Broke for the next 30 years - and loving it!

[RevSmoke]

Good morning friends.

Life will be changing for the Jerabek household for a while. Saturdays will be busy and finances a whole lot tighter. I thought you'd like to know why (maybe you don't). It will affect things here - whether I'll ever get to a MOB herf (will have to miss the September one because of all this), how many cigars I buy in the future, etc...

For 25 years I've been married. For the first eight year we rented. Then, since becoming a pastor, we have lived in parsonages - church owned homes. Pastors in the LCMS don't get rich, but they're able to take care of their families. When they live in a parsonage, as the church provides a home and pays for utilities, the pastor's salary is commensurately lower.

Since we don't have our own home and the idea of where will live when we retire has nagged at us as we approach that magical number of 5-0. So, we've been looking for a way to build up some equity (and possibly get some land in order to take my boys hunting). So, we've been looking for some property for the last 4 years or so. Last November it really hit home that we need something of our own when on opening day of deer season we arrived at the place were I thought we were allowed to hunt and the owner comes up to tell us, "I said you could hunt bow season, but not gun." Not his fault, I simply misheard him when he gave me permission.

After much searching for the last few years and a little Divine guidance and help, we found a piece of property on which we're closing this next week.

It 80 acres of partially wooded property with an 1970s mobile home and a 34X58 pole barn/shed (I can store the pop-up in it and save the winter storage fees), and all this for less than $78k. Yes, that's less than $1000 an acer. There is also well, septic, electric, all on the property already. While the mobile home isn't anyplace we'd move into to live, it will work for deer camp and as a get away shack till we're rich enough to put something else up on the property. Oh yeah, a creek runs through the 80 acres as well (yeah, this is a lucky find) and it is about 50% wooded.

Thankfully, we had inherited 15K from a death in the family (which precipitated the search to begin with) so that we had a down payment and closing costs.

So, that means we'll have to tighten belts around here and watch expenses. Thankfully, at present we have no other debt, including no car loans (hopefully the cars we have will last for at least the next 5 or more years), s that helps. But, non-necessary expenditures will be pared back as we need to be able to make monthly payments from a salary that is specifically set with NO mortage or rental payment in mind.

I am a little concerned about that. We cannot have any emergencies for the next 30 years. ;)

Anyway, my next few Saturdays will be spent heading 2+ hours up north to do some work on the mobile home to make it habitable, and to get ourselves situated so the boys can have a successful deer hunt by scouting with deer cams and putting up some deer blinds/stands.

Don't know that it will happen yet, but there is lots of other wild game there that may be hunted in the future. I know there are grouse, rabbits, and other critters there, and am waiting to see, but hopefully turkeys too.

Anyway, I've never been a property owner before, and am seriously nervous about it (too old to be trying new things). Am concerned about how things will go as we have a new and tighter budget. Praying that nothing on that old mobile home goes wrong. Wondering if property ownership is a good idea. But 80 acres for less than $1000 an acre was too good to pass up.

Anyway, if someone ever wants to get away to the north woods of Wisconsin with many lakes around for fishing and with literally thousands of acres of national, state, and county forests within 10 minutes - let me know. I'd be glad to loan the place to those who might be interested in a getaway.

Keep us in your prayers, for this is all new to us - exciting and terrifying at the same time - never been in debt for such an amount before.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[Steve]

That's great Todd!

[E.J.]

Exciting news... Good for you!

First home(usually that includes first large debt) always provides a bit of anxiety, but it will work out....you obviously have your ducks in a row....

Added bonus, there has NEVER been a better time to finance a home.....

Congrats!

[SmokeyJoe]

Todd... I am praising the Lord for you and your opportunity to build equity. We were in your shoes until ten years ago when we got the chance to buy a home. It will be a good investment for you, I'm sure. Worth the sacrifices...

Don't go lacking on cigars, though. Many of us would be happy to make sure you have plenty of smokes. :D

Blessings on you and your family.

[shilala]

Congratulations, Todd!!! :)
The place sound awesome. You guys are going to enjoy it immensely.
I wouldn't get my hopes up too high on the "nothing going wrong with that old mobile home". Keep the trees cleared away, set tons of mouse traps, and make sure you drain all the water real well, and you shouldn't have to fix too many pipes every spring.
Camps are a lot of work, but you and the boys have lots of hands. You'll all do just fine. :tu

[RevSmoke]

Exciting news... Good for you!

First home(usually that includes first large debt) always provides a bit of anxiety, but it will work out....you obviously have your ducks in a row....

Added bonus, there has NEVER been a better time to finance a home.....

Congrats!

