This so far has to be the hardest part of this project. We have packed everything we can, sequestered all the stuff we intend to sell, and the house is staged perfectly for marketing. And...we wait...and wait...and wait. Twenty showings, no firm offer yet, and we've uncovered the bedroom windows! That may not seem like anything, however keep in mind that this is Alaska and as spring nears that means longer, longer days, with lots and lots of sunlight!
So now it's time to figure out how to last the wait. Taking on a new show at the community theater is difficult. Once we go under contract things will move pretty fast..and of course, that could be tomorrow or much later on. I've cut back on my charitable donation of time and am only doing things that take place within a month. I've kept busy with minor repairs around the house. We did spend a whole weekend opening up a wall between the dining room and living room. That should help with the sale.
My next task is to begin updating my online accounts to our new email address and other contact information. We're keeping the old domain so that's not a bigh issue yet. Our phone numbers are totally portable, so that's no big deal either. The lingering question is a residential address. At this point we are leaning toward a service in the Seattle area that offers a mailbox address we can use for legal stuff like voting, driver licenses, and taxes. In addition they scan all first class envelopes and forward the JPEGs. We then decide what to forward periodically and what to shred. They will even open upon request and make check deposits, etc. Other than the forwarding postage the services for us is a flat $35 per month. And really, that's it at this point.
Note: I'm writing this in hopes that Karma will turn it all around in spite of my lack of patience!
Monday, February 22, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Showings and High Hopes
As of today we've shown the property over a dozen times and had the hopes of an offer just this week...that didn't pan out. With this kind of activity, we'll should sell quickly. At any rate we are now almost fully packed, boxes neatly numbered and labeled, and put with our other "keeps" in a segregated section of our basement storage. At this point we are basically fully packed and ready to go. What's left is what we use everyday--dishes, cooking utensils, and clothing. Whatever you can see, except for a few pieces of special furniture, will be sold.
Interestingly there has been very little emotion on letting go of most stuff. It's been a quick "yes, we keep it," or "no, it's time to go." We've been spending a lot of time digitizing old photos and documents and loading it all up on to a large portable hard-drive. Some stuff is being copied to the Cloud as well. We'll be using the hard drive as our file archive and it will stay in storage.
Since we plan to donate or sell most our electronics, we are beginning the process of migrating our files, programs, and whatever else we'll need while traveling. Our Tablet/PC of choice is a Surface Pro with plenty of storage. That along with a local cell phone is hopefully all we'll need for the whole time we are abroad. Warning to those reading our blog and thinking about becoming nomads, this is no easy task. Allow plenty of time before you depart to make sure you've got everything backed up, transferred, and stored. We know that once we are on the road, all this early planning will serve us well.
Over the last few weeks we have been using Craigslist and Ebay to sell some of our stuff. Furniture has gone fast and done well in price. It's a lot easier to get it out of the way now than to store it for a garage sale later. Craigslist is great for this because it is free, is a local market, and folks pick up and pay in person. Ebay has been useful for some of the more exotic stuff like pieces of a former high end set of china, silver, some jewelry, and art. In then end whatever is left will go in the house/garage sale.
The house/garage sale is also in preparation even though we're not under contract. To clear out the clutter and stage the house, lots of stuff had to be put away. We loaded it all into boxes labeled TO SELL. When the time comes it's simply a matter of unpacking the boxes, laying it all out, and selling it. If at the last minute a bit of remorse sneaks in, the item gets a second chance to be saved, Here's hoping that won't happen too much!
Interestingly there has been very little emotion on letting go of most stuff. It's been a quick "yes, we keep it," or "no, it's time to go." We've been spending a lot of time digitizing old photos and documents and loading it all up on to a large portable hard-drive. Some stuff is being copied to the Cloud as well. We'll be using the hard drive as our file archive and it will stay in storage.
