake Erie! I took a photo of the beach and Lake Erie at Mentor Headlands, which is about 30 miles east of the stadium. I have used the photo as the lock screen on my phone in the past. When people get a glimpse of it, they ask where that is on Cape Cod! Well I can't see Canada when I am at the lakefront, so...

I hope you had a better time in Cleveland than you had at the game.

 

[Jusa]

I live about 45 miles from Lake Erie. It's nice to look at but I wouldn't want to swim in it. I have caught Walleye fishing in it, and they are rather tasty (and perch though it's not my favorite).

 

[Cooking Goddess]

We would go out to Mentor Headlands to swim in the 1990s. Not often - maybe once a summer for just a couple of years. Before Himself and I had our kids, we went there once from Brunswick. Found out it was a looong ride! Once the kids were born, we drove straight up I-71 (mostly) to Huntington Beach in Bay Village. Not much of a beach, and a lot of steps to it, but it had a really nice, shady area for picnicking.

Walleye are Himself's favorite. I like lake perch. Thank goodness I can usually get flounder or sole up here for under $10/pound.

 

[Kathleen]

We had a great time in Cleveland....and had a great time at the stadium before the game. The level of joy diminished slowly but was briefly boosted at halftime by watching Joe Thomas receive his ring after being inducted to the Hall of Fame. By the end of the game, we were with only a handful of Brownie fans left in the stadium surrounded by Raven happiness. Then we left at the end of the game and enjoyed Cleveland again.

 

[Kathleen]

I'm heading off for two weeks on Saturday to visit my sister near Chicago. Since she does not sit down or stop moving, it is unlikely that I'll be on much during my visit. It's always fun to visit my sister. We are going to take a road trip on this visit!

 

[GinnyPNW]

Have fun and take pictures...then tell us all about it!

 

[dragnlaw]

Enjoy! Drive Safe and have fun!

 

[Andy M.]

Safe trip.

 

[dragnlaw]

I may be very sporatic for awhile. More computer problems! Just no lucky today. Even the tekkies screwed up.

 

[taxlady]

I may be very sporatic for awhile. More computer problems! Just no lucky today. Even the tekkies screwed up.

Phooey. I hate computer problems. What about phone or tablet?

 

[Kathleen]

I was picked up at Chicago O'Hare by my newly married niece. It was great to see her, and she took me to meet with my sister, her husband and son with the son's girlfriend. This was a few days before Halloween. It snowed on Halloween, which did not surprise me. What did surprise me was that my sister's neighbor offered the trick-or-treaters a choice between full-sized candy bars or a potato. A Russet potato. At the end of the trick or treating, he still had candy bars but did not have any potatoes. Evidently this was some thing suggested on some social media site. I found it hysterical. Trick-or Treaters were happy to share with my sister than they got a potato next door as she gave them a full-sized KitKat bar.

We left the land of snow and ice to go to Kentucky. In Kentucky, we visited relatives while we decorated their graves. It sounds odd to some, but we try to decorate everyone's graves twice a year. It is an all-day adventure. We also picnic with them selecting a different relative each time. Uncle Marvin and Aunt Neet were our lunch companions this trip. We opted for Conley's hotdogs as they were Uncle Marv's favorite. We also spent some time embedding a flag pole at my Uncle John's marker. And....we finally laid Momma and Daddy to rest via the funeral home that buried pretty much everyone. It was just my sister and me, and was very meaningful as we lowered them into the ground with the funeral director bearing witness.

We also took some time to do a little sight-seeing and went to places with a lot of meaning to us: The Pinnacle overlook, Pine Mountain, Veteran's Memorial.

We took advantage of impromptu side trips, which is how we ended up in Paris, Kentucky for their Day of the Dead celebration.

We spent a few days visiting people we knew and met the family that purchased our parent's home. Again, just visiting fun places that we often visited as children.

And we ate.....and ate.....and ate. Only showing two pics as showing all would be down-right embarrassing.

Soup beans with cornbread, catfish, Brussel sprouts, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy (second trip) and string beans (second trip) and mac-n-cheese. Followed with banana pudding for dessert.

This is a tenderloin sandwich. The only place that makes them right is TC's in Battleground, Indiana. That is a 10 inch plate. They also have amazing fried veggies such as zucchini, cauliflower, and mushrooms as well as the other standard fried items. Plus, they have great specials....but the tenderloin here is fresh breaded on order.....and there are no others like it.

The battleground alone is worth a trip. It was a horrible battle where many Native Americans and calvary-men clashed and lost their lives. It's beautiful to walk through, but the unique thing about it is that there are markers where officers fell. You can see where the initial line was and then how the battle raged as the officers fell back further and further with their troops until they had their last stand. Essentially, it was a war of cultures. The Native Americans had their laws and ways as did the settlers of the new United States.

We then returned to my sister's home and whiled away multiple days just catching up. I really wish I lived closer to my sister.