Realistic retirement goals
The Wyoming retirement plan has evolved over the last 6 months. Originally, we were going to sell our house in Oregon, use the money from the sale to move to Wyoming, find jobs and buy some property with a house on it or build a home on it. The goal was always to have a job, but as time went on we really started to enjoy being retired. We know we are relatively young to be retired, but not having to deal with the stress of full time employment has been a blessing. Our mental and physical health has improved and its been nice to spend time with each other.
The epiphany of wanting to stay retired (for now) changed our housing goal. It took some time to adjust our goals. The big house on property was a good goal and we had been focused on this goal for months, so giving it up has been difficult. We started to compromise on our wants as time went by. Maybe we don’t need property. Maybe we build a big new house on a lot. Maybe we buy a big house that needs some remodeling. None of these made us really happy. We had to take a realistic look at what we wanted retirement to be and what items on our wish list were not negotiable.
After some long talks and walks we decided we really wanted some acreage. Somewhere with some beautiful views and close access to water. The house needed to be at least 2000 sq ft and Jim wanted a 3 car garage. To help us keep a good-sized nest egg we would need to look at homes that needed a little love at a price we could afford comfortably for a long time. This would allow us the financial freedom to retire comfortably.
The search was on! We scoured every housing app there is in search of the perfect fit. We found some homes in need of remodeling, one of which was a foreclosure. Our last home was a foreclosure that we remodeled extensively and to be honest we weren’t feeling like we wanted to do that again. The thing is, the foreclosure met a lot of the items on our wish list: 3.5 acres with views, 2244 sq ft, rivers and lakes as close as 7 minutes, 3 car garage, and within our budget. It does need some work though. The house had been vacant for awhile so it needs a deep cleaning, paint, new flooring, new siding, and a few other repairs.
Remodeling probably isn’t high on the retirement list of fun things to do, but us Clarks can’t seem to escape it! There’s something about the cabin that speaks to me. (Not so much for Jim at first). It’s peaceful and cozy and its a blank slate. I think the financial part of it is what brought Jim around to being okay with remodeling again, that and my powers of persuasion ;)
Once we were both on the same page the creativity began to flow. We’ve been researching, making lists, and shopping in preparation of closing on the cabin. And we are happy! Resetting our goals and feeling like we have financial security with this purchase is an awesome feeling. Knowing we get to work together to create a beautiful home for our family is exciting. (We’ll see how long the excitement lasts when we start the remodeling!) For now the planning continues as we wait to sign the papers so we can start on this new adventure!
The epiphany of wanting to stay retired (for now) changed our housing goal. It took some time to adjust our goals. The big house on property was a good goal and we had been focused on this goal for months, so giving it up has been difficult. We started to compromise on our wants as time went by. Maybe we don’t need property. Maybe we build a big new house on a lot. Maybe we buy a big house that needs some remodeling. None of these made us really happy. We had to take a realistic look at what we wanted retirement to be and what items on our wish list were not negotiable.
After some long talks and walks we decided we really wanted some acreage. Somewhere with some beautiful views and close access to water. The house needed to be at least 2000 sq ft and Jim wanted a 3 car garage. To help us keep a good-sized nest egg we would need to look at homes that needed a little love at a price we could afford comfortably for a long time. This would allow us the financial freedom to retire comfortably.
The search was on! We scoured every housing app there is in search of the perfect fit. We found some homes in need of remodeling, one of which was a foreclosure. Our last home was a foreclosure that we remodeled extensively and to be honest we weren’t feeling like we wanted to do that again. The thing is, the foreclosure met a lot of the items on our wish list: 3.5 acres with views, 2244 sq ft, rivers and lakes as close as 7 minutes, 3 car garage, and within our budget. It does need some work though. The house had been vacant for awhile so it needs a deep cleaning, paint, new flooring, new siding, and a few other repairs.
Remodeling probably isn’t high on the retirement list of fun things to do, but us Clarks can’t seem to escape it! There’s something about the cabin that speaks to me. (Not so much for Jim at first). It’s peaceful and cozy and its a blank slate. I think the financial part of it is what brought Jim around to being okay with remodeling again, that and my powers of persuasion ;)
Once we were both on the same page the creativity began to flow. We’ve been researching, making lists, and shopping in preparation of closing on the cabin. And we are happy! Resetting our goals and feeling like we have financial security with this purchase is an awesome feeling. Knowing we get to work together to create a beautiful home for our family is exciting. (We’ll see how long the excitement lasts when we start the remodeling!) For now the planning continues as we wait to sign the papers so we can start on this new adventure!
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