I'm living in a fish bowl!

I feel like I'm living in a fish bowl. Except I'm like a bottom dweller that constantly cleans up his surroundings to keep his environment clean (and well fill his belly but that part isn't me okay?).

What do I do most days? Clean. Honestly...I clean! I never considered myself OCD (I don't even really understand that term b/c people misuse it so much) but I think I might fit the bill now.

Having your house on the market is no easy task. They all warned me. I smiled back at everyone and shook my head that yes I was ready for the adventure. I was ready to clean, to move out almost all of my personal possessions, to live out of my garage (where all my stuff seems to have gone), to be ready at any hour to show my house. But right when I thought I was going to have a nervous cleaning breakdown (and my hands look horrible you guys --- so dry and cracked --- I really think I need a manicure!) a shark is circling.

Literally...we have watched them drive by a few times scoping us out. So, I do honestly feel like I'm in a fish bowl!

They looked Saturday (that was a crazy call...I don't recommend leaving one's cell phone at home while running around with the family on a Saturday morning). When they finally got us through Nate's cell phone we raced home and cleaned like crazy and sped out of the house. They took the bite. (Now I realize I have turned into the fishermen here so just go with me okay?)

They wanted to look again. It was between us and two other houses.

Round two. I was ready for this. It was like being in a call back of a beauty contest (come on now I'm from the South and almost everyone in my town was in at least one pageant...well I admit I was in more then one). But that excitement you feel when the MC calls out your name from the sweaty girl's locker room while you stand in your sequin mermaid skin tight dress with marshmallow taffeta sleeves bunched around your hot rolled bouffant hair (I sound beautiful don't I?).

They wanted a second look. I scrubbed. I made all the faucets shine. I even made the wood furniture reflect my image as I walked by. The windows sparkled. The house was ready for the judges last look. This was it. They would either love it or move on to the next contestant.

My neighbor spied out her window and called me giving me updates. They had stayed almost thirty minutes. I had thought to ask her (my neighbor) if she would stand outside with fresh baked cookies and happen to offer them one as she walking to the neighbors with her son to sing Christmas carols but I didn't think she would like me too much after that request.

And then last night I got the response e-mail. They love the house! But now the game begins...they say it is overpriced...so this is where my Realtor will show off her talent I guess and I will stay out of the way and pray! (of course I don't think it is overpriced but we did put a little cushion in there...a cushion I would rather stay but you know I tend to be partial to my beautiful brown living room and sour apple kitchen!)

But then there is the flip side to this whole business. We must find a house. I looked at three houses for the first time today. I was so thoroughly disappointed that I wanted to cry all the way home.

What's up with people not 'staging' their houses like I was told I had to do. What's up with people NOT CLEANING their houses if they want to sell it. What's up with people having BRASS LIGHTS when I was told I would HAVE to replace mine with updated fixtures if I wanted to sell! What's up with people having carpet so old and stained I wouldn't let a dog sleep on it!

And they are asking so much money for their houses!!!!!

I thought this was a freaking buyer's market!!!!!!!

Now that I got that out...sorry, I am just having my eyes opened to the realty of the housing market right now and the fact that not everyone does what their realtor tells them to do in order to sell their house! But I am truly trying to exercise patience and trust that the perfect house (even if it has big stains on the floor) will come along and hit me in the forehead and I will just know that my family will love it (once we buy new flooring and paint)!

Until then...I'm back to cleaning (got another viewer tomorrow) and back to searching zillow.com!