Life Updates of a Larger Magnitude

I heard a really great comment the other day that has stuck with me.  It started with a question that you very rarely hear asked - "What do like most about today's young adults?" (Or something along those lines.)  Did you ever notice that people rarely have good things to say about 20-somethings?  I hear a constant mantra of "entitlement" and "know-it-all" and a host of other unflattering words.  I liked this question.  Let's reflect on the goodness.  Amen. Anyway, the reply to that question is what led to this post.  "What do you like most about today's young adults?"  The answer?  "They are advocates.  They have passion.  They want to launch change."  (See those quotations?  They're not actually quotes.  They are whatever my muddled brain remembers as quotes.  Go with it.)  I agree completely.  I love that.  I love the passion with which I see people embracing things and owning them and trying ...

But not here.  Over at Late Day Sun.

In the past week I've had 3 *nearly complete* deals fall through.  It's been this roller coaster of "Oh crap, here we go!" to "Yes!  This is going to be fun!" to "So sad. :(" The first one - house is a great neighborhood, 1 mile from my place.  Seller asking $170k.  Needs $25k of work.  Retail for $230k.  This one doesn't fit my Max Offer formula, but the seller agreed to finance for 6 months, so I would just put the money up for renovations. After all the fees I would walk away with $10-$15k.  I figured that return on $25k of investment was worthwhile.  Anyway, verbal acceptance and a hand shake, have my attorney draw up the document as discussed, his attorney scares him away and tells him that I'm shady and won't deliver and he'll have to foreclose on the property to get it back.  Hate you attorney!  (Even if you are just doing your job and warning of worst case scenarios.) Second - crazy deal I was explaining in the last post...

I went to this real estate seminar last week that talked about a technique where you can find houses that are for sale by owner, and if the owner is willing to finance the purchase, you put it under contract.  You can then assign your contract to another buyer (as long as the contract specifies that, and the seller is ok with it).  You then go find a buyer who has crappy credit but money for a downpayment and a steady income, and you assign your contract to them.  During the period which the seller is financing, you have the buyer work with a credit repair specialist and a mortgage broker to qualify for a traditional loan.  The win for the seller is that they can generally get their full asking price and not pay realtor fees.  The win for the seller is that they get a house at today's price and someone to help them through the financing process.   Is your brain numb yet? Anyway, it sounds logical to me, but I just got my first seller to agree, and I'm sca...

I'm feeling like waxing poetic about parenting.  Are you ready for it? I don't even know where to start.  All non-parents have heard the same "Just you wait!" warnings - your relationship with sleep changes, your appreciation for silence skyrockets, your selfishness decreases by default, your conversations about poop happen way too often.  To all the people spewing that - shhhhhhhh.  Think about what you are trying to accomplish.  Making your single and/or kidless friends feel better about their lives?  I don't think they need it.  Making your pregnant friends even more freaked out than they already are?  They really don't need it!  Or maybe you're miserable with your life decision and just want to whine.  People really don't want to hear that. :)  The only time it's acceptable is when you are having a bad day, surrounded by people in the same situation, and drinking wine.  Because then you're bonding. :P I love my kids ...

Quicken, I hate you.  Why would you let me delete a reconciled transaction from 3 years ago without a warning?  Why would my opening balance for an account that usually has $400 in suddenly shoot up $16,000?!?!  Windows 8, I hate you.  Why would you have such a damn touchy mousepad that randomly clicks on things like a 3 year old $60 transaction and somehow delete it?  Because of that, I also blame you for the $16,000 error.  I can't prove that you did it, but I just *know it* in my gut. You are both on my shit list today.  Better shape up before I toss you both into the swimming pool. MOTHERTRUCKER! DAMN YOU MOUSEPAD!  I DID NOT WANT TO BLINDLY ACCEPT ALL 600 UNVIEWED TRANSACTIONS!  ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I guess you called my bluff.  I hate you even more now.

Since I quit my 9-5, my quality of life has absolutely sky-rocketed.  I *am* still on a Christmas/New Year's high, so take this with a grain of salt, but I love life.  I work a few hours each day, but actually find that I have to reign in the tendency to work more.  I just love what I'm doing. I wake up each morning excited for the day ahead.  I pick up Brynna from school and we hang out.  We walk to get Lillian.  We make dinner and Matt picks up Eve and spend the evening puttering around the house.  Last weekend, I planned all the meals for the week and bought groceries - no more worrying about if I have food in the house.  I've cleaned.  I've started exercising every day because I HAVE TIME.  I've read 2 books.  PEOPLE!  THIS IS AMAZING!  I may not be making a ton of money anymore but for the moment I'm realizing that the things I really need to be happy don't require a ton of money.  Crazy.  And wonderful.