Officially homeless

danemayer

Well-known member
In mid April while at the Oklahoma Chapter Rally, Ann and I decided to put our Austin home on the market. We consulted with a realtor on our return from the rally and were advised to do some upgrades and other changes. So we spent the next 3 1/2 weeks getting bids and having contractors doing all kinds of work to make the house as attractive as possible. In parallel we began selling, throwing away, and giving away 40 years of accumulated stuff.

We had already decided that eventually we'd want a place to live in northeast Texas, so we rented storage space in Tyler and took 2 U-Haul trailer loads of stuff to storage, filling a 10x10 unit. We left the RV at KE Bushman's Camp a few miles south of Tyler so we'd have a place to overnight on the storage trips.

The house went on the market May 16th (about 4 weeks after the rally). The market in our neighborhood is red hot at the moment, so we ended up with several offers over the next few days. We settled on one and have been working on the 1000 or so details of moving out. We had movers take a final load of stuff to storage 2 days ago, leaving the house empty and ready for the buyer's pre-closing walk-through. Everything we own is either in the RV or in a 10x20 storage unit.

Today we closed on the sale and are without a sticks and bricks home for the first time in our lives. We're expecting that we'll be full time for perhaps a year or so before we have a new home and go back to half-time in the RV. It's been a crazy busy 2 months. We haven't worked this hard for quite a few years.

And to add to the excitement of the day, this afternoon, only a few minutes after we had confirmed that the house had closed, our truck died in the middle of rush hour traffic. GM towed it to the local dealer and got us a rental car. We're chilling in the RV hoping it's something simple so we can get on our way to Colorado for the summer.
 

StarryNight

Retired Colorado Chapter Leaders
Dan & Ann,
Sorry to hear about the truck...but CONGRATS:) on your home selling. Don and I will be doing what you have been thru in the next year or so...I'm really not looking forward to the "pre" stuff!!!

Monica
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Cool! We occasionally talk about moving a little further north (not going full-time), but after 2 apartments and 3 houses in 41 years, the idea just doesn't go very far.
 

Herbiesrig

North Central Region Directors-Retired
Dan and Ann, This is so ironic, At the Oklahoma Rally, Dan and I had been talking about putting our home up for sale also. We talked about it all the way to Tennessee and then we decided that is where we would move. We got home after the Indiana Rally and our decision was concrete. We called an auctioneer and decided that is what we were going to do. We have ALOT OF STUFF, and Dan has alot of big toys and tools. We also decided that alot of our furniture is going to go in auction. July 27th is the date for the auction and it is going to be a big one... Then we found a realtor that we felt was honest and would market our home to sell. So the sign went up yesterday. We have decided that it was time for us to move on.. We had 13 good years here, and it is time for a change. No we are not going full time. With Dan's health he can not continue all the maintainence that is required for this property. We will be in Texas this winter again and we hope that our home sells as quick as yours. We are renting a storage unit in Tennessee for the items that we are keeping also. It is time to chill and relax.. If you get a chance this winter come on down to Aransas Pass area and play with the HOC Coastal Bend Winter Texans.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
" Everything we own is either in the RV or in a 10x20 storage unit." - Exactly where we are with no desire now to have any more. What we do now is just too grand to settle down. Best wishes and congratulations.
 

Paul & Nan

Well-known member
Sorry we aren't home, could visit at least. Glad you have a rental car. Is your truck in Tyler or Jacksonville. The dealer in J'ville is very good we know. We are in Corpus at the NAS CG. Going to Gate Guard Service on Monday to start work next week. Hope to see you guys one of these days. good luck in your transition.
 

Seren

Well-known member
We're expecting that we'll be full time for perhaps a year or so before we have a new home and go back to half-time in the RV.

Wish you the best and hope that your truck is cured soon and you are "On The Road Again". But be careful, because once you go fulltime, you may never go back!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Dan and Ann:
Welcome to the Club. I guess I would call May 28th my "officially Homeless" day.

Maybe we will meet down the road!

Now at Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, Ca.
 

WCW

Member
"If you are with the person or at the place you love most, it becomes your true home".

Home is Where the Heart is
 
We went through a similar process in March. Decided to sell our home in Denton, TX area and see what full timing was all about. Long story short, the house sold to the first person through, we bought our new Silverado 35RES, sold nearly everything in the house over two weekends, and moved into our new rig exactly 30 days after we decided to do this. A lot of work, but we are very, very happy with our decision. We're working the bugs out of our rig right now, in no particular hurry, but eventually plan to spend summers on the Oregon Coast and return to coastal Texas for the winters. For us, getting out of the sticks and bricks business was very liberating. We're staying in a wonderful RV park called Shady Creek in Denton County and just love the lifestyle. I'm sure it's not for everybody, but we're just gypsies enough to really like the "less in more" concept after a lifetime of accumulating "stuff."
 

VKTalley

Well-known member
Dan and Ann:
Welcome to the Club. I guess I would call May 28th my "officially Homeless" day.

Maybe we will meet down the road!

Now at Thousand Trails Russian River, Cloverdale, Ca.

Malcolm and I are officially "homeless" too, as of May 30! We are excited to not have the house to worry about and care for. It's now someone else's home! Loving the "gypsy" lifestyle.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
We joined Escapees yesterday and set up mail forwarding service. Today I spent most of the day on the phone and online changing addresses. I covered everyone I could think of (around 50) and there's probably another 20 I didn't think of and will update as they surface. Also dropped the homeowners insurance policy, added full-time coverage to the RV policy along with bumping the liability coverage and adjusting the umbrella policy.
 

jassson007

Founding Louisiana Chapter Leaders-Retired
Congrats Dan. We are still young and have real jobs we are tied to but have been "homeless" for two years this past April. We love it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

GlenStMary

Well-known member
There must be something about this time of the year! Ginger and I returned to our farm after the Florida rally and put our farm up for sale. It sold in two days and we then had two weeks to sell or give everything away before we hit the road. Perfect timing, as it turned out. We left Florida after selling everything we own, except some family heirlooms which all fit in a 5 x 7 storage bin, and are now in Bethpage with our Heartland family. From here we will be heading up to Connecticut for a couple of weeks, and then, who knows where. I wish everyone safe travels, and hope to meet many of you on the road.
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
I've always liked to think we are "houseless" not homeless....we love our Key Largo "home" on wheels...
 
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