> Fortunately we inherited from my parents. The $25g home bought in 1959
> and pretty much unchanged is now $1mil. We have put maybe $200g into it
> and we do not intend to sell or move. That's what drives the realtors
> nuts. Our mortgage is affordable and the house is becoming a perfect
> fit.
That's the way it has been for generations in much of Europe. My
paternal grandmother's family was from Alsace Lorraine. When my uncle
visited while passing through in WWII he was allowed a couple of hours
to visit the family home. Found out that they were celebrating 500
years on the same property, 200 in the same house.
The first floor of the house was home to the Waffen SS. The second
floor was the family weaving business, family on the third floor and
the everchanging flow of Jews, Partisans and the occasional Allied
airman. They were able to pull this off during the last months of the
war. One of the SS officers warned them to get out two days before the
Allied troops arrived. The family met him years later and consider him
a friend of the family.
My son and Lynne's daughter will inherit the house when we are gone.
One or the other, or both, will take over Justin's care.
Now, if only we can get rid of all of the JUNK! Other than models and
the library, of course. :-)
Tom
> > Fortunately we inherited from my parents. The $25g home bought in 1959
> > and pretty much unchanged is now $1mil. We have put maybe $200g into it
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> I think that this might become a way of doing business of the future.
> I'm told that it already is in Japan.
>That sounds like my friend's folks up in Toronto (another area with
>insane housing prices). He bought his home in 1954 for $14,500 and paid
>it off in 1984. Ever since he got pestered by realtors guarenteeing
>that he could get over a million dollars from it.
>His answer was "and where would I move to?"
Someplace where you could buy a near mansion for $500,000.
> His son (my buddy) lives there now with HIS family and has flatly said
> that when he cashes in, the house will go to HIS son.
> I think that this might become a way of doing business of the future.
> I'm told that it already is in Japan.
Which is swell so long as your kids WANT to live there, and you die exactly
at the point when they need a house. What happens when they get a job two
states away at age 25 when you are 50? Should they be expected to rent or
otherwise remain transient for the next 25 to 40 years until you croak or
become senile, just so they can come back and live in the same house they
grew up in? I think many kids would be happy to sell it and buy a house
they chose where they chose.
KL
Ron Smith - 26 Jun 2006 06:22 GMT
> Which is swell so long as your kids WANT to live there, and you die exactly
> at the point when they need a house. What happens when they get a job two
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> grew up in? I think many kids would be happy to sell it and buy a house
> they chose where they chose.
Well I would love to have inherited my dad's house because it's a very
nice house in a decent neighborhood and is reasonably convenient for
location. Had it been a crappy house, in a bad neighborhood or
inconveniently located then it could get sold for all I care.
willshak - 26 Jun 2006 11:38 GMT
>
>> That sounds like my friend's folks up in Toronto (another area with
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
>
The man said he wanted to leave it to his son. It's like a $1M
inheritance. There was no mention that the son was required to live in
it or what the son was allowed to do with it. The son could sell it, he
could rent it out, he could live in it.
I suppose you wouldn't want your parents to leave a fully paid up house
for you, no matter where it was?

Signature
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To Email, remove the double zeroes after 'at'
The Old Man - 26 Jun 2006 11:40 GMT
> >That sounds like my friend's folks up in Toronto (another area with
> >insane housing prices). He bought his home in 1954 for $14,500 and paid
> >it off in 1984. Ever since he got pestered by realtors guarenteeing
> >that he could get over a million dollars from it.
> >His answer was "and where would I move to?"
> Someplace where you could buy a near mansion for $500,000.
He was in his mid-seventies then and retired. His sons were grown and
moving for his wife and him wasn't an option that they wanted. And
there ~are~ no $500,000 mansions in the Toronto area, real estate is
way overpriced.
> > His son (my buddy) lives there now with HIS family and has flatly said
> > that when he cashes in, the house will go to HIS son.
> > I think that this might become a way of doing business of the future.
> > I'm told that it already is in Japan.
> Which is swell so long as your kids WANT to live there, and you die exactly
> at the point when they need a house. What happens when they get a job two
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> grew up in? I think many kids would be happy to sell it and buy a house
> they chose where they chose.
His youngest son works in the Toronto area (actually all the sons do)
and has a good paying job. Toronto has an excellant job market, from
what I'm told. But as I said, real estate is through the roof so a lot
of folks live where its cheaper and commute as much as 75 miles (one
way) a day. With today's gas prices, that's a pretty hefty gas bill. So
if anyone has the chance to cut that commute, they jump at it. And Walt
(my buddy) knows the area, it has good schools, health care and
shopping, and as I said, isn't a bad commute for him, so he's happy.