Selling 167 Wimbledon Ct

Whew!  What a whirlwind it was to sell our Gallatin home.  It went from quick and exciting to sickening to relieving to sickening to stressful to amazing to are-you-kidding-me setback to finally sold.  All's well that ends well though and this selling experience finally ended last Wednesday, almost 3 months to the day that we first thought about moving to begin with.  I can't believe we aren't there anymore.  It's.  So. Weird!

Recap of dates in this sale:

• Thanksgiving weekend - went on the  market, got multiple offers WAY over asking.  Picked best one that following Monday.  Closing set for Dec. 18 with two weeks allowed to move out after.  Awesome!
  
• Week of Dec 18 closing - buyers change their mind and decide not to move.  WHATTTTT?  At least they forfeited their $3500 earnest money.  But ohhhhh, the delays and fiasco and cancelling all the set-ups and installs we had scheduled.
  
• Also week of Dec 18 - second best offer submits another offer and we are back under contract for same price. Set to close Dec. 31.
• We go ahead and take early occupancy of Bethpage house Dec. 23 and begin paying sellers a daily per diem rate.
  
• Office ends up being closed for Dec. 31 so we have to move closing to Jan 4.  By Jan. 4, buyers need to extend to Jan 8.  No biggie, right?  Just a typical last-minute delay.  Fine.
  
• By Jan 8, the buyers cannot get some form to verify their new employment and therefore cannot secure financing.  We do not close.  AGAIN.  On either house.  Our sellers in Bethpage are beyond annoyed that this 4th extension still leaves us with no house sold and therefore no house bought.  As well, our per diem rate has increased as a result of these delays.  So stressful, but so thankful to NOT be stressing out in a hotel room while all our things are on moving trucks at least.  Trying to not freak out considering we now have NO CONTRACTS on EITHER HOUSE.  We are basically squatters and could be forced to move out if the sellers lose their cool over this.  I wonder what the Lord is trying to teach us through this after all the amazing confirmation he gave us along the way before now.  I consider aloud that maybe this isn't about us but about some other thing he is working out in the lives of other people involved.  I cry and pray and wait.
  
• Jan 8, I post to FB that our house is BACK ON THE MARKET, Lordhelpus. And He did.  The Lord grew our faith as I prayed through tears that he would.  That night a friend from church messaged me after seeing my post.  She said she had seen the house that morning relisted, but when she reached out to her realtor, he told her our house was already under contract again. She had no idea it was our house at that time.  I assured her we were NOT under contract and was so glad she messaged to be sure.  They set up a showing first thing the next day.  They submit a letter that blows our mind with how we see what the Lord was orchestrating for them all this while along their house-hunting road. 
  
• Jan 9/10 - Our house is empty and no longer staged, of course, but there is a flurry of showings again along with a flurry of offers, almost all over asking.  So exciting and relieving!  We already know we are going to accept the offer from our friends from church though, even if it's not the highest offer.  We just know this connection comes from Him.  Luckily, their offer was tied with the highest offer, matching the contracts from our first two buyers.  Phew!  Closing is set for Feb 5. 
• Jan 15 - We go ahead and close on the Bethpage house by the working of some mortgage miracle and some apparently awesome credit we have.  We now own two homes at one time.  What?  WHAT?  Wow. That's cool, but let's not do this for long, please.  
  
• Week before Closing - buyers' lender's appraisal comes back at $15000 below contract price.  They need us to drop price that much.  Stomachs drop.  Their lender will not adjust.  We figure out their appraiser measured the house several hundred square feet LESS than what it is listed for.  Our realtor asks them to have his re-evaluated after he has it professionally measured.  Unbelievably, the professional measurement comes back at a whole OTHER number  - in between their appraisal and our listing measurement.  Whatintheworld?! As well, unbelievably, second buyers (who flaked already - see Jan 8) who already have an appraisal that matches the contract price, now want back in to the running and increase their offer by $10,000. WHAT??  No.  We are able to agree with third buyers to just meet in the middle.  So we lower our price about $8,000 and call it a day.  Just call it closed!! 
• Feb 3, two days early, we finally close.  Well over what we originally asked for in November, but not quite as high as our January asking price after recent appraisal values.  Whatcanyoudo?  It hurts to not get the full price we would have had with the first two buyers, yes.  But all we are left with really is Thanks.  We thank the Lord for seeing us through.  Thank the Lord for letting us have the house we loved and asked for.  Thank the Lord for a great deal on that house and land.  Thank the Lord that we are already moved in and not in limbo during all this selling hullabaloo.  Thank the Lord for a sweet ending for our Gallatin house that allowed us to sell to precious church family.  Thank the Lord for all of it!
  

We lived 12+ years at 167 Wimbledon Ct.  It's the only house Noah remembers and the only one Anna and Lasa ever lived in.  We saw so many precious seasons, memories, and milestones in this home.  I do regret these last two years there have been so hard personally, for Josh and me especially.  It's left a sadness in me that will mark me forever.  I entrust even that to the Lord and know He means it for our good and His glory ultimately. Anyway, you are a winner, 167 Wimbledon Ct.  We love you, pretty little house on the cul-de-sac!  Be good to our friends, the Stockwells!

And with that, we are back to only owning one home.  Thank you, Lord!