When is it time to hang it all up?

[waynefrcan]

Aww yuck................ the dictators there run your life, it is living in a apartment even if you buy it. We have had enough of condos and condo boards, for the rest of our lives.

Ya I really like the yard, but she is just ok with it. When I bring in that fresh lettuce her eyes light up. Gee reminds me of the children's story about the hen making bread and no one wanted to help gather the grain and make flour bake etc but all ready to eat it in the end lol. Condo = more free time for traveling.

 

[waynefrcan]

Nice comments thanks. Well I have arthritis in the neck and thumb wrist joint, back problems if I lift too much. I'm the only one doing it all I guess that makes a big difference. But funny I rather it takes time then to see someone else doing the work lol. I mean I could use the help but only for short periods.

Large pie shape lot, large grass area, 6500 gal 35' x 20 pond that I drain in the fall, bring the fish in, clean it all out in the spring. Tried overwintering too much problems with which I rather not go into right now. The main problem is our cold winters. 30' x 10 garden patch. 11 fruit trees and shrubs. All the trees shrubs flowers around the pond. Front yard trees flowers lawn.

The cool part is we're on our own time as we did some rather great investments in real estate and retirement saving bonds. We will sell our last property rental but covid has kicked the crap out of everything. Yes even us Canadians have and are feeling the pain of covid.

So what should I do?

 

[GBBUDD]

As a general contractor I got a all to informed look at condos of every size, shape, price and configuration. They ALL have the same problem

1. PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT YOUR BUISNESS.
2. The president of the condo association is doing this part time while full time they are Baker or a florist. Now before people get pissed at me there's nothing wrong with either vocation but they generally know NOTHING about construction methods or prices. We had a condo for all types of neighbors came and went. we had one neighbor that would cut his little island with a pair of scissors and as the complex allowed dogs they would walk by and piss on his grass that infuriated him. we took our dogs for a walk and they pissed on other people islands while they took there dogs for a walk and came over to ours. well this guy went off once to many so I went to the food store bought yellow and orange food coloring and made five gallons worth of PEE LOOKING WATER went nuts and even spelled my name in the snow. This generated the hole association to hold an emergency meeting at the island . i had left but when i came home a short while latter you could hear the cackling as i walked by and in my condo. well i let them talk about the event for at least and hour when i finally got a knock at the door . i opened the door and tossed the empty bottles of food coloring to the president and closed the door . the next sound was laughter followed by that son of a B ............... Trust me there were many events on others parts that led to the events i just described im with addy i have had enough associations to last me two life times . I'll build a concrete house with a concrete lawn painted green before i even think about condos again

 

[addy1]

lol one of our many condos (mainly florida) was his parents home. We applied and got approved to put in new hurricane windows in the house. It is separate houses, separated by a driveway and laundry area. Not the condo towers.
Long and short story we had also bought a foreclosure right down the street from his parents place now ours.

The board, all 18, signed the docs to allow us to replace the single pane windows installed in the 50's with hurricane windows. We had drawings, window numbers etc. Under each window as HR.

The crew was working on replacing the windows, the pres and the circle leader came by our house and told them to stop immediately! They said no english! They spoke english just fine. We drove up from lunch and were told to stop, they did not approve horizontal rollers ie sliders and they would sue us to remove all the windows. And we would need to pay all legal fees etc.

We just laughed and said you all signed the documents, approved the job, we are doing this house and the other tomorrow. Have fun suing us! The next day there was a huge sign by our other house WE DO NOT AND WILL NOT APPROVE SLIDERS! as ours were being put in.
So funny!

I hate condos! Have many more stores that had to do with the rentals they never stop coming after you.

Love our 4 acres , critters, ponds, etc. We will hire to have it taken care of if we must, as long as we can stay here.

 

[Jhn]

Like others said will never stop having a pond and really dont plan on leaving where I am now. Granted I am roughly 10 years younger than most replying to this thread, but have beat the crap out of my body over the years, but working out and my line of work keeps my body moving. I’ll go out and take care of the pond with a walker if I have to.

Never lived in a condo, but doing work on the waterfront in the area is similar, there are few places where people are more worried about what there neighbor is doing than on the waterfront. Which is why I bought 4 acres where I did no HOA, no idiots asking me what I am doing, back to a forest conservation/critical area that can’t be developed. Life is good where I am at.

 

[SarahT]

Get that liner in there and collect your free water!

done!

 

[SarahT]

dig fast...

I put all the pond plants that were in pots into the ground, so the bog is part pre-dug. (then I helped a less-able neighbor prep for the storm.)
And thanks, all, for giving me chuckles on a not-very amusing day!

 

[GBBUDD]

I completely remodeled that condo I made new cabinet doors for the kitchen out of spanish cedar i would run the saws from 3:00 to 6 pm Standard work hours if your neighbor was remodeling there home and at 6 the saw were shut down FAITHFULY so people could have dinner in peace. well the cabinets were refaced and a 9 tier valance and a shadow line at the ceiling. hickory hard wood floor but all the pieces that were black were rejected. the fireplace had a 2 1/2" colonial molding as it's trim it was replaced with a rounded raised panel mahogany and green marble mantel . the baths were both completely remodeled the mirrors were actually ornate bureau mirrors built in . long story short all the while this was being remodeled the association was threatening me with law suits because i was making noise that there was no permit Nothing was changed electrical or plumbing wise t was strictly a cosmetic upgrade which in that area was the law. Any ways when i sold the condo the real estate ate woman who " knew the market " and the area when she gave us an appraisal to list the condo for i said nope lets try for 30 k more which was 30 k over the highest ever sold there. she refused the listing at first untill i told her that for two listings for 30 days and two open houses i would give her 2 percent . BUT if it didn't sell in 30 days i'd give her 7 she jumped all over it . She had the open house but worded without mention of a two bed two bath garage TOWN HOUSE ALL IT SAID WAS . Spanish cedar kitchen cabinets with stain glass. hickory hardwood floors mahogany and green marble fireplace. sunken living room she had so many people show up to the first open house she had to call in help. The condo was sold that day and i have to admit i was wrong it didn't sell for 30 k over it went for 42k over three folks had a bidding war. point of the story is EVERYONE in that complex by me improving my condo to that degree just made money on there units having done nothing. and yet there reaction was to sue sue sue.

 

[combatwombat]

@GBBUDD: A lot of people can’t see beyond the end of their nose.

 

[GBBUDD]

Lol so true

 

[waynefrcan]

For outdoor yard lovers condos suck for sure but they do have their place. Our first home purchase was a condo. It sucked, really poorly built as many are, just an upgrade from an apartment. No she wants a high rise concrete condo. Did you watch the news lately I told her lol.