After much debating and praying, I finally felt it was time to sell the house.
Last year I put it on the market. It felt like more than a sale, it felt like shedding, a fresh start. I got a few offers; one neighbor even matched an offer and was going to let me move out slowly. Everything seemed to be aligning.
Then the problem hit: I didn’t know where we were going. My daughter was starting kindergarten in a dual-language Spanish program, and I wanted to keep her in something similar. I picked a neighboring town, but then the deal on my house fell through. When I re-listed, the next offer was $100K lower.
It became too much. Decisions about where to live, when to move, and what made financial sense piled up. I’ve learned that when life feels like that, I need to pause, not panic. So I listened and waited.
Waiting didn’t help my financial situation. So I kept working, multiple jobs, to get out of debt. I’m proud to say I’m now 100% debt free not including real estate debt. For a while I wondered if staying and growing in this house could be the right move.
Starting over is hard. It’s easier to do nothing, to stay comfortable. But something shifted in me this year. The minute I stopped overplanning and let God lead, decisions became clearer. Even though the house is more affordable now, I’m ready for something different.
This is my chance to do things on my own terms. As emotional as selling my parents’ house is, and as much as it ties me to them and my childhood, God has shown me it’s time.
The hardest part is not knowing where we’ll land. This isn’t just about me, every choice affects my daughter: her school, stability, and environment. Letting go of this home feels like losing a piece of myself, and that’s been harder than I expected. Still, I trust what’s next will be better, even if I can’t see it yet.
Selling wasn’t something my parents prepared me for emotionally. They always focused on the financial legacy. After some of my posts about selling went viral, I received a lot of feedback, some surprising. But I know now we can’t make life decisions solely out of emotion. That’s what held me back before. My parents never intended for me to keep this house forever; in fact, my father wanted to sell years ago.
In a nutshell, here’s why I’m selling:
- The house is too big for just me and my daughter. I want to simplify and focus on what matters.
- Property taxes are high (largely because of the school district). Other areas have great schools with lower taxes.
- The house isn’t rentable. Local rents are lower than what the mortgage and upkeep require, and similar homes often get neglected.
- It’s an older house, which means constant repairs and upgrades.
- High utility and maintenance costs (windows, heating) can be as much as a mortgage payment for some people during winter.
Because my parents taught me the realities of upkeep, the bills didn’t surprise me. Still, at the end of the day, it’s just me and my daughter. I have support from family and friends, but I don’t want to ever be forced into decisions because I’m financially strapped. For years I felt that pressure; now that I see the light, I want to protect this stability.
As we enter the second quarter of the year, I’m preparing the house to sell. I honestly don't know how it will all work out. I'm just paying to stay on God's path.
