Hallelujah! The real estate angels rejoice

Posted on May 11, 2012 by minndixiemom

It was just yesterday, Thursday, that I whined about enduring another day with our humble south Huntsville home on the market. It had been a long 52 days. Days that wore down my patience and threatened my serenity (but significantly improved our family’s housekeeping skills!).

Day 52 on the market nets an offer for MinnDixie Mom and her family.

Turns out it was also the day we would wind up with an offer on our house.

Hallelujah! Thank you, God.

Earlier this week, a report released by CoreLogic showed that, overall, home prices were rising across the country, but not in Alabama, which was among the five worst states when it came to depreciation.

Not quite two weeks ago, we dropped our price by almost 3 percent, a move recommended by our agent, John Morley. Two showings and one offer later, I would say his suggestion was right on the money.

Of course, an offer doesn’t mean we are in the clear. There is an inspection to pass and we still need to find the perfect home for us to move into – a home that will accommodate not only my husband, our two girls and me, but also my mother whose limited mobility requires some special features.

But we will take the future one day at a time, just as we took (or tried to take) each of the past 52 days.

If you are going through the same thing, I would like to suggest the power of positive thinking. (The book, The Secret, is a great place to start.) Three weeks ago, I printed out a picture of my house, along with an image of a sold sign. I tacked that sold sign over my home and stuck it up in my cubicle where I could see it every day.

Visualize. Believe.

And clean like crazy!

Posted in Family | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Real estate restlessness as home prices drop

Posted on May 10, 2012 by minndixiemom

We are at day 52 of our real estate “adventure.” Some days are better than others, but I have concluded that I was ridiculously delusional when I thought, despite the odds, that our house might sell within the first week.

Tacking a “sold” sign over an image of my house just might help create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The latest industry news isn’t brimming with promise. CoreLogic released its March Home Price Index Tuesday, showing that Huntsville home prices declined by 8.7 percent in March compared to a year ago.

We have already reduced our original selling price by about 3 percent.

So what has it been like having a house on the market for 52 days in a crummy real estate climate? Well, for starters, it has meant:

  • 52 days of tireless tidying before going to school and work.
  • 52 days of improving our housekeeping habits.
  • 52 days of instructing the girls to make their beds.
  • 52 days of staring at a picture of my house with a “sold” sign tacked to it (think The Secret).
  • 52 days of praying for patience.
  • 52 days turning the situation over to God.
  • 52 days of trying to take it back.
  • 52 days of hoping that there will be a showing (we have had 10).
  • 52 days of positive thinking, imagining the “perfect family” walking in and the children running upstairs to pick out their rooms.
  • 52 nights of acceptance that our house will be on the market for at least another day…

I remember to be grateful for another day, though. Without it, there wouldn’t be another chance for the right family to find our home.

Fifty-two days is nothing, you say? Granted, everything is relative. Feel free to share your real estate experiences and any tricks you might have to make the process more bearable.

In the meantime, my chin is up (who cares if I have to physically hold it there?) and today might just be the day. If not, there is always lucky #53!

Posted in Family | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Embracing life’s lemons: therapy through citrus

Posted on May 4, 2012 by minndixiemom

When life gives you lemons, why stop with lemonade? After all, the zesty fruit can be the key to hundreds of decadent desserts. Just ask my friend, Ann Marie Lang.

Ann Marie was going through a trying time when she discovered a used edition of  “Luscious Lemon Desserts” by Lori Longbotham. Purchased for $2 at the Friends of the Library bookstore, it has been the greatest investment of her culinary life.

When Ann Marie completed her college degree earlier this year, graduating cum laude from Athens State University, she was 53. She finally achieved her academic goals and was seeking a new career. But the job market sucked.

Lemons. Life, during this exciting time, gave Ann Marie lemons. An optimist at heart, she thought about making lemonade. But when she stumbled upon Longbotham’s cookbook, she preheated the oven and never looked back.

Ann Marie has since made many trips to Costco, spending a small fortune on this beautiful, zesty produce, butter, flour, eggs, sugar and cream. Real cream.

Her first venture was triple lemon cheesecake. She moved on to Philadelphia-style lemon ice cream, chocolate lemon sorbet, lemon tart, lemon coriander cake, lemon-chocolate ganache and the list goes on.

“It kept me busy so I wasn’t thinking about how the job situation would work out,” Ann Marie said. “And it felt good to share the treats with friends, who were very appreciative.”

Grateful and borderline greedy. I even sent her a recipe for lemon souffle that I found online.

“Souffles are hard,” she replied. “Hmmm.”

I knew immediately I had presented the lemon aficionado with another challenge from which she would not back down.

Ann Marie will eventually find the perfect job. In the meantime, she will spend much of her spare time in the kitchen, finding satisfaction in every lemon squeezed and transformed into an indulgent creation.

Me? I will be cheering her on, and patiently waiting for my next sample.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

From shoddy to shipshape: A Huntsville mom comes clean

Posted on April 24, 2012 by minndixiemom

Not long ago, I needed a week to prepare for company. If you just dropped by, you wouldn’t get in the front door. I had a dirty little secret: I was a rotten housekeeper.

