Housing in 5 Acts
| A tent, some diamonds, a hut and a home: finding balance in a sometimes-unbalanced world. Frank found balance in the extreme. Here is his story.
Act. 1 A Tent: Guyana, South America. Frank was restless in his first semester at college so at age 19 he dropped out of school in search of adventure and diamonds. A Hemingway fan, dropping out seemed to make sense. (What doesn’t make sense at 19?)
Act. 2 A Hut: By ‘65 Frank was a member of the Peace Corp and stationed in Gabon on the west coast of Africa. Gabon had gained independence from France in 1960 and Frank’s role was to implement small business practices in the newly formed republic.
Act. 3 A Barracks: Exiting the Peace Corp, Frank joined the Agency for International Development (AID). He was now a civilian working in Vietnam, this, at the beginning of what was to become a controversial war. The rural population of Vietnam was alienated by the war and AID was seen as one means to pacify that population – to win their hearts and minds. This proved easier said than done and after 2 years Frank moved on.
He worked in City government for 27 years retiring at age 60. The job paid well and had good benefits. I once asked him why he retired to which he replied, “I have enough, and I want to do things while I’m healthy.” Act. 5 A Vacation home: San Miguel de Allende, México. In retirement Frank would spend several months each year exploring the world on a shoestring budget ultimately settling on a second home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
I write in the hope young homebuyers find balance with digging life, buying a home, and saving for the future. Life is harder for Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z than it was for Boomers. It’s your life – your act, so write a life story that works for you – not the “life” story you see on HGTV. Metaphor: I sit on the 6th floor of a building, and many of you are on the 2nd or 3rd or 4th floor. This means I have more real estate/housing experience (knowledge) than most of you. Mike and Seamus have 7- and 18-years’ experience at Homebuyer Associates respectively. With my and their experience, our goal is to be a housing resource and help you make smart housing decisions in these complicated housing times. If you’d like us to help you prospect for your home (not diamonds), contact us. For us, it’s not about selling you anything – the traditional approach to real estate – it’s about prospecting for information to help you make smart housing choices. Ask: If you found this blog post of interest forward it to one person who may find the information of value. Thanks for reading, This email was sent to [email address suppressed]. |
His home was a 14 x 16-foot tent. Prospecting involved living in the rain forest. The work difficult and dangerous. Four months of bugs, rain, a level of lawlessness and a near death experience caused him to return to UWM to continue studies for his literature degree.
His hut sat among shanty’s, slums, and squatter settlements. While a step up from a tent, the “step” was marginal. The Peace Corp equivalent of a starter home.
Act. 4 A Home: Frank had traveled the world. Now in his thirty’s, his next stop was local politics.
San Miguel has a mild climate, bright and sunny – the antithesis of Milwaukee in the winter. In San Miguel he would focus on writing with his plays being produced by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber and Next Act theaters.