class of 2014..follow along!

[caribbeach]

I guess maybe we are now considered full-timers, we have sold the house and most everything in it (except for the 10X10 storage bldg. full of stuff ) and moved into our fiver. However, I won't feel like one till we leave town and have our first "workamper" job, which is Nov 2014. So I am sticking with you guys as our "class" hope you don't mind . I will say we are going through an adjustment period, its very strange to be as DH puts it "permanently camping". Its been great though we are at an RV resort with a swimming lake, pool, small restaurant and fun activities. Can this really be the rest of our lives!! I'm totally ready! wishing everyone the best of luck selling, purging, etc, etc, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[roberjw49]

Well, our realtor will be dropping the price on the listing this weekend to $299,950 so it will be under the $300K search point and see what happens. I think we will not drop any lower this summer.

 

Maybe we will sit a while or maybe someone will see it and like it.

 

Always hoping.....

 

John

[Guest Butch "Toolhead"]

There is no reason why my wife and I can not become Full Timers right now. We have a 40' DP, a Jeep Wrangler, more than likely, enough money to do this. Retired and drawing SS

But we are Scared and Nervous.

Worked all my life to acquire stuff and we will have to get rid of it.

How do you Full Timers break the Chains that want to hold you back?

[Bill Joyce]

There is no reason why my wife and I can not become Full Timers right now. We have a 40' DP, a Jeep Wrangler, more than likely, enough money to do this. Retired and drawing SS

But we are Scared and Nervous.

Worked all my life to acquire stuff and we will have to get rid of it.

How do you Full Timers break the Chains that want to hold you back?

You cut each chain individually and when you are done, you are free.

I know that is easy for me to say, but it was easy for us to do back in 2003.

[caribbeach]

There is no reason why my wife and I can not become Full Timers right now. We have a 40' DP, a Jeep Wrangler, more than likely, enough money to do this. Retired and drawing SS

But we are Scared and Nervous.

Worked all my life to acquire stuff and we will have to get rid of it.

How do you Full Timers break the Chains that want to hold you back?

 

Butch, I think the first thing you have to do is make the decision, sounds simplistic but is not. Do you have grands or children or parents that you need to stick around for? do the things around you make you happy, are you happy doing what you're doing. Sounds like you are into tools, would it make you unhappy to lose those tools or the lifestyle that comes with them. Do you do things where you are that you feel compelled to continue to do. Once you have made the decision that you would rather be without the tools or whatever it is that is holding you back, have a garage sale, get rid of something you think you cherish and go from there. I had a ball decorating my house and garden and thought I would never leave it or be done, but I am - I want more than the S&Bs, I want adventure, I want to meet new people, I want to see things I haven't seen, before I am physically unable to see and do them. Good luck, let us know what your decision is - oh and hopefully DW will be agreeable, because it does take two in agreement to make it work..

[Guest Butch "Toolhead"]

Butch, I think the first thing you have to do is make the decision, sounds simplistic but is not. Do you have grands or children or parents that you need to stick around for? do the things around you make you happy, are you happy doing what you're doing. Sounds like you are into tools, would it make you unhappy to lose those tools or the lifestyle that comes with them. Do you do things where you are that you feel compelled to continue to do. Once you have made the decision that you would rather be without the tools or whatever it is that is holding you back, have a garage sale, get rid of something you think you cherish and go from there. I had a ball decorating my house and garden and thought I would never leave it or be done, but I am - I want more than the S&Bs, I want adventure, I want to meet new people, I want to see things I haven't seen, before I am physically unable to see and do them. Good luck, let us know what your decision is - oh and hopefully DW will be agreeable, because it does take two in agreement to make it work..

Thank you for your remarks. Yes we have 3 Married Daughters and Grand Children, they are 6, 7, and 15. But it seems like Poppie and Mema are not that important anymore as they get older. We will miss them as we have a very loving family, but nothing says we can't drive home or Fly if we need a Family Fix. Yes I am very happy in my lifestyle but I also love the RV Lifestyle just as much and my wife is also happy doing this. As far as the Tools are concerned, were in the Manufacturing of Cutting Tools www.advancedtool.com and we have sold the Business to my oldest Daughter, I have not been involved with the Tools for almost 3 years and I don't miss it.

Your quote as follows:

"I want adventure, I want to meet new people, I want to see things I haven't seen, before I am physically unable to see and do them."

