Back in ND

The Ronson and his friend, Larry, just returned from a short exploratory junket to Florida. House hunting to be exact.

Now before the rumors fly, we are not going anywhere. This was an expedition to "check out" the housing market for investment purposes. I just reel when this conversation comes up at our house because I don't want the worries of rentals, let alone property about twenty states away, managed by someone named Murrilo.

This drama unfolded about two months ago when Ron started looking at houses on ebay - Fort Myers/Lehigh Acres area to be exact. Homes, which sold for $250,000.00 when the bubble was still a bubble, are now in foreclosure and selling for about $40.00 a sq. ft. or in the neighborhood of 40-70 thousand.

His brother bought one about 6 weeks ago and the house is already rented out. Ron, having the ever cautious wife that he does, didn't jump off the bridge, holding his nose, charge in and buy one - like he wanted to do.

I believe he said I was holding him back, chicken that I am. Good or bad, Terry, the brother, doesn't have a wife to get in his way.

So it was time for a road trip.

He and Larry left on Saturday. They stepped off the plane to 90 plus degrees and horrid humidity. Ron told me I would have turned around and headed back to North Dakota, "You would have been bitching about the humidity and your hair going flat."

Got that one right. There will be no humidity in my retirement future.

So they began their exploratory tour. Ron said he has never seen so many FORECLOSURE, FOR SALE, and FOR RENT signs his whole life. He was overwhelmed with the mass of houses, many never having been lived in.

Unemployment and inability to get financing has tanked the area to phenomenal proportions. In looking at one home a neighbor came up and told the guys, "The U.S. Marshal moved these guys out awhile back."

Some houses were made with chinese drywall and had to be redone, many were of cinder block style. Very little carpet, mostly tile or wood floors. "Better to hear the alligator claws as they come looking for you." was my immediate thought.

Ron said the houses (many of them) were very nice and probably quite rent worthy. A skip down the road and then junk houses. Some homes when they went into foreclosure, the soon to be former owner would gut the house of cupboards, vanities, and fixtures. I know that is not unheard of, but what animal like people we have in our world.

Well, to shorten this up a bit, the Davis's do not have a house in Florida, at least not today. Thank God!