Financing $70K may not be a big think in the grand scheme of expenses, but it is a ton of money to us.. Yes, this is a great time to finance property - and hopefully we now have a place where we can build a home in the future - when the time comes.

[RevSmoke]

Todd... I am praising the Lord for you and your opportunity to build equity. We were in your shoes until ten years ago when we got the chance to buy a home. It will be a good investment for you, I'm sure. Worth the sacrifices...

Don't go lacking on cigars, though. Many of us would be happy to make sure you have plenty of smokes. :D

Blessings on you and your family.

Thanks, Joe. Please don't do something foolish in the cigar category. I have enough to last me a while if I don't buy or receive any.

I am more covetous of your prayers and well-wishes.

Congratulations, Todd!!! :)
The place sound awesome. You guys are going to enjoy it immensely.
I wouldn't get my hopes up too high on the "nothing going wrong with that old mobile home". Keep the trees cleared away, set tons of mouse traps, and make sure you drain all the water real well, and you shouldn't have to fix too many pipes every spring.
Camps are a lot of work, but you and the boys have lots of hands. You'll all do just fine. :tu

Thanks Scott. I have no expectations of nothing going wrong. In fact, I expect problems in a mobile home this age. I am just praying that my expectations are not realized.

Yes, a few hands make little work Although, a ton of ignorance makes for extra bills to be paid to those with know-how.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[TripleF]

Congrats bro!! :tu

[kelmac07]

Congrats Todd! :D

[G G]

Congrats you are now a land baron.:tu

Prayers for the Lord to continue to sustain you and your family.

[replicant_argent]

Sounds great. Be a good steward of the land, manage it well, and it will give you pleasure and rewards, and you can look at a job well done for the next generations. Remarkable things can be done to make your property suitable for your needs if it is generally on its way already.
Good luck, and best wishes.

[Ranger_B]

Todd thats awesome news. Congrats money well spent for the piece of mind after you retire.

[pnoon]

Terrific news, Todd.
Great news for you and your family.

[massphatness]

Nice Todd! Best of luck to you and your family.

[bobarian]

Congratulations! It sounds like a wonderful piece of property. :tu

[CigarNut]

Congratulations!

[Gophernut]

Sounds awesome! That's a beautiful part of the world up there! Congrats!!

[Smokin Gator]

Congrats on the purchase brother. Sounds like a great buy on a great place. I know you know that the Lord will take care of you. I will keep you and the family in my thoughts and prayers on your journey as a land owner.

[shilala]

Thanks Scott. I have no expectations of nothing going wrong. In fact, I expect problems in a mobile home this age. I am just praying that my expectations are not realized.

Yes, a few hands make little work Although, a ton of ignorance makes for extra bills to be paid to those with know-how.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
I'm sure you and the boys are already pretty handy. Being a homeowner makes you a lot more handy. I was raised by a Dad who was a carpenter and a mechanic and learned all the other trades on my own or through career choices.
At a time, I had six houses and had to do all the fixing all the time. The fact that I could do absolutely everything is why I could make the money part of it "go". If I had to pay someone to do stuff, I'd have lost my ass.
They call that "sweat equity". :D
There is so much information out there now that you shouldn't have to be unprepared, and shouldn't suffer a lot of cost fixing things. You can talk to all kinds of guys who have camps and find out what they do to protect them and winterize them.
Trailers are really tough when it comes to fixing stuff, so it's best to keep them from breaking.
You and the boys are going to have a good time, and you're going to learn a lot of good stuff. It's an incredible opportunity and a fortunate blessing.
Don't dread the inevitable. Embrace it.
Peace of the Lord be with you, especially when you go to camp. ;)

[BlackDog]

Todd, I'm very envious. A little slice of heaven here on Earth. I hope you create many wondrful family memories there! :tu

[MedicCook]

Congrats Todd.

[Apoco]

Awesome! Congratulations!

[Chingas]

That is great news Todd. I hope you and your family the best. 80 acres. I don't know what I'd do first! Probably sit down and smoke a big fat cigar!

[Emjaysmash]

Todd, I'm glad you took the land. I could tell by the look on your face when you showed us the pictures of the land at the last herf we had that this was definitely something that excited you and your family! I think you made a great purchase, and I know you will enjoy every aspect of your new property.

Plus, we can have some badass herfs up there!! :ss

Prayers to you and your family for happiness and little to no stress in your life!

[CasaDooley]

Very awesome Rev! Congrats to you and your family!:tu

[RevSmoke]

Thanks everybody.

And seriously, if anybody wants a north woods Wisconsin getaway, they're welcome to let me know and we'll get you up there.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[CEC_Tech]

For lack of a better word, that is bada$$! As I get older, I find myself looking for the same thing.

