I’m glad I ate my Wheaties this morning because I was on the go from the time I walked thru the front door of my office. I’ve never been one to complain of being too busy, but I worry at times about finding myself late for an appointment due to having been held up by another. Once again, I was thankful my stacked appointments fell into place just as I’d hoped.
My first appointment was to take a look at a home that’s been owned for many years. The outside looked fine, but oh mercy, the interior was overly-filled and nearly to its brim with personal “stuff”. I’ve seen the likes numerous times before, but the shock effect I get is always the same to where I think, “How can people function in homes filled with so much stuff?” I’ve never considered myself a minimalist, but when comparing what I have to what I looked at today, the owner of that home would likely believe me to be living a spartan life.
I’ll never forget as long as I live the Estate of Nova Maythem. Since it’s been so many years since her estate was closed, and there being no immediate family still alive, I can now speak freely. If one was going to “brand” her, I say she was a reclusive mega-hoarder. She saved absolutely e v e r y t h i n g! All the rooms in her home were piled high to its ceilings with papers, books, magazines, correspondence, and just about every think else you can imagine capable of being saved. She collected the sticks she picked up in her yard, wrapped them with twine, and stacked them away. She saved the hair she brushed off her pets, along with her own. Her plethora of collecting included tin cans, jars, pieces of wood, non-reusable jar lids, and pop tabs. I was convinced anything and everything that ever entered her realm, would never leave during her lifetime.
Believe it or not, she even cut her grass with a pair of scissors, then delicately wrapped it and then finding yet another niche to store it. Now don’t think she had bales of grass from her yard, because it was so over-grown with volunteer trees which left little or no room for even a blade of grass to grow.
Yours truly was called to give an opinion of value of her home, and all I could say was, “When you get this house cleared out enough so I can at least see the rooms, I’ll give you my opinion.” When after the many dumpsters were filled and hauled away, I was finally able to estimate its value, and believe it or not, I managed to sell it to a buyer I was working with at the time. The thought of her self-imposed reclusive state continues to sadden me while wondering whatever in the world triggered such an inward retreat from the world around her.
On the brighter side, I listed a home on Lake Cona Toma today which should sell relatively quickly since there’s such a great shortage of lakeshore homes here in Mason City. