Our last home?

Automobile’s of Art:

 1939 Lasalle,  My year!

The here and now:
Most who read the shipslog know I am a retired sailor and a retired contractor.
I mentioned in a blog lately that Sherry was instrumental in my building career, with  "Get us out of debt!"

  So to reach Sherry's goal of being out of debt, we found a cheap unfavorable lot, on a hill, in a neighboring town, Mt. Holly. Sherry wanted Belmont, her home town, but no good lots were in our price range.  We chose a split level home that fit perfectly on the small rising hill. Above is the home we built, to get us out of debt. She helped raise walls, hang dry wall and roof this one.

To explain why she thought I could build. Once, without her knowledge I bought a lot no one wanted, cheap. There was a shack on it. I tore the shack down. There were some side-set, problems, but if I had a surveyor lay out the house I could build. I did. 
 (both my sisters and Dick at the first little house)

I Built the entire house myself and sold it. Sherry learned about the house before I finished of course. From the sale of it, we had a nest egg. 

Sherry and I built that house and only contracted the heating and A/C since it was so big. I also laid two fireplaces and chimney.  Both worked with no problem. While building the split level for us, I studied, dug up all the requirements and took the NC State General Contractors Test and passed. 

After a couple years of building a friend told me of a nice lot in Belmont and we bought it. Sherry's dream. We put the house in Mt. Holly up for sale and started on 'Our final dream Home'. 

I NEVER built  fancy homes for us. Some said this one was, it really wasn't, but it had exotic features,

Sherry's sister had a pool, Sherry wanted one. I refused to have a pool outside. I had opened and closed the sister's pool for a few years, what a job and expensive. I said I will never have that.

So we came to a mutual agreement, I would build a pool inside, heated. I could find no advice, no contractor I knew had done an inside pool. There was none in any of the neighboring towns. So I muddled thru. 

 I nailed all the cedar. I am not using that ladder sitting too close to the edge of the pool!

Installed a concrete pool completely with cedar siding thru out and a pool shower and bath. I lined two sides with sliding glass doors so it could be opened in the summer.

For the grand kids. I also built a play area in the front garages with fire station, kitchen, and a play house with a balcony. The back garage was mine with a work area. My company office was inside, overlooking the pool.

We loved this house for a few years, until we wanted to travel. My attorney warned of leaving the pool unattended for extended lengths of time. Then My sister Kat and hubby Dick learned the city of Charlotte had condemned their home due to Airport expansion and they had to take the price and move.

 Our final house, no longer was our final house. Time to move. Not far from the South Main Street house (That last home) we had a wooded acre. Why not build our real last home there?

Nite Shipslog