[68TriShield]

A great deal indeed.Good things for good folks :)

[Giant & 49er Fan]

Wow! Big congrats!

[s0leful0ne]

Congratulations!

[mariogolbee]

Wow Todd! What a find. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. This is wonderful!

[MajorCaptSilly]

78K for 80 acres is fantastic! I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you'll need it in this case.

MCS

[DPD6030]

Sounds like you "stole" that property for less thank 1K/acre! I hope all goes well in the future and you can and will build your dream home on the property. Now you're a property owner :wo Look forward to good times and memories with the family. Just think...hunting, fishing, camping and family. That's what it's all about :tu The Lord has blessed you in many ways.

[sikk50]

Todd... I am praising the Lord for you and your opportunity to build equity. We were in your shoes until ten years ago when we got the chance to buy a home. It will be a good investment for you, I'm sure. Worth the sacrifices...

Don't go lacking on cigars, though. Many of us would be happy to make sure you have plenty of smokes. :D

Blessings on you and your family.

:tpd:

Congrats Rev!!!

[icehog3]

Very happy for you and your family, Todd! :tu

[elderboy02]

Congrats and good luck! :tu

[NCRadioMan]

Sounds like you found an awesome deal, Rev! :tu

If it were me, I would put a house in the dead center of that 80 acres. Talk about peaceful.

[hotreds]

Congratulations, dear brother! I pray that God will bless you greatly as you undertake this step of faith, may your hard work for Him be now richly rewarded, and may the rest of your life be the best of your life! All the very best to you and your family!

[RenoB]

Congratulations Todd, nice find! The MoB has been known to make excursions to help with a brother's needs so when the time comes let us know what those are - drive by mulchings, drywall herfs, etc.

[chippewastud79]

Congratulations on the purchase Rev, hope your family enjoys it for years to come. :tu

[Skywalker]

Congratulations!!!:tu

[357]

Congrats on the purchase! I'm sure you and your family will treasure it for generations to come. I will pray that you are always able to make ends meet. I know the Lord always provides, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

:tu

[longknocker]

Sounds Great, Todd! Glad You Decided To Do It, Brother!:banger Thoughts & Prayers Sent For Your Continued Success, Prosperity, & Health!:tu

[gvarsity]

Congratulations! Best of luck to everything.

[tchariya]

Awesome!!!! Sounds like another swell location for a weekend herf! :P

[RevSmoke]

Well, spent a day and a half up there. Ouch! A quick walk through of the mobil home didn't tell me much when we visited the property. I learn a lot in a day and a half.

New rule - even if buying property only for the propery, and the mobile home isn't even figured into the appraisal of the property - do a serious walk-through of the mobile home.

Thankfully, we had a serious rain and I can say that the roof doesn't leak. But, there are other problems - lotsof them.

Let's just say that it is a hunting "shack," just as we'd figured. Only it is about a 1/4 step up from that - there is electricity, runing water w/plumbing, and the ceiling doesn't leak. I've been in worse... but they were intended to be that way.

The up side is that we set up some cameras and we have a place to sleep where we're hunting.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[ahc4353]

Sounds awesome Todd. Congratulations.

[Cigarcop]

Well, spent a day and a half up there. Ouch! A quick walk through of the mobil home didn't tell me much when we visited the property. I learn a lot in a day and a half.

New rule - even if buying property only for the propery, and the mobile home isn't even figured into the appraisal of the property - do a serious walk-through of the mobile home.

Thankfully, we had a serious rain and I can say that the roof doesn't leak. But, there are other problems - lotsof them.

Let's just say that it is a hunting "shack," just as we'd figured. Only it is about a 1/4 step up from that - there is electricity, runing water w/plumbing, and the ceiling doesn't leak. I've been in worse... but they were intended to be that way.

The up side is that we set up some cameras and we have a place to sleep where we're hunting.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

I've been in worse places during fishing tournaments!!!!


Lets hope its loaded with wildlife for yah:tu

[Coach Deg]

Don't know how I missed this. Congratulations Todd and family!!!! The place sounds awesome!!!! Great investment!!!! You can even rent out when you know the family can't get up there!!! I know guys down here that pay a lot of money to hunt on camps for a weekend!!!
Every house is a lot of work til it is the way you want it!!

Congratulations again!!! And Prayers for many many Happy Years there for you and your family!!!

[Chingas]

Well, spent a day and a half up there. Ouch! A quick walk through of the mobil home didn't tell me much when we visited the property. I learn a lot in a day and a half.

