“Instead of cleaning my house, I'm just going to move to a new one."
~Unknown
(Wasn't me)
People often ask about my moving stories. Not as in “move you to tears.” Nope. Literal moving stories. House to house to house.
2009. Divorce. I was going to buy a condo from a dude selling it on his own and he changed his mind at the last minute. My boxes were packed and I needed a place pronto.
My phone rang.
“Hi, this is Patricia. You looked at my condo a while ago, and I just lowered my price. And I can arrange fast closing and be moved out in a week.”
SOLD.
That perfect little condo was a haven for me and my two sons, close-to-graduating high-schoolers.
Fast forward a couple years. Newly married to ZenMan/HoneyMan/Jim, I came across a house for sale on my walk one day. By the river, in a pretty pocket of trees, sweet. We made an offer. They would not budge on price. We said forget it.
I then made a crude vision board with marker drawings and stick people that included “house surrounded by trees.” Three days later, the realtor called. They lowered their price and were willing to negotiate.
SOLD.
(SIDE NOTE! Before we moved from my “divorce condo,” I went room to room and thanked that condo for all the healing it held for me. I sobbed and wished the next person to find healing love from those walls, to feel safe and cradled, to find strength again, to find love again. Guess who bought my condo? A newly divorced woman with two sons.)
HoneyMan and I loved the house we bought and made it fantastic (garden walk, anyone?). After five years there, we felt called to downsize to a small condo, with the intent of a second condo out of state or out of country. We sold off most of our stuff, then learned our buyer’s financing had fallen through. Our for-sale-again house now had only lawn furniture in the living room. Never fear. Three showings and three days later, our new buyer took one look, loved the house and paid cash on our regularly scheduled closing date.
SOLD.
The little condo we bought had a pond behind it, so we dubbed it the pondo. We traveled to a lot of places that year and realized we did not want two homes. The pondo was too small for the long haul, so after one year there, (and making it so pretty!), we put it on Zillow and it sold day one, full asking price.
We then began looking for a house. Our search resulted in nothing that felt right. ELEVEN DAYS out from closing date on the pondo, we still had not found anything. We weren’t stressed though. We trust in divine timing even though everyone else thought we were nuts.
Our realtor’s assistant then offered, “My parents are thinking of selling but not sure if they’re ready. They’re having a garage sale today, go check it out.”
Most meticulous garage sale ever. They showed us the backyard and we swooned. Two days later they showed us the house, two days after that we had a contract. Closing date this time did not quite match up. Our pondo buyer already had her stuff in storage. She did not mind waiting a few more days to move in. We closed with her, paid for her hotel for a few nights, and then on the closing day for our new home, we moved our stuff out and into the new place without having to do storage.
THINGS WORK OUT.
We loved that house, but three years later, we left that house with the gorgeous backyard to move to the gorgeous Black Hills. Rapid City, SD. Breathtaking scenery. Endless hiking trails. Natural Beauty. My blood pressure drops just thinking about it.
In another serendipitous for-sale-by-owner lowering their price, we bought something totally unexpected. Instead of a cabin in the woods (they sell for millions out there) we got a posh place with 5000 square feet, 20-foot ceilings, and an elevator. That one was by far the grandest home we have ever had but being so far away from all our loveys (who are all right here in northern Illinois) prompted our hearts to wander on back.
So less than a year after moving out west, we sold that home in a day, cash deal, way more than we paid for it, closed in a week, and our buyer let us stay a month for free to come home and find a place. (For the record, we have never lost a dime on any of our moves. THINGS WORK OUT.)
The move back to Illinois was in the height of real estate craziness. We had 20 minutes to look at a place and decide if we wanted to throw in an offer. We did, we “won” from the pool of offers, and we moved back easy peasy.
Immediately after moving back, we were busy with a whirlwind of family “stuff.” A lot of stuff. After about six months, HoneyMan and I were able to catch a breath and plunked down on our couch to talk all things life. We hadn’t even lived at our own house all the time we had been back and conversation turned to “Is this a house we want to stay in?” We shrugged and said it would all unfold perfectly. We trust the Universe and our inner knowing.
The NEXT DAY we learn that someone we know had wanted to buy our house, they were one of the others in the multiple offer situation, and they still wanted the house if we ever wanted to sell. Long story short (there is way more to all these stories), we decided to sell. It was their dream house. They were (and still are) overjoyed.
I felt called to look at what is now our current home even though there were no interior photos on realtor.com. I stepped in the front door and immediately felt like I could hang here a while. It’s a sweet little house that works well for us (and is old-man-with-a-walker-easily-accessible for my father-in-law who is currently shacking up with us for a bit.)
Will we stay here forever? Who knows. What I do know is THINGS WORK OUT.
I guess I need this reminder. Not for moving houses. But for other things calling me right now. I need to hear my own words back at me. If there is a pull, LEAN INTO IT. Trust and know that things work out in crazy cool unexpected unplanned ways.
We have had magic, miracles, synchronicities always.
So whatever you have going on, let me tell you, THINGS WORK OUT. You take one step in faith and you are affirmed, confirmed, and showered upon with blessings beyond what you previously believed possible.
I know all things are possible. I just need the reminder. Maybe you do too. Say it with me. THINGS WORK OUT.
Much love,
Kelly
