From Dreaming to Planning to Doing

[Going Sailing]

I took the first step yesterday.

Sent an email to the realtor to have them write up the offer on a town home not far from the ski resort.

The nice thing about a place near a ski resort with year-round zero rental vacancy is that it is easy to rent it out in the winter and live in during the northern hemisphere hurricane season.

So we moved from dreaming of "one day" to "holy crap is this really happening" with one press of the send button. So the plan goes something like this:

1. Buy little house (or strata share of the piece of dirt that will become the little house in a year.)
2. Rent out little house
3. Launch son on his way.
4. Sell big house.
5. Sell little boat.
6 Buy big boat.
7. Transition to seasonal renters.
8. Sail away.

It is a multi-year process, but it is exciting to take the first step. There is some other step in there about the 86 year old inlaws, but we'll stick to the fun stuff for now.

[2B]

Welcome and congratulations.

As for the inlaws, are there any other siblings. The closest one is almost always given the green weenie. That was my experience with my inlaws.

I don't know how Canadian law handles things but in the US it's essential for someone to have a durable POA and a medical POA. Get whatever is needed in Canada. I'm assuming you are in Vancouver BC and not Vancouver , WN.

[Going Sailing]

Thanks 2B. Yes we are in Canada. They have the more or less the same POAs here. Those are in place. We are the lucky ones that live only five minutes away! Actually we moved them here to be close to us.

There aren't much in the way of treatment options for their advancing cancers.

So planning the sailing escape is proving to be a nice distraction for my wife and me.

[Meadbh]

Welcome. Sorry to hear about the sick inlaws. It comes to us all one way or another. I was in a similar position with my own parents 10-15 years ago. I found that making plans for a vacation place that I could use after they passed away was very therapeutic. It was something to look forward to amid all the chaos. A condo in Whistler/Sun Peaks/Big White in the summer, combined with sailing in the tropics during the winter sounds ideal. Just a few practical issues: Who will manage the condo during rental season? What happens if it is wrecked?
You will need to document residency in BC (5 months?) to maintain your health coverage, and in Canada for tax purposes (182 days?).

I live in BC and recently updated my estate plan. In this province there is not only the usual POA, will, and advance care directive, but also a representation agreement, just in case you need someone to conduct your business when the POA does not apply. You might need one of these yourself if you will be at sea for long periods. My estate will be relatively complex. My lawyer charged $800 for the complete package, which I consider a bargain.

[Ronstar]

Welcome! I like that plan!

[Sea Kayaker]

Another Vancouverite here with plans to avoid winter by fleeing to the Baja as soon as the first "rains" hit the coast mid-October. And I prefer to "paddle" than "sail". Though learning to sail is on my post-ER "to do" list! As my joints age, its probably best I learn to use the wind as a propulsion method! Motorboats are to be avoided at all costs IMHO.

[Going Sailing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Welcome. Sorry to hear about the sick inlaws. It comes to us all one way or another. I was in a similar position with my own parents 10-15 years ago. I found that making plans for a vacation place that I could use after they passed away was very therapeutic. It was something to look forward to amid all the chaos. A condo in Whistler/Sun Peaks/Big White in the summer, combined with sailing in the tropics during the winter sounds ideal. Just a few practical issues: Who will manage the condo during rental season? What happens if it is wrecked? You will need to document residency in BC (5 months?) to maintain your health coverage, and in Canada for tax purposes (182 days?). I live in BC and recently updated my estate plan. In this province there is not only the usual POA, will, and advance care directive, but also a representation agreement, just in case you need someone to conduct your business when the POA does not apply. You might need one of these yourself if you will be at sea for long periods. My estate will be relatively complex. My lawyer charged $800 for the complete package, which I consider a bargain.

Therapeutic. Yes. I spent years in the hospital rooms reading sailing books and websites while my oldest son had cancer. That lead to our first sailing adventure - a year in Mexico.

Also our first rental experience which i am afraid may colour our judgement. We rented our house furnished to a South African family. Couches, dining table, big screen TV - everything. We came back and found that they had broken a lamp shade which they insisted on paying for. Other than that there was no evidence than anyone had lived in our house, except for the garden which was kept much better than we ever looked after it. They even planted bulbs for us that popped up in the spring. That's a fairly typical rental experience isn't it?

[Going Sailing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea Kayaker Another Vancouverite here with plans to avoid winter by fleeing to the Baja as soon as the first "rains" hit the coast mid-October. And I prefer to "paddle" than "sail". Though learning to sail is on my post-ER "to do" list! As my joints age, its probably best I learn to use the wind as a propulsion method! Motorboats are to be avoided at all costs IMHO.

What a beautiful plan. Spend the springs in the Sea (a little cold in winter). Beautiful. So many places. So much beauty. Such nice people. Your idea of San Francisco will change forever.

[2B]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Going Sailing That's a fairly typical rental experience isn't it?

I doubt it. DW and I rented a house for almost 2 years. When we left, the landlord told me we were the best tenants he ever had. We paid on time, sort of weeded the flower beds every couple weeks, mowed the grass and didn't trash the place. I thought we were just getting by; so if we were good enough where he said we were the best he ever had, there had to have been some real losers.