Moving (Part 2)

As I shared in my first blog, our daughter and son-in-law’s offer on a house in Wichita was accepted.  Now it was time for them to hit the ground running as they hurried to put their house near Houston on the market.

They had already been working on projects to get their house ready to be listed but there was still much to do.  My husband, Gary, drove down with all our boxes we had used during our main level remodel as well as tools that he could use to help with some projects.  

There was quite a flurry of activity during those several days.  Every inch of the house, inside and out, was being cleaned and uncluttered and repaired.  The business end of putting the house on the market was being decided.  Finally, before Gary left to come home, pictures were taken of the house…the for-sale sign was in the front yard…and soon their beautiful home was officially listed. 

We fully expected the same scenario as we had seen with Roger and Deane’s home…lots of showings and then several offers right away.  Maybe even a bidding war!

But no.  

Crickets.  

No showing notifications.  For three days!

Come on people!  We’re in a hurry to sell this house!  

And we began to learn that the Houston housing market is not at all like the Wichita market.  

During all this, when panic was at the door, I was reminded that God inhabits our praise.  It was all too easy during our worrying to forget to praise God for His goodness and for His plan, yet to be fully seen.  He gave me this truth at that time.

Finally, after three days of waiting, a showing was scheduled on the fourth day!  Surely this would be IT!

Kyle and Andrea got the house spic and span…Andrea baked cookies and had water for the potential buyers…corralled their three dogs in one car…put baby Ryker in the other…and made it out the door and drove away in time.  

Whew!!

But the potential buyers didn’t show up.  

Hopes dashed.  

So began a very stressful period for Kyle and Andrea.  They had one couple who were finally interested in their house, but their offer was unreasonable…and so was the fact that they would randomly show up at their door!

Kyle was preparing to leave for his maritime job.  He would be offshore, on a boat out in the Gulf…for a month!  We had prayed for the house to sell before he left, but God had other plans.

I flew down to help Andrea for two weeks.  I had no ulterior motives at all.  Nothing whatsoever about this little precious boy drew me to Texas!  Ha!

Before I left, Deane told me that she and Roger were praying for a cash buyer for Kyle and Andrea.  So, we joined them in that prayer.  It certainly would speed things up!

What a two weeks it was!  Our first showing was the day after I arrived.  That was the morning that Andrea had to take Kyle to get a physical before he boarded the boat and then take him to the port in Galveston.  I was at the house doing what cleaning I could while I watched Ryker, kept an eye on the dogs, tried to pick up baby and dog toys…and what was that smell?!  Had a mouse gotten in the wall and died?!

Not today!!

Thus began two weeks of crazy!  We had down times with no showings but the showings we did have made up for the times of peace.  Getting three dogs and a baby out the door in time was no easy task, all while cleaning and trying to KEEP the house clean.  

The best picture of crazy was the day that we were rushing to get ready for a showing…the second showing for this particular realtor and his clients.  That was hopeful!  We were in our usual rush, but we had time and were feeling good about things.  Then I saw a man walking to the door.

It was the realtor!  An hour early!

He wanted to go ahead and show his clients the house.  They were outside waiting in their car.  And an older couple (grandparents?) were in another car.  Andrea said no but told him we would hurry to get ready.  She quickly put the dogs in the garage.  

Then I saw Siggy, their husky, across the street in the neighbor’s yard!

There went Andrea, running across the street in front of the realtor, the clients, and the grandparents…yelling at Siggy…getting him back in the garage…trying to smile while everyone enjoyed the show!

Then we couldn’t find the misplaced car key, so we sat in the other car in the driveway while the group went in to see the house.  

And they didn’t even put in an offer!  

Time was passing!  So, to my prayer for a cash buyer, I also asked God to please let the house sell before I left Houston to return to Wichita.  

Six days before I was to leave, a realtor came to look at the house.  His clients were out of town, but he knew what they wanted.  He thought Kyle and Andrea’s house looked promising.  

And oh, his clients were cash buyers.

We tried not to be too hopeful or to assume too much.

He liked what he saw.  He made another appointment to bring his clients back to look at the house…six days later…the day I was leaving.

We managed to get out of the house 10 minutes before the showing.  A 9:00 a.m. showing was no piece of cake for our two-legged and four-legged crowd!

How we were praying!

Andrea and I were on our way to the airport, Ryker asleep in his car seat, when not far from the airport her phone rang.

Rebecca, her realtor!

“The client’s realtor called,” she said.  “He said to expect an offer this weekend.  A cash offer.”

She was calm. We were anything BUT!

She cautioned us not to be too hopeful at this point.

All I could think of was that God seemed to be in this…and I was still in Houston, like I had prayed.  At the airport, yes, but I hadn’t left yet!  I think God was smiling.

We heard nothing that day, but on the next day Andrea called.

“I got the offer,” she told us.  “It’s a cash offer for the full amount!”  

Praise God!!!

There were a few hiccups in the next couple weeks, but God worked out every detail in the best way for Kyle and Andrea.  

We are also very sensitive to the fact that there is another family who is dealing with all this in a different way than we are.  We know that Kent and Marie, Kyle’s dear parents, are sad to see them and Ryker move so far away.  

They have been nothing but supportive and kind…another reason for thankfulness and love on our part for them.  And we are all praying for their future, wondering what other miracles God might do for them.

Yesterday was closing day.  I can hardly describe my emotion when I received this picture.  

Now begins the next chapter!  

We will see how God supports our lot as He takes care of all our circumstances…including a nervous Uncle Aaron.