Last night was the last day that I would be a homeowner. Today I signed the papers to hand my house over to another. It is an emotional, bittersweet moment. I have not cried but I probably will. I wore makeup today and I am still out and about so it won’t be pretty to have mascara stained cheeks. Lol. Not exactly how I thought this journey would go. Honestly nothing in this journey has gone the way I thought it would. Lol.
I purchased my house at the age of 24 in November of 2001. First time moving out on my own. I had wanted to get an apartment and move out of my mom’s and stepdad’s house way before then. My ever persuasive mother said it didn’t make sense to pay someone else all that money and to not get anything in return. I hear you lady. So I stayed with them as I saved money and pretty much brought everything I needed for my home. I had all my furniture, a boatload of towels, paper towels, toilet paper, sheets and anything else you can think of. I had it all. But I was still not prepared for homeownership. It was so much more than I thought.
To be fair, I was forewarned by a few single homeowners of the unexpected expenses. Yeah, still had no clue until the first gas bill came. Lol. I don’t like being cold. I would put the heat on 80 – 85 degrees. It was winter time people! Well that first bill was $300+. Seriously caught me off guard 😂. Oh these are the type of bills my parents pay!?! On top of that cable. Who knew this shit cost this much? Smh. Water bill, electric, homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, damn the water heater went out. If you have not purchased a home, don’t be scared. It is definitely some benefits to being a homeowner.
One benefit is you can paint the house and the walls whatever color you want. My mom called my house the psychedelic shack. Every room was a different color. My bedroom was dark blue, second bedroom had red and white walls, my kitchen was green and orange and my living room and dining room was like a raspberry color. And after a couple of years I had the exterior painted coral. Everyone said it was pink. One day a guy rides down the street and hollers out the window “Pink house”. It’s coral dammit!
Another benefit is when you have a pet you don’t have to pay extra rent or a damn non-refundable security deposit. You just bring that fur baby in and enjoy. That is not to say that you won’t need to get special cleaners for your light gray carpet when your untrained shih-tzu uses the bathroom on it. And now you have to decide is this mutt worth it? My new house with new carpet vs this cute little puppy baby. I see why apartments have non-refundable deposits. Lol
Then there is the benefit of no one above you or below you. You have the house all to yourself. You can sing and dance as loud as you want. Play your music on volume level 10 or 100. Whatever makes you happy. No funky food smells in the hallway seeping under your apartment door. The only kids you have to hear are your own, if you have any. Room to grow your family without having to move to a bigger apartment. The lists goes on and on. I loved being a homeowner.
The truth is I thought I would get married. That I would share that space with someone. The responsibility divided in half. It didn’t happen. The responsibility always all mine. That shit gets draining. My house is 100 years old. There is no end to the type of shit that can go wrong. And it started to go wrong. Lol. Now do I fix it or sell it. Toledo will be in my rear view at the end of 2021. So I decided to sell. One day I had a chance conversation with just the right person and here I am today, homeless.
These past 19 years with the lovely coral house on Park St. have been great, frustrating and the experience of a lifetime. I thank God for the blessing of being a homeowner, for giving me the ability to pay my house off, for sustaining me when it got hard and for sending the right person at the right time. Cheers to the end of an Era. Be well and whole. Much love 🧡 💚
P.S. I went out to eat at Olive Garden after I signed the closing papers. This is where I typed this post. An amazing couple covered my bill for me. I was already emotional. I just wanted to bawl my eyes out. I didn’t but it was hard not to. What a way to end the day.