How much annually do you think you need to retire. (friendly, screaming)
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Hi Beekeeper - yeah, from what I gather here on the message boards....Vermonters (like some of my relatives - just HATE Vermont for some reason and try and discourage anyone from moving back....for whatever reason) LOL. I don't get that from the Maine folks!
At any rate - to get back on topic - did you build your home yourself? Do you have a central fireplace or woodstove? We really wanted a masonry heater or soapstone fireplace....it might wind up being something we can't have since it is $$ but.....it would be our main heat source for the main level living area and we would do radiant for the basement.
Out of the box thinking here...why not start off with a small cabin that includes your fireplace and then add on as time/money permit ?
And, after living "small" in a cabin, you may find that you don't need as much house as you thought and can add on appropriately for your lifestyle.
Hi Beekeeper - yeah, from what I gather here on the message boards .... Vermonters (like some of my relatives - just HATE Vermont for some reason and try and discourage anyone from moving back .... for whatever reason) LOL. I don't get that from the Maine folks!
Keep in mind there is a snow-belt. It blows from the Great Lakes regions dumping huge amounts of snow starting in Chicago, through Buffalo, Syracuse, NYC, Hartford, Boston.
However you can side-step it and avoid most of those huge dumps of snow.
It is possible that Vt is South enough that it still gets a good portion of that effect.
Quote:
... At any rate - to get back on topic - did you build your home yourself? Do you have a central fireplace or woodstove? We really wanted a masonry heater or soapstone fireplace .... it might wind up being something we can't have since it is $$ but ..... it would be our main heat source for the main level living area and we would do radiant for the basement.
We began planning our retirement home 14 years before I became eligible for my pension.
Every year I would clear off our kitchen table and bring out our drawings. It became a big ritual for us. My career moved us around a lot and it gave us a continuity.
In our research we found that steel buildings [think warehouse] are much lower priced [per square foot] as compared to wood-stick or modular.
No interior walls, just a blank slate really where you can put anything anywhere inside.
I hired the well dug, the foundation poured, and a crane operator for 3-hours to help me stand-up the girders. Otherwise I have done the rest by myself.
We have large panoramic windows on three sides of our house, living surrounded by forest, it gives us the surrounding view of being in a forest. Our house over-looks water.
Our walls are finished with light wood-grain paneling and dark wood trim, black wrought iron accents.
We have a large sunken living room in the center of our house. Four built-in bench-couches facing the center, with steps leading down in each corner, and an open-hearth fire-pit in the center and a suspended exhaust hood over it. The bench seats and backs are heated as a part of the radiant heating system, as is the floor of the living room.
All of our floors are radiant heated. It is nice to walk on a warm floor.
We have a large fire-stove with a ceiling fan directly over it. The ceiling fan really throws the heat out very efficiently. That wood-stove heats our water, which is then circulated through our floors, etc.
HappyTexan - that is a good thought and something I have considered. That being said - my husband is the one that has the 'needs'. However - I think he is starting to see the light. We have a gentleman who is going to actually build the home....log home...and everything will hinge on what he says. He has done great in convincing my husband to go smaller.... I'm thinking a kitchen, combo dining/living area and bedroom plus laundry room - that coupled with a full basement - I think that is more than enough. He wants a three car garage attached with a breezeway and a huge workshop on top....
Bottom line is - I am not even sure what we can afford. I'm thinking that we should take an annuity with his retirement plan because he's the type that will spend it if he has it. The more you give him - the more high maintenance he becomes .
Beekeeper - you should post a picture of your house! It sounds amazing! Yeah - our property is about 20 miles south of the canadian border. We get lots of snow but not like Buffalo or anything!
Well thanks guys. I didn't put that to get kudos....but you are boosting my spirits about things. The real issue is that my husband had a heart attack a few months ago and quadruple bypass surgery. The stress of living in the No. VA area is a lot for him and we are not exactly sure if he'll be able to go back to work full time or if he should retire early or what.... So - he wants to go to Vermont where we have land, just not a house. What stops us from buying a pre-existing home (some of them are really nice and we could essentially almost buy one outright) are the energy issues. It can be very expensive to heat up there during the winter....we'd like to have a very energy efficient home and basically be hooked up to the grid but live off the grid and sell any excess back to the power company.... However - it will cost us more $$ to build energy efficient than to buy outright.... The last thing that I want is a mortgage.....even if it is small....
