Some months ago Wife retired. Her
retirement did not last long. There are two disadvantages to retirement. One:
unless you’re a corporate honcho you are not going to get rich on your pension.
Two: being retired is boring. So she cast about for something to do.
She began with a course on real
estate at our local community college. It was intensive, demanding, dull. She
loved it. Go figure. But then I wasn’t really surprised. Her university degree
(with academic honors) is in economics. I have been married to the woman for
forty plus years and I still have no idea what economists do.
Nonetheless sometime in our marriage
(ok, within the first week) she took over our family finances. Thank God! In my
wallet I have five dollars for a hamburger and a credit card in case I need
something. When I turn on a light I know she’s paid the electric bill which
sums up my interest/knowledge of our finances. Whatever…it works.
Meanwhile Wife was bored with
retirement. She started to write a blog on real estate and her adventures in it. I am a writer and writers have a circus going on in their heads
which keeps us from being bored. Economists don’t. Wife’s idea of a rock star
is Ben Bernanke.
One day an invitation arrived to a conference
introducing a real estate investment program. Wife was intrigued. I was not. Hours
later she returned determined to go into the real estate investment business.
But first she would have to learn more about it. And (Surprise!) the people
putting on the conference just happened to offer a course on real estate
investing. A very expensive course.
I have mixed feelings about this,
including being somewhat fearful. Enough that Wife has asked me to blog about
how I feel. She tells me other spouses share my concerns. Like most such
pitches the programs are intended for potential investors. “Special people.” As
special people our invitations arrived at both home and work.
A day or so later I took some trash
out to the bin we share with others in our condo complex. There, amidst the egg
shells and coffee grounds, I noticed two or three other conference invitations.
Apparently to be included among the elite the main requirement is to have the
same zip code.
On the other hand, if anyone can
make a go of this, it’s Wife. She’s smart, well educated and hard-working. She
spends more hours on the computer than she did in her previous profession. Researching
property and the on-line training webinars seem endless.
And maybe my fearful concerns are
entirely misplaced. I admit I am not a trusting person. I always look for the
spot under the couch.
Years
ago we rented a small furnished apartment near the university we attended. Our
neighbors were our landlords, an elderly couple. We weren’t there long, a
semester or so. On our last day the landlords inspected the apartment, a requirement
before our cleaning deposit could be returned.
They
clucked approvingly at how spotless we left everything. But then the
grandmotherly wife looked at the couch. “Uh oh,” she said sweetly, “I’m afraid
this won’t do.”
On
cue her husband pulled the couch away from the wall. There on the carpet was a
spot. We didn't make it. We didn't even know it was there. You couldn’t even
see it under the couch! But Grandma knew just where to look.
We
forfeited the deposit, it wasn’t much. But such a shabby little hustle I
suspect they played on every student couple who rented from them.
I
still look for the “spot under the couch” though I’ve not found any with the
program Wife has invested in. Yes, it is expensive. Very. But nothing
misleading. Meanwhile Wife has made her first real estate investments. We now
own property in two other states.
Yes
I am still concerned. During the California Gold Rush fortunes were made. But not
usually by prospectors. No, mainly by guys selling over-priced shovels.
But
so far no spots on the carpet. Consequently I am hopeful, even…cautiously
optimistic.
Dad
out.
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