T.V. Addiction

O.K. So we have been in a Hotel now for 3 days now. And I have to say it has it's down sides. But I have to say I am totally diggin the cable T.V.!! Al and I have never had cabel t.v. in our house because well, we would be total couch potatoes. There is simply too much cool T.V and not enough time. So in this Hotel I am trying to get my fill of H.G.T.V! I love watching the design shows. So here is a silly photo of the T.V. in our room, because really what are blog posts with out photos?


The girls are liking the 2 phones in the room because they can talk to eachother on the phones. They are finding all kinds of games to play and act out that they never had the chance to befor ejust with a phone. I love great imaginations!
We did have a bit of a glitch with the closing of the house. I guess that there is a new person working at the escrow office and he/she did not let the buyers know in time to send the paper work in for the loan. So we are now at the mercy of the postal system. When the paper work gets in to the escrow office we will be going in to sign on the sale! It should be today or tomorrow.
So when we have an update on the actual closing we will let you know!

Between Rain showers

So it is already the second day in May. So much to do and the time just slips by faster and faster everyday. Today I thought it would be fun to take the girls to a park that I drive by all the time and try to get some photos. But wouldn't you know it, it has been cold and rainy today. But thankfully between showers we just happened to be driving by this park. So I made a quick stop and was able to get a few shots before it looked to bad. Here is one of the ones that I got.
I like it. I don't think that the girls were all that happy about not being able to play that long. But I guess that a little time is better than none.
And a couple more from the play part of the stop!

Our Original Cross Country Travel Idea

Originally, Christy's Dad - David Miller...

Suggested that we take a family tour on speed bikes across the U.S.


Christy and I both liked the idea!



That is, until I saw that we might get run down before we even hit the freeway. And that just didn't appeal to me that much.


So we opted for the more humble travel approach in the previous post.

Our Mobile Home for the Next Couple Months...

OK, now you know - partly - why we're getting out of Oregon.
Now we want to show you our home for the next couple months.

The temporary mobile home - during the move.





If you're interested in the story of how we got the tent trailer - I'd love to tell you sometime. That's one of our best, most enjoyable purchases we've ever made.

God Bless,
Al

The next couple months, and 'The Move'...

The end of May we (the Speer family) are embarking on a relatively exciting adventure.

Every heard of Lewis & Clark?
Peanuts

How about Marco Polo?
Piece of Cake

Chrisopher Columbus?
Cinch

Actually, they were important! But to us... this feels a little bit like those 'big adventures'.

We have felt like something needed to change in our lives... Something big!
And I felt a pushing in my spirit to head east. I wasn't sure where. So I prayed about it, and we visited a couple places. Finally, I felt like (in my spirit) that God wanted us to head to Florida. So we all decided that was an okay thing to do. NOT great - mind you - but okay. I don't particularly love heat and featureless landscape, but we all think we can survive. Maybe even THRIVE, in a new environment.

Anyhow, it's kinda hard to explain, but it just feels like a synthesis of several things coming together leading us to Florida. Surely you've felt the desire, in your heart, to try something WILD from time to time? Maybe not moving to a new state, but...

- a new job
- a new relationship
- rekindling an old friendship
- visiting a new place
- saying something you would have never said before
- giving to something you would have never given before
- fill in your overwhelming, 'out of the ordinary' desire here - ______________.

That's how we feel.

And even if I'm wrong, I believe everything will work out for the good. God has taken good care of us so far, and I believe He will keep doing it, as long as I'm happy to give Him the credit for it.

All the best,
Al

Housing Slump is all a Marketing Scam...

OK, when we started the process of selling our house, the agent told us the average # of days for houses to be on the market.

The average had been higher for December, then lower in January, then lower again in February - which was something like 45 days.

45 days average on the market is a slump?
I thought that seemed pretty reasonable. A month and a half seems like a decent amount of time to sell a home.

+ PLUS - our neighborhood has notoriously good sales percentages.
(You tend to notice stuff like this after living in a place more than 5 years)

Basically, though, our buyers made their offer (and we accepted) about 35 days after putting the house on the market. Of course all the other finer details seemed to take longer than the whole viewing and buying process.

But 35 days doesn't seem long AT ALL!

Anyhow, my opinion is the whole housing slump is a marketing ploy.

Yes - Maybe some housing markets are slower.
Yes - Maybe expensive homes may take longer to sell. (I think starter homes are just fine)

But, overall, it's all marketing. Agents can get more buyers in the market by saying it's a buyers market. Plus, they can get sellers to come down more in their prices than normal, by making sellers think the market is a little soft.

All in all - Agents win!
Sellers still sell, but with lower expectations.
And buyers think they're gonna get a better deal.

My opinion - the market is normal. Don't listen to the B.S. If you have a normally priced starter home - you will sell it.

Al

Speer House update...

Well, we've had the house on the market for a little over a month now. We got an offer, and buyer. What remains, at this point, is to have the appraisal and the inspector go over the house and give it the last okay.

Closing is set to happen in about a month. We'll see! And let you know what's happening.

It's kinda been a whirlwind of emotions and activity. This is the only house Christy and I have owned. And it's the only house Kait and Kee have ever lived in. So it holds a LOT of love and emotions for all of us.

But...

You know when it's time to go. And it's definitely time. Even though we love this place, we also want out of it something fierce.

Thanks to our little pink house! You've been good to us.

Al