New rule - even if buying property only for the propery, and the mobile home isn't even figured into the appraisal of the property - do a serious walk-through of the mobile home.

Thankfully, we had a serious rain and I can say that the roof doesn't leak. But, there are other problems - lotsof them.

Let's just say that it is a hunting "shack," just as we'd figured. Only it is about a 1/4 step up from that - there is electricity, runing water w/plumbing, and the ceiling doesn't leak. I've been in worse... but they were intended to be that way.

The up side is that we set up some cameras and we have a place to sleep where we're hunting.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

This needs to be done...

:np

[RevSmoke]

The up side is that we set up some cameras and we have a place to sleep where we're hunting.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

This needs to be done...

:np

They are game cameras - hopefully taking pictures of monster bucks this week while nobody is there.

So, you want pictures of the property? Hmmm, let's see.

OK, I got it go to google maps and type in;
n698 Soumi Rd. Ogema, WI
hit the + sign to zoom in 3 times
hit the up arrow to scroll up 3 times

Soumi Rd will be in the middle of the screen (left to right), and going off to the right will be a winding two-track (looks like a road). On the left of that road is a woods with three sections obviosly divided (an over grown Christmas tree plantation). The east edge is about the west edge of my property and it the goes almost to Linden Rd. (scoll right arrow 1x). That driveway is about the dividing line - 40 acres north and south.

Hope that gives some of you an idea. Will try and takes some pictures next time I'm up there. It is about 2hrs 25mins away.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[Chingas]

They are game cameras - hopefully taking pictures of monster bucks this week while nobody is there.

So, you want pictures of the property? Hmmm, let's see.

OK, I got it go to google maps and type in;
n698 Soumi Rd. Ogema, WI
hit the + sign to zoom in 3 times
hit the up arrow to scroll up 3 times

Soumi Rd will be in the middle of the screen (left to right), and going off to the right will be a winding two-track (looks like a road). On the left of that road is a woods with three sections obviosly divided (an over grown Christmas tree plantation). The east edge is about the west edge of my property and it the goes almost to Linden Rd. (scoll right arrow 1x). That driveway is about the dividing line - 40 acres north and south.

Hope that gives some of you an idea. Will try and takes some pictures next time I'm up there. It is about 2hrs 25mins away.

Peace of the Lord be with you.







I think your camera pics will be much more satisfying!
That's a lot of land Brother! Best of luck to you!:tu




http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/XXchingasxx/Cigars/SoumiRd.jpg

[RevSmoke]

I think your camera pics will be much more satisfying!
That's a lot of land Brother! Best of luck to you!:tu




http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/XXchingasxx/Cigars/SoumiRd.jpg

Actually, you need to go north and east a bit to get our property.

Yes, I will get some pictures to post when I am up there next.

[RevSmoke]

[QUOTE=Chingas;989125]I think your camera pics will be much more satisfying!
That's a lot of land Brother! Best of luck to you!:tu

[QUOTE]



As I said, the shack will need some serious work.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1556.jpg

[RevSmoke]

Here is the stream at the closest access - water is a little high. It is going off to the east-northeast here.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1560.jpg

And this is off to the south.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1559.jpg

[RevSmoke]

Here is a pic of some of the open land, looking north.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1553.jpg

And here is another section of open land.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1552.jpg

[357]

[QUOTE=Chingas;989125]I think your camera pics will be much more satisfying!
That's a lot of land Brother! Best of luck to you!:tu

[QUOTE]



As I said, the shack will need some serious work.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1556.jpg

Looks like a fix-er-upper....sorry Todd I couldn't resist. :r

In all honesty I envy you. Looks like a great place. Love to see more.

[RevSmoke]

This is the shed/garage.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1554.jpg

And no, the first picture isn't the "hunting shack," here is a picture of the mobile home.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1555.jpg

I don't know that they're the best pictures, but they are what they are. The last picture shows the back door (to nowhere). The frame around it is spongy, to glass in the window has a crack, there is water damage in the floor near the door, and who knows what else. I am not a carpenter, and I can bohemian-rig stuff, but not very well. So, I covered the whole door - and frame) so that at least it won't get any more wet and maybe the cracks will be sealed against any breeze.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/RevSmoke/DSCF1557.jpg

There isn't a window in the place that is in good condition or not jerry-rigged in some $#!t-@$$ way, so that they will definitely leak heat & cold like a sieve.

So, as you can imagine, this could quickly become a sinkhole of cash to get the mobile home up to snuff.

[timo]

Congratulations Todd. I'm really happy and excited for you!

[Chingas]

Rev! Those pictures are beautiful! Best of luck with everything.