Since we plan to donate or sell most our electronics, we are beginning the process of migrating our files, programs, and whatever else we'll need while traveling. Our Tablet/PC of choice is a Surface Pro with plenty of storage. That along with a local cell phone is hopefully all we'll need for the whole time we are abroad. Warning to those reading our blog and thinking about becoming nomads, this is no easy task. Allow plenty of time before you depart to make sure you've got everything backed up, transferred, and stored. We know that once we are on the road, all this early planning will serve us well.
Over the last few weeks we have been using Craigslist and Ebay to sell some of our stuff. Furniture has gone fast and done well in price. It's a lot easier to get it out of the way now than to store it for a garage sale later. Craigslist is great for this because it is free, is a local market, and folks pick up and pay in person. Ebay has been useful for some of the more exotic stuff like pieces of a former high end set of china, silver, some jewelry, and art. In then end whatever is left will go in the house/garage sale.
The house/garage sale is also in preparation even though we're not under contract. To clear out the clutter and stage the house, lots of stuff had to be put away. We loaded it all into boxes labeled TO SELL. When the time comes it's simply a matter of unpacking the boxes, laying it all out, and selling it. If at the last minute a bit of remorse sneaks in, the item gets a second chance to be saved, Here's hoping that won't happen too much!
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Staging and Packing up the House
Our MLS listing goes live on December 28th. Since we met with our real estate agent we have doing quite a bit of reorganization, downsizing, and packing.
It's amazing how you can take out a few pieces of furniture and make the whole room look bigger. In our case, we took out a LOT of furniture and "stuff" and the rooms look massive. It's a bigger house that we thought! And of course all of those "honey'dos" are finally getting done...by me...ahhh, motivation.
What we pack up will be packed up for at least three to five years...maybe longer. Since we have started packing up our "we'll-keep-stuff," a common question arises. "will this be outdated the next time we see it?" With technology advancing daily, it's a fair question and whose answer is seeing a lot more stuff go into the "to-sell-now" box.
We're hoping the result will be a lot less to pack and a much smaller moving truck!
It's amazing how you can take out a few pieces of furniture and make the whole room look bigger. In our case, we took out a LOT of furniture and "stuff" and the rooms look massive. It's a bigger house that we thought! And of course all of those "honey'dos" are finally getting done...by me...ahhh, motivation.
What we pack up will be packed up for at least three to five years...maybe longer. Since we have started packing up our "we'll-keep-stuff," a common question arises. "will this be outdated the next time we see it?" With technology advancing daily, it's a fair question and whose answer is seeing a lot more stuff go into the "to-sell-now" box.
We're hoping the result will be a lot less to pack and a much smaller moving truck!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
We're Back from New Zealand and Australia
It was an amazing trip. a bit taxing at times, and we are glad to be home and to get started with the move. We have met with two real estate agents and have listed our property. We've begun to pack up some of what we know for sure we will be putting into storage. The Christmas holiday is right around the corner. After the big day we will be putting a few pieces of furniture in storage and getting the house staged for showings.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Getting Rid of the STUFF
Today we started liquidating some of our STUFF. I listed several collections on Ebay and Craigslist and we went through our closets and donated a couple dozen bags of clothing, shoes, and accessories to some local charities. We sold our last set of snowmobiles last week on Craigslist. It literally took 20 minutes from the time the listing went up until a buyer was at the door with cash. What a freeing and exhilarating feeling to do this.
We've decided to give one of our motorcycles (maybe both) to a favorite nephew in Los Angeles. That seems like a great excuse to do something kind and at the same time have a reason to ride them down from Alaska!
Even though we won't be putting the house officially on the market until we get back from Australia in December, just knowing that we are starting is very exciting. When we get back there will be more motivation in just looking at empty closets and drawers!
We've decided to give one of our motorcycles (maybe both) to a favorite nephew in Los Angeles. That seems like a great excuse to do something kind and at the same time have a reason to ride them down from Alaska!
Even though we won't be putting the house officially on the market until we get back from Australia in December, just knowing that we are starting is very exciting. When we get back there will be more motivation in just looking at empty closets and drawers!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Getting Closer
With the house actively being marketed, the dream is vividly becoming a reality. And so are the butterflies in our stomachs! In addition to showing the house and fielding offers, we are slowly beginning to visually inventory our stuff. The process is pretty simple actually...does it have emotional value...or can we let it go. When we start to really analyse our stuff, surprisingly little has a "gotta keep it value."
