And We Have Liftoff

Lot 60 Ready for the foundation. See the wooden pegs where the house will be.

The construction is finally underway. The tall trees in the center of Lot #60 on Cypress Court have been chopped down, the stumps bulldozed and the wood taken to a lumber yard for recycling. Around the perimeter, the tall trees still stand and the ground is rough graded.

After all these months I see visible progress. The contractor brought all sorts of heavy equipment to my lot. I can see exactly where the house will sit, where the living room is, the front porch, the back sunroom, the patio.

Two tall trees were accidentally left too close to the home, but the builder came back and removed them. Final grading will not take place until the foundation hole is dug out, and the septic field is built in the front of the house.

As I paced off the perimeter, I imagined myself sitting in the sunroom, serving wine and appetizers to neighbors, or picking crabs on the patio with the kids. New memories will be made and I will settle into a different kind of environment far from urban sprawl, hectic commuter traffic, and a frantic lifestyle.

With new construction I thought the neighbors needed to be filled in. I bet they were abuzz, wondering who is coming to their quiet street. I resolved that question last weekend. I spent several hours walking around the court, meeting almost everyone and I was delighted. One neighbor offered to help mow my lawn; another to take me out on their boat, and another to let me bring the grandchildren to their pier to fish and catch crabs.

I can see my dream is within reach. I AM ACTUALLY BUILDING A HOUSE. This is not a feeling I’ve had before and it’s empowering.

When the foundation is built, the house will be delivered and a big crane will lift the house onto its permanent spot. What will the real house be like? How will it feel?

It’s the mystery feeling I’ve waited for. It’s a good feeling.

Imagine the Possibilities of Different

My theory on creative thinking is not to think. It’s to wander around the perimeters of good sense, sniffing at the unknown. To open all the doors that say “do not enter” or to climb aboard a space ship and expect to meet a charming stranger.

Aliens aside, this is not as dangerous as it might seem. Maybe a little foolish, but foolish is fun. Ask any high school senior.

Being an arm-chair researcher is incredibly easy and enlightening. Look at all the options for alternative living. Form and function are as attractive as the materials. Small is definitely in vogue and economy of size goes with my small budget.

The romance of being different, original, or even outrageous, has appeal to me. Surprise or shock value are far more fun than stepping onto the bus with everyone else. Armed with only a few good search engines I have found options that make redefining my life so much fun. It feels like freedom.

Can I imagine myself living in a geodesic dome? The high ceilings, the roundness of life in a cornerless room, the stares from passersby, the letter from the owner’s association warning that a dome does not fit the community covenants. The delight from my grandchildren who think I live with the Teletubbies.

Or look at this round house designed, manufactured, and delivered by Deltec in Ashville, NC. Outside a curiosity, inside an atmosphere of air, light and high exposed rafters all surrounded by lightly stained wooden walls and floors.

Because I like to entertain, (and retirement is all about entertainment) this interior would inspire me to invent new food creations to delight my guests. I could dive into living in this home, and I will definitely investigate the costs. But this could be far out of my price range.

Then we have the environmental option, a sustainable tiny house. This has no attraction for me but what if you open the wrong door when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night?

Then there’s the comfort of a log cabin, again high wooden rafters and a pot bellied stove with a crackling fire providing warmth for the great room. These can be economical and so easy to live in. I had a log home once and can attest to the feeling of relaxation you get the moment you walk in the front door. Almost maintenance free after it’s built, I will always remember the sweet smell of pine that never seemed to fade away.

So, many options for my new life. My collection of websites for homes is growing. You will see more ideas along the way. And I will create a page of links so you can wander around them too.

QUESTION: What kind of home do you see me living in? What kind of home would you like to be a guest in?

 

 

© 2011-2012 – Carolyn Barranca. All Rights Reserved

How Do I Combat this Gripping Fear of Retiring?

Is this the time to delve into the real estate market and buy property and build a house? 

• The Dow is down 15% from August 1, and the other exchanges reflect similar drops. 
• Housing prices actually have been inching up in Frederick, but the market is so slow. 
• There will be no federal employees raises for 3 years, and this affects all my savings plans. 
• The European economy is posing threats to all nations, and the U.S. markets react to every little negative newscast  or comment by Bernanke. 

How far is this shoe going to drop?  How vulnerable will I be?  Who am I to ignore the experts?  What am I doing?  I found the property to build on. The seller signed the contract and settlement is in 2 weeks. I’m going ahead with the land purchase, because that’s where I want to end up. But, WHEN DO I SELL MY HOUSE?  WHEN DO I BUILD?

I need a glass of wine right now.

Where to retire. A decision long pondered.

I thought about staying in Frederick, Md.  But taxes on my house are over five thousand bucks a year, and then  I pay Maryland State taxes, income taxes…..  I think I am one of those who pays more taxes than Warren Buffet.

Pennsylvania is close to my dear sister, but it’s so cold in the winter.

West Virginia, the state of my birth, is also too cold and lonesome as I know no one there.

Hawaii?  Oh yeah, but I’m not that brave, too expensive, to far from the grandkids.

Italy?  I  will just have to visit every year, as I have done many times in the past.

The final decision was made on these factors:

• I have been going down there for 25 years and I love it.
• I know lots of people down there.
• It is within my price range.
• I can continue to work – a mix of  telework and commuting to D.C.
• It’s within my price range, at least the land is.
• There is plenty of water, I can have a boat, the kids can come for crabbing, boating, fun.
• It’s only 2.5 hours from my sons and their families.
• Taxes are affordable.

Ok, where is it?  The Northern Neck of Virginia, where the Chesapeake Bay tidewaters and rivers and creeks influence a slower pace.  The “Neck” is actually a peninsula on the western short of the Potomac River.  Lovely.

Since dear friends live their, I know the region.  I have been down thee times in the last several months to stomp around lots.  And I have now put a contract on some land, and it may jinx it if I describe it.

Yes I am superstitious.  Wait until I have news and I will tell you all.

In a few days….

Carolina

A Dream Home Imagined

In life, we  need to have tunnel vision.  To see the end result and focus on the journey. It’s been the way I have lived my life and now I am going to take on a dream that at first appearances, may seem impossible. It might be.

Perhaps I am dreaming beyond my financial capabilities.  Perhaps I am not equiped to manage a project of building a new home, from a distance, while working long hours, and without a partner to assist.  In other words, at 63 years of age, I am going to take on a building project that will be my magnum opus. Hopefully not my magnum oops!

These are the steps, as I see them.

1. Decide where I will build this house. Where will I retire?
2. Find property I can afford.
3. Purchase property.
4. Research homes. What kind of home do I want:  cabin, Cape Cod, rancher, modular, stick built, adobe, yurt, teepee, cardboard box.
5. How much can I afford to pay?
6. Where do I start?  Survey property again, plan septic, build foundations?
7. Get building permits, local authority…hmm.
8. Plan building timetable.
9. Determine when to sell my house: prep house, decide price, pray market recovers.
10. Build a cadre of advisors.

Now that is the reason for this blog.  I really don’t know what I am doing and I am going to call on the resources of my friends, family and the world to tell me what they would do.

I will listen to all advice.  So, come back again often  and help me out on my journey.

This will be an adventure.

Carolyn