I AM A REALTORS WORST NIGHTMARE!

I was standing in my closet deciding what shoes to wear. That's how this post began. We had remodeled our master suite several years ago and in the process gained a walk-in closet. I was marveling at how much I still enjoyed that privilege. From there the thought process went to how silly it is that my husband and I don't downsize. We raised 3 children in our home. It started at 1800 square feet when we were married and by the time we became empty-nesters 30 years later, our home had grown to over 3000 square feet...a pretty silly size for just 2 people. For more reasons that I can count, we should downsize. The upstairs is only used because the laundry room and the cockatiel are up there. The living room has gone the way of all living rooms...a place that stays remarkably clean do to lack of use. We really only use 4 rooms...the kitchen, family room, bedroom and bathroom. So, why in the world, with all of the homes I see on a daily basis, do we stay? We stay because it is home. It is where we grew together and our children grew up. My dad built the cover for our patio. I made the stained glass window in the bathroom. My husband and I built the shutters on the outside of our home. We have had the same neighbors for over 20 years. We started out being the youngest people on our block to being the oldest people on our block! It is home. I had a client call me the other day. Her home isn't worth what they paid for it. She was wondering if she should do a short sale. It wasn't that they couldn't afford the payments. They just thought maybe they were putting good money after bad. What should they do? I asked one simple question, "Are you considering selling because you can't afford it?" She said no, but why should she continue to make payments on a house that has not held its value? I had a very simple answer. "Because it is your home."