2019

2 things...
Many years ago, when the California lottery just started, I bought 1 ticket. I just knew I was going to win. The fat wife and I was sitting in the back yard having a beer talking about how we would spend the 3-4 mil jack pot that I just knew I was going to win. She had a list a mile long...new home, new truck, horses, trailers, boob job...
I told her, "Woe, slow down there missy, you've spent the 1st 20 years income already!" She says, "Well, I guess you'll just have to keep on working then, won't you." I've never played the lottery again.(Didn't win)

I had a client that went to Figi every 5 years for 3 weeks at a time as his special gift to himself. He was a man of modest means, his greatest joy was just drinking and watching the sailing ships come in and out. His last trip, he told me of a sail boat that came in with one guy in his 40's and 5 of the most beautiful bikini models he had ever seen. After the guy tied off and checked in, my friend asked the guy if he'd like a beer and a seat, when he had time. The next day the guy told him his story. He said he was living his father's dream. His father had worked himself to death and left him a fortune. He was close to his dad and his father had always said that the one thing he'd always dreamed of doing was sailing around the world on a boat with a bunch of beautiful women. So the guy placed ads, did auditions, ect, and was now living his fathers dream.
I told my buddy, "Aint it a bitch, here this guy has all that money, and all you and I have are our stunning good looks." I asked my buddy if he would take his wife along. He said "She would have a choice to make...Make some nice new beautiful friends, or stay home."
 
HERE's the thing and this most certainly is not a stupid post it is the very heart of my fear based life right now and those of you that think such decisions are not a huge deal ought to see my alligator face right now as my rosacia kicks up in times of stress, and I'm coming off extended kid being sick with unending mucus, a dog being admitted to an overnight hospital who now has strange swelling of his ball glands... don't get me started he's on F*ing pain pills and the funny thing is he has fought and spit and rejected every pill his whole life and this one- the pain pill He takes it like Candy! Chews it up with a big smile... even dogs know... life is tough.

Some guy called me snod or something I've never heard of the world and perhaps I take a chance posting in Psychology but the same rational that filters out stocks AND tends to be too risky has not overflown into my regular life. Indeed all I do it seems is save and pay bills and lots of taxes. My wife has always been into fashion that was her major for god's sake! And she came up through Ltd Corp and Express and then Vintage shops and then we had our own store where she had freedom to overspend and drive the business into the ground... well coming off that and looking for new less costly things to do... gardening came to mind. My dad was into it. He was down in Barbados and a planter for some time and he had a card made up that said something great like " Planter " I've got to find that card but he struggled for his place in the world no doubt and he did enjoy his gardening so that's surly better than a Chanel bag which my wife got her first one and last one this year (they are supposed to last forever if you're properly armed) Wow that cost some dough and when she scooped a pair of high black Chanel boots to boot... well this removing ourselves to the country every weekend and rolling up our sleeves and digging in the dirt, cutting the grass, cleaning the gutters it will all bring back good memories of my childhood, memories lost when you live in the dirty city to too long. Add on to that feeling the fact that the House is built by an architect of some importance and though it has a cap it will never go for more than million- it's too small it does posses that non ostentatious charm that I am all about. When I was young very young my mother and I lived in the city and then there was a big fuss when she remarried and I remember for a while this country house that came into play it was in Sharon Ct this was the 1970's... and in New York is was the randy thing to do escape for the weekend... it's just the prices of things these days has made it all not fun and the home invasions and such make picking a location of upmost importance when all the ducks fall into line AND you have 4 acres with Wetlands protection from development, do you THEN pull the trigger and make this huge LIFE leap! But it's only the first house I've seen that's the real funny thing but it's like when I found the apt I dwell in now you just know when you walk in the door if you feel like you have already been there before... that's a safe feeling that feels right... dealing with all the headaches... that has me worried I better buy an ice chipper for the car window there is no garage!!! ~ stoney
 
What have I done?
What happened?
I'm stunned. In one day I drove up to Washington Ct and made an offer on this house it was accepted and I returned home. In between my mother and stepfather were there, there was an ice storm I'm pretty sure I left my child with a friend in the city... My heart is beating like a unhealthy horse my hands are shaking where is this money going to come from? I'm freaking out.

Ok lets take a breath. i haven't really seen the town there is no town just a picture
perfectchurch here and there and a bunch of really nice back roads and it is blissfully empty -no SUV crap, a lot of people look to be professors in jeeps and they are lots of kids around because of the prep schools up there so it feels young and alive.

How was this whole experience like any other investment? It's different. I am imagining a whole different person who will use this house. In the city I am vile and dark I think, well maybe I am just big and angry I'm not sure what the effect is but it keeps me from ever caring about what other people think of me & the fact is you don't need a lot of money to be envied by everybody -just pick and chose what you do have very carefully which I do. You can't buy taste either you have it or you don't- most of them don't. And I guess that's where this house comes in it's another piece of armor in the psychology of me. Another reflection. Another act. if it were a stock, this house would have the following attributes..

> Richly valued limited upside.
>small float
> has preferred shares (rental income poss)

As a house investment I don't know how I did; an Hedge Fund guy almost got it last summer in Aug at $925K they had a deal he backed out when he got scared about his bonus. Can you hear me snickering? Anyway it's a few really bad housing months later and my wife and I offered a number we had come up 8 3 8. $838K.
... so now it's up to the great lending system of America. I've got no W-2 just a smile and a stock portfolio... I need some bucks pronto. Tomorrow I work the phones and we will see how " frozen " this lending market is or if a solid stoney can get a loan in this environment.

