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My wife and I stopped by an open house yesterday in a somewhat exclusive part of Tampa. After talking the guard at the gate into letting us in, we then drove around the neighborhood and stumbled upon an open house of a mini-mansion.
We're in the market now to buy a place in Tampa and working on unloading our house in Minnesota. Dealing with really wanting to decide if we want a mortgage, want a dream home, or want a house with a 20 year roof on it.
So we walked into this house, not expecting that the house was well beyond the level of F*ck YOU. It was incredible. It was the type of home you would never want to leave. It was the type of home most people will never see the inside of.
As we ambled through the several thousand square feet, looking at all of the coolest design shit you would ever want to see and praying that my daughter didn't decide to randomly break some Ming vase, we came upon the gym.
"This is the reason nobody is buying this house" the listing agent said. "The owner has over a million dollars into just this part of the house, and he's not even trying to get his money back for that. He built it for his grandkids, but they're grown now and he and his wife don't need this."
The double doors open into a fully commercial gymnasium. Half court, spring floor, amazing. The type of amenity that you would picture Shaq or Michael Jordan having in their home, complete with the commercial A/C system and literally one of the nicest gyms you could ever play in.
My youngest immediately goes over to the basketball rack and grabs a ball. That's why they are there.
And the owner? Doesn't care how much he spent on that. Between the gym, with the adjacent workout room and bar/billiards area, he's into just that small wing for over a million that is NOT INCLUDED in his asking price. His asking price doesn't value that wing, because they think nobody wants it. And he's right so far. The people that have looked at it are not buying it because of that.
Money. Seems like everyone has it but you. But me. Yet... look in your town. There are dozens - and dozens of million dollar real estate listings. So someone has the money.
While you settle. While a day turns into a week turns into a month turns into a year. While you settle.
My wife and I are doing pretty well. However, when I left this incredible house, I intended to double down. Not in pursuit of the cash, or in pursuit of the house (we're NOT buying it... yet). In pursuit of the mountain top.
See, other people have climbed this mountain before you and I did. Many of them left maps and instructions. Many people, like this guy... planted their own F*cking flag at the summit. The flag might wave on their boat, or at their McMansion. For some of them, you will never see the flag they planted because it is not wrapped around a physical piece of property. For some of them, their mountain was freedom. Their flag might be in their bank account, or on their endless vacation, or just outside of the office they left and never looked over their shoulder at.
And you settle. And I settle.
Walking into that house was the best thing that has happened to me in a while. It stirred the kick in the a$$ that my contentment needed.
Tell yourself life is stacked against you. Tell yourself you're stuck with your mortgage, your credit card debt, and your life. Tell yourself you'll never find the fast lane. And you'll be right.
A F*cking million dollar gym, in his house, for his grandkids. Because he can. He has F*ck YOU money.
When I went to search for the listing for this house to post you some pictures, I stumbled across several houses with similar amenities. Apparently this eccentric grandfather isn't the only one with F*ck YOU money in this town.
Or your town.
Go back to your video game now. As for me, I am buying some mountain climbing gear.
We're in the market now to buy a place in Tampa and working on unloading our house in Minnesota. Dealing with really wanting to decide if we want a mortgage, want a dream home, or want a house with a 20 year roof on it.
So we walked into this house, not expecting that the house was well beyond the level of F*ck YOU. It was incredible. It was the type of home you would never want to leave. It was the type of home most people will never see the inside of.
As we ambled through the several thousand square feet, looking at all of the coolest design shit you would ever want to see and praying that my daughter didn't decide to randomly break some Ming vase, we came upon the gym.
"This is the reason nobody is buying this house" the listing agent said. "The owner has over a million dollars into just this part of the house, and he's not even trying to get his money back for that. He built it for his grandkids, but they're grown now and he and his wife don't need this."
The double doors open into a fully commercial gymnasium. Half court, spring floor, amazing. The type of amenity that you would picture Shaq or Michael Jordan having in their home, complete with the commercial A/C system and literally one of the nicest gyms you could ever play in.
My youngest immediately goes over to the basketball rack and grabs a ball. That's why they are there.
And the owner? Doesn't care how much he spent on that. Between the gym, with the adjacent workout room and bar/billiards area, he's into just that small wing for over a million that is NOT INCLUDED in his asking price. His asking price doesn't value that wing, because they think nobody wants it. And he's right so far. The people that have looked at it are not buying it because of that.
Money. Seems like everyone has it but you. But me. Yet... look in your town. There are dozens - and dozens of million dollar real estate listings. So someone has the money.
While you settle. While a day turns into a week turns into a month turns into a year. While you settle.
My wife and I are doing pretty well. However, when I left this incredible house, I intended to double down. Not in pursuit of the cash, or in pursuit of the house (we're NOT buying it... yet). In pursuit of the mountain top.
See, other people have climbed this mountain before you and I did. Many of them left maps and instructions. Many people, like this guy... planted their own F*cking flag at the summit. The flag might wave on their boat, or at their McMansion. For some of them, you will never see the flag they planted because it is not wrapped around a physical piece of property. For some of them, their mountain was freedom. Their flag might be in their bank account, or on their endless vacation, or just outside of the office they left and never looked over their shoulder at.
And you settle. And I settle.
Walking into that house was the best thing that has happened to me in a while. It stirred the kick in the a$$ that my contentment needed.
Tell yourself life is stacked against you. Tell yourself you're stuck with your mortgage, your credit card debt, and your life. Tell yourself you'll never find the fast lane. And you'll be right.
A F*cking million dollar gym, in his house, for his grandkids. Because he can. He has F*ck YOU money.
When I went to search for the listing for this house to post you some pictures, I stumbled across several houses with similar amenities. Apparently this eccentric grandfather isn't the only one with F*ck YOU money in this town.
Or your town.
Go back to your video game now. As for me, I am buying some mountain climbing gear.
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