I haven’t wanted to say anything here on my blog because I was afraid of jinxing it. Too many times we’ve gotten excited only to be let down.

On May 20th, one hour after Sailor passed away peacefully here at home, someone put a contract on our house in Colorado. We could scarcely believe it. We were excited, yet reserving outright jubilation until after the inspection process, where in the past two failed contracts, some little thing had always come up and the whole deal fell through. (Note: If for any reason and not even about issues of inspection, here people can get out of the contract if they choose to do so without relinquishing their “earnest monies”.) We held our breath and waited. This particular buyer was in a hurry and wanted to close by June 6th. Inspection came and went without a hitch. Could it be true? Was our house finally, FINALLY sold?

Yes, it’s now official.

No more double house payments. No more paying for gas & electric, water, yard service, taxes, homeowner association dues, repairs, and anything else that came up on a house just sitting there empty. At last. I am sad and happy at the same time. It was our dream house. A place of memories both good and sad. A place of birth, life, and death for so many treasured dogs. Custom-built to our specifications, likes, and dislikes. Something we will probably never do again. Perhaps that’s why it took so long to sell—we had put too much of ourselves into it.

We’ve been getting people “nibbling” at it like a fish after a worm it’s not sure whether to take or not. Some came back multiple times: measuring, looking, prodding, probing. No one took the bait. They didn’t like this; they didn’t like that. Wrong school district. No finished basement for the kids to retreat to. Odd little custom touches that we adored and they hated. Some wanted to rip out the lovely kitchen and start over. Some wanted a larger master bath.

This couple (a minister and his wife in their sixties from Virginia) had no such qualms about the house. They looked at it only once before deciding to write a contract. Like us, they had seen the house online and fell in love right then and there. People after my own heart. Their realtor said it reminded them so much of the house they were leaving behind in Virginia. The house had been holding back, waiting for someone to appreciate it the way it was; rejecting those buyers it thought unworthy.

We like to think that Sailor had something to do with this miracle. We didn’t know about the contract until the next morning, but when I asked our realtor at what time the contract had been signed, he told me and I just had the strangest feeling wash over me. One hour after Sailor died. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. I am convinced it was his final parting gift to us.

Join us in saying good-bye to 1501 Red Sky Court, Ft. Collins, Colorado. I think this link to the virtual tour will still be active for a few days.

So, a toast to being rid of encumbrances. To memories past. To the cutting of ties. To Sailor who (we believe) helped make it happen. To getting on with life. Here’s to us! Please lift your glasses along with us. ~~ CLINK ~~