I’ve noticed I haven’t posted in a while, and it’s now the second half of the month.  I need to try and get my twice-a-month posts going so I don’t end my easy-to-meet streak.

I’d like to say the reason I’m late posting is that I’ve been living Full Speed FI.  Well, maybe that’s true in the sense that we are in the process of moving after 35 years in our starter (“ending”) home, well, not ending at this point.

Full Speed on a Different Path than Planned

On a Sunday afternoon, I read how the house market has been really slow, and prices are weak, and it’s a buyer’s market.  I fired up Redfin and did some looking.  I didn’t find anything my wife would want (garage-wise), but there were a couple houses that looked cool.

She came home from lunch with her friend (why they go on the weekend when they’re both retired still baffles me), and I said I was checking on house listings.  She didn’t believe me, but she found the link I sent and did some looking and, in 15 minutes, said: “I like this one.”  She said we should drive by since it wasn’t quite sunset yet.

We drove by the house I liked, the one she liked, and two others that seemed good, but those two were surrounded by two-story neighbors–not my thing, not at all.

The next morning, we called a realtor who helped our family in the past, and he said he’d be landing at the airport in a few hours and we could go check out the two houses at 2 pm.  He wisely took us to the one I thought was cool first (not great) and then the one my wife liked (really great).  We walked around it for 20 minutes, and I asked him to make an offer.  My wife said, “Wait, we need to go home and talk about this.”  I said, “You don’t want this one?”  She said, “Yes, I do.”  So I told the realtor to make an offer he thought they’d accept. 

The next morning our offer was accepted. 

In 24 hours, we thought, “Let’s see what’s available in this off-peak housing market.”  (when the market’s down-upsize, when the market’s up-downsize).  In an hour of driving past a few, and a half an hour or so of walking through two houses, we had an accepted offer and DocuSigned our contract.

The Power of FI

I think about the Hell YES.  I think about the Fun Bucket.  I think about the FU&#IT Bucket.  I think about the freedom of saving for decades, living below our means/incomes, about great market returns (once I learned about Total Market Index investing), and being intentional with our FIRE/Retirement spending and tracking.

Within 3 weeks, we closed and had the keys, and I began resetting all the smart home devices to factory defaults so I could control everything. 

We hired movers for half a day to move the big furniture we decided to bring to the new house, some of it temporarily until we can order and receive what (“Kathy) wants.  (For the record, I’ve been really good at just saying “yes, do what you want to your new home,” even with the prices of some of this stuff)

I want to thank

Mindy and Carl Jensen for sharing a simple comment a while ago (“we’ve never lived in a home we’ve loved”) and then built an amazing new home. 

Rachael and Paul moved to Arizona and bought an amazing home, one that seemed priced beyond feasible, but in actuality, a very sound percentage of a net worth. 

I know Pete purchased a new home in a community he loves and has shared how happy he is with his decision.

Pete from the Retire with Enough podcast upsized their home in retirement so they could be the family central home again.

I know Carl and Mindy got some inspiration from Leif’s FIRE home.  I know they also loved Jason and Shaina’s home.

Examples Matter

My point is, people in our community are living outside the frugality–36k/yr box– because they can.  They’re not being extreme, but they are realizing they have the resources to surround themselves (ALL DAY LONG, they can spend in their home) in an environment that makes them feel good.

Strangeness

We wake up like we’re in a little resort.  I walk to our shared office (across what’s apparently called a ‘gallery’’) which has a window that looks out on a preserve instead of a block wall.  I have stairs (grand stairs) that I traverse 15-30 times per day (super strange having stairs).

Our house is 1000-2500 square feet smaller than some of the homes we considered because they were not “us.”  Some of the houses out there are ridiculous.  Ours is grand to us, but not huge at all.

I’m so curious as to when the amazement turns into the norm of life. 

I’ve always stated/noticed that “I’m happy wherever I’m at.”  At home, or in San Diego, or on a trip, or at CampFI.  But I can say “happy” in our old 1026 sq ft home is small-scale happy compared to our new home. 

Right or Wrong?

I feel OK having a chunk of our savings sitting inside the walls of this home, vs. in an account earning market returns.  Those market returns are just 1s and 0s in a computer and on a screen.  Those account returns (growth) are now surrounding us 24×7 instead of being inside a monitor.

Perspective is a big deal.  Shifting and accepting is important.  “Feel” is important.

Every second of this home process has felt right.  Instinct and acceptance are good.  Being happy where you are is powerful.

So, I hadn’t posted (or written one word) in 3-4 weeks because we’ve been moving and settling into our Unimaginable Goodness.

This is HUGE for us, but not much different than the lives most normal people live every week. 

Maybe I’ve just been behind, holding us back.   That’s something to think about.  Did I wait too long?

1026 words for our old 1026 square foot home.

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.