Selling the House

[honda03842]

Today I was cutting the grass and Ginny came home, got out of the car and walked up to me and said we should sell the house. Previously she had told me we 'could' sell it but never with the seriousness of that moment.

It's been clear to us for sometime that we own a rather expensive property (it is small and relatively inexpensive compared to the traditional family home) for something that is rarely used, typically for four months a year and sometimes as few as a month and a half a year.

I think it's a combination of the recognition that we are getting older and it takes a fair effort to keep it going, also we are purchasing a place in Florida that could provide a location for us when not traveling, one that is basically taken care of by others.

It's always been clear that we could rent a place for the time we're home, stay in our trailer or .... if we want to be in NH in the summer.

It may be that the period that we're away, typically October to April, will be extended further into the spring, possibly staying in Florida until May or wherever we might be (since we're planning to travel until we're 80.

It may also be that Ginny is worried about my health, not that there's anything significant wrong me, but we are in the window.

This year while having dinner with a couple from Vancouver, the husband said, "when you consider the average age of a male dying, 80, we have about 120 months to live".

Ginny and I rarely think about death. We have had a marvelous life an even better last 14 years on the road. We feel blessed but our clock is slowing down and running out. Though we love our beach house of 25 years, it's not critical to who we are. We can hold hands, live out the rest of our lives more simply.

My purpose for writing this was to offer you a view of things we think about as RV road people and to force me to think a little about it.

Wishing everyone as much fun,

[starbrightsteve]

Hi Norm and Ginny,
You do realize that Florida will be under water soon, geologically speaking that is! And in chaos! Go to the mountains. Try Taos.
Steve

[honda03842]

Steve, Why will Florida be under water?

[David B.]

We are so happy for you two. I hope to see you either on the road or in Arizona a little more, as I just had an aortic aneurysm & aortic valve replaced yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic, and have been thinking of the clicking clock, so I am retiring just as soon as I go through recovery, and Paula in a year.
Many Happy Trails & memories to you, until we meet again.
Dave & Paula

[Gilda]

You both have been an inspiration to me and many others who read this forum. Your tales of travel and love for each other sets a model for me (63)and my DH (67). Thank you for sharing your thoughts about getting older.

Aging can hit you in the gut quite suddenly. My DH has had both hips replaced due to arthritis in a 4 year timespan. He believes he has 95% recovery and is grateful to have a "second-chance". While he has given up "high risk of falling" activities (bicycling, skiing, tennis) he and I hike about 2 hours per day at home and all day when camping.

My mother is 92 years young and had her first ever medical emergency about a month ago. She is recovering amazingly well and is expected to fully recover. She is strong mentally and physically and is fighting to live independently yet gracefully accepts our help.

We have no way to predict what life may hold in store but we need to appreciate each day and to appreciate each other.

Best of luck in making your next big life decision together.

[honda03842]

Dave,

Sorry to read you had a problem but also glad to read you are on the mend. When I think of making a modification or improvement I think of you.

You and Paula will be great 'roadies'.

Wishing you many years on the road, ticking clock or not.

[honda03842]

Gilda,

Wishing your husband well. It definitely it seems he has the right attitude...get up and keep moving.

As to being thankful for each day.. ertainly that's the case for the two of us.

The reality is that, though neither of us wants to die, we feel we've had an absolutely great live and have no complaints about the future, no matter short or long.

Ginny and I like to hike, generally relatively short hikes, more of the 2 hour variety. SHe has a bad knee but as the years increase and we continue to slim down, the knee feels fine except with significant weather change.

Wishing you well and I'd sign up for 92 any time.

[Huck]

I've decided to spend most of the winter in the south and see how it works out. Will probably do a few weeks on the Outer Banks in fall and then head south in December.

If it works out, I will probably put my house up for sale next summer.

[RogerDat]

Only you two together can decide if the cost of keeping the place is worth the cost emotionally of not owning it. Or if this is the right time to sell. Wishing you the best on a difficult decision.

Will moving out involve shedding of possessions rather than moving them all to Florida? If it does this might well be better done when both of you are well and able to participate in decisions about what should be done with those items you won't keep.

If there one of you were to be in poor health or passed away would the other keep the house?

My wife might well want to sell our house if I was not around. Move closer to town not have over an acre to mow. Maybe a condo where maintenance is included. Me I would be more likely to stay because I would continue to want to having a shop to work on projects and a yard where I can do dog agility. Maintaining lawn tractor and snow removal equipment would be easier for me than it would for her. But all that could change due to my health or hers.

Since we both came to this marriage with children some of the things we brought into the household or inherited from family need to go to our respective families. We are both close enough to each others kids that some things will cross family lines as it were but do not want to force the other to make those decision on their own. Which one of my wife's children should get their great grandmothers roll top desk? Or the paintings and ceramics their mother made? I have things that were my parents and grand parents should they go to my sister, my daughter, grand kids or possibly nieces or nephew?

