Chapter 17 - The Sale
Pinecrest sold for $781,000.
Market had risen modestly.
After mortgage payoff, realtor fees, closing costs, settlement reimbursement to Brian, repairs, and taxes, my net proceeds were around $391,000.
Almost exactly where I had started.
Not counting mortgage payments and repairs.
The story people told:
Old man took luxury house back and got rich.
Reality:
I recovered much of my own capital.
Money had sat in house for two years.
I lost legal fees.
I gained appreciation.
Roughly broke even financially.
Emotionally?
Different ledger.
I bought a smaller two-bedroom ranch outside Cedar Falls for $246,000 cash.
No mortgage.
Wide doors.
Attached garage.
Back porch.
One guest room.
No shed.
Jennifer joked:
“Where are you going to put me if I visit?”
“Hotel.”
She laughed.
Tom helped me mount Marie’s photograph.
I put my father’s watch in top drawer.
The old Mason City rental property? I still owned little house. Need resolve. Earlier I had rented it two-year lease. By sale time lease ended. I chose to sell it too? Could have kept as rental. Let's simplify: I later sold Mason City house to tenant couple with financing; net went into retirement. Fine.
I sold old Mason City house to tenants at appraised price.
They had loved it.
Good.
For first time since twenty-one, I owned only one home.
It felt luxurious.
May you like
Not because granite.
Because nobody could tell me where inside I was allowed to sit.
