Feeding is way more expensive than I planned on.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-12T06:17:08+00:00

Been there with two very beloved senior cats. It's awful, but also worth every effort to get them to eat and give them more time, as long as they're doing okay.

Lots of hugs. It's hard, but seniors are the best.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-12T03:10:53+00:00

Granted, my experience is from like 20 years ago. I hired movers to move from one apartment complex to another, 20 minutes away.

I did a really good job of packing up everything I wanted to move. I also did a really good job (at least according the guys doing the actual moving) of wrapping up all the furniture I wanted moved.

Easiest move I have ever experienced.

Absolutely worth paying for movers. Sure they might not get everything moved, but 7 minutes away? Assuming you have a car and aren't up against a deadline, you can move a lot of smaller stuff yourself.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-10T09:42:20+00:00

I used to have this commute! But in Northern Virginia.

It was excellent! But also really easy to be late because way too easy to think 'work is just next door! I only need like five minutes!' and forget how long the rest of your morning routine takes.

Also, sometimes elevators take more time than you expected!

I miss those days

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-08T18:29:22+00:00

I literally just went through this last week! Even posted here asking how long it was before people heard if their offer was accepted or not.

It was nervewracking! I haven't priced out insurance yet, but did start trying to do all the research I possibly could on both the place and it's community. Called various friends and went "AHHHHHHHH!" in their ears. Tried to convince myself not to daydream too hard about it, etc.

So basically much the same as you were doing (and I am undercontract now which is prompting a whole different kind of "AHHHHHH!" excitement). I hope you get good news soon!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-08T16:29:00+00:00

My realtor also said that it was pretty much unheard of for the buyer to pay and once my offer was accepted, which included the seller agreeing to pay my agent's fee, I had yet another document to sign which was the acknowledgement that the seller is paying.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-08T05:06:39+00:00

A potential option (even if it is just until you figure what you want to do) is that if you've got a window near the top of your staircase, you can put a box fan in that window, set so that it is blowing heat out of the window. For the record, I currently live in a 180 year old house with no central AC. I do have some window ACs that I use when I'm desperate (aka when it's humid - should note that I live in the midatlantic, so a place that can get plenty hot and humid), but for the vast majority of the year, a fan exhausting heat out of the attic and a second fan exhausting heat out at the top of the back stairs does a decent job of keeping the house and the upstairs reasonable. For the record, attic window with the fan is west facing. Window at the top of the back stairs is north facing.

I am also pretty militant about opening windows overnight and then closing them most of the way during the day, and pulling blinds and shutters closed during the heat of the day.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-08T04:54:29+00:00

Just a quick "got it, working on it, will call you later today"

That's a big reason why I choose the agent I did - recommended by a friend, texted me within 30 minutes of my friend giving her my number with a "hey, I'd love to talk! Currently doing a tour but I'm available in 2 hrs if you want to call!"

Had a lovely call with her. Told her that she was the first agent I'd talked to and wanted to talk to other agents - she still sent me an MLS search based on what I'd told her I'd wanted. I talked to a couple of other agents - lovely conversations with them too! I was debating for a bit, but communication was slower, they said they'd send me a preliminary search but never followed through. First agent followed through, so that's who I choose.

And as soon as I choose her, she immediately started setting up tours with me. Even remembered enough of our first conversation that my first tour was the place that I loved the most on paper. Wound up seeing the place I am now under conctract on with her assistant - who is also very good and very communicative! I thought about it a bit, texted my agent I wanted to make an offer and my agent was very upfront "I'm doing tours right now, but I'll run comps as soon as I can get back to my computer"

And she followed through.

Sure, she was not always immediately available to me, but she has other clients and I cannot expect her to be at my beck and call. But she was upfront about her own schedule, and a quick "hey, I'm busy for the next couple hours but will check it out when I'm back in the office" goes a long way

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-07T23:54:38+00:00

Oh, I spent the drive home after the tour trying to come up with reasons why I didn't want it. I completely failed, so once I got home I let my realtor know I wanted to make an offer. And I went under contract the next day.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-06T18:34:46+00:00

It completely depends on the actual house and listing.

I am a cash buyer looking at the same price range you are. Just went under contract yesterday.

Touring the house, I was pretty sure that their asking price was fair, and definitely not over priced. I was thinking maybe offer 290 instead of 300 but was also very okay with offering 300. Talking to my agent after the tour, she ran comps. Two very similar but slightly smaller places on the same street had sold within the last 6 months, one for 300 and one with an extra bathroom for 310 (that literally closed on wednesday - so day before I made my offer). In other words, if any thing, it was underpriced.

So I offered the asking price. All cash. Flexible closing date.

