Well, this is it, no turning back now – less than 24 hours and I’ll be a moving fiend! The “no turning back” really sums up this whole experience – deciding to take our chances with doing a short sale.

It’s unchartered territory for me, to say the least, and has been nerve-wracking, moment by moment, step-by-step, wondering if it’s going to be approved by the mortgage companies, with no real guarantee that it WILL get approved. And from there, the consequences would get worse and worse, and likely end up in foreclosure, something I wanted to avoid at all costs. It was a really difficult decision for me, and I knew I had to listen to my heart and my mind and do what is right for ME, not because it’s the “right” thing to do, or because Pete wanted to do the short sale, or anything like that. It had to be right for ME. And even though it was a decision that I don’t think many could or WOULD do (many – even some of my family and friends – would likely try and hold on to it and hope for a turnaround in the market.

This was something I didn’t see outweighing the negatives of my current situation – being VERY short on being able to pay the mortgage on my own, the amount of upkeep in a house for one person being quite a lot, more than I want right now, not being able to refinance to lower the payments, and likely, going into further debt just trying to keep up – vs. selling the house at a loss, taking the ding on my credit, and moving on. Sure, the market may improve, but even if it did, so, I MAYBE break even in another 5 years? So, I’ve lived in a house for 10 years and just broke even on what I paid back then? No thanks.)

Has it been scary? Hell yes. Has it been long, stressful, and unchartered territory? Double hell yes! But has it been worth it in the end? By far, yes. Why? Because the mortgage companies DID approve the short sale, with our being required to pay a somewhat nominal amount at closing, because I DID find a place of my own, available at the right time, and at the right price. I took a chance, trusted myself, trusted God, and went for it, and I’m happy to say that – now, on the point of no return – I’m really proud of myself for sticking to it, despite the fears and concerns from family (and my own nagging worry!).

So, I’m ready to sail away to the next chapter of life, confident I can make my own decisions, and ready for the next…check out the lyrics and video below from the latest song I’m digging – “Sailing” by Avant  (thanks to boy #7 for suggesting it) it’s peaceful, it’s soothing, and it’s exactly where my mindset is right now.