We are finding out, pleasantly, that there is little that we want to hang on to and lots that we will easily let go...the boat, the cars, the truck, the camper, the motorcycles, the furniture, the art, the "collections."
On top of all this we are preparing for our Great Downunder Adventure. In less than six weeks we will be in Auckland, New Zealand with 14 of our traveling friends. Those upcoming ten weeks are going to be awesome.
When we get back we'll be even more motivated and the selling spree will begin. Ebay will be a great resource for moving things like the egg collection, model car and trains, tools, and boat accessories. An estate sale will clean out the house.
Residency issues of where we want to end up are proving to be easier than we thought. In Washington state for example, we simply need to register to vote and the address of a friend, or simply where we store the little stuff we decide to keep will work.
Visas and all the rest are no-brainers. As long as we keep moving, no more than 3 months in one country after the next, we're in good shape.
Financials are becoming more and more clear. Setting up a trust seems to be the best route. That's in process now. And our relationship is becoming closer and closer as we truly begin to embrace the dream.
We are finding out, pleasantly, that there is little that we want to hang on to and lots that we will easily let go...the boat, the cars, the truck, the camper, the motorcycles, the furniture, the art, the "collections."
On top of all this we are preparing for our Great Downunder Adventure. In less than six weeks we will be in Auckland, New Zealand with 14 of our traveling friends. Those upcoming ten weeks are going to be awesome.
When we get back we'll be even more motivated and the selling spree will begin. Ebay will be a great resource for moving things like the egg collection, model car and trains, tools, and boat accessories. An estate sale will clean out the house.
Residency issues of where we want to end up are proving to be easier than we thought. In Washington state for example, we simply need to register to vote and the address of a friend, or simply where we store the little stuff we decide to keep will work.
Visas and all the rest are no-brainers. As long as we keep moving, no more than 3 months in one country after the next, we're in good shape.
Financials are becoming more and more clear. Setting up a trust seems to be the best route. That's in process now. And our relationship is becoming closer and closer as we truly begin to embrace the dream.
Friday, July 31, 2015
The Planning
There are thousands of websites touting the benefits of being a expat. However, buying a property in a foreign country to us sounds like getting back on that hamster wheel we're trying to escape. Staying in one place for a while, until something else beacons is much more appealing...and a lot less expensive.
Planning has always been part of our relationship. It's our hallmark for success. For us everything starts with a dream, an idea, and then becomes a reality as we carefully take it apart into bite size components. One step at a time we have created our current life...slowly moving from one phase and into another, and always forward and upward. This time we are doing something huge and it will take some time.
Once we decided on a nomadic lifestyle, the rest has come pretty easy. Our first setup was to itemize our current monthly living costs. The list got pretty large pretty fast. That in itself was an eyeopener. Here's the short list of our current monthly expenses. There's plenty more but these are the ones that we consistently make a payment each month:
Mortgage
RE Taxes
RE Insurance
Utilities - Gas, Electric, Water, Waste
Upkeep and Repairs
Snow removal
Gardening and Yard Maintenance
Health Insurance and Co-pays
Insurance on 3 Vehicles, a boat, a camper, two motorcycles and two snowmobiles
Vehicle Maintenance
Vehicle Fuel
Telephone
Cable TV
Internet
Newspaper Delivery
Food. We eat well and entertain a lot!
Entertainment
Travel
Income Tax
Charitable Contributions
The total was eye-opening. Although we are virtually debt free, it still costs a lot to maintain a basic lifestyle. This is a good exercise for anyone wanting to get a hold on their spending. For us it made the next step even easier-establishing a nomad budget. All this and we will be spending a lot less each month-no material ties. If we are careful, we can live comfortably on simply our retirement income. We shouldn't have to draw on our retirement funds or cash assets until it's time to return the USA and setup housekeeping again...a long time down the road we hope!
