Counting Chickens

The other day I published a column in our local paper on the joy and thankfulness of finding a new home in a local condo. As we awaited the final hours of our home’s foreclosure, two gentlemen stepped forward and privately funded a mortgage to make our new home a possibility.  That home was nestled in a caring neighborhood central to many of our friends, church and community involvements. We had managed to remain where we loved and were loved.

But there is more to the story. And it is not a happy one!

On the eve of the real estate closing that would have conveyed ownership to us, the deal fell apart. Utterly and totally. Two impediments to a clear title were present.

Now it is my duty to report this disappointment and undo all of the heartfelt statements offered in my column from a week ago. I’m reminded of when I was a kid. Mom told me never to count my chickens before they hatched! And that is exactly what I did. I pictured us living in the new place before the reality was cemented in place.

The egg did not hatch and now we face the task of finding a new home all over again. At least now that task is simpler: no purchases on the horizon; just a simple apartment rental.

Complicating this transaction is another reality. When the one real estate deal fell through, we became aware that our current home was still running through the short sale process but the foreclosure had been completed.  All that was left was bank possession of the property. Our real estate attorney informed us our home was on the auction block the next day and the only way to preserve the homestead was to declare bankruptcy. That would provide a little more time with which to locate a new home and make the move.

So we did. Reluctantly. Declared bankruptcy. At 70 years of age. Not exactly what I had planned for but then neither had I planned a deep recession, turn of health and diminished earnings to coincide as they did. This was the last straw and hating it each inch of the way I declared bankruptcy.

We have a roof over our head for another month or two, then an apartment. Now to find one that fits our needs and our budget. There is still room for miracles!

I won’t count on that happening. Counting chickens, remember? This time I will let the chips fall where they may and deal with the facts as they are.

Meanwhile, thanks for all the blessings bestowed on us by family and friends during this ordeal. You have made this a meaningful time in our lives we are thankful to have received. May your Holidays be as filled with love and support as have ours already!

December 2, 2013