I’ve built or remodeled several houses, to my liking during my lifetime. I also drew up plans for others that never got constructed. There’s probably no such thing as the perfect house, especially since our needs and desires change over the years. With my limited finances and aging body, it seems unlikely that I’ll ever build another house for myself. But I still admire well-crafted homes.
I’m currently in Ventura, my favorite city on the California coast. Real estate prices are crazy here, like most of SoCal. Luckily, I can live in my van, and enjoy the beaches and old town atmosphere without being a renter or owner. I walk many miles each day, for both exercise and enjoyment. But the day seems wasted if I don’t hike some hills, too. The best place to do that is heading up to Grant Park. There is an old access road to the park that is permanently locked to vehicle traffic. Which is perfectly understandable because one would have to drive up a very narrow, steep street to get to that gate. Only residents of that street drive up it, maybe 10 houses total. But I can walk through the neighborhood to reach the park.
Most of these houses are big luxury homes. The views are incredible; overlooking City Hall, the downtown, and the entire Ventura bay. But, funnily enough, there is a small house that has the best view of all. That’s the one I would love to own. It is a stucco house with thick walls, and a tile roof. Only about 500 square feet but also has a 150-200 square foot basement. The lot is tiny and no room for a garage. Just a little driveway with room for 2 vehicles. There is a small, covered deck that faces the ocean. Having such a small lot, there is little room for much landscaping. But that also means low maintenance. A sign calls this ‘The Tee-house’.
I have never seen anyone at this house. Never a vehicle or a person. The driveway gate is always locked. It’s a shame not to have anyone using this awesome place. I admire it every day that I walk by. I don’t think anyone would appreciate it more than me. Like it was made for me. I have even dreamed about it. A couple nights ago, a vivid dream happened. On a whim, I decided to do a title search of the house (in my dream). It turned out that the owners had died a couple years ago and had no heirs. The only claim against it was, several years of property taxes and late penalties totaling $26,000. I checked at city hall, and discovered that I could pay the taxes and take ownership. The only catch was; I wouldn’t get the title for a couple more years, in case an unknown family member showed to make a claim.
So I paid the taxes and fees, changed the locks, and moved in. But I didn’t change anything on the house, not even the furniture. I didn’t want to spend extra money and then lose it if an heir took over. When April rolled around, I headed to Camp Nelson and my campground job, spending the summer up there. Other than a couple quick visits, I didn’t return until November. Did the same for the next 7 years. I no longer had the worry of losing the house, but needed to set myself up for retirement, properly. Property taxes are high in California, as is every thing else. Utilities, home insurance, food, vehicle fees, gas, etc. Retiring at 70 meant higher SS payments received. In the meantime, I didn’t tell anyone about my good fortune, even family. They just thought I liked living in my van in Ventura.
I finally told my youngest brother, Jeff, that I had a little place in Ventura and he could visit if he wanted to. By then I was 70 and he was 58. He flew out and spent a few days with me. He was awestruck that I had such a cool house and location, though I never did tell him how much I actually paid for it. He especially liked the hikes that I took him on. Eventually he asked if he could spend months there, off and on, while still doing his work on his computer. I didn’t mind and he took over the basement. He lost a lot of weight by hiking the hills and became quite happy. After a few years; he sold his place in North Dakota, retired, and moved in permanently. My dream ended when I was 99 and still doing great, physically and mentally. Jeff, too. It was a sad thing, having to wake from such a good dream to reality.
I don’t expect great things to happen to me. It seems I’ve had mostly bad luck in life, though once in awhile I get a little break. I am able to make the best of what life throws at me and find a bit of contentment. But a nice dream adds some temporary happiness. My favorite place is, in my mind. Though it would be nice to have more body comfort, at times.
iggyvandweller 