Tracy Calabrese

Finally! I am so excited that tonight is the last night I have to sleep in my apartment!

There’s a lot to do at my condo, but I am ready for it.The first things on my list are to paint the living room, kitchen and my bedroom, new closet doors (the 80’s mirrored doors have to go) and install a railing, since the stairs have no railing, which is both dangerous and strange.

Read about the first 365 days of being a first-time homeowner here.

Right now, I have eight days left in my apartment. I am traveling this Thursday - next Monday and possibly next Thursday and Friday. I can’t wait to get out of here. Three years in the same apartment…it was a good run, but it is time to move on.

I feel like I am breaking up with my apartment.

I have been attempting to eat the contents of my freezer and pantry, which isn’t the healthiest food in the world. Lunch this week will consist of Lean Cuisine’s, dinners will be veggie burgers, crab cakes, fries, one lonely pork chop, some Uncle Ben’s teriyaki rice and an assortment of frozen veggies. I have a few boxes of opened cereal, pancake mix, an assortment of granola bars, english muffins and egg beaters.

I spent most of the weekend packing. My dad came down on Sunday and helped take apart my busted computer (Literally. He took out the hard drive and then took the computer with him to recycle.) and helped me spackle the holes in the walls, fix the washer, move the refrigerator (to clean underneath and behind it) and move stuff from my outside storage closet inside to the pile of boxes that continues to grow.

I have a laundry list of people to follow up with tomorrow - listing agent, mortgage broker, title company, insurance company and financial planner.

I still have to pack up part of the kitchen, the bathroom (linens and towels, mostly), dresser and closet. I am not looking forward to the closet, but it has to be done.

There’s a lot to do in the next week and half or so, but I am so ready for it.

The good: I signed my mortgage loan application today! Six weeks until moving day!

The bad: I got pulled over for going 50 in a 35 and got a $225 ticket. If you can believe it, this was my first speeding ticket ever. I tried to cry my way out of it and it didn’t work. I met my mortgage broker and the first thing I did was cry. What a great first impression. Also, the zipper on my skirt broke and I had to hold it together with binder clips.

I started packing up my apartment today. I have 45 days until I move, but after looking at a calendar, I have a lot of travel coming up. NYC, Atlanta, Korea and San Francisco. And I will be away for three weekends over the next 45 days. So I am not crazy, I am planning ahead.

I packed up five boxes today, mostly stuff from my pantry/storage closet, my hutch, which holds serving platters, wine glasses and random holiday-themed things, and the built-in book case in my apartment.

It’s amazing how much stuff I have that I never use, like margarita glasses. When I move into my condo, I am definitely going to have a fiesta and use my margarita glasses.

Five down and lots more to go. I am going to need more newspaper and more boxes!

I am so close to becoming a first-time homeowner!

The seller officially accepted my offer this morning and I am signing the paperwork tomorrow. I close on September 15th and I “technically” move out of my apartment on September 29th.

I am waiting for all of this to sink in. I am waiting for the shock of the fact that all of my savings will be gone. I am waiting to cry, because I know I will.

But…I am pretty damn excited!