In article ,
RPC wrote:

Within days of my extended whine in this NG, we have a contract. Not full
price, but we're happy with it. Attorney/inspection still remain.

We dug up the St. Joseph my wife had buried in our yard, and broke it
into several pieces. This is probably what did it. Post hoc, ergo
propter hoc.

Many thanks for all the sympathy and advice. Indeed, as Mr. Gerasimatos
perceptively predicted, what happened was that after weeks of rejection
we finally found a buyer with our taste, who really loved the house and
all the natural woodwork. Earlier, an agent visiting the house had
described it as "brown", meaning, I think, that she would have liked it
better if the woodwork had been painted over. So it goes.


I guessed something like this or like the room sizes (below). I have an
older house (1929) and I love old houses. People who love old houses will
probably like my house. People used to living in modern houses with
vaulted ceilings and "family rooms" hate my house, I am sure. So when time
comes to sell, I am going to have to wait for a buyer who likes older
homes - especially since I am going out of my way to emphasize all the old
character of the house and not "modernizing" or "remuddling" it.


Also expectations for house size and room sizes have really changed over
the years. When we bought this house in 1990, we had elderly neighbors
who told us our house had been too expensive for them in the late 1940's,
so they brought up several hildren in a 2-bedroom house. Subsequently
there were a couple of owners who brought up several kids in our (3-
small-bedroom) house. We are a couple without children; we are selling
the house to a single woman, no children. No couples, with or without
children, wanted a house this size (1400sf).


3 bedroom/2 bath is the norm for a house now, but that was a big house
back then. I have a nice formal dining room that I use, but that a lot of
people would not. Yes, I eat dinner there about 50% of the time. Crazy,
huh? I also have a very small bedroom that is quite functional, but to
people used to 300 sf "walk-in" closets it would seem to be a closet. I
think it was designed as a parlor once upon a time. So, unless you have
terrible taste (which it seems not with the natural wood) then it's just
a matter of waiting for a person to come along who appreciates the same
things about the house that you do.


Dimitri