To address this we are both working on a list for the will that will allow for ownership to go to the people that we feel are appropriate while maintaining possession for surviving spouse. Some things are simply part of the household in such a way that removing them should happen when a surviving spouse wants to see them passed on but when that happens it should be passed on to the person specified. Also deals with if something happens to both of us so it makes it easier on the kids.

You may well have a less complicated situation but the question of dealing with a house and it's contents is something that will happen some day and either planning for that together or actually doing it together has much to recommend it.

I saw a silly little post but it was sort of profound for internet stuff. "My life can be summed up in one sentence. It did not go as planned but I'm ok with that." May all that comes your way be such that you can at least say I'm ok with that. And may it come both your ways for many more years.

[Letitia]

Wait! We live in Florida. We're going under? 😳

[honda03842]

Roger,

When we moved to NH from CT some 25 years ago it was a major downsizing. Our previous house was huge. At that time we gave away a lot of furniture and stuff. Like your house it had too much grass to cut. Our NH yard takes an electric mower and 30 minutes if you're goofing around.

We have found with the death of our parents that no one seems to want much of anything. Everyone seems to already have too much stuff.

I think the only possessions we might take to Florida are some of the paintings we've accumulated over the decades. A few will go to others. To me it looks like one big tag sale coming up.

Ginny and I have been coming to Hampton Beach since before we were married, getting engaged here. It will always be in our minds and I suspect that even after we sell, we'll probably spend a month here every year (hopefully on our way to Newfoundland).

Certainly FL is thinking about our future, not that we'll spend much more time there. I think we'll tend to seek moderate climates.

I do think it's important to think about the future because it is coming.

[honda03842]

Letitia,

I asked Steve why FL would be under water, no answer.

[honda03842]

Huck,

The south is mighty big. Where do you plan to be?

[Glenn Baglo]

Florida ( parts anyway ) will be underwater due to climate change and rising sea levels.
Maybe nobody answered because nobody wants another "towing with a Prius" thread.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by honda03842

Letitia,

I asked Steve why FL would be under water, no answer.

I think this might be a reference to rising sea levels. Global warming and all that totally not FGRV related stuff we try to avoid getting into on this forum.

With possibly a dash of the large population sucking the water table out from under the land so it drops into a Florida sized sink hole.

[Donna D.]

Every single day of life is a gift. Doesn't matter if you are a Toddler... or looking at your golden years.

I'm looking to my future too. My one and only kid wouldn't want my STUFF to become an estate problem. Although I think that's "pay back." I'm ready to claim SS, even if I don't, I can. Everything in your life can become an anchor or a sail... only YOU can decide.

Best wishes for your decision!

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Florida ( parts anyway ) will be underwater due to climate change and rising sea levels.
Maybe nobody answered because nobody wants another "towing with a Prius" thread.

gezz Glenn didnt you hear climate change is just a bunch of hog wash! But then again your best not to buy any homes on the waterfront in Vancouver either

[Glenn Baglo]

That's why we're up on the hill. Future waterfront.

[honda03842]

My dad had a saying, "Watch what they do, not what they say."

In that vain, Al Gore bought a huge waterfront mansion.....

He had another saying "Reality always wins, it's not if but when".

In that vain there has been no temperature increase in 18 years and global sea ice coverage is the highest in 30 years.

As the man in Stratford-upon-Avon, England said "The truth will out".

I miss my Dad....

[kb1flr]

Norm and Jimmy,

I have just sold my house and started fulltiming, though my situation is different. Five years ago, my now ex-wife left and I became a single parent of an Autistic daughter. For the last 4 years my daughter has been attending regular college in FL with an independent living skills program on the side. She has her own apartment and wants to live and work in FL.

As part of the original divorce agreement, we planned to sell the house after 5 years. It is too large for just me and my daughter loves FL and does not want to freeze in MA. The house went on the market and sold in 6 days. I worked all nights and weekends to clean it out. Amazing how much completely useless stuff one accumulates.

I came to fiberglass trailers via the tinyhouse blog and am also very interested in low impact living. I have been planning to fulltime in a trailer for 2 years now, but had not set a start date. The sale of the house did that for me.

It took 3 nights of sleeping in the trailer and getting stuff arranged for it to feel like home. I was surprised the transition was so easy.

Jessica will be joining me shortly, as she is in the process of selling her house in CT. We are looking at a bigger trailer (Escape, Bigfoot), though I would hate to part with the Casita.

I hope we will meet you two sometime on the road. We plan to travel quite a bit after an etended stay in FL to help my daughter transition from school to work. We will come back to FL to see my daughter and to CT to see Jessica's kids.

You two have been a source of constant inspiration and I am freely stealing from your modifications list

Rick and Jessica
1999 Toyota 4Runner
1995 16 Casita