I have a lot of milestones in November – today is the day, 25 years ago, that I took ownership of this home.  People are constantly asking me why I don’t sell and move into the city.  I counter by asking them why would I do that when I am living in my dream home?

            When my father first suggested that I come and view this house I was resistant because he described it off the bat as “it’s a log cabin” which turned me off.  As much as I loved the book Little House in the Big Woods I did not want to live like Laura Ingalls.  We drove up to the house and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a bungalow style log cabin, not one of those chalet types.  We entered by the front door because we didn’t know country etiquette required one to call at the back door.  The house was owned by an elderly couple who had obviously collected a lot of material things during their lifetime and much of it seemed to be crammed into the living room.  I therefore didn’t have a very good impression of the space.  Then we walked into the kitchen and I fell in love.

            The kitchen takes up two thirds of the back half of the house, runs the back length with an open dining space, has vast counters on either side of the kitchen space and then runs along the back into an open mud room, laundry area, and second kitchen space.  Then we walked back to an isolated but huge family room with a fantastic brick fireplace, one of the show pieces of the house.  Then we went out to walk around the property and again, I fell in love.  The house was set on 5 acres of land with mature trees and windbreak shrubs to make the place pleasant, cosy and even idyllic.  Oh yes, I wanted this place.

            I next had the good fortune to get my mortgage from a credit union.  In case you didn’t know, at least at the time I got my mortgage, the credit union only did 20 year mortgages so my home was paid for much sooner than with a conventional 25 year mortgage.  Getting a tighter mortgage meant that the principal was getting paid down much quicker.  My understanding is that in the first 5 years of a 25 year mortgage almost nothing is paid off on the principal.  So if you can afford it, get a reduced mortgage!

            Being mortgage free is the most fantastic feeling in the world.  Once the mortgage was gone even though I still had to work I felt secure that I would be able to keep my home even if the worst would happen to me.  Today I will celebrate my home ownership with a specialty coffee and a toast to my Dad for bringing me here!  Thanks Dad!