Back in 2004, along with daughter Julie and son-in-law Chris, Jan and I purchased a home in Gleneden Beach, Oregon at a resort named Salishan. It has proven to be a great spot for getting away from it all and unwinding. What with business being harder than in the past, Jan and I hadn’t been able to get up here since Labor Day last year. It’s hard to imagine how much we like getting up here until we can’t do so! Just a few hours of hearing the ducks or seeing the waves on the beach and I can feel my tension ease away and my muscles unlock! The first couple of days, Jan and I just mostly sleep and eat.
We had some big changes in the house this trip. Last year we noticed the foundation was starting to fail in a couple of places. That’s not too surprising, since we are built on what is essentially a pile of beach sand. Not only that, the lady who built the house in the early 70s didn’t always use the best contractors or best materials! That said, we put Chris to work interviewing contractors and obtaining estimates. The solution, it seems, is something called “helical piers”, which are screwed into the ground until they reach the hard strata below. The support piers are then attached to these big screws and the house is stabilized. I’ve cut out about 10 steps I’m sure, but you get the idea. Anyway, the first thing that has to happen is the old decrepit carport needed to be removed, along with the old elevator shaft, containing a non-working elevator. They block easy access to the are under the home where the piers need to be screwed into the ground. You can see them both in this picture from the first set of pictures we have of the home.
The carport was held up by 4 spindly legs made of re-bar. So was the elevator shaft, which you can see in the background here. It made our house distinctive, but with winds in excess of 100 mph this winter it was time they were pulled down. The contractors said that as soon as the elevator shaft was unbolted from the balcony at the top it just collapsed on its own!
You can see the difference with both removed. What we didn’t realize was how much better the views would be from the balconies! Now we are rethinking where to put a new elevator shaft in so it won’t block the views. If the house didn’t have over 40 steps from the parking area to the main level we probably wouldn’t replace it. But since my mother is in her 80s and Jan’s mom in her 90s we want to make it accessible to them. Of course in another 20 or 30 years I’ll probably need the elevator too!
Now, you may wonder what all of this has to do with real estate. The answer is absolutely nothing. But as professionals we’re human too, with hobbies, families, and lives outside the profession. If all I did was work, I wouldn’t be worth much to my customers and clients. I’m convinced that if I relax periodically, I will be a better agent for my clients.
I’ll be back in the office on Wednesday the 30th. In the meantime, I’ll be sleeping, walking on the beach, and generally recharging. Have a great day!!
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