Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Show Me The Money...No Don't

South Pork Ranch as it stood (under another name) in the 1950's
The house still stands (right) and provides great shelter
to this Midlife Farmwife and her family

I wish we were filthy rich. Because if we were, I would advertise our farm in the paper FREE to a good home (owner) Then I would interview families who were in need and I would enjoy all the crockpots that came out of the woodwork. Even the ones who wore cone hats made of aluminum foil. Except I would immediately eliminate those whose head garb was created out of the new and improved "non-stick" Reynolds wrap because that stuff is so expensive you'd have to be certifiably CRAZY to waste a big hunk of it making an Anti-Alien hat. And then I would give away our farm, to the most deserving, family or individual.



Yeah, that's what I would do because this back and forth with the offer stuff is really really tough.
Yes, my friends, what I am telling you is this...we have an offer on the farm. And we have counter offered. And now we wait. And make plans for the what ifs.

What if the return offer is one we can live with? That means we'll be moving quickly since that is what the possible new owner has asked us to do. A quick move means we will be going through 20 years of accumulated crap,  er, belongings in zero time. What stays? What goes? What gets deposited at Good Will or shows up, SURPRISE!, on my sisters door steps. Which of the antiques will go to our kids now instead of after we die? Who gets the One-of-a-kind oil painting of a pea-hen in a pearl necklace? No, I am not kidding. She is stunning.

Because, our new house will be tiny and stuff will need to go NOW.

But on the other hand what if the return offer is indeed not satisfactory? Because the hubs and I set a bottom line, the line we will NOT go under, what if our buyer-to-be can't hit that mark? Then that means so many other things. We switch immediately back into small farm owner with a mortgage to pay, a farm store to stock (I've had 4 farmers wanting to sell their products in our store, all on hold) and a new restaurant owner who took time to visit last week and is ready to order this week. And our plans to downsize, although possible, will not be done rapidly. Just to meet the orders we've already taken for next years beef requires an additional livestock purchase.

Keith is doing that right now. Driving 8 hours round trip, after morning chores, and before evening chores,  to buy certified organic calves. Which by the way will need to be added to our current inventory list thus altering (again) our final sale price.

The answer from our looker...is really just a day away.

That's right. In 24 hours our fate will be...what? Fated? Fatafied? Fatuated?
Anyway, our quadry between new farm, old farm, green farm, blue farm will be over.

I can hardly stand it. Can you?

11 comments:

  1. You'd BETTER be posting in 24 hours or less or I'm gonn'a KILL ya!
    I've practically got butterflies in my stomach now, can't imagine how you feel (probably like laughing/crying/vomiting/giggling/doing a jig all at the same time).

    Good luck. Whatever form it may come in. :)

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  2. You forgot" peaceful" because really Carolyn there is a small part of me, really small I'll admit, that feels peaceful. Que Sara Sara and all that

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  3. I shall say nothing (much better that way), other than I'm knitting an Aluminium foil suit at this very moment!

    I shall not sleep.

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  4. It must be exciting and excruciating at the same time. What a range. Good luck!!! Crossing fingers (and toes) for you!

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  5. good luck! we will be waiting to hear!

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  6. God, do I hate the house buying/selling process. It's a huge game of financial chicken. Good luck to you, I look forward to seeing how it all goes.

    And if you need a person to take that pea hen picture, I'm more than willing!! :)

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  7. Fingers crossed - such an adventure! So glad I live a gazillion miles away or I might feel compelled to come help you pack...and it would take you at least five years to find your favorite soup spoon. I'm real handy like that. :-)

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  8. Fingers, toes are crossed for good luck.

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  9. And the next 24 hours will drag on and later, when you look back, you'll see they were but a blurred blip.

    When i put an offer on the house in my current location, i did it "wrong," by deciding on a price i was willing to pay (thought of a number, prayed about it, went to sleep that night, woke up next day, and that number felt like the right one) and made the offer. I had decided i wasn't going to counteroffer. I hadn't said anything to my RE agent about it, but knew within myself it was take it or leave it.

    The then-owners of the house took it, and that was that.

    My RE agent said that was only the second time he saw that in 20 years.

    Guess i'm too chicken to play chicken.

    Oh, and packing up a house's belongings all at once? Yep, i've done that, too. what helped me was to envision where said item was going to live. If i saw the place clearly in my mind, it was a keeper. If not, it wasn't. But, the ultimate house was already standing. In your case, you're be in temporary digs, so you might need a "need this in the permanent digs but not now" pile.

    Good luck.

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  10. Keeping you and your family in my prayers...

    My husband and I are waiting for God to say "Yes" to a homestead. We believe we are meant to homestead, but are in no position at this time to take the necessary steps.

    We. Are. On. Hold.

    But, one thing we keep trying to remind ourselves: When we are waiting on God, we have all the time in the world...

    Of course, it doesn't mean that it isn't hard to wait!

    God bless!

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