...and it's sold!

As of this morning, my house is officially off the market and in new hands!

I can't express what a huge relief this is, having moved out of the home more than 16 months ago after Jonathan and I got married. We listed it last September (the week B of A bought out Merrill), and it's been on the market since. We had a number of offers, but most of them falling through, mainly due to financing issues by the buyers. It has been an extremely tough market to sell...and when it was all said and done, we dropped the price by only 11% from my original asking price last fall. With prices having plummeted across the state, including Pierce County, we are very blessed and grateful that this all came together.

We spent Mother's Day afternoon moving out the last of my things: my bedroom furniture, a sofa, tv armoires and a buffet, with some small odds and ends. After closing on Thursday night, we celebrated at the Ram and prayed that everything would continue through.

It was yesterday that everything became real - when we driving over to the Brownrices following Liz's graduation, Jonathan remarked, "This is the first time you're here in Tacoma as a visitor, and not a resident!"

That's when it sunk in...that everything was official and real.

The house I bought in 2001 when I was 23, because I was tired of paying rent and fresh from a breakup and calling off a wedding...it's now in new hands.

What will I miss the most?

Having the Brownrices two houses down.

I'll miss Paige - the dog whisperer - walking Viper, Austin coming in the back door to hang out, early morning walks and runs with Liz (running from raccoons and the occasional deer), Sandy teaching me home-y things and laughing while I'll mess them up, and Rich's incredible fix-it skills.

I know it's been more than 16 months since they've been "next door", but it was all very final when we saw other people moving in. So it's with a good deal of joy, and a little sadness that we 'close the door' on N. 33rd.

At least as a resident. :)


The Wee Ski, who never knew the joy of this street...but soaked up a bit of goodness on Mother's Day.


And the amazing Rich Brownrice. He is responsible for so many of the 'little details' that made this house move-in ready, and taught me so much along the way. "Thank you" is not enough. The block is so lucky to have him, as Oak Harbor will be once he and Sandy move back up to their home up the next month.



And because I'm walking down memory lane anyway...

• Rake-a-pa-looza 2005 - how little are Austin and Paige here?!?
• My kitty's last days at the house in 2005
• A good look-back post, with some of my first digital scrapping pages (2006)
• Life lessons about potatoes, drano max, and SudsAttack 2006
• Lots of roommates, including Lindsay (from the neighbors, "I always hear you two laughing!"), my cousin Ben, Michael G, and Karl
• The first signs of spring
• Ode to the Brownrices (Summer 2006)
• Home Sweet Home (lessons learned in painting the house)
• Home Sweet Home (part deux, October 2006)
• Happy Snowy Nights
• Around the block (after the storm)
• Spray Painting Birthday Leprechauns (June 2007)
• Our second family • The Brownrices (August 2007)
• Looking back, laughing at my proactive moving timeline, which could not have been further from reality in hindsight (Sept 2007)

Here's to being a full-time country gal now!