Day 9 - Second and Third Guessing
As negotiations continued, the waiting game transformed into the second guessing game. Deep down, we knew it would be highly unlikely to get this type of property in this price range, especially in such a seller’s market. But knowing what we knew about the land, the history of the property being on the market, and the necessary improvements and associated finances connected to those improvements, we knew we could play a little hardball. Our initial “lowball” offer had risen. Even though we were well off what the seller wanted, we had a number in our head we didn't think we were willing and able to exceed.
We second guessed if we could afford this residential upgrade. We second guessed if we wanted to walk away from neighbors and a neighborhood we loved and an almost completed mortgage. We second guessed if we wanted to distance our kids from the friends they had made and had virtually direct access to each and every night. We second guessed if we had the time and energy to do all the upgrades necessary for the house and the land. We second guessed if we even wanted to continue with the stresses connected to playing the negotiations game. We second guessed. And third guessed. And then second guessed our third guessed.
It took a great deal of contemplation and conversation before we realized that this dream might not become a reality. We discussed numerous possibilities with our realtor and had an email chain a mile long to prove it. He was very informative and walked us through every question we asked. Though our emotional rollercoaster had continued to bring us up and down, we became comfortable with the idea of staying put. Moving was not a need, so we were just not willing to extend ourselves beyond our means. We discussed sacrifices we would need to make. We discussed our budget and took a deep dive into how our future finances would be impacted. We had a number in our heads and each counteroffer creeped closer and closer to that. A number we decided we would not surpass.
Luckily, after one more email from our realtor, we wouldn't have to.