Storage Unit - someplace in the lower 48 where we can store the few things we will keep when we are completely downsized.
Email and Website - we've decided to maintain a website with private email instead of using Gmail or Yahoo, etc. We'll have complete control of the content and it'll be a great way to keep our friends and family close.
US Mailbox - someplace in the lower 46, that can be checked once a month or so by a trusted friend or family member. While we hope to completely avoid snail mail once we set sail, there will be that odd piece that comes in that needs attention.
Travel Cost - we've got to get from point A to point B every three months or so.
Health Insurance - our military coverage doesn't work overseas so we do need to purchase an international package. They are amazing less expensive than we thought.
Cell Phones - local ones where we are living, primarily to keep in touch with each other. We'll use a Vonage internet number with voice mail for our family and friends.
Rent - this is the fun one. We get to pick a different house or apartment when we get bored and wand to move on. Setting a $1500 per month rental limit gives us some pretty awesome choices, even in places like Paris, London, Beijing, New Delhi, and even New York City.
Food - we'll be shopping and eating local. We're so looking forward to making our meal preparation a daily event, shopping in local markets and preparing a grand meal each night. And the wine!
Daily Transportation - buses, trains, subways, motor scooters.
Entertainment and Touring
With a workable budget planned out the next steps are a bit daunting. We've got to sell the house, the cars, all of the toys, and downsize everything left into a manageable amount. We're using a 10' X 12" storage unit as our goal. Art, a few favorite antiques, furniture we know we can't replace, memorabilia, and some housekeeping basics like my Kitchen Aide mixer. Anything that is worn out and no longer has value, intrinsic or otherwise, will be destined for that huge estate sale next year.
With that out of the way, what's left is to settle our affairs and get ready for the adventure. It all starts when we get back from our next travel club adventure to New Zealand and Australia.
Planning has always been part of our relationship. It's our hallmark for success. For us everything starts with a dream, an idea, and then becomes a reality as we carefully take it apart into bite size components. One step at a time we have created our current life...slowly moving from one phase and into another, and always forward and upward. This time we are doing something huge and it will take some time.
Once we decided on a nomadic lifestyle, the rest has come pretty easy. Our first setup was to itemize our current monthly living costs. The list got pretty large pretty fast. That in itself was an eyeopener. Here's the short list of our current monthly expenses. There's plenty more but these are the ones that we consistently make a payment each month:
Mortgage
RE Taxes
RE Insurance
Utilities - Gas, Electric, Water, Waste
Upkeep and Repairs
Snow removal
Gardening and Yard Maintenance
Health Insurance and Co-pays
Insurance on 3 Vehicles, a boat, a camper, two motorcycles and two snowmobiles
Vehicle Maintenance
Vehicle Fuel
Telephone
Cable TV
Internet
Newspaper Delivery
Food. We eat well and entertain a lot!
Entertainment
Travel
Income Tax
Charitable Contributions
The total was eye-opening. Although we are virtually debt free, it still costs a lot to maintain a basic lifestyle. This is a good exercise for anyone wanting to get a hold on their spending. For us it made the next step even easier-establishing a nomad budget. All this and we will be spending a lot less each month-no material ties. If we are careful, we can live comfortably on simply our retirement income. We shouldn't have to draw on our retirement funds or cash assets until it's time to return the USA and setup housekeeping again...a long time down the road we hope!
Storage Unit - someplace in the lower 48 where we can store the few things we will keep when we are completely downsized.
Email and Website - we've decided to maintain a website with private email instead of using Gmail or Yahoo, etc. We'll have complete control of the content and it'll be a great way to keep our friends and family close.
US Mailbox - someplace in the lower 46, that can be checked once a month or so by a trusted friend or family member. While we hope to completely avoid snail mail once we set sail, there will be that odd piece that comes in that needs attention.
Travel Cost - we've got to get from point A to point B every three months or so.
Health Insurance - our military coverage doesn't work overseas so we do need to purchase an international package. They are amazing less expensive than we thought.
