Hey, hey, hey ....!!!

[Thumper]

10848


Yeah, it's hump day ... but that ain't what I'm celebrating.

I bought this house on August 14, 1989 with a 30-year mortgage ... and today the FINAL payment was withdrawn from my bank account. Woo-Hoo!!

[Chicken Dinner]

Congrats! Are you gonna paint your front door red?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thumper]

Well, I doubt it ‘cause I ain’t Scottish, but it is on a long list of things that need work. The door had just been replaced when we bought the house, so it’s due for an upgrade. That’s the problem, now that it’s paid off, some remodeling is due. It’s a vicious circle. :(

[johnboy]

Congrats! :party

[Bwana]

Has to be a GREAT feeling. Congrats!

[Thumper]

Thanks guys. I look back at the good times and the bad times over that 30-year period. I bought the place and THEN started a new business. It was scary as shit starting a new business and building it from the ground up. Add to that, the fact I was new to this town and didn't know ANYBODY, nor did I have any business connections. In the beginning, I was on the ragged edge of losing this place as, once I made payroll and paid the bills, there wasn't enough left over for me to take a salary. We lived day to day until the business took off and I'd actually end up with a little left to put money in the bank. The business did nothing but grow from that point forward and the first major hurdle had been cleared.

Then there was the time Lynn and I started having "marital" problems and I got to the point I just didn't care any more and started "playing the field" because I figured life was just too damned short to be as frustrated as I was at the time. I was ready to dump the house when the housing market was flat, split the proceeds and move on. Luckily, we worked through that, decided there were PLENTY of reasons to fix things and there have been zero problems since (in THAT area anyway). Major hurdle #2 cleared.

After that, it was fairly smooth sailing and we could actually relax and start enjoying life a bit more. THEN ... the economic downturn of '07 kicked in and I had no choice other than to abandon my business and go back to working for the man. We were burning through our savings pretty fast and I needed a JOB! I found when I tried to re-enter the job market I was familiar with before starting my business, that I was a dinosaur in the industry and it was now being run by 20-somethings who looked at me like I was something out of the early 1900's. I remember being interviewed at a Chevy dealer by some snotty-nosed punk and after looking at my resume, he made the remark that everything is computerized now. I then asked him what system they were on and after he answered, I replied, "STILL? That's surprising." He gave me a blank look and asked why I'd say that. I then proceeded to inform him I was one of the few on the retail level who actually helped General Motors develop and test that program. I then said we must have done a pretty good job at it since they're still using it. (I did NOT get hired) Sooooo, I had to do something immediately to get a paycheck coming in or, once again, I could lose the house! That's when I started driving a truck.

THEN the health issue kicked in and after spending 2-months in ICU, having my heart stop 7 times and spending 2-weeks in a coma, I woke up to the realization I had no clue how to keep from losing the place this time around. It just seemed inevitable this time and I could see no light at the end of the tunnel. SOMEHOW, we pulled through that one also. To this day, I don't know how, but the hard work and learning how to cut expenses, do without much we'd become accustomed to and generally just tightening our belts down to the last notch, we persevered. I was forced into early retirement and have made the most of what I had left to work with.

As of today, I OWN this place and it's a great feeling. Heck, the money I save from having no mortgage can now go toward more travel! :D

Ok, ok ... so it's about time for a new roof (the second one I'll have had replaced) and the place could use a new coat of paint. The kitchen and both bathrooms are definitely due for a remodel and the water heater is probably on it's last legs since it was replaced just before we moved in in '89. Damn! I guess i'll just be happy we own it and I can work at my own pace now.

[Bwana]

You've done good Thumper.

[Big Muddy]

Yep, that's a great feeling.....when I was farming full-time, I paid mine off three different times. ;)

[Thumper]

Ha ha ha! I know how that can happen Mudward!

If I stick to my plan, we'll be totally debt-free by the end of next year. I could be there tomorrow, but I like having a cushion in the bank for emergencies. That'll be my next celebration if I live another year and a half. I've always contributed the maximum allowable into an IRA for Lynn, plus she has a 401K at work, so that'll be a nice little chunk to tap into. Problem is, I'm thinking she's planning on waiting until I die before she retires ... then it'll be party time for her! :crybaby

[BarryBobPosthole]

Congrats Jim!

BKB

[Arty]

Congrats!
Don’t forget to pay your taxes.... or it won’t be yours for long!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thumper]

Ha! You know what they say about death and taxes. 😩