So let’s do it!!

6 months ago when the conversations in our household turned to sailing, how much it would cost, what we would need and how we would go about achieving it, a whole lot of speculation and daydreaming started.  Tyler and I (#momandson)  spent time on the internet looking at sailing courses, sail boats around the world and trying to calculate how much we would need and whether we could make our pipe dream a reality.  One evening after a lengthy discussion on the subject (over a beer or 2) it was decided that the only way we could get close was a drastic life change. 

The way I was able to retire at the age of 55ish, was by working full time and flipping houses.  I started with my first little house in 1991 and over the course of 24 years, bought and sold 7 of them.  Flipping houses does not mean moving in and out but a lot of hard work fixing up, as Tyler who was the always ready gofer of the mom and son team, can tell you.  Repairing and changing homes to make them more desirable in the house market is hard work.  Most of the time it takes more than just a new paint job to spruce them up and over the years I learnt to take out walls, put in curved arches, replace cupboards, toilets, walls, and must admit at one point had more tools than most men I knew at the time.

Now I really thought I was over remodelling when I sold my last home in Nakusp, BC.  When Tyler decided to sell his last apartment in Burnaby he asked if we could do a makeover so out came the paint, brushes, sewing machine, and call the carpet cleaners.  Hide all the tid-bits and in a week it was ready to go.  It sold 2 hours after the open house.  Nice.

Mom helping Tyler lay tiles on the balcony.

 

Using the equity gained in the sale and a little help from mom Tyler was able to purchase the condo in New Westminster; we became roommates and the discussion of sailing and exploring a new way of life came into play. 

So let’s do it!!