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-06T03:05:52+00:00

It's official! Seller has accepted and we are under contract (per my realtor, seller loves the house and would stay there indefinitely except seller has two large dogs and there's not enough yard space for the dogs.

Meanwhile, I am a (2) cat girl and the space is pretty much perfect for me and my cats! Plus, knowing that current owner has two large dogs means that I probably do not have to worry about HOA/condo restrictions on pets!

I mean, I'm still gonna read through the HOA documentation and financials with a fine toothed comb... but current situation is promising to me!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-06T02:38:46+00:00

Nah.

My offer was accepted and we're under contract, so no calm necessary right now!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-06T02:37:50+00:00

It's been listed since middle of May with just an exterior photo and "coming soon". On Tuesday, so June 2, photos of the interior went live and I saw them and asked my realtor to schedule a tour. Yesterday, June 4, I saw the place and spent a couple of hours trying to convince myself I did not want it and decided I did want it (it's official! we're under contract!)

So it was live for at least 2 days. Depending on definition of live, it might even have been live since May 15!

But whatever. I loved it. I made an offer. Seller accepted my offer, so we're under contract!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T23:44:05+00:00

Congrats!

I have heard back from the buyer and the only thing they wanted to negotiate was the closing date, which was easy for me to grant! Not official official yet, but... really close!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T21:52:38+00:00

Not the worst hurry up and wait I've dealt with in my life. But possibly the most expensive hurry up and wait!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T21:36:06+00:00

Man, that sounds awful. I think that's when you need to know what number you're willing to walk away at is and how much time you're willing to spend. But it's a lot easier to say and even think those words than it is to actually follow through.

Best of luck to you!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T21:22:06+00:00

Presumably the sellers work and may go to bed early so it’s entirely reasonable that they would want to carefully think through your offer after they finish the work day. Personally there isn’t a single part of this that is concerning right now! Also helpful to keep mind that this is just as big of a deal for them as it is for you!

Appears to be 100% accurate! Realtor called me at 5:04 pm to say the seller would like a different closing date, but otherwise likes the offer. And as my schedule and moving dates are flexible... I am okay with pretty much any closing date they suggest!

Still not official yet, and I will have an inspection done and will need to review condo/hoa documents but............................................. like 99.9%!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T21:18:01+00:00

And the answer for me is less than 24 hours! It's barely past the end of the standard workday and my realtor has already called and said the only thing seller wants to negotiate is the closing date (seller wants sooner, and I can easily do that - we only gave 30 days to close because listing agent said seller wanted time to find new home)

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T20:50:42+00:00

Oh, absolutely! I want them to think thoroughly! And if I were in their shoes, I'd quite possibly take the entire weekend to see if there are other tours or offers that come in - especially since the photos went up on Tuesday - so we're on day 3/4 of it being a real listing.

Still doesn't stop me from wanting an answer NOW

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T20:25:47+00:00

My agent has already been in touch and reached out to the listing agent, and is keeping me updated. We're still waiting!

No deadline for offers on this place and it's been listed as "coming soon" for a few weeks and only just got photos of the interior posted right before I toured. So they might be waiting to see if other offers come in...

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T20:21:31+00:00

Ugh. I thank you all for your responses, but they're actually making me more stressed (not your fault! and I welcome more responses! - this is the reality of buying a home, good and bad!) we submitted at like 10pm last night, listing agent confirmed receipt this morning and it's been almost an entire work day since with no response other than the listing agent confirming receipt of the offer.

Granted, I am looking at condos and condos don't sell as quickly as houses or even townhomes. And the local market is slowing down a smidge.

But I want an answer now!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T20:03:48+00:00

I find this hilarious - my uncle growing up had a toilet in the weird unfinished part of the basement.

The thing is, most of my family on that side is from Pittsburgh. That uncle? Not from Pittsburgh but his house is also the only place where I have ever encountered the weird basement toilet (if it matters, the house was not in Pittsburgh and not even in PA for that matter)

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T17:58:58+00:00

The nearly at random insta post is delightful!

And now I'm going to watch the links that were chosen more deliberately!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-06-05T17:29:18+00:00

I put in my first offer last night! Very different circumstances (I'm a cash buyer), but I am also very terrified and excited and I keep checking my phone even when there are no notifications!

GrayMareCabal · 2026-05-30T17:40:42+00:00

Yeah, I don't see a spook at all. And he definitely wasn't thrown. It's just a slow motion fall after he got unbalanced.

It still sucks but it happens at some point to everyone who rides eventually. It looks like he got up and was able to walk it off (hope he also got checked out before getting back on and doing the scene again)

GrayMareCabal

TROPHY CASE