Well, here goes. The start to our trek North to Maine, our new home-state. (Portland: living in, price) - (ME) - Page 19 - City-Data Forum

WhoFanMe · 03-01-2020, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuffler

Under contract is, of course, the correct term. But , after a year and a half of being on the market it feels really good. Closing date is set for the 31st. We're ordering up our PODS and moving materials this week and getting ready to close up shop. More to come as we move forward.

Wishing you the best.

Cuffler · 03-16-2020, 07:45 AM

PODS Delivered! Woohoo. We can finally begin packing. They'll be picked up on the 30th. We'll take care of some of the bulky stuff but we're hiring moving fellas to do the bulk of the packing of boxes we pack in the house. There's really not that much so 2 weeks should provide plenty of time.

Can't wait to begin hunting for a new homestead up North! It'll be a few months before we can get up there because of my wife's mother's hospice situation but that won't stop me from heading up and house shopping. Hopefully all this virus stuff won't preclude us from doing that. Who knows! More to come.

Cuffler · 03-26-2020, 07:14 AM

Well, another chapter in our ultimate move occured last night when Mom died peacefully in her own bed at home at age 90. We all were there during the day and my wife, her daughter, was with her at the end.

So, her home will now become our home for the next few months as we begin our search North. Of course all of this timeline will be mitigated by this virus issue. Everything happens for a reason. We'll update here as we see all of our belongings hauled off in PODS for the coming months and we take whats left to Mom's house and set up temporary digs. SOMEDAY! Someday we'll be up North looking. Fingers crossed that it's sooner than later. i'm happy to be able to share some of this saga with you all. More to come!

WhoFanMe · 03-26-2020, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuffler

Well, another chapter in our ultimate move occured last night when Mom died peacefully in her own bed at home at age 90. We all were there during the day and my wife, her daughter, was with her at the end.

So, her home will now become our home for the next few months as we begin our search North. Of course all of this timeline will be mitigated by this virus issue. Everything happens for a reason. We'll update here as we see all of our belongings hauled off in PODS for the coming months and we take whats left to Mom's house and set up temporary digs. SOMEDAY! Someday we'll be up North looking. Fingers crossed that it's sooner than later. i'm happy to be able to share some of this saga with you all. More to come!

Although you expected it, it's always hard. My condolences to you and your family.

Cuffler · 03-26-2020, 05:34 PM

Thanks. My mother-in-law retired as a Lieutenant in our local town police department and served 25 years. She was the 1st woman police officer in town. My mom retired from the ATF and she and my mother in law were good friends. They should be since I married the daughter! In any event we had to be VERY GOOD growing up back then. We'll have a great service for her later in the year when this virus thing goes by complete with honor guard from the department as well as the DAR. PACKING DAY tomorrow!

Cuffler · 04-01-2020, 06:05 PM

We are finally.......finally done moving. Tomorrow we go back only to collect the trash barrels and put them in the garage after the town has emptied them. We are literally and physically exhausted. It's been a full week since Mom died and we have not had one hour to really sit and think about it. She died, the mortuary came at 1130pm and picked her up and that's that. We had to get our house cleaned out. There was no service or any recognition due to this virus issue (which is understandable, of course) but it's really not fair to my wife who has yet to grieve for the loss. I'm sure this is the case many times over in this country as others have lost loved ones, maybe to the virus, and haven't been able to grieve or celebrate the lives of those lost. This is a peculier time to be sure.

But it's one step closer to us finally becoming residents and tax payers to Maine. ONe of the only things keeping our spirits up is knowing this will happen. Our two PODS are gone with everything we own in them and all we have now is our clothes on our backs and my tools which I decided I'd keep handy. Even so, it's going to be impossible to go up to Maine and look at properties with this virus situation keeping us hunkered down. My Mom's house, here, needs to be emptied but finding people to do it and then trying to sell it in this market will be extremely difficult.

