The $50k Rule
Joe and I bought a house a few weeks ago, something I have dreamt of pretty much since the day we met 12.5 years ago. I waited — maybe what could be called "impatiently.” The market changed in South Florida and Joe’s house finally sold, making our dream of owning a home together a reality.
We found a house that needs a lot of work (which is what we wanted so we didn't have to pay for other people’s bad taste). We found a ton of unexpected problems at the inspection, which didn't scare us because we were literally planning on gutting the house — but I said "I'm not paying for all this additional work" I told Joe and their realtor. I wanted to take $50k off the house. I was told that I was crazy and that it would never happen in this market and that there were 7 other offers on the house. I said that I didn't care and that we would not overpay. Their realtor came back and said they came down $30K. I immediately responded. . . "that’s a no for me". Joe was shocked. This was the neighborhood I wanted to be in so badly. For years, I focused on moving and wanting OUR house together and suddenly I was willing to walk away. Why?
I realized the house was not a home. At least not yet. Owning it together doesn't change our "now.” And what I wanted, I already had. I wanted us to be a family, and I thought if we bought something together this would make us one. But we already are a family. I recognized exactly what I had in front of me (which was everything I wanted), and maybe for the first time in my life, I was no longer waiting for the next "thing" to happen to make me happy and complete. I am ALREADY happy and complete. This made the house just a house. I was able to detach and say, "it’s either we lower it $50k or we walk". I was tired of always trying to make things that were wrong, right. I was tired of putting a square peg into a round hole.
In the last several months, for various reasons, my faith in humanity has been tested and tried to my very core. It was in some of these darkest times that instead of asking God, "why me?" I switched the narrative and said, "thank you for what I DO have" and I meant it. I detached from an outcome of a situation that I wanted to see play out a certain way. And when we detach, we release fear, expectations, and fixed ideas that cause us to be stuck. I searched inward to see where in my life I wanted and needed this outcome to be true. What happened to me that I NEEDED the ending I wanted. When I discovered the version of me that needed that, I gave her massive love and compassion. If I was able to release that outcome, certainly a house was just a thing. I could let go of it easily.
We got the call 2 hours later that they accepted our deal. It was meant to be. The more I release, the more I flow. Once you live your life in flow, it’s addicting. You don't ever want to go back. The $50K rule: they give me what works or I walk away, in the house and in life because that is FLOW.
Hi! I’m Elise Montgomerie, and I’m here to help you cut through the bulls**t so you can heal your relationships, career, and life.
My work is deep — like healing your inner child, tackling your demons, getting brutally honest with yourself — deep.
With grace and patience (mixed with a hint of tough love), I help my clients plow through blockages and finally live the lives they’re meant to live.
