If you haven't read Part 1, you can do so by clicking here.
Making the decision to put our house on the market really hit home with the reality of our situation. We were fortunate to not be in financial trouble; we could handle the mortgage if Frank was out of work for a while...but for how long? Was the stress this would put on us really necessary?
So, in May, we started packing things up, cleaned, painted, pressure washed, landscaped and stuck a "For Sale" sign in the yard in June. Being that I wanted to keep my emotions in check, I hired a Realtor (not myself) to list my home (one of the best decisions I have ever made). In spite of the flat market, it sold quickly.
My husband became an interviewing machine...online interviews, phone interviews, in person, group...you name it, he tackled it. A few offers came in, but he wanted a company that was local, had a strong balance sheet and was imbedded in the community.
He called me after "THE" interview. The position was exactly what he wanted. The company had all the qualities he was looking for. He prayed like I have never seen him pray before. He wanted that job so much....and it was located 330 miles across the state.
The call came while we were at REBC San Francisco. I'll never forget it...I was talking with Brad Andersohn at Trulia HQ and I got a text message from Frank, "I need you ASAP". It was real. A real job. A great job. We were moving...in a week...across the state to Blacksburg, Virginia.
"What am I going to do about my real estate business?" I suppose I had been in denial that this was actually happening. All I had worked for...all I had built up since 1998...what the hell was I thinking?!?!?! I had no desire to start a real estate business all over again in a new place. Could I commute? Should I live in Virginia Beach 4 days a week and Blacksburg the other 3? I had grown up in Virginia Beach and while the rest of my family no longer lived there, it was still my hometown. My friends were there, my business was ingrained there..my life was there.
To be continued....
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Tina Merritt and Assoc. can be reached at email: tina@tinamerritt.com or 757-287-6338.
Our Network consists of both buyer and listing specialists helping buyers and sellers in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson, Virginia.
Good luck. Lots of decisions.