My wife and I fully agree with this.

Breaking the Mental Chains is very hard. Material things don't mean anything "I think"

But once the House is gone, well that is a very scary thought.I know we could always buy another one.

I guess I just need words of encouragement and a Cattle Prod.

Thank you

Butch and Denise

[Ellenkb]

Hi Class! I finally became a member, and so my user name is a bit different, but its still EBendana.....posted a pic of our rig. Well, the big news is that we are buying a 1.5 acre RV lot in a cool development in N Georgia...thinking of it as a "home base", also an "investment". We should be on track for July of 2014...that is if I can convince the hubby to sell the home in Florida and hit the road. My thinking is that if we put the cash in the bank, we can always have an "exit" plan and buy another "sticks n bricks" if we want....but I don't want to be tied down to "things" even though they are comfortable...any thoughts? Also, we bought a external fuel/transfer tank for the truck, so we can go about 700 miles withouth having to fuel...hubby has been working hard building closet space in the garage...will try to post some pics!

[steved44]

Well, our realtor will be dropping the price on the listing this weekend to $299,950 so it will be under the $300K search point and see what happens. I think we will not drop any lower this summer.

 

Maybe we will sit a while or maybe someone will see it and like it.

 

Always hoping.....

 

John

 

Well, our realtor will be dropping the price on the listing this weekend to $299,950 so it will be under the $300K search point and see what happens. I think we will not drop any lower this summer.

 

John, that can really help sometimes in this electronic age. The people who wound up buying our home had been looking for a place that had 5 acres. Well, we had 4.75 acres and it never showed up on their radar. Once they changed their search engine to 4+ acres, boom there we were. She said she had been looking a year!! Good luck on selling, it will Happen!! Steve

 

Well, our realtor will be dropping the price on the listing this weekend to $299,950 so it will be under the $300K search point and see what happens. I think we will not drop any lower this summer.

 

Maybe we will sit a while or maybe someone will see it and like it.

 

Always hoping.....

 

John

 

Maybe we will sit a while or maybe someone will see it and like it.

 

Always hoping.....

 

John

[Ellenkb]

Hi fellow classmates! We have been at our RV lot in Blue Ridge for a few days and we love it! Just saying....if anyone else is thinking of buying a "home base" this place is amazing...we got a 1.5 acre lot, in a gated development with 200k+ cabins around us....only about 5 lots left out of 11...if anyone wants to come visit they can stay on our spot and check it out! Counting down the days till full time!

[smack2020]

Thanks for the invite EllenKB, does your home base have an Internet site?

 

Our retirement date and FTing date is mid to late December of 2014. I am trying to talk wifey into going the first week of July, 2014. Wife has 600 hours of vacation time, so she would have to burn the time instead of cashing it out. She can't officially retire until 1/3/2015, due to her age. If the housing markets keeps getting better, we should not have any problem selling our house.

 

Sure would be nice to get on the road 6 months earlier than our original plan

[Ellenkb]

No internet, 30/50 amp, sewer and water...Im using my IPad with 3G Verizon getting a decent signal!

[smack2020]

I did good today, shredded about a hundred pounds of old paper work(exaggerating of course). Got another Pyle ready for the Good Will. Got someone coming over to look at our house tomorrow, even though its not for sale. They can always make me an offer, and if its a good one, might just have to sell. Hope to be on the road in 12-13 months.

 

I'm ready to get this show on the road!!

[smack2020]

Had the same lady wanting to buy my house come over yesterday to bring her husband to look at our house. They loved our house, agreed on the price we wanted and she said she would make things happen. But, you may think I'm crazy, I told her and her husband that our neighbor 2 doors down just decided to sell their house and that she and her husband need to go look at it. Yeah, I know crazy to send our buyer to go see another house, why in the heck would I do that?? Well just the day prior, the same neighbor 2 doors down came over upset telling us her husband has a large cancerous tumor in his liver which may be terminal. They are both awesome people, in their mid 70's. She said they will probably have to sell their house, because she won't be able to afford it or take care of it on her own. What a tear jerker for me and my wife. So I told her about the lady coming to see our house and I told her I would send them to her house, now she got teary eyed and hugged us and said thanks. So, if they buy our neighbors house instead of ours, no problem. All is left in gods hands anyway.

[Dance Chick]

Scott...you're a stand up guy. This will come back to you tenfold. Bless you.