Which brings me to my last point on psychology. I am not me. That NYC person described above well he was not there today up in Ct they know me as this nice (nervous) fast talking guy from NY who maybe wrote a stock newsletter or something... This is all very embarrassing stuff the guy selling the house is younger than me by alot and retired from a hedge fund- probably making more as a real estate broker! and he is buddies with Eddie Lambert! So I dread the what do you do question but I've always dealt with it with trickery and rapid fire disarmament, so I go into a rail about Adams Respitrory... the people are really nice up there which is scaring me. I hate wealth when it's in your face and bidding at a charity auction in Preschool but when it's done right... it can be fun. I wonder if my wife and will be invited to any dinner parties and then will we have the guts to go? I can see running into the woods here folks! ... it would be interesting if I could use this house to break out of my isolationist shell...

Sometimes you just throw a dart for no reason.
I just decided last week that house hunting and mortgages the time felt right if I was going to do it, I scanned the internet and tried to remember the name of this broker I knew used to do big bushiness up there I did all kind of Google searches and I found them I found the house all in one night on my computer. I went up twice and now a bids been accepted. It's done talk about PRODUCTIVITY! Do other people look at more than one house? (to be fair I looked at 3)

Can it be? I'm being pulled into a vortex of serenity? Trails, trees, streams a sun deck... man if I can pull this off and not be bored or isolate my kid, if I could make friends and be weekend B This different guy... then the stocks can take me back to the dark placed during the week when I return to the city... Or maybe it will smooth the ups and downs out and help my overall trading? One thing is for sure all of this means a whole hell of a lot more driving and that's a whole other can of worms... My benz wagon is 1992 and has 103,500 miles on it & this will be asking a lot more of it than a trip to the beach and my whole 4 wheel shift switch s burned out from acid that's a $2 grand repair I don't want to make and of course I have to fill the house with furniture. That's going to be a problem... Hummmmmm. I better go to bed.

~ stoney
 
Quote from Jayford:

I say sell everything, and spend 12 years on some third world tropical beach (I know of lots of em), and then head back home when you get the cash. You can live like a king on $1,000 per month in the places I've lived in at times (Dominican Republic, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, etc).

This is assuming the US $ is worth something for the next 12 years of course. The FED is trying its best to kill it.
More...

took the friggin words right out of my mouth. chile baby, chile. 1 usd still buys 530 of their pesos.
 
You drive an ageing merc wagon, your wife is an expensive fashion whore, and you just bought an upstate joint you likely cant afford?
Kinda the ultimate cliche, isnt it?
Not critisizing, i couldnt even afford a fashion whore missus.
Solution;
Send the missus to cuba, for "re-education", and to learn how to make cane furniture and farm/market garden , and enjoy the country seachange.

:)
 
Quote from PARACLESE:

took the friggin words right out of my mouth. chile baby, chile. 1 usd still buys 530 of their pesos.
More...

What can you buy with 530 pesos compared to a $1? If it's a lot, I am moving right now.
 
Quote from X-11:

What can you buy with 530 pesos compared to a $1? If it's a lot, I am moving right now.
More...

real estate is like 40-80% cheaper and of the same or better quality as opposed to here. Through local markets you can shop for food at a fraction of what you pay here at a supermarket. You should see the blocks of land that come with those properties too. Some come with natural vegetation. The women are more natural, all real, and not americanized. I would say its paradise. Used to be if you were from the US and especially NY, you were in. All the way in. Now, I just dont know.
 
Well I don't know about Chile but I have looked at a map and they appear to have coastline Peru?
Argentina has some islands forget moving there I'd like to just see one of these places for once. Is there a direct flight is always my problem... and this huge ass dog he has never flown... so if I was to move down I'd have to hire out a private plane that can't be cheap.

Sometimes what happens in the Caribbean is you buy the plot of land from one member of a family build your house and then other family members show up with other tatters of paper unfortunately the local gov will kick you out on your ass if they decide to. Read $'s payoff...

Language can be a problem and education for a young one when you take all the variables into account it really puts you in Spain somewhere with trips to the Algarve in Portugal & Majorca!

I love being " all the way in " though not sure if you meant the country or the women but it sure sounds snuggly- Right now I have a whole lot of things to figure out (1) Do I take a mortgage from a bank that's a boutique bank and been around only a year?... they seem to have the best rate... As long as they payoff the owner does it matter? I might just want them to go out of business after that maybe they will forget about me. (2) I need to find an engineer type to inspect a little bridge I'm responsible for
Read: My life goes down the river if the bridge goes down the stream... (3) I need to make some money in the market.

Shout out to Nutmeg for the supportive words.
I wouldn't be prattling on here if this wasn't the biggest lifestyle change I have ever attempted.

Acronym I am honored to receive your sage advice... and yes I feel a bit like a cliche' of the type of person who might flee to the suburbs but I distinguish myself by having NOT done it right after 9/11 when my clothing business located downtown began it's great decline-- and I'm not abandoning city life... it's just for weekends and school vacations for now....

Now how to control costs from here on out?
How to get a second mortgage today...?
How to get that bridge inspected...?
And make money today in the market...
And drop off AND pickup my kid today from pre school And work out And buy food And receive an herbage delivery And blog a bit on the NY Giants... it's certainly not easy being the stonedinvestor... but it's kind of fun. (Don't tell anyone) Peace.
 
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