SO IT BEGINS:

Today we met with a couple realtors competing for our listing. One presentation was clearly better than the other, but we have one more appointment tomorrow. I have to admit that I'm surprised to see how much the price of comparable homes in the area have dropped off in the past 6 months. We're not likely to make a million dollar sale this time around... *rats*.

Both realtors said they liked the floor plan of our house, especially the remodeled kitchen (thank you very much). Back when we first decided to remodel the kitchen, we did so in hopes that it would pay us back when it came time to sell the house - hopefully (in this declining real estate market) that will still hold true.

The tricky part will be pricing our home so that we're competitive (not short-changing ourselves), but not too high that we fall off the radar of some potential buyers. I think our kitchen is one of the stronger selling points - that plus a nice neighborhood, excellent schools, great shopping (the Westfield - Topanga is gi-normous!!), 20 minutes to the beach, an hour to Disneyland (the happiest place on earth... well, next to the bathroom, anyway... ahh yes). There's so much more than just a house here in Woodland Hills. We're going to miss this home and all the friends we made in the 2 years since we arrived. :*)

The next step will be to start looking for a place to call "home" up in the Bay Area. We should be heading up to go house shopping later this month. Wish us a happy and successful hunt!!