In the winter of 1990, I spent six weeks traveling in the canyons of Utah and the redwoods of California with a dog, car and oh yeah, a boyfriend. The following year, we bought a small pop up trailer that we towed with a VW Golf and traveled to Ashville NC, Charleston, Okeefanokee Swamp, Edisto Island in Georgia and landed at Mardi Gras in New Orleans just by luck. I was hooked. For the past 25 years I've been wanting to do this again, but one thing or the other made it just not feel like the "right time." So now it is. Me, dog, car. No boyfriend.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Catching the Excitement!

Fernadina Beach, FL

The other day, I was at a little gathering of friends and someone I know who has her own business was lamenting that she could not retire without having to sell the house she adores.

I questioned further.



After about an hour or two discussion, my friend's vision of her retirement totally changed to a happy potential that could happen much sooner and without having to sell her house.

She got bit by optimism!

I've been enjoying watching and listening to her process the new found paradigm of keeping her house and using that as a rental asset, collecting social security when she's eligible instead of waiting until 70, and considering her love of the "tiny house" movement as something that's already been happening for over 80 years! 

      Grandpa Lorenz Anderson and the trailer they called "Baby Elephant" in 1932

Actually my mom and her family were nomadic in the winter and  drove a trailer from Ohio to Florida during the Depression. They were fortunate in that her father was the postmaster of her little town and they could afford to do such things whereas much of the nation could barely scrape enough money together to eat.


              Baby Elephant and the Bender

    Mom Arlene Anderson age nine in Hollywood FL.

The first thing I asked her about was considering how long it would take for her to make the Social Security deferral break even. For me and for her it was at age 82. 

FORGET THAT!

It behooves us to consider how long it would take to reclaim our deferred Social Security benefits if we wait until 70 to take SS and forgo the tens of thousands of dollars we could collect between 66-70 to pay off an asset like a house.  For my friend, it makes more sense to take it at 66 and pay off her mortgage. For others who don't need the money, then leave it alone. Selling her house makes no sense especially since it's an adorable waterfront cottage that could easily fetch a decent rent and substantially add to her annual income.

And she loves the tiny teardrop trailers...............Stay tuned!






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