Some might blame the undiagnosed ADHD; it was tough staying on task long enough to finish the job. Others would give me a break; after all, I worked full-time while raising two highly energetic young girls. I personally tended to blame my childhood; as the youngest of three, everyone else picked up after me.

We have two young girls, Serina and Sophia. I worried about the examples my husband, David, and I were setting for them. David was the youngest child too. As an adult, his clothes still wound up short of the hamper, scattered on the floor, and I had a heck of a time managing paperwork and simply shuffled bills, students forms, etc. from pile to pile.

So what happened nearly 16 years into our marriage to completely transform us? Real estate!

We put our house on the market in March and magically became quite the homemakers. Everything looks great and smells clean. A sense of urgency moved into our home and we love her.

The kitchen gets cleaned right after dinner. No more waiting until “later.” My bills go directly from mail box to filing cabinet. Junk mail gets tossed. Recycling goes out pronto. I once heard a great organizational acronym: T.O.T. Touch one time. Don’t just pick something up and move it so you will have to put it away later. If you already have it in your hands, put it in its place.

David, a former college basketball player, has improved his housekeeping game as well. For starters, he scores by shooting his clothes into the hamper.

My daily routine has undergone a major overhaul. Every morning, I sweep and wipe down the bathroom vanities and kitchen counters before dropping the girls off at school and heading into work. Both girls are still fed and dressed, although we occasionally brush our hair in the car. (Still striving for progress, not perfection.)

So yes, it is frustrating to have your house on the market, especially in these uncertain times, but I have maintained the “glass is half-full” mentality and this is my silver lining. Now to hold on to the same housekeeping habits when we move into our new house!

Then, my friends, you are most welcome to drop in. Anytime.

Posted in Family, Southern living, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Trigger-happy mom races into trouble

Posted on April 21, 2012 by minndixiemom

I really need to watch my trigger finger. The one that so quickly registered me for the Women’s Half Marathon in Nashville two weeks ago. It was an impulse that struck after working the HudsonAlpha Double Helix Dash 5K Twilight Run.

I got caught up in the runner’s rush during the Dash. I recognized many of the runners from my previous, though brief, stint on the runner’s circuit and missed being a part of the action.

My short-lived running career nosedived last fall after my first half marathon, the Huntsville 1/2. With no proper training, I ran the first 8 miles and barely made it through the final 5. My body crumbled and my spirits sank. I was broken.

At least this go-around, I pulled the trigger well in advance. The Nashville race isn’t until September, giving me plenty of time to follow a friend’s advice (thank Lori Gierloff!) and complete Hal Higdon’s “Twelve Weeks to a 13.1 Mile Race.”

If only I had that foresight when I signed up for the Huntsville 1/2. I had read about Greta Waitz in Runners World and was immediately inspired. Then I pulled the trigger, registering for a half-marathon just days before the event. I was completely unprepared, mentally and physically.

When I first read about Greta, I figured, ‘I am a runner. I had been running 6 miles all summer. If I could do 6, surely I could handle 13.1.’

Hah!

After the Huntsville 1/2, someone posted a picture of me from the run on Facebook. I begged them to take it down. “I look old, tired and ugly. Really ugly.”

The person kindly removed the photo, but said, “Karen, that was only taken at mile two.”

That tells me I was stressed beyond belief from the very start. I had every reason to worry!

On September 22, 2012, when I tackle my second half marathon, I vow to be fully trained. I therefore expect to feel much better before, during and after the Lady Speedstick Women’s Half Marathon in Music City.

And dear God, please, help me to take a better picture!

Posted in Fitness, Running | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Wrestling with real estate takes a toll on mom

Posted on April 17, 2012 by minndixiemom

My house has been on the market for just over three weeks. It is a nice house. Nothing fancy, but it is our home, filled with lots of love and laughter (not to mention beautiful silestone countertops!). We don’t have anything against the two-story, four-bedroom house, but it simply won’t accommodate our growing family.

When for sale feels like FORever.No, no! No baby on the way. Our girls, Serina and Sophia, are more than enough, thank you. Rather, my 78-year-old mother is headed to Huntsville from Minneapolis. She wants to be closer to her young grandchildren and, considering she is their last surviving grandparent, we want her closer too. Mormor (Norwegian for mother’s mother) will be a delight to have around, with her strong accent, unconditional love and eternally optimistic outlook.

Mormor’s mobility is limited, though, and she needs a full master suite on the main level. Since we want our own master, as well, preferably with some distance between the two, we have very specific requirements for the home we are seeking for our next “season.” We think we have found the perfect one, but we cannot buy until we sell.

Real estate experts say the market is improving, with a 21 percent increase in home sales in Madison County from February 2012 to March, but the situation looks dismal when you are the one with the for sale sign in your front yard. Three weeks and six showings into the process, patience starts to thin and spirits start to crumble.

