SEEKING WARMTH

Our dear friends, Bob & Diana Rush, who visited with us about 2 weeks ago, are on a serious quest for a potential winter home here in Lake Havasu. We put them in touch with our favorite Realtor, Denise Strong, who took Patty and I on a mini tour of 4 possible homes yesterday. Patty and Diana have been burning up the phone lines, discussing the pros and cons of the homes we viewed.

Naturally, each of the 4 homes we saw, had strong and weak points, as you might expect when doing comparison shopping for any item. The huge positive right now, is that it is a buyers market, with prices as low as they were 9 years ago when we moved to Lake Havasu City. Interest rates are incredibly low, however, according to Denise, it's not as easy to buy a home as it was a few years ago. Lenders have become very cautious, and minimum down payments have increased considerably.

When Bob & Diana were here, I commented that if we didn't have a motor home, I would be looking for a summer home somewhere in the north where it was cooler. The annual snowbird migration to the south can also work in reverse, as it does for us. There are countless thousands of mostly retired folks who flock to southern climates in the winter, in order to escape the harsh winter weather in the north. Many do the migration in RV's, and many have actual homes to enjoy the moderate winter weather.

Since moving here in 2002, we have not looked back, and very much look forward to the winter months. I rarely wear anything more than shorts and a T-shirt during the winter, and in fact, wear long pants more during the summer, when we are traveling in our motor home. Bob and Diana have a beautiful home, in an absolute drop dead gorgeous area of north eastern Oregon. Every time we have visited them in Enterprise, I have come away thinking that there aren't too many places that can compare with the scenic beauty of their area. Having said that, today's high temperatures in Enterprise are forecast to be between 35-42, with a predicted 1-2 inches of snow. Conversely, the highs here in Lake Havasu today are supposed to be between 87-92, with clear blue skies. Let me think for about one second, where do I want to take a ride on my Harley?

Since retiring, my philosophy is why not have it all if you can? Certainly, we all have limits regarding budgets, physical capabilities, etc. However, as we approach the "golden years", (maybe we're already there), time starts to become a factor in the decision making process. With all of the uncertainty in the world, Patty and I firmly believe in grabbing all of the brass rings while we can. If this acquisition of a second home in Lake Havasu City is in the cards for Bob & Diana, we are not only excited for them, but the idea of having our buddies here in the winter, is exciting for us as well!