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Thread: Back after a hiatus and some life-restructuring

  1. #1
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Back after a hiatus and some life-restructuring

    I don't remember the last time I posted here on SLF. Maybe a year ago? Two? No matter.

    By way of re-introduction, about five years ago I burned out severely at work (IT) and was fortunate enough to do something quite different and start a photography business. SLF was instrumental in providing the how-tos and support for the move to living more simply and, I must say, provided a touchstone in the earliest days of this new stage of life. As time went by, however, it became more obvious to me that the forum could not provide what I needed at those times, so I drifted away, posting less and less until I just stopped logging in altogether some time ago.

    Fast forward ... DW and I are still doing fine, enjoying grandchild #1 and anticipating #2 literally any day now. DW still is working, with her retirement day in sight (2019). I closed my business, largely because real-estate photography has changed in ways I don't want to and because I was not gaining traction in it with what turned out to be a relatively low priority in my life. For all intents and purposes, I've retired.

    Both DW and I are experiencing getting older, both now in our late 50s, and realizing increasingly that we are not the people we were 15-20 years ago -- but, then, the world is not what it was 15-20 years ago. But I have not yet stopped moving. I'm more physically active now than I've been in several years. I've lost 25 pounds in the last year just out of being busy (and away from ready sources of food I'll eat). I've become much more involved in core volunteer activities (like feeding people) and active in fighting certain political developments (much as I'd like, you can't fight them all).

    I've learned to focus better and to ignore more of the bull----. And I feel the need to come back. Even as entropy continually attacks order, some aspects of our lives are much simpler now. But others are not. I still see value in a diversity of thoughts around the idea of living simply. And, looking at the last month or so of posts here, it seems there are several who still participate in many areas. That's A Good Thing. I am hopeful I can contribute again and that SLF, in turn, will serve as a supportive environment for some re-centering.

    I'm going to try this again. Thanks for having me back.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    welcome back!

  3. #3
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Awesome! So glad to see you back! We missed you!
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  4. #4
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I missed you. So glad you are back)

  5. #5
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    Glad to see you again Steve.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    Welcome back!

  7. #7
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    Great you are back to the forums!

  8. #8
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    I enjoyed your update.

    Our lives are changing too. We bought a little 800 sq ft 2 bedroom house just a few blocks west of downtown PHX. Will be moving in August. Yes in the heat. Ah well ...

    We thought we would rent for the rest of our lives, having done so since 2010. But we sold our condo in Ohio last summer, and have casually looked at homes in our area of the city since then. We were never interested the suburbs and also never interested in large homes. And we refuse to spend a quarter million on a house.

    The right house showed up. And while I never liked the idea of a home loan in my 50s, it will lower our monthly cost of living by about 500 dollars. The market for these 85 year old homes that are small is not competitive, and it's the only size of house we would consider. It's a win for us.

    One thing I realized through this process is that we are heavily invested in nonliquid savings. Lots of pension and IRA funds. Barely enough liquidity to put 10% down. Since the interest rate is 4.1% we are borrowing 90% of it instead of taking penalties on moving less liquid funds.

    Another thing I notice is the increasing paperwork and bureaucracy in taking out a loan. It seems so much more demanding than it was in 2005 when we last did this. Or maybe we are just getting old and don't want to be bothered. 😄

  9. #9
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Welcome! It's good to see you back here and I look forward to your posts once more. Rob

  10. #10
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tammy View Post
    I enjoyed your update.

    Our lives are changing too. We bought a little 800 sq ft 2 bedroom house just a few blocks west of downtown PHX. Will be moving in August. Yes in the heat. Ah well ...

    We thought we would rent for the rest of our lives, having done so since 2010. But we sold our condo in Ohio last summer, and have casually looked at homes in our area of the city since then. We were never interested the suburbs and also never interested in large homes. And we refuse to spend a quarter million on a house.

    The right house showed up. And while I never liked the idea of a home loan in my 50s, it will lower our monthly cost of living by about 500 dollars. The market for these 85 year old homes that are small is not competitive, and it's the only size of house we would consider. It's a win for us.

    One thing I realized through this process is that we are heavily invested in nonliquid savings. Lots of pension and IRA funds. Barely enough liquidity to put 10% down. Since the interest rate is 4.1% we are borrowing 90% of it instead of taking penalties on moving less liquid funds.

    Another thing I notice is the increasing paperwork and bureaucracy in taking out a loan. It seems so much more demanding than it was in 2005 when we last did this. Or maybe we are just getting old and don't want to be bothered. ��
    Congrats on the house, Tammy! And good for you for staying in the core instead of moving on out and "on up" (remember the Jefferson's theme song?) to Gilbert or Chandler or somewhere depressing (at least to me anyway) like that. Rob

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