The Cat’s Out Of The Bag

So how do I explain the unexplainable? I knew I was in trouble when I saw the response to yesterday’s Facebook posting from a friend in the Henly area. He wrote: “My goodness you have a lot of clothes! It’s time to enjoy the Big R with just shorts, t- shirts and sandals in this hot time of the year. Why are you de-cluttering your home? When we have done that, it was to get it prepared for a home for sale. Have a great day”.

 

I clicked off of Facebook immediately after reading the question: “Why are you de-cluttering your home? When we’ve done that, it was to get it prepared for a home sale.” I’m not even sure I acknowledged the comment by flagging it as “liked”.  The question was one I didn’t want to answer, so I didn’t. I simply opted to ignore it and disassociate myself one step away from the need to provide an answer.

 

Of course, I knew I couldn’t get by with it forever. It was magical thinking to believe for a minute that my business was strictly my business. When you live in Small Town, America, ones’ business is the business of every other person who shares space with you. There are no secrets in Small Town, America.

 

For years I’ve described Henly as the edge of Heaven. I still have the same opinion and I love where we live. Please let there be no mistake regarding my personal valuation of the place we are privileged to call home. It is on the edge of paradise. I’m not joking when I say that we have a million dollar view. Besides that, the house is designed to optimize the million-dollar view. Never once have I taken for granted that we are blessed well beyond our deserving to live where we live.

 

Did I mention the million-dollar view comes with a price tag? For months I’ve gotten regular emails from realtors asking if I know the value of where we live? I’ve tracked it and I can truthfully answer that: “I have a good idea.” In fact, the last relator I talked with said: “Henly is hot! Now is the time to sale!”

 

The house may have a million dollar view, but the true market value is slightly under that. I won’t even say we are talking nickel and dimes, because we are not. The realtor who listed our home suggested that we list it at a dollar short of $900,000.00. I added the zero’s to suggest to you that from my humble perspective that is a lot of money. It would seem like nothing if we lived in California, but in Texas that is a lot of money for a home. It is more than I ever dreamed possible.

 

So, will our home sale? “I don’t know” is my best answer. Perhaps a better question is, “What will the General and I do if it does sale? Of course, the short answer is: “We will move.” Most folks want to know where?”

 

It was a text message from a friend late yesterday afternoon that garnered my need to face the fact that the “Cat is out of the bag.” I’ve heard that expression for years and have always understood it has reference to revealing facts previously hidden. I froze in my tracks when I saw my friend’s words. There was no mistaking it. He wanted answers. If he knew our home was on the market, obviously he was not the first nor would he be the last.

 

He wrote: “So…what’s this about? We need to talk!” He added what he had read online: ‘New listing!!! 550 Loop 165, Dripping Springs, TX (Henly) offered at $899,000.00. Beautiful 10 acres and custom home with stunning Hill Country Views!!!   The house is absolutely stunning with high vaulted ceilings, gorgeous large windows, open living room and kitchen, and large master suite. Very private setting but great access off of Loop 165. The land is cleared of cedar and offers some great live oaks. The home is made up of 3 bedrooms and 3 baths with an office and large upstairs bonus room…’.

 

This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I suggested to the realtor that we not put up a “For Sale” sign on the property. It never occurred to me that the realtor would post the listing on Facebook. Okay, so I’m stupid! Of course he would post it on Facebook. He has 2,000 friends on Facebook and one of them may have an interest in purchasing a piece of  property on the edge of Heaven.

 

So do I really want to sell? That’s the “$64,000 question” (I mean $900,000.00 question). Of course I do and of course I don’t. I told the General if anyone asks why we opted to put the house on the market, I’d respond: “We are going to stash the cash and save it for a rainy day. In all likelihood, one day the kids will figure out what to do with it.

 

Why not sell while the market is high? You tell me. I’ve lived long enough to see the housing market go up and down. Truthfully, I’ve sold more times in a “buyers market” than I’ve sold in a “seller’s market”.  Did I mention that I’ve never sold in a seller’s market?

 

Regardless of whether the house sales or not, I don’t have plans to distance myself from my close family-like connections with the kind folks in Henly. Henly will always be home even if I live elsewhere in the greater Dripping Springs neighborhood. I’m not looking for an exist-stage right. Truthfully, the General and I don’t really even need the extra money. We have a fixed income, but fortunately, it covers the basics with a host of extras left over. We are not in a financial bind.

 

Long story short, I’m the one who is excited about the prospects of a new house. I have a history of mostly staying in a place 9 months to 2 years and then I have an itch to do it all again. We’ve been in this home fifteen years. I don’t even know where to scratch to take care of the itch.

 

If you have an interest in seeing where we live, Google our address: “550 Loop 165, Dripping Springs, TX”. There are about ten realtors that have captured the MLS posting. The 39 pictures posted for viewing make the place look like a steal for $899,000.00. Consequently, it looks like the kind of place we’d want to buy if only we had $900,000.00 to purchase a home.

 

All My Best!

Don