Golden Spike Farm's Plog

Sunday, February the 14th, started like any other day where I have a showing over the weekend. I woke up fed the horses then started cleaning the house and preparing for the showing.  I was so busy I worked through breakfast.  I am terrible at cleaning,  I end up doing 5 things at once and take an hour to get back to the dusting where I started.

My realtor texts me saying she  has goodies for me and asking if I be there if she shows up a little bit early.   Until that point I didn’t even know she was the showing agent.  Around 11:45 she arrives with the St Joseph statue. It is a tradition in the real estate market to bury him upside down in your yard to help you sell you home.  You can read more about it here.

My Goodies… the chocolate sauce is made by her family.

The showing arrives as noon, just prior to that I offer to leave the farm as is traditional for the owner not to be there but she says stay, thinking they may have questions for me.  After introductions we sit down at the kitchen counter for about an hour talking about the farm, the horse boarding business, the expenses and income of running the farm.  During this time we learn more about each other.  I am selling the farm to move to California and be closer to my family.  They are a married couple looking to move out of suburban life and follow her dream of owning and running a horse farm.  (Sound familiar?)   I learned that they scoured this website to learn about the farm. They even read about Bilbo and Frodo and said they wanted donkeys and goats!

After our chat they look at the house and the property.  It was a cold day, one of the coldest yet.  We tried to see as much as we could but really didn’t want to spend much time outside.  After we got back to the house they said they are very interested and want to talk about the equipment needed to run the farm.  Can that be included in the sale?  Well I was hoping to sell it separately knowing I needed to make money off of the sale of the equipment to help with my moving costs.

After some chit chat, back and forth  and a couple  side bar conversation, they wanted to know if we could come to an agreement right then and there?  All parties now sitting again at the counter?  I am overwhelmed and in shock… Is this really happening?  Now?  So after some more discussion and coming to terms.  I am offered a deal I should not refuse and I get to pick the closing date.  In return they ask for all the farm equipment to be included in the sale.   I am alone on this decision and it is decision making time.  I look up and ask “Can I call my mom?… Of course I can call my mom… OK I will be right back.”

I go down to the basement and call my childhood home in Miami.  Please pick up… Please pick up… Answering machine.  “Hi Mom… are you there?…”  My mom picks up “Jennifer, what’s wrong?”  You see I didn’t do my usual answering machine message “Hi! It’s me…” in a sing songy tone.  “Everything is fine mom… Maybe really good”  I tell her the current situation and an abbreviated version of the showing story so far.  She said “Go for it, nothing to think about. Plus leaving all the equipment on the farm will save you the headache and hassle of trying to sell it.”

I go back up stairs and say we have a deal.  BUT the story does not end there….

Now on to the paper work.  Yes we signed the selling agreement then and there. We decided on a closing date of May 2nd.  That gives me enough time to pack up, move out and figure out where I am going and when.   I am pretty sure it was my real estate agent who said we need a drink to celebrate.  So I bring out the options: wine, beer, cider, vodka.  I am literally shaking at this point, I look at the couple who is buying my house.  His is running his hand through is hard and shaking his head.  I knew what he was thinking… Same thing as me… I cant believe we are doing this.  So I reach in to the freezer and say “Fireball anyone?”  Well that did the trick. It calmed our nerves and took the edge off.

The new soon to be owners for the farm are great!  Everything I could hope for in the future occupants of the farm. They are keeping everything the same.  The boarders get to stay.  The Co-Op boarding will remain the same.  They will use the same hay and feed vendors.  I learned their daughter was a big part of their decision making process and helped in the search for the perfect farm.  She told me they were in tears when they read my Bio. They will be visiting the farm several times over the next 2 months to meet the boarders and the neighbors.  We are also going to set up some mentoring sessions so I can share all I have learned in this incredible journey of living my dream of owning and running a horse boarding farm.

That evening they invite me to meet their daughter and his boyfriend at dinner.  I said I would love to but first of all I can’t drive because I forgot to eat today and we did a lot of “celebrating” plus I still have to do all the barn work and feed the horses.  They offer to help with the evening farm chores and drive me an hour each way to dinner.

So after blitzing the barn work and freshening up we head off, stopping by their house so they can do the same.  We walk into the restaurant where we are greeted by the owner (who they know) , they tell him the exciting news “We bought a farm and this is the current owner.” He brings Campaign to the table.  I meet their daughter and her boyfriend. They didn’t know who the additional chair at the table was for, but once her mom says we bought the farm, the daughter gives me a big hug  saying I recognized you from your website.

We had a wonderful dinner and great conversation.  I enjoyed all the courses and was so hungry not a bite was left.  After dinner they drive me home, where I crawl into bed my head whirling from the day, the champagne and holy crap I sold the farm…