I have started to think I have little control over events in my life. An analogy here: It seems reasonable to expect that if you exert directional force on a rudder or wheel to steer a particular direction, you should get positive results. The more energy you exert, the more likely you will head in the direction you choose. This is well and good if you have power to propel you, but if you have a sail and depend on wind for that source of energy, experience means more than just turning the wheel. My life is beginning to feel like that boat and the wind keeps changing direction as does the horizon I aim for. The experience needed to navigate these waters has little to do with strength and stamina, and everything to do with patience…and luck.

For me, “Airstream” has been an all encompassing metaphor for happy memories and achievement. Ours was purchased new in ’07 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. In all these years it has been to Yellowstone Park five times (once when a friend borrowed it), that’s it, so the ROI (Return on investment) sucks, yet through thick and thin and without even a vehicle to tow it, we still hung on to it. Fast forward 15-years and it finally looks like we will be able to use it with some regularity. We still don’t have a tow vehicle but through it all, we have kept it maintained, licensed and parked in secure storage. Finally, when it is looking like we will be able to enjoy it once and for all, the the wind starts blowing—in the form of an elevator. Our’s is 60-years old and original to our condo. We have had several incidents over the 5-years we have lived here that have shut it down. Sometimes for hours, sometimes days and once for several weeks. The difference now is this has become a weekly occurrence. Everyone in the building knows it is a matter of “when” not “if” we must replace it.

Two weeks ago, we learned a unit on the lobby floor was going up for sale. The couple that own it are moving to her parents while she fights cancer. They are a wonderful young couple with two infant children. She takes care of the children while her husband attends med school. My wife has been particularly close to her; partially because of her board duties and partly because that’s how she is. They talked about the illness and that their unit was going on the market. My wife expressed interest in talking to their agent when it did. The wind was beginning as a stiff breeze at this point. The lobby level is the only floor allowed by the C,C & R’s for rentals, which would mean we could use it while the elevator is under construction and then lease it. As we contemplated the possibilities—the the elevator broke—again. The discussion amongst residents and board members had escalated and it became our number one priority. It would require a serious investment of money, time and patience—and needed to be fast-tracked. Obviously, the lower the floor you live on, the less critical the issue is. The number one project prior was an extensive remodel of our grounds. The design was set after a presentation to all residents. The total was $85K. Not insignificant, but worthwhile and attainable with another special assessment. The constant elephant in the room is always the elevator, and with the frequency of breakdowns increasing, the landscape project was halted, infuriating several residents. A point of reference here: no one above the 5th floor voted garden over elevator.

Everyone knows the potential timeframe for replacement. Once the order is placed and deposit received, it will be a six-month build & install, meaning in a perfect world, if all new components are in place, including people and equipment, the total downtime without a functioning elevator is 45-60 days. That is a long time without an elevator. But what about an imperfect world? Because it is not an “off the shelf” product and custom built, we are as mentioned earlier, six-months without an elevator. All of sudden two-months doesn’t look so bad. Problem is neither scenario is acceptable for a 93-year old that requires weekly doctor visits—and lives on the 8th floor. This leads us back to the condo on the lobby floor. This purchase would allow all of us the ability to have access to a ground-floor unit with minimal stairs and little inconvenience regarding the elevator. Our real estate market is one of the hottest in the entire country, but not necessarily concerning condos, at least thats what we thought. My wife and I are both realtors so our opinion is not an uneducated guess, and we were comfortable with our assessment. We had already started the financing, assuming we had time—condos are hit and miss and this building, while having tremendous history and charm, is expensive, keeping the faint of heart away, especially buyers. We continued assuming a number, one we were comfortable with, would be “it” after sitting on the market for a while. This was partially based on the fact a larger unit, directly above this one, had been on the market for months with the only seeming activity a price reduction. We were certain we had the power in this negotiation. The winds were beginning to pickup with occasional gusts now. The open house was over the weekend and we really didn’t have knowledge of whether it was successful or not and weren’t concerned, but when their first showing was Monday before 8 am, we got worried. It was justified. A cash offer, 25K over our planned number had been received. Scrambling, we realized this negated any terms or financing we had started assembling and would require a cash deal. Not having those funds, our one option was my wife’s sister. She would give us the cash as a “bridge loan”, allowing us 45 days to arrange financing to buy her out. In the end, we matched the cash offer, now $30K over our estimate, and won the day because of relationships. By this time, the 93-year old had already moved-in, mentally at least and was dismayed that our initial plan had stalled. It was a gale force wind now as we thought of ways to raise a strong down payment—in a hurry. It is important to remember that real estate is pure commission, no sales, no pay. Reviewing our assets lead to only one logical conclusion, sell the Airstream. Fortunately, since the pandemic hit, the market for used RV’s has risen substantially. In 2018, the most recent time we considered selling, our Airstream was worth about 25K, about what we still owed. Currently, that same trailer is worth around 50K, a 100% increase and the amount needed for the loan, especially since it is paid off. So, a 15-year dream that we kept alive through the darkest of financial times, is going away essentially because of an elevator. There is a certain amount of adrenaline created wondering where you will end up and in what type of condition you’ll be.

One benefit of being semi-retired is having a flexible schedule and while I continue trying to make the days somewhat consistent schedule-wise, Friday’s always have a potential morning ritual. The estate sale. Through all of ups and downs, this has been the most rewarding. The anticipation of finding vinyl gems in someones living room or garage never gets old. It is a kick digging through a collection to see what that individual preferred, and equally important, how were they taken care of? Some make me shake my head and others cause me to imagine the listening parties or the room setup. The collections generally range from mid-50’s to the mid to late 80’s, which makes sense because of the rise in popularity of the CD. Easy listening, Christmas and show tunes are always well represented, but the treasure is the more adventuresome. My focus is jazz, blues, R&B, crooner (Frank Sinatra. etc) and less known rock bands, but anything is possible if it is in decent shape or piques my curiosity. You quickly determine their preferred artists or genres, which offers an excellent opportunity to sample several albums from one artist with no risk. At $2 an album you have little to lose and everything to gain.