4 DIRTY WORDS

So I am trying to sell our house. I have made no secret of this. I have even resorted to begging friends and family to help recruit potential buyers. I have placed ads, hired a real estate agent, hired another real estate agent. I have cleaned the house more times than I care to count. I have made my children little nervous wrecks about not making messes. I have rushed around to make the house look presentable. I have even allowed people to see it on several occasions when it was far from presentable because a realtor forgot to tell me they were coming. But hey, I want to sell it and if someone is here, I have to let them in!! I have stared at the window to watch prospective buyers look at my neighbors houses that were also for sale. My house has been "on the market" since March 8. SO what are the 4 words that I want to hear less than any other words in the world??

"The Market is Slow."

REALLY? I had not thought of that! I have not heard Katie Couric or Charlie Gibson covering the big breaking stories from the mortgage crisis to the buyers market. I had not noticed the CNN ticker at the bottom of the screen pointing out the recession and the high gas prices. Come on, people, I have seen my ad for my home running in the paper next to an ad for a 4 bedroom foreclosure for only $22,000! How can I compete with that???

The media is totally inundating us with what a horrible situation we are in. These stories that feature experts telling us that homes are selling for at least 20% less than what they are worth DO NOT HELP! And when people ask "How is the house?" or "Any offers?" I KNOW that they are well-meaning and they are being interested and supportive. When I tell a realtor that I am getting worried, she does not know what else to say. But I just wish that everyone would realize that saying NOTHING is better than saying "Well, the market IS slow right now." I get it! More than anyone I get it!

I am feeling so stressed and worried all the time. We chose for David to to back the 3d ID because we knew he would have to go to Iraq no matter what. We chose for him to go where he would deploy so quickly because hey, at least the kids and I would be in GA. SO now I am planning to move to GA anyway! I am going to send our "stuff" to storage at Ft. Stewart and hang at Mom's for a while. Maybe the house will sell more quickly without us and our stuff in it. Everyone has a different opinion on that, too! I have decided that everyone has a theory on what they like or what worked for them. So I now I am going to do what works for ME! The movers come in 3 weeks, and we will be on our way. . . On our way to Atlanta first, and then we will get to Ft. Stewart - eventually.

The other night Jessa asked me to tell her about when Daddy comes home. So I was telling her about the awesome welcome home celebration at Ft. Stewart. And the balloons and the music and the parade field. And we talked about how Daddy would find us and hug us. And she wanted to know if we could bake him a cake. I said, "of course!" And then it hit me, what if we do not live there yet? We will leave his welcome home and head to a hotel? I have to work hard to make sure that does not happen!

I am working on it, but for now, please refrain from saying the 4 dirty words to me, ok? And also feel free to help me sell this house! Inappropriate or not, I am begging. . .