The MVP of our move-in to our new vacation condo in Celebration FL is our new handyman, Carlos. At home in MN, I’m known for my roster of “guys” that work in the house – my handyman Joe, painter Jeff, irrigation specialist Roberto, concrete guy Zac, etc. Still, our one new Florida “guy”, Carlos, might be the best of the whole team. It’s sometimes hard … Continue reading Handyman MVP
Yesterday morning I took our dog, Riley, on a long walk around the Margaritaville Orlando resort that has been our home for the last three winters. It was our ceremonial last walk before moving to our own vacation place in Celebration, Florida. I really enjoyed the time that we spent here at the Margaritaville resort. The colorful, pastel-hued cottages were cute & comfortable and the … Continue reading Farewell to Margaritaville
When I was working at MegaCorp, we would do an exercise called “Sharks & Nets” to assess the risks of a big decision. “Sharks” were the big risks that could take the bite out of a big decision. “Nets” were the mitigation strategies that we would need to prepare ahead of time to stop each “Shark”. With that in mind, I used an AI tool … Continue reading Sharks & Nets – Vacation Home
We did it. In probably the biggest milestone we’ve had since retirement – we found and are buying a condominium in Celebration, Florida, outside of Walt Disney World. We had expressly agreed before we left Minnesota in January that we would NOT to look at real estate this year, but this place just clicked. The next thing you know – we’re signing an offer. Why … Continue reading Celebrating
I’m old enough to have been assigned the chore of ‘raking’ the orange, thick-cut, shag carpeting in our family room when I was a kid. We had a bonafide carpet rake to keep the shag looking new and not matted down under the feet of our family of six. I remembered that dubious task this week, as my wife and I prepared for carpet layers … Continue reading Roll Out The Rug …
With interest rates rising and housing prices up, it’s no surprise that home affordability is in the headlines. I thought I’d share these two charts that highlight trends in the ‘starter home’ market … First, this US Census chart is making the rounds as evidence that young people can’t afford homes … You can see that the gap between 35 & 65 year olds has … Continue reading Starting Out or Waiting – Homeownership
I have been eligible to live in a 55+ community for almost 2 years now. Still, our visit to Latitude Margaritaville in Daytona Beach last week, was the first time that we have ever visited one. It is quite a development. Pitched as a “55-and-better community inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, built on food, fun, music and escapism.” it has … Continue reading Latitude Margaritaville, Daytona Beach
We’re back in Florida for our fourth year snowbirding from cold Minnesota. We toured models at the giant Latitudes Margaritaville/ Daytona Beach development yesterday. A weird thing happened when they asked us where we were from. Being from Minnesota, we had to sign an “Out-Of-State Non-Solicitation Affidavit” to acknowledge that we arrived “voluntarily”. What? Yes, apparently it is against Minnesota law for a Florida developer … Continue reading Wait, Sign What?
Our roofing project has become the job from Hell. They were set to start last Monday and we were told it would take ONE DAY to finish, although it would be a long day. Then it was TWO days. Then THREE days. Then FOUR. Now, we’ve had more than a WEEK of project delays, bad weather, poor time management, and a frightening safety issue (no … Continue reading ‘HOUSE RULES’ for Contractors
The roofers are working on our house today. They started yesterday, but since it’s a pretty big roof, they think it’s going to take the until 8pm on Friday to finish up. See how big it is …?! To say, “thanks” to the hard working crew of 7, I’ve been bribing them with cold beverages during the day and doughnuts & orange juice this morning. … Continue reading This Is A Job For Doughnuts
MrFireStation 