Cell Phones - local ones where we are living, primarily to keep in touch with each other. We'll use a Vonage internet number with voice mail for our family and friends.
Rent - this is the fun one. We get to pick a different house or apartment when we get bored and wand to move on. Setting a $1500 per month rental limit gives us some pretty awesome choices, even in places like Paris, London, Beijing, New Delhi, and even New York City.
Food - we'll be shopping and eating local. We're so looking forward to making our meal preparation a daily event, shopping in local markets and preparing a grand meal each night. And the wine!
Daily Transportation - buses, trains, subways, motor scooters.
Entertainment and Touring
With a workable budget planned out the next steps are a bit daunting. We've got to sell the house, the cars, all of the toys, and downsize everything left into a manageable amount. We're using a 10' X 12" storage unit as our goal. Art, a few favorite antiques, furniture we know we can't replace, memorabilia, and some housekeeping basics like my Kitchen Aide mixer. Anything that is worn out and no longer has value, intrinsic or otherwise, will be destined for that huge estate sale next year.
With that out of the way, what's left is to settle our affairs and get ready for the adventure. It all starts when we get back from our next travel club adventure to New Zealand and Australia.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
The Decision
Moving here meant retiring from our once busy lives in both medicine and aviation. Not wanting to get back into the rat race, we used our large home and our talents to create a quieter and peaceful way of life. We created a 20-year plan.
For eleven years our place was a 4 Star B&B. It was fun…and a lot of work. Along with the B&B came the tour company, the travel agency, the transportation company, the nutrition company, and the consulting and design firm. We are a overachievers and this made sense--use what we have and what we are willing to learn to make things better. These businesses have all been small, home-based. They have been businesses that helped to create the life we have been living. Now we are ready to fully retire and we love to travel!
There's a nine year age difference between us. A few years ago this became a deciding factor in our plans to retire. As our plan evolved, we took a serious look at what it would mean to travel and live aboard for a long time. "When you're 60, I'll be 70. When you're 70, I'll be 80. Being in excellent health, it became more and more apparent that there was no reason to wait.
I've been "playing" the retirement life mostly alone for a few years now. I went on a four month world trip alone. That was fun and invigorating. I volunteer at a few local charities, and I got involved in local community theater. All the while Bobbie kept her part time job, more as a means of filling time, and the extra money has been going into our retirement fund. Earlier this year a series of everyday events happened, one right after the other that convinced us we were simply treading water.
We have a large sport boat that gave us a few mechanical surprises, some home repairs came out of nowhere and cost more than we imagined, Our B&B morphed into an traveling professional accommodation business and the thoughts on turning over another group of temporary tenants was daunting. On top of that a couple of minor health issues popped up and were quickly resolved.
All of this in such a short amount of time shook the trunk of our "reality tree." How much longer do we want to be ruled by the material and seemingly "important" everyday stuff? How much longer will our good health and energy last? Good questions. After some serious conversation, we decided that instead of waiting to start traveling in 2020, we're going to do it now. And so this story begins. .
.. .
I've been "playing" the retirement life mostly alone for a few years now. I went on a four month world trip alone. That was fun and invigorating. I volunteer at a few local charities, and I got involved in local community theater. All the while Bobbie kept her part time job, more as a means of filling time, and the extra money has been going into our retirement fund. Earlier this year a series of everyday events happened, one right after the other that convinced us we were simply treading water.
We have a large sport boat that gave us a few mechanical surprises, some home repairs came out of nowhere and cost more than we imagined, Our B&B morphed into an traveling professional accommodation business and the thoughts on turning over another group of temporary tenants was daunting. On top of that a couple of minor health issues popped up and were quickly resolved.
All of this in such a short amount of time shook the trunk of our "reality tree." How much longer do we want to be ruled by the material and seemingly "important" everyday stuff? How much longer will our good health and energy last? Good questions. After some serious conversation, we decided that instead of waiting to start traveling in 2020, we're going to do it now. And so this story begins. .
.. .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)