House Hunting Chronicles: the waiting ❤️

Is waiting for a purchase offer on Valentines Day ironic or apropos?

When I was in high school, my long-term boyfriend jetted off to Hawaii for a two week vacation with his father. He called several times in the first week of his stay, but I missed every single call although I spent the majority of my spare time waiting at home in anticipation. I missed him terribly, and the waiting was painful.

As the second week began, my friends encouraged me to get out and have some fun instead of waiting. So I went to a group dinner at a Old Chicago Pizza. It was great and I felt better, until my grandmother stormed into the restaurant. She was furious that I had missed yet another phone call from Hawaii. She insisted that I should be at home when he called.

It was clear, from that situation and several others, that Gram thought I should put my boyfriend first. Waiting for my “man” was my job, that I should put everything on hold for him. (She likely would be appalled to know that was the lesson she taught.)

Fast forward to today and we are waiting for offers on our home. We know that something might be on the way. But they are taking FOREVER. When you are waiting for something that could be very important, every minute stretches out for miles. Every hour seems like a day. You get the idea.

The anticipation includes plenty of paranoia. What if the offer is lower than we want/need? We have been assured by multiple agents that we have priced the house well for the market. But what if someone wants to low ball us? Should we take the first offer? Should be reject it out of hand? How much should we be willing to negotiate?

It often seems that action happens all at once, not matter the situation. By that I mean that all will be quiet, and then it’s not. Phone calls and texts and important emails all seem to arrive within minutes of each other, and they are not always about the same topic. Staying still seems to be a good strategy, until it isn’t. Waiting by the phone (which these days includes all manner of communication options and more mobility) is both helpful and exhausting.