While one potential buyer expressed interest, five others cited reasons why they wouldn’t buy our home. Kind of kicks the ego a bit, even though the rational mind tells you it shouldn’t. Of course, I do believe there is one family God will guide to our home. A family who can fill these rooms with as much love and laughter as we have. But I can’t control when they will show up or when they will make an offer.

And that is driving me nuts.

Every now and then, I hand the burden back to God, reminding myself that it isn’t mine to carry. It is during those times that I’m relieved of the stress associated with this uncertain real estate market.

Now to simply let go, for extended periods of time, and trust that the right family will find this house, and that within the next couple of months, we will be free to find ours.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A family divided: Putting the pieces together trip by trip

Posted on April 1, 2012 by minndixiemom

Our family is divided.

My mom, Sigrun Hovland, is in the Twin Cities area where she and my father, Gjert, raised my brother, Larry, my sister, Heidi, and me.

The cousins in Orlando

Serina, second from left, and Sophia, far right, with cousins Riordan and Lena during spring break in Orlando.

My brother and his wife, empty nesters, live in the northern Metro.

My sister fled to the Big Apple shortly after college graduation. She and her husband are raising their son and daughter in Maplewood, a quaint NJ suburb a quick train ride away from New York City.

I wound up in the South, hence the MinnDixie theme. My husband, David, and I made our home in Huntsville, AL. (Granted, we had a slight northern relapse, moving back to Minneapolis in April 2008 only to return a year-and-a-half later when we came to our senses.)

Other than one sister who lives “up North,” my husband’s family is mostly in the Twin Cities. The last time our girls, Serina and Sophia, saw most of their cousins was Christmas 2010.

Serina, far right, with cousins Lena and Riordan at SeaWorld.

Serina, far right, with cousins Lena and Riordan at SeaWorld.

This week, we have enjoyed fitting the Alabama, New Jersey and Minnesota pieces together during a spring break in Orlando. Serina, 6, and Sophia, 4, have picked up with Lena, 9, and Riordan, 5, as if no time had passed, when in fact more than 15 months have whizzed by since we were together last. Mom is here, too.

My sister and I have always been very close, so it is nice to see our children connecting so beautifully. I believe the same deep-seeded relationships hold true for our girls and their other cousins.

Cousins 2011

Sophia, left, and Serina, center, with cousin, Leah, at Ruby Falls in summer 2011

Though not geographically near, David and I are emotionally bound to our siblings and their spouses. Their children, I believe, are inherently connected to ours.

It’s no different from what Larry, Heidi and I experienced growing up. With parents who emigrated to the U.S. from Norway, our cousins, aunts and uncles were all over in the “old country,” but our parents made it work. We will, too.

During this vacation, we have done a phenomenal job of capturing great memories, as well as some pretty darn good photos, of Serina and Sophia with this set of cousins.

Sophia with Uncle Larry, spring 2009

Sophia with Uncle Larry in Minneapolis, 2009.

Cousin Claire, left, with Serina in Glenwood, MN, winter 2008.

Cousin Claire, left, with Serina in Glenwood, MN, winter 2008.

And I must always remember that family cannot be severed by distance; only divided. And that only holds true until the next trip, when love and affection multiply.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

During spring break, I not only re-booted my blog, I took my girls to SeaWorld. Above, they pause to pose on our way to see Shamu.

Thanks to everyone who helped me come up with a name for my blog. Minne-Bama Mama wasn’t working because I kept expecting Bama and mama to rhyme and, well, you can’t force the English language.

Following some solid Facebook brainstorming, MinnDixie Mom was born. My objective is the same, however: To share my experiences as a full-time working mother of two who is trying to raise her daughters the best way she can, unafraid to get a little help from her husband, her family, her friends and neighbors. In short, from the village.

While I am not naturally funny like some of my friends (Allison Gregg, Kelly George, Heather McKinley), thanks to my funny children, my blogs will hopefully contain humorous insight.

All unsolicited advice, though occasionally met with a bristle, will be thoughtfully and gratefully considered before being:

  1. Implemented
  2. Revised, then implemented or
  3. Discreetly discarded

No matter what, I know it takes a village to raise our children. Heck, it took a small Facebook community to just create a name for my blog!

How wonderful to watch your children play creatively and physically, exercising their bodies AND their minds!

This was a perfect time to breathe new life into a blog that enjoyed just one post in the social media spotlight. My family and I are on our first official spring break in Orlando, where we discovered Shamu earlier this week. Our girls, Serina (6) and Sophia (4), are currently splashing in the condo pool. They are playing “spelling bee,” a game they created, kind of, after watching the sweet movie, Akeela and the Bee. (Ironically, the youngest is giving the oldest the spelling words – many of them quite difficult! She looooves to say, “That is correct.”)

These are the moments you think you are doing great as a mother. Your kids are being, simultaneously, physically active and creative. Their mother is currently doing the latter, but plans on doing the former as soon as her bed-rock husband wakes up to take over parenting duties.

Enjoy your day. Enjoy your world. And thank you for being a part of my village. I hope to be a part of yours.

Posted on March 29, 2012 by minndixiemom | 2 Comments