JUst popping back in to say thanks to all who offered advice on my decision about selling a house that I hated. We decided to go for the more expensive house that we loved and am so glad we did. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and am able to thoroughly enjoy living in our new place. As to the selling part- it was stressful since the market was so slow. Bottom line was it took a seasoned realtor, a thorough decluttering and cleaning, and also a $25K price drop but that is the reality of the slow market. Sold in 2 months, closed within 3 months. Happy now. Good luck to everyone trying to sell now and to buyers too. Hopefully you'll be as fortunate as we were. Best wishes to you all for a wonderful 2010!