Story Time or Another Day in my Crazy Life

Some of you may know about my husband and his crazy ways when it comes to real estate and no, I have not found a straight jacket to fit him. Yet.

So let's start with the bane of my existence.

There is this special little website called MLS which means, shit, I don't know what it means but, wait ... Multiple Listing Service. On this little gem of a site you can literally look up any house that is listed with an agent anywhere in North America.

Now, I know you are all thinking, 'Shut. Up. You can shop for a house over the internet from across the country?'

Yes. Yes you can. Take a boo around the site. It is actually quite fun if you can look at it as a fun thing to *cough* kill some time at work, let's say. Wanna see what houses in your area are listed for? Do an advanced search and put in you street to see if anything comes up. You can also use the map to point to where you live until it gets to a zone that you want to look through.

I know you are thinking how in the world could this be such a problem. Well, my husband checks MLS everyday.

Everyday.

The damn thing is only upgraded as far as we know on Tues. so anything after Tuesday doesn't get listed until the following week. At least, that's what we have been told.

My husband has been addicted to MLS for about 3 years now and in his defense he found us two properties that we bought as a reno and flip. Now, some of you read that we lost the dream house exactly one week ago this past Sunday. In this past week Bob took us out and we saw 3 different homes. I was losing my mind!!

So, on Sunday I make a deal with my husband.

Bob is not to look at the MLS site for one week. He asks, what does he get if he can do it. I said, What do you want? He said, a thousand dollars in my coin account. (Now me being the romantic am shocked that money is what he wants!) Huh. I say. Money? Alright.

Well I wasn't exactly thinking about money, I was thinking that if you lost then on Sunday you could have your way with me.

Not. Bright.

Yeah, yeah, I get what I did wrong but I guess I'll bet with Bob and go for you know, Bobby time ;) Bob said, but I get that stuff for free. I looked at him and said, not after wanting money over me for winning! At this, Bob said, he would get on the MLS the minute he got home. Funny guy.

Anyways, I think I messed this one up but, he managed to keep away from MLS on Monday. Couldn't not talk to our real estate agent but, he stayed off MLS and we had no house to go see last night. Super cool.

Tonight he came home and said, you are so getting lucky on Sunday night.

He found a house on MLS that was in one of the areas we are looking in. Okay. Good find. We go look at the house and it is overlisted by close to 100 000. We looked at selling prices over there the last few years and they are 100 grand higher and the whole house needs to be redone. Soooo not a move in a live.

Ah well. So here I am again. Living the life of a real estate gawker. Bob insists we will move this year. I give it until August at which point I will do up this house with new carpets and such because we are hosting Christmas this year and the house will look gorgeous!!

Now, what bet could I make that would make Bob fear losing? Thing is he knows me and I would never force him to do something he didn't like but maybe I should do it so that if he fails we put ... well, crap, if I'm not going to be living here much longer than it would only piss me off to put granite countertops (in Canada, easily 10 grand) in this house.

I wonder if there is a way to have MLS taken off the internet? Maybe I know people?

Ha! Nope.