 |
|
05-23-2013, 09:35 AM
|
#1
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
Bought a home, finally
We should be closing within 10 days or so. Living as renters for the past 4 months while we searched for a house or condo quickly convinced us that we are better suited to ownership (a highly personalized preference to be sure).
We're going for something new to us - a mid-rise building of about 60 units, small (1400 sf), partially offset by shared common facilities for storage, pool, fitness room, meeting/entertainment rooms for larger get-togethers, library, rooftop container gardening, lobby restaurant/bar/coffee shop etc. It is an easy walk to the San Francisco light rail system (20-30 minutes to downtown SFO) and the local city center. Ten minutes to the grandkids. City living.
We are still stunned by the housing market numbers here but have reached that point in ER where issues such as family, health and lifestyle are looming larger while pure finances are cautiously stabilizing.
Time to settle in for a spell.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
|
05-23-2013, 09:45 AM
|
#2
|
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Harrogate, UK
Posts: 921
|
Good for you.....can't imagine what prices in that area are like. 1400sf is small?
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 10:15 AM
|
#3
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful place to live in during retirement. I especially like the possibility of no yardwork, and having a fitness facility right there in the building.
I live in 1600 square feet, but almost 300 of those square feet are used for my home gym. For me, this is more square footage than I really need or use, and I would be perfectlly happy in well under 1000 square feet if there was a common fitness facility like that. I think 1400 square feet will feel just fine once you get used to it.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:09 AM
|
#4
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
 Quote:
Originally Posted by F4mandolin
Good for you.....can't imagine what prices in that area are like. 1400sf is small?
|
Downsized from 3200sf.
We ended up taking a 5x10 commercial storage room until we can sell or donate the dregs. DW has trouble separating with old things but seeing all this stuff, she is slowly coming around.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:11 AM
|
#5
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
I think 1400 square feet will feel just fine once you get used to it.
|
Thanks - I agree. Also, less to clean, air condition, paint, etc.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:14 AM
|
#6
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
|
Yep, as a Bay Area native, I can attest to the (very much) reduced A/C needs living in San Francisco. I remember going to *day games* at the old Candlestick Park to watch the Giants in July and people were bundled up....
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:37 AM
|
#7
|
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Harrogate, UK
Posts: 921
|
Wasn't trying to make a dig with the 1400sf comment(figured you were coming down).....our current house is a little over 1500sf with a workshop as well.....tooooo big for us and we will be going smaller in 5 years or so. Problem is.....it's really hard to find good housing in that 1200sf area. Usually if it is that size...it's in a bad neighborhood. They just don't seem to want to build smaller houses in new housing areas. But of course.....if we end up moving back to the UK.....1200sf will likely be big for our price range.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:40 AM
|
#8
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,709
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_by_the_Bay
Thanks - I agree. Also, less to clean, air condition, paint, etc.
|
Congratulations on your new home. Condo life is an acquired taste, and the adjustment from single family to condo lifestyle is not easy for everyone. Less maintenance obligation and more free time does help, especially when that time makes a positive difference elsewhere. Hope it works out.
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 11:48 AM
|
#9
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Naples
Posts: 2,179
|
Congrats, Rich. Before moving to the Tampa area we had a 1400 sq ft condo in Ft. Myers and loved it. Big enough for the two of us. Now we have 2050 and feel crowded. Why? Accumulated too much "stuff". Not me! That's what does it. You end up needing more room in which to fit your junk.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 12:09 PM
|
#10
|
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
Congratulations ! Sounds like the ideal retirement home .
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 12:38 PM
|
#11
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,774
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
Congratulations ! Sounds like the ideal retirement home .
|
+1. Your description of the extras is very appealing, Rich! And 1400 sf means you should have plenty of room for overnights for a couple of geandchildren at a time. So glad your plans are working out.
__________________
“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 02:06 PM
|
#12
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich_by_the_Bay
We ended up taking a 5x10 commercial storage room until we can sell or donate the dregs.
|
Thus reinforcing the stereotype of doctors as dreg dealers... 
Congrats on your new crib!
__________________
Numbers is hard
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 02:16 PM
|
#13
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Orlando
Posts: 2,656
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
Congratulations ! Sounds like the ideal retirement home .
|
+1
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 02:24 PM
|
#14
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,071
|
You do have an extra bedroom, right?
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 03:14 PM
|
#15
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
Congratulations! Sounds like my kind of place. I hope you have an excellent condo board and reserve.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 04:15 PM
|
#16
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
|
Congrats Rich. I feel sure you and wife won't look back except to wonder, how long has this been going on?
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 06:06 PM
|
#17
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Thus reinforcing the stereotype of doctors as dreg dealers...
Congrats on your new crib! |
You just had to dreg that out 
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 06:10 PM
|
#18
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg52
You do have an extra bedroom, right?
|
And a putting green on the roof. I held out for a driving range on the roof but the pesky folks across the street objected.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 06:12 PM
|
#19
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadbh
Congratulations! Sounds like my kind of place. I hope you have an excellent condo board and reserve.
|
We did that once before and it never became problematic but I've heard all the horror stories; what? Me worry?!
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
|
|
|
|
|
05-23-2013, 06:54 PM
|
#20
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 12,901
|
Congrats!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|