[Ellenkb]

karma is priceless, what a nice story share...

[S-n-L]

Hello everyone,

 

Steps for fulltiming in 2014 are rapidly falling into place. Today we closed on our house and a few weeks ago at the Good Sam/Camping World Rally in Syracuse, NY we put a deposit on a 2008 Holiday Rambler Navigator. The plan is to hit the road full time towards the end of May 2014.

 

We are renting back our house from the new owners and need to be out by August 3rd. We will rent an apartment then, pick up our new to us MOHO on August 9th. So much to purge but things are going well and all so exciting.

 

Stuart "n" Leslie from Vermont (for now)

[Ellenkb]

Well my exit date is July 16 of 2014..... My goal this year is not to buy any stuff, and to try and start selling all the extra stuff we have over the next year! lso, we want to scan and shred all documents so that when we hit the toad all our treasures fit in a 10x10 a/c storage...lI have lots of art work I just can't part with and the 70.00 per month fee is so worth it to me!

 

We will be putting the house on the market in May once I turn 55, as soon as the house sells I'll give 60 day notice at work. I'm really ready! We plan on full timing for 5-7 years, we already have an RV lot that we will build on eventually

[smack2020]

Thanks Dance Chick and EllenKB,

 

Good news though, the people that looked at our house apparently liked ours better and gave us a good offer and sent a deposit to the escrow company. I signed the offer today and my wife will sign this evening and I will bring docs to title company tomorrow. Escrow is scheduled to close on 10/1/13, contingent on buyer selling their house. Houses here are moving pretty fast. I put an application in for a long term spot, probably 9-10 months at an RV park near my work. We also moved up the date to hit the road from 12/30/14 to around 7/1/14. Things are rolling along, we are both getting excited and nervous.

 

Scott

[kyyote]

Hello fellow 2014's...back in April of this year I was " just looking" at a 5th wheel to go camping in....no intention of actually buying....strange thing happened...I bought a Keystone cougar 5th wheel alright but then proceeded to have a house/yard sale and I now am looking at "camping" the rest of my useable years! Selling my house and everything I don't need and hitting the road next spring. Just one of those spur-of-the-moment things I have every now and then. ( like one December afternoon went out for a loaf of bread and came back with a new 4WD) I hate Maine winters and the house was starting to be a money pit so I filled the empty 2nd parking space with the RV instead....awaiting count down to launch. Putting my backpacking packing techniques to work to condense stuff in the "house".

Will go to S. Dakota for residency and the summer and then where ever for the warmer climate for winter.

Happy Trails!

[smack2020]

Welcome Kyyote,

Sounds like a good plan, keep us posted on your progress.

 

We are currently staying at Anaheim RV Resort, CA. Nice park, very clean and quiet. We took our 5 year old granddaughter to Disney Land for her first time. We had a great time, but tired. Now back home to do some more purging.

[Hartleyfam]

Had our first yard sale and did pretty well, but the house still looks so full. No regrets, just so much stuff! It is easier to get rid of stuff as we go along. My husband looked at me the other day, and said " All I really NEED is you!"

 

We both sent in letters to the powers that be about our retirements this week (have to give a year's notice). It is starting to feel real! The end is in sight.

[mkrug]

Our house is now listed with the realtor and Sunday is our open house. Its hard to type with your fingers crossed! Nine months to go...

[smack2020]

Had our appraisal on Friday. Our sale is NOT contingent on the appraisal. The couple buying know that the appraisal will probably be lower than the sale price, but they don't care. Escrow is scheduled to close October 1st. I already have an RV spot reserved. We still won't hit the road until 2014, so I'm staying with this class.

 

Got a lot done yesterday, cleaned and purged all day. I even took another load of, why in the heck did I buy this, stuff to Goodwill.

[smack2020]

Got my application sent off to Americas Mailbox in Box Elder, SD. If all goes well, we will be on our way to SD in about a year to register vehicles and get drivers license. I got my mail service early, because the RV park that we are going to live in if our house closes escrow does not have mail service. Almost all our bills are paperless. This will give us plenty of time to figure the mail service process out.

 

I have been wondering if we need to change our cell phone numbers to a SD area code? Or does it not matter?

[skp51443]

We never changed our cell numbers, just the billing and service address. We wanted a phone number local to my mother so she could call us toll-free on her home phone that didn't have free long-distance calling.