So, I guess I'm feeling rather unprepared about things because I'd like this to happen for him in the next one to two years.
At least your husband has the pension and then eventually social security. A lot of us don't have a pension to bank on. One day at a time. Don't beat yourself up.
Hi Beekeeper - yeah, from what I gather here on the message boards....Vermonters (like some of my relatives - just HATE Vermont for some reason and try and discourage anyone from moving back....for whatever reason) LOL. I don't get that from the Maine folks!
At any rate - to get back on topic - did you build your home yourself? Do you have a central fireplace or woodstove? We really wanted a masonry heater or soapstone fireplace....it might wind up being something we can't have since it is $$ but.....it would be our main heat source for the main level living area and we would do radiant for the basement.
You should look into Rocket stoves and other unconventional solutions.
Bette - you are RIGHT about the pension....thank god he will have that and we are going to be super fortunate for that! I never planned on having one and my high school guidance counselor who basically changed my life said the one thing he wished he had done in his life - was save more. I took that to heart (he told me that in my 20's) and I immediately started putting money away. Now, I am only 36 but I figure I really don't know how long I'll work until - probably just about forever but in a job I really, really like!
i am not an average American, no pension only source of income is SS benefit for $14,500 a year.
building a house in New England on 2 1/2 acres of land, not up to American Standard but comfortable for summer home.
built a house in the south on 20 acres of land for the winter to save money on heating bill again not to American standard no granite counter top, no subzero refrigerator just comfortable home well insulated a lots windows and sky lights to save electric bill.
i will use Mr Rational item and sub my number. the number are monthly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
My fiddling has come up with lower numbers than most of you
even including what I gig myself for the money tied up in a house.
I suspect that time will bump some of these up maybe even soon
and I know I'll be spending more on travel next year, but fwiw....
A Rational Annual Budget for Modest (CHEAP!) Living Expenses
House Ownership:
Interest (130K x3.7%) ........... 4800 (a book number only)
my is 0.00
Property Taxes .......................1500
NE house $ 150
So house 200
Insurance .............................. 600
NE $ 30.00 rounded to the next dollar
SO $ 40.00
PITI Allowance...................... 6900 575 (a)
$0.00
Other House:
Gas & Electric ........................ 1600 135
NE in the winter $6.50 minimum charge 0 kw.
summer $40.00
SO in the winter $60.00 heath pump with wood stove supplemental
Phone/Cable/Internet .............. 1400 115
$ 180.00 the most expensive item so far.
Water/Sewer ........................... 300 25
$.00 well water
Maintenance & Repair ............... 450
50
$ 0.00 new home " knock on wood"
Miscellaneous & Other .............. 350 29
Core Home Expenses ............... 4100 342 (b)
Have a Life:
Get Out ...................................... 1,500 125
ok just for fun $80.
Get Some ................................... 1,500 125
Get Somewhere ........................... 2,500 208
The Extra’s ..................................5,500 542 (e)
Single Person $ 30,000 2500/mo (avg)
2nd person Multiplier? + 30-40%?
my average out about $ 1,000 a month, this is a sub standard way of living.
$ 450 put it a side just in case for new set of tires this year, this amount is not enough to pay for heath insurance.
Understand the insurance thing. I grew up with no medical coverage. My parents lost their house two years ago because of hospital bills and a failed business because of the economy.
I also understand putting away for new tires....I'm a tire freak . I could live on $1,000 a month....but, my husband couldn't....I'm pretty sure of that.
those are all the issues we have in our development in pa . the bickering,the arguing about funds. i lived in co-ops for alot of my life so im used to all this.
I think the arguments are somewhat different now because of the poor economy. You don't want to be in a condo where a lot of people are having financial problems of one kind or another. Robyn
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I think you are doing fine...
