Extra money

We were fortunate enough when selling to get a bit more than our asking price. This was entirely unexpected. We even had a lowest minimum offer, below our original asking price, that we were willing to accept. So when our place took off we were content to earmark this ‘extra’ money for agent’s fees, home inspection costs, lawyer fees and all the ancillary costs that crop up during a scenario like this.

The last thing I want to do is get into the mentality that since we sold for more than we wanted, we can turnaround and use the extra cash to buy a bigger place than we originally expected.

Not happening.

There are a whole plethora of reasons why that’s not going to happen. But for me, I want to avoid any scenario where we end up taking on more debt than we have too. If there’s one thing S and I can agree on it’s debt is bad. (I’ve seen too many episodes of TIL DEBT DO US PART to know that some couples don’t necessarily agree on that.)

So we’ve got a price range we’re happy with (350-400k), a neighbourhood we’re circling like predatory birds and enough money in our pockets to give us options.

Not to shabby.

A done deal

Wow.

So we sold our place and the whole process was lightning fast.

I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d been a renter many times but when I moved in with S I just moved into the place she was already living in so we never had to take the step of house hunting together.

After two weeks of back breaking labour to get the place ship shape and three days of lurking in movie theatres or bars until it was late enough to slink home we got an offer.

Correction

We got six offers.

I thought the days of multiple offers were dead. Don’t believe the hype.

I thought the whole thing would be done with offers that had been faxed into the agent’s office. I was shocked to find out that a couple agents were actually going to come in and present to us directly. I was grappling with my best poker face as each agent sat down and presented the particulars of their offers. On the whole I was just aiming to be pleasant about the whole thing because soon we’ll be in the same position and it doesn’t pay to piss off karma if you can avoid it.

Anyway, we were obviously spoiled with a plethora of options. We were able to sell with the terms and conditions we wanted, ones that gives us enough time to look for a place without being rushed.

We’re already pouring over RE listings and driving through neighbourhoods. I think we’ll be all right when it comes to generalities (neighbourhood, location, style) but I suspect we might clash a little bit when it comes to the specifics.

But who knows. I’ve been wrong before.

Moving

Our house went on the market this morning, nearly two weeks to the day that we made the decision to sell. And we’ve already got four showings booked. Not bad, eh? While it seemed like an easy choice at first, practically a no-brainer, it became tougher and tougher as we lurched closer to our sell date to steel ourselves to the task at hand.

We got bogged down in conflicting schedules, the rigours of back breaking labour, illness and yes, unexpected sentimentality.

(We can’t move now. It’s right downtown. And so convenient. What’re we gonna do in the sticks? I love this place)

I admit. I got a little miffed when I had to put the bulk of my belongings in storage. Apparently, everything I own is repellent to potential female buyers.

That vintage Dawn of the Dead poster?

Gone.

My precious books?

Gone.

Clothes?

Gone.

Everything was hidden away to make the place seem larger, roomier, more inviting.

And then there was the endless cleaning, packing, and repacking.

One of my favourite sayings is ‘no matter how well a move is going, it’s never really going well.’

Well, this is like that. Only worse. Because this is the pre-pack. A lot of what we shipped out, is gonna have to come back in while we look for a new place of our own. And when we move? It’ll all have to be packed…AGAIN.

Bugger.

I can’t afford to be sentimental about this place. I can’t afford to think about how this home is the place where I met my wife and where we have lived together (for better or worse) for the past 4 years.

Or how soon, if they aren’t already, complete strangers are going to be tromping through halls (don’t they know I just vaccumed those?), looking in my cupboards and making judgement calls about our design choices. I know it’s not personal, they’re just looking for their own little piece of paradise.

But I happen to think it’s pretty perfect already.

Review: Stratford Festival - West Side Story

S and I went to see West Side Story at the Stratford festival last weekend. This was a Christmas gift from my sisters and their respective bfs. WSS is easily in my top five movies of all time and will always provoke some strange looks from my friends when I bring it up. But I watched it so many times as kid that my love for the film is ingrained in my bones. You could say its almost like my Goonies. (A film that I firmly believe can only truly be liked if you watched it as a child – which I didn’t)

Anyway, there’s not a lot for me to say about the play. The energy was up, the acting was solid and even though it was still in previews the whole play felt polished, but not overly so. Which is a good thing. You can’t watch a Romeo and Juliet rip off with frantic streetwise dance fighting and want to see a performance that’s too controlled. I think the play is more about the energy and the heart than just getting everything just right.

The thing about WSS is that when it was first preformed it was a contemporary take on a classic play. But for the most part that slant is now solidified in amber, stuck firmly in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I’d love to see a modern look at the play using backdrops and costuming from the 21st century. What would that WSS look like?

Chilina Kennedy as Maria and Paul Nolan as Tony were spot on delivering heartfelt soulful performances. And even though I freely admit I’m overly wedded to the film version of the musical it was nice to see that the play paid homage to the film but wasn’t afraid to own the space and make it their own thing. A satisfying mix of comfortable old favourites and new thinking.

My biggest complaint is that the use of the thrust stage meant that sometimes the action was blocked by other actors. On a couple occasions something ‘big’ was happening on the far side of the stage but I couldn’t see it because the chorus\dancers were filling the space in between. It only happened for mere moments, but it was jarring enough to take me out of the play whenever it occurred.

Anyway if that’s my biggest beef, I’d say you’re sitting pretty.

Trying to keep an even keel

This article encapsulates a lot of the fears that plague me these days. S and I are lucky enough (knock on wood) to still have jobs. But all around us friends are losing theirs and it’s hard not to feel nervous about the future. We’re on the verge of taking the next step, house and a fam, at time when things could change at any moment. We’re talking a lot of extra costs. S and I are budget masters but nearly doubling our mortgage and the costs of kids means increasing our risk when we should be doing the exact opposite.

Random Photo of the Day

Truth in advertising. I love this photo. To many of my ultimate pictures are boring profile photos because I'm forced to take them from the sidelines. I got lucky with this one and was able to sneak away and shoot this from behind the endzone, hence the straight on perspective.

President's of the United States of America concert

I'm covered in bruises from moshing like it was 1994, but it was a great concert nonetheless.

Unfortunately the camera wasn't charged so I only got a few photos.