ON HOLD

Everything surrounding our move is on hold right now. Our house is still on the market, but we've stopped going forward with the loan paperwork, the moving company and our search for homes in Seattle. We got the final figures back for our appraised market value and it's not good. We bought this house in April of '06. If anyone knows what the market was like here back then, you are probably shuddering in your seat. If we sell right now, we stand to lose $200,000 right out of our pocket. Now Tom's company has offered to make up a SMALL portion of that but even if we were bazillionaires, it's still a heck of a lot of money to throw away. And that's how I visualize it. I see a Deal or No Deal case filled with $200,000 and someone comes over with a weed whacker chopping all that money to bits. We just can't take this much of a loss. Of course we knew that we were going to be underwater but we were not prepared for this. Am I happy about this?? I'm drained. This has been one hell of a roller coaster for 2 MONTHS and I really just wish that we could make a final decision and stick with it without all these other obstacles coming into play. This is just one of many in the last few weeks that has come up but this was the final straw. We've explored the option of renting and keeping this house until the market turns around but that may take 3-5 years and we'd prefer not to have a house in S. Cal for that long if we're not going to be living it. Too much liability. And I really don't foresee Tom and I happy as clams with Wrigley and Chumley in an apartment setting in Seattle for several years. I've played out that scenario in my head enough to know that it is going to end in disaster. We've talked about Tom commuting, working a few days a week in Seattle and the rest from home but couple that with his already booked travel schedule and we'll never see each other. That's not the kind of marriage we want to have. But I am a firm believer that all this stress, turmoil, upset stomach will be worth it in the end no matter what the outcome is. Some alternative options have already arisen, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. This waiting and seeing is what gets emotionally draining and exhausting but that's where we are right now.

We're off to go on a boat with friends. Cocktails here we come!!!