I like looking at and playing with floor plans. I’ve never quite understood why, but to be honest I’ve also never really thought about it. As weird hobbies go, it’s a fairly harmless one. Several years ago, a co-worker and I discovered a mutual interest in following real estate listings as well. I discovered that it scratched the same itch that playing with floor plans did. It’s also about as harmful.
Well, most of the time, anyway.
With the upheaval in my life last year, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what comes next. My current situation is stable, but temporary; I’ll be ready to move into the final permanent phase within about 12-18 months. In other words, now is the time to start planning.
The combination of the two means my habit of floor plans and real estate listings has focused a little: I’m looking at things with an eye toward creating the last third of my life. I’ll admit it: I’d been despairing. No matter what I found, I just couldn’t come up with a way to make things feasible. I’d find a place I adored, but realize I likely wouldn’t qualify for the mortgage. Or I’d find a place that was financially feasible, only to discover I would likely end up regretting the purchase.
And then I remembered an idea I’d had fifteen years or so ago, at another time and in another place and with another purpose.