Saturday, September 09, 2006

Our New Kentucky Home

Well, about a week after we put the house up for sale by owner last May, we took it down again because we postponed our moving date until the end of summer. We just listed with an agent in the middle of August and have finally moved to Kentucky. The market has cooled quite a bit and there have been very few people to even look at the house this month. Timing is not good with the start of the school year and with the difficulties that new homebuyers are now having with getting insurance. We have a feeling it will pick up again soon. Homes in our neighborhood have sold on an average of 18 days this year.

We are currently renting a townhouse in the neighborhood where we would most like to buy a permanent home once we sell the old one. It's actually a duplex. We live on the left half. The public library is in walking distance and we have already taken full advantage of that.

The neighbors are all very nice and the kids love their new schools. They could hardly get over how clean and shiny everything is here. I can hardly believe it myself. What a joy it is to be where things are functional and people expect them to work!

Compared to our old town, this place looks like the Garden of Eden. ....Green grass, beautiful trees, strong well maintained buildings everywhere, and friendly people who don't have that exhausted just-trying-to-make-it-through-the-day look in their eyes.

Despite the potential of our new hometown, it was really hard for me to leave the old house. I walked around in the big emptry rooms in our house one last time and had a goodbye cry. It was a good house, and for 7 years I poured my heart and soul and sweat equity into it. It's a better home than when we bought it. Over the years, I laid the sunroom tile myself, and re-tiled the fireplace and the upstairs bathroom. We landscaped the whole yard ourselves. I am really going to miss the big rose hedge I planted. For many years, I tucked my babies to bed in those rooms and had Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas mornings there. It stood up to Hurricane Katrina. It survived and is now stronger than ever. Oh, and the AC conked out on the day we were moving out, so now it has a brand new AC unit too! I wish I could have packed up the entire house and taken it here with me. I REALLY miss my neighbors there too. It was so hard to leave them behind.

I hope the next owners will love that house (and my neighbors) as much as I do.

4 comments:

owlfan said...

Good to hear from you again. I hope your house sells soon. Looks like a good move (though it has its sad parts too). I still miss my LA neighbors and the food and its been 7 years.

Katherine, from jan99 list

Anonymous said...

Hi Laurel;
I am so happy to hear from you again..and to know you are getting settled in your new town...I have missed hearing about your great kids and all of your adventures...I am sure the move was hard but at least you have your family near...keep posting...and good luck with selling the old home...your friend in Texas...Jimmie

Anonymous said...

Laurel,

It is wonderful to see a new post from you! I have been checking back regularly!

I hope Kentucky will be good to you!

Hugs,
Mary (Jan.'99 list)

Anonymous said...

Hi Laurel
I've been dropping in every so often too. Hope you are really happy in Kentucky!
Christa in SA (fellow Jan 99 mom)