My realtor and K-Bug want me to keep looking. I just...I know I'll be comparing to the house with the current offer.

I really hope you get it, Suzi! But it's REALLY important that you not get too emotionally invested in the bidding process, because that way lie madness and paying too much money. And even if you don't get it, now you have a tangible goal for knowing exactly what you do want.

I'm trying to strike a line between positivity and my suspicion that the listing agent/homeowner is actively trying to start a bidding war, and that can really lead to some nasty emotional stuff.

Good luck! Maybe do look at a couple this weekend to get your mind off of things, you might even find something you like as much or even more.

Congratulations, Kiba! That's great.

I'm still sitting here at my desk, working. I feel like I'm constantly behind and I'm never going to catch up. I need to be active again. I desperately need to get back to the gym. This is untenable, and I'm reaching the point where it's too much input and I'm paralyzed mentally and physically. I can't do that.

Suzi, Nora's right. Keep looking. The house I thought I loved quickly fell out of favor when I found the one I bought. If you get shut out of this one, there will be another one.

Burrell, I haven't had a landline since 2006 and I haven't missed it at all. 911 calling has not been an issue. You just have to remember to keep your e911 address updated. I don't even have the Vonage router hooked up anymore, even though I still have the service. I can use the Extensions app on my cell phone to do everything I want, including to show the call is from my "house" number. It costs me $35 a month and I can call Europe for free. It's completely worth it to me.

Thanks for the advice.

I have a weird investment in this phone line because it's been the house phone line for my whole life, but my DH is itching to ditch it. I dunno.

Ok, I'll try to keep an open mind on checking other properties. Right now there is nothing that is calling to me. I have a couple of absolutes, such as a garage. The number of places here that either don't have a garage or only have a carport is kind of surprising to me. Then it needs to accept FHA loans, which knock another chunk off. Then there are the neighborhoods I'm willing to move into - and I'm pretty open to a bunch of areas. What is left, right now, isn't anything that trips my "maybe" meter.

tommyrot has survived the trip to Madison and is now ensconced on my sofa with a beer. We are watching essential episodes of Agents of SHIELD while we wait for pizza to be delivered.

You just have to remember to keep your e911 address updated. I don't even have the Vonage router hooked up anymore, even though I still have the service. I can use the Extensions app on my cell phone to do everything I want, including to show the call is from my "house" number. It costs me $35 a month and I can call Europe for free. It's completely worth it to me.

I like this all very much. Is this all Vonage?

I have a weird investment in this phone line because it's been the house phone line for my whole life

My sister and I felt that way about the phone number at the old farmhouse. So to sort-of keep it, I started using it as a password on certain sites. When I told her, she said she'd done the same thing.

I have a weird investment in this phone line because it's been the house phone line for my whole life

You can port the number, to a cell phone, Vonage, or Google Voice. No need to lose the number.

Suzi, the inventory might not be great now, but we're starting the spring/summer buying season. The next few months are the best months to buy because people don't want to move in the dead of winter and potentially pull their kids out of school in the middle of the year. Right now is not forever.

I like this all very much. Is this all Vonage?

Yep. Another thing about it that I forgot to mention is that there's network forwarding. If internet or power go out, you can have your home phone calls routed to your cell. That's what I'm doing now. It's seamless.

If you want to sign up, let me know. We both can get a bonus if I refer you.

So to sort-of keep it, I started using it as a password on certain sites. When I told her, she said she'd done the same thing.

Sounds like a completely different situation, Zen. The farmhouse is no longer yours, right? But I still live here.

Eh, we'll figure it out.

You can port the number, to a cell phone, Vonage, or Google Voice. No need to lose the number.

That's his plan, Maria. I think he wants to make the phone line more useful, not less.