Closing out a 30 year run...
Perhaps nothing defines success in America as much as home ownership. When Caroline and I married, our life together started in a 900 square foot rental in northern California. It was located on state-owned property, on a university research station, and the rent was set by a process where an assessor compared rent for similar ranch housing. Our rent? $81.25/month. Our first home. Painting by Geneva Butler. That allowed us to save for a house we bought about 5 miles north, which we owned for about 18 months before moving to Utah. We lived in our beautiful Utah home for 32 years. But, with kids and grandkids living hundreds of miles away, we decided it was time to live closer to family. The beloved house went up for sale. Over those 32 years, we, well, lived. We used the kitchen and the appliances. Our cats barfed on the carpet. Our kiddos spilled their popcorn, drinks, and sometimes blood. Dust, and possessions, accumulated. Selling the house meant we needed to consider what impres