Well, we're not whining. A LOT of people have it a LOT worse than we can imagine. The closing is imminent and all we're waiting for is a last bit of paperwork from the buyer's bank. It's coming, we confirmed. When we close we can wait the four or five months needed to clear this virus and get an active buyer's market going again.

Hope you are all safe and sound!

Roman, from Connecticut

phoebesmom · 04-07-2020, 09:34 AM

My condolences on the loss of your mom. So hard!

Keep us posted on when you travel to Maine. We are supposedly moving there but now can't even get out to visit; very frustrating and difficult. My mom is in nursing home in Maine, and under lock down, cannot visit even.

Cuffler · 04-30-2020, 08:41 AM

We close today!! The papers are signed and checks cut. IT's been a very long road we've traveled since the Fall of 2018 just to sell this one house. I would not want to do this again.

We are all moved out. We've been in Mom's house for a few weeks, now. She died a month ago but we still have not even begun to plan a service due to the virus. We're going to wait until the Fall when this all abates and we can have a proper church service she deserves with honors.

We'll begin cleaning this house in earnest on Monday when the dumpster arrives. We can not make any donations any longer because everything is closed. We did our best with all the clothing but now that's all shut down. Furniture, too, is not being accepted anywhere. So, the dumpster is the best we can do for ourselves to get this house pretty empty. What then?

Then we'll have our realtors in here. I know this house will sell fast and for pretty good money. In the meantime, however, we can't just go up in Maine and stay at hotels looking at properties. Not with this virus stuff going on. A lot of the listings have notes saying they won't entertain viewings until the virus is over. I can understand but it's really putting a lot of pressure on buyers like us. Oh well, well see what happens. I'll keep you posted. One by one, however, roadblocks are being removed for our final push North!

WhoFanMe · 04-30-2020, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuffler

We close today!! The papers are signed and checks cut. IT's been a very long road we've traveled since the Fall of 2018 just to sell this one house. I would not want to do this again.

We are all moved out. We've been in Mom's house for a few weeks, now. She died a month ago but we still have not even begun to plan a service due to the virus. We're going to wait until the Fall when this all abates and we can have a proper church service she deserves with honors.

We'll begin cleaning this house in earnest on Monday when the dumpster arrives. We can not make any donations any longer because everything is closed. We did our best with all the clothing but now that's all shut down. Furniture, too, is not being accepted anywhere. So, the dumpster is the best we can do for ourselves to get this house pretty empty. What then?

Then we'll have our realtors in here. I know this house will sell fast and for pretty good money. In the meantime, however, we can't just go up in Maine and stay at hotels looking at properties. Not with this virus stuff going on. A lot of the listings have notes saying they won't entertain viewings until the virus is over. I can understand but it's really putting a lot of pressure on buyers like us. Oh well, well see what happens. I'll keep you posted. One by one, however, roadblocks are being removed for our final push North!

Congratulations to you on the closing. Yes, showing homes is very difficult, there are published guidelines from the state, which your agent can share with you. More agents, buyers and sellers are adjusting to video and virtual showings (and inspections and appraisals). In Greater Portland, an already tight market has gotten tighter, there are still plenty of buyers fighting for very few homes, interest rates are low and prices are holding or increasing - for now.

Cuffler · 05-04-2020, 07:50 AM

My wife and I can't believe that this virus has closed Maine so tightly this late into the game. I've located a couple of homes that really intrigue me but damned if I can get up there to see them. It's one thing to make arrangements to visit the houses with masks and gloves and self-distancing. It's another entirely to find a place to stay when we get up there or even grab a quick meal! This is really amazingly intolerable. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a real estate agent up there trying to make a living or a homeowner who, after all those tough decisions, has decided to sell their home only to encounter this entire market shutdown. It's really amazing. We are tent campers but if we had a small, self contained trailer we'd use it as our base of operations for meals and toilets while visiting homes.

We know the state will be opening up some businesses soon and we'll monitor the situation as it develops. Can nothing go right with this whole endeavor???