Remember that bid, the real low bid on our house? Of course you do! It's the only bid we've had.

Apparently, according to our realtors, it's still alive.....sort of like a Frankenstein Monster. I say that because there is no way that this is going to be a good deal. I suspect, if we could make it, it wouldn't be an easy deal. In fact, I'd expect it to be fraught with all kinds of controversy, blood, sweat, and ear wax, the way any deal goes whenever the whole thing is a big stretch for both parties. Way not fun.

But, we can't afford to let anything go without a fight, or, at least a serious work out. Our realtors initially heard that the prospective buyer's bank wouldn't let them go up to the amount that we counter offered. So Susan asked if they would go up to the amount that their bank said they would lend them ( my realtors had a copy of the pre-approval letter in their hand) and, if so, if they did or did not need help with closing costs at that figure. The buyer's realtor called back and left a message about a completely unrelated figure, which no one had mentioned.

"I'm thinking that this realtor might be kind of new." Susan said, diplomatically.

I'm thinking that she returned a phone call to the wrong office or forgot which house she was talking about - none of which really bodes well for any future dealings with this person. Anyway, Susan is trying valiantly to track it down and nail down what the heck these people are saying, even as we get ready for (yet another) open house on Sunday. Maybe I'll make brownies. If nothing else, we'll get to eat the brownies.

"We have to take such teasing from the mortgage broker every time we go in there." Susan said, "They're like 'why can't you sell that house? what's wrong with it?' And I keep saying, 'there's nothing wrong with it and we've almost sold it 3 times!' and they say 'maybe it's haunted' "

I said, "I think it would be easier to sell if it was haunted. At least there'd be that element of challenge to it. How can I start a rumor?"

Sigh.

I looked out in the old garden. Every single herb that I planted last year came back this year. I now have a huge horehound plant out there: it's practically a bush! Oregano, sage, savoy, and rosemary are all back and better than ever. I'm thinking of transplanting them up to the new house.

I was able to repair the pond filter, which, inexplicably, came apart. Maybe there was a frog fight or something. One piece sank, but, I got lucky. It only fell onto the water lily and I was able to fish it out with the net and put the whole thing back together. The Hub has the yard looking great, and, as long as Cyrano the Robin doesn't knock over the downspout during one of his frequent baths in the gutter of the carport, the place is in good repair.

We did have a showing of it this morning, at about 11:30. But the people seemed not to like it at all. This, to me, is actually, easier to take than the chorus of "oh, how nice! oh, this shows well! Oh, it's so hard to chose between this one and the other one - they each have such good points". That house is not going to be to everybody's taste. If you don't like an older home, it's not gonna be for you. But I had the feeling, as they were leaving, that it was more disappointment that their money won't buy them what they really want than any strong dislike of the house itself.

Interest rates are only going to go up people! The time to buy is now!

Oh, God, I sound like a used car sales person....which I might have to be soon, in addition to my regular job, if we don't sell the house this month!!!