The Revised Revised Revised Plan
As y’all know getting hit in the head with a VIOLATION NOTICE was…unexpected.
In an instant all my plans were meaningless. In an instant I had to create a new future.
Quickly, I recognized that the NOTICE, rather than being a terrible thing, was perhaps a gift. And I have felt this ever more strongly as the weeks have passed.
Being forced to rethink things has, unexpectedly, opened my brain to other avenues of rethink. And so here…drum roll, please…is my new timetable:
FINISH THE VIOLATION WORK
This has to be done. The city gave me 30 days to do the work which simply is not possible, as I explained to the city. It seems like they will extend the deadline but for how long? I do not know but will meet with the city again on the 20th. I estimate that all the NOTICE work will take 3 months, meaning that the work might be completed at the end of July.
[The work was completed in December, 2023]
FINISH THE EAST SECTION OF THE CAT FENCE
This section, along the alley, was framed out several years ago but the metal siding was not installed. I will install this as the ‘unfinished’ fence will look finished. This should take a week.
GET THE CARRIAGE HOUSE RENTED
I have previously mentioned that my #1 regret in buying the Cross Properties was not getting the Carriage House slapped together and rented. I figure that I have lost at least $100,000 in rent as a result. Stupid Ross.
At the time I assumed the Carriage House would be empty for maybe three years before I could do it it right. Well, it has now been nine years. I never foresaw this. Stupid Ross.
After Cody left a bit over a year ago why did I not resume work on the Carriage House to get it rented? I cannot explain this lapse of intelligence. Stupid Ross. Hence, another year has elapsed with no income from the building.
Enough. Fucking enough.
So, after the east fencing is done I will resume work on the interior of the Carriage House with the hope (and prayer) that it can be ready for a tenant late 2024. I think this work will be a lot of fun.
GET MY HOUSE DONE
I have never spent a night in the Cross House. I live 20 miles west. My house was in the middle of a full renovation when I purchased the Cross House in March, 2014. All work stopped and I have been living in a pulled-apart house ever since.
My thought since 2014 was that after I moved into the Cross House my daily commute would reverse and I would travel west most days rather than east. However, I have been dreading this. The idea of doing this for 6 months, or 9, or 12, makes me nauseous.
So, after getting the Carriage House rented I will WAY scale back my eastern travels and spend most of my time working on my house to ready it for sale. The house has some significant equity and it will be lovely to have this cash. And selling the house will remove a burden.
Removing burdens makes Ross happy. Having cash makes Ross very happy.
I anticipate that 2025 will be mostly about getting my house done. Doing this work while living in the house rather than commuting to it massively calms my nerves. You know, my old nerves.
GET INTO THE CROSS HOUSE
2026 should then be the year I can…at long last…move into the Cross House.
Will all this work out as planned? Probably not. But this is, for now, the plan.
OPTIONS
With the plan of not being in Emporia much of 2025 having a tenant in the Carriage House will be vital in keeping me calm, as the tenant can keep a watch on the big house. Of course, getting the right tenant will be vital.
After I move into the big house I might explore shifting the Carriage House into a whole house Airbnb as I think this will produce more income.
With the plan of not being in Emporia much of 2025 it might be prudent to find a tenant for the Cross House. Can I find the right kind or person/couple who would be happy living in a wildly unfinished but incredible house? I have no idea.
However, I do not know if I can separate myself from Cross House for a year. It will feel like cutting a limb off. So, perhaps I will keep the house empty and work on it 2 days a week (instead of the 6-7 days a week I have been doing since 2014). This work will likely be about maintenance rather than any Big Project. So, you know, like mowing the lawn, washing widows, touching up exterior paint, and so on. I think this will be highly satisfying.
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Have you considered finishing the entire cat fence and perhaps living in both houses? 3 days in one and 4 days in the other. Or every other week. It would certainly allow you to make progress in both and cut down on daily commutes. Twice weekly commutes might be easier. You could work on the cat fence and work on your house, then work on the Cross House to get it ready for moving the lighting business in and work on your house. It would also provide some variety in your work.
I’ve had a bit of a similar situation. I’m no longer taking care of my parents and am moved back to my home full time. (I was doing 5/2 and nothing got done the 2 days I was at home.) So I have also shifted my plans for the front yard. Instead of roses I have two fruit trees I bought for my parent’s house suddenly needing to be planted in my yard. I also have some unplanned hydrangeas, canna lilies, calla lilies and miniature roses, none in colors I had planned for my yard. So that has popped to the top of my list as the trees have to get in the ground and my previous landscaping plan is out the window.
Then I must decide if I am going to fix my house up for me to live in until I die or to fix it up to rent should I be able to move into my parent’s house until I am ready for a senior living complex. (I already have one picked but will need the rental income from my house to do it.)
I am trying to institute your baby steps™ method daily to show progress of some kind every day. Nothing as physically demanding as what you are doing, but a baby step is a baby step. You keep me motivated. And sometimes exhausted.
Mary, with cats and goldfish to care for daily, it’s 100% not possible to live in two homes.
Have you considered posting for a volunteer or two at workaway.info?
You could use a few extra hands!
I think you’re making masterful progress. Hopefully, when you document how much work is involved in order to complete all violation citations an appropriate deadline and rapprochement can be reached. You are making a realistic and honest tempt at rectifying all issues.
Remainder of your projections are awesome! Especially the Cat Fence! 🙂
Ross, I am in awe of your talent and what you accomplish. I try not to give advice unless it is asked for, the exception being if I have personal experience; I believe that renting the Cross House would be a big mistake and as long as you are able (physically, mentally, and financially) to avoid it, I would advise that you do so. No one, NO ONE will treat it as you would; even the friendliest people in your world would likely do things that you would not like. When it is a dedicated rental property, you expect this and deal with it; they take liberties once they feel “at home” in the house, such as painting, or they accidentally damage things. When the renter is living in your own house that you plan on living in, then it is like having houseguests that won’t leave. I was advised once to never rent to family or friends, and I didn’t listen; it was a disaster. This is my two cents, and though you didn’t ask for them, there they are, LOL…
Thank you, Mike. And you’ve now scared me! So, I will follow your wise advice!
Did you mention you might rent the house out that you are currently living in? Might be nice to have the rental income. (Of course, it might also be really nice to have some equity to help push the big house along too!)
Maybe I’m missing something, but I didn’t see any references to 2024, only 2025 and 2026. That missing year makes me nervous about you going into a limbo state!
The plan for next year is to finish up the inside of the carriage house “So, after the east fencing is done I will resume work on the interior of the Carriage House with the hope (and prayer) that it can be ready for a tenant late 2024. I think this work will be a lot of fun.”