Quest To Live A Simple, Stress-Free Life

After several years of dealing with tenants doing thousands of dollars worth of damage, bickering with each other, getting arrested for drug possession, etc., Kim and I were finally able to get rid of one of our two rental properties yesterday.

It would be too complicated to go into complete details, but after years of trying to sell the properties conventionally or get rid of them by working with the bank, we simply let them go via public auction.  Our triplex at 1017 Chester in Bremerton (pictured) was offered at auction yesterday morning at 10 a.m. on the courthouse steps of Kitsap County.  There were no bidders and the property is now "bank owned".  Our once $85,000 in equity in the property has vanished into thin air due to the real estate downturn.  All in all, we are pretty happy that we were able to "stop the bleeding" and get rid of the property with relatively little tax consequences.  Perhaps someday, if and when I feel like it is appropriate to share some personal information, I may write about the entire process in detail.  Let it suffice to say that we learned a lot and for the time being, we are one step closer to living a simple, stress-free life.  We have one more rental property were are still working on getting rid of.

Update On The Sale Of Our Home

We got a phone call from our realtor yesterday saying that one of the couples who have looked at our home are very interested and he expects them to submit an offer, possible today.  Of course, we know not to get our hopes up as we know that people change there minds, get "cold feet", etc.  And there is no guarantee that if we do receive an offer that it will be for the minimum we are willing to accept.  We will just have to wait and see and go through the process.

Seriously Distressed

I took this photo the other day with my iPhone while shopping with Kim at a Target store in Gig Harbor, WA.  While in the men's room, I looked in the mirror and it suddenly hit me...

I've had a full head of hair for 59 years of my life.  I figured once I made it to 40, I'd be safe. Apparently not so.  I know that this may not seem like a big deal to some people but to someone who is struggling severely with the reality of turning 60 this year, dealing with male menopause and suffering occasionally from pacific northwest "wintertime blues", this is the last thing I wanted to see.

But alas, I guess it isn't all that bad.  God commands us to be joyful always and give thanks in all circumstances.  At least I woke up on the right side of the grass today and I have a head to grow what little hair I have left.

Kim made me laugh and tried to make me feel better (bless her heart) by saying bald men were sexy, like Yul Brenner.  I never knew she had a "thing" for Yul Brenner and I never thought of myself as being "Yul Brenner-like".  I've always thought that if I were bald, I'd be more "Telly Savalas-like".  For those of you who do not know who Yul Brenner or Telly Savalas are, Google them.