An Era Ends Happily

One of my earlier blogs on here dealt with change and the pending sale of my Great Uncle's house.  The closing on the sale was Friday (yesterday).

On Wednesday, we were hit with a pretty major wind storm.  We had waves on the beach higher than in the last 30 years.  My fire ring was washed away and the font stoop on my house was about 3 ft from where the waves ended their  violent travels up the beach.  The windows got a good washing from spray and my wife's comfy swinging chair blew away (to be recovered this morning from up in the woods behind the house.).

I saw none of this because I was out in a bucket truck attempting to put up lines and clear downed trees.  I have not heard what the winds gusted to or even what the sustained speed was, but there was lots of damage.  I came in at around 3AM, to my own house without power and slept for approximately 2 hours before going out again on Thursday for another 17 hours of repair.

At one point, I drove by my Uncle's house and quickly turned around in the driveway to make sure there was no tree on it or other damage that was immediately visible.  I honestly don't remember if it was Wednesday night or Thursday Night.  After about 6 or 7 hours of sleep, myself and my crew were back at repairs on Friday morning early.  Every occupied home and business had been restored on Thursday evening and no one had been without power for more than 20 hours - most significantly less and Friday we had 5 unoccupied homes to make repairs in order to get power to.  I honestly did not even think about the closing that day.  I had already signed the necessary paperwork and did not need to attend the closing.  Around 3 PM yesterday afternoon, I came in the office for a quick bite to eat and as I was sitting there the gal in the office said to me, "so!  you are officially down one home today!"  I was a little puzzled and then realized, "Wow!  That was today!  I completely forgot!"  We had a couple more hours of work ahead of us but, I called the young fellow who was buying the home and told him that I would meet him there when I was done and give him my keys, the garage door opener and just give him a couple tips on the house and property.  He sounded excited.

I remember my first house. I bought it before my wife and I got married.  It was in a small town in Southwest Wisconsin and my mortgage after down payment was $14,000.  We were living about 4 hours away from the home and I was scheduled to start a new job about 30 days after the closing.  As a side story, I left a job on a Friday, got married on a Saturday, left the state alone on a Sunday and started a new job on Monday.....I won't kid you and say it was not stressfull!  In any case, I traveled for the closing and I remember vividly how excited I was to actually own my own home!  I slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of an empty house.....an empty house that I owned!!!!! the night of the closing. It was an old house that needed some work, but it was a great house!  Big! Built in 1890 something.  Huge kitchen, dining room, living room, parlor and 4 bedrooms!  I don't remember exactly, but I think my monthly mortgage payment on a 15 year note was something like $170.  With extra payments, I actually had the house paid off in 3 years....just in time to get another job and another house!

In any case, I could relate to this young man's excitement.  He and his soon to be wife have a 3 year old son.  As I said in that earlier blog, this town needs young couples and kids.   I showed him where the septic cover was, where the clean out was (all buried under the dirt and hard to find when a pump out is necessary).  I showed him which breakers turned on the water and the water heater and I shook his hand and congratulated him on owning his first house.  I think I already mentioned that he was excited.

As I drove out, I thought about my Great Uncle and Aunt and thought what a change the old house was about to go through.  Good changes.  The most important changes?  A change in who mows the lawn, who checks on the house after a storm, who makes the minor repairs that every home, occupied or not needs from time to time.  A change for the best.

Now all that is left is to pay off the final debts of my Uncle and Aunt and close the estate.  The bills will be paid next week and the estate will be closed as soon as I receive satisfaction paperwork.  By my calculation, I will end up with $78.78 in my pocket when it is all done.  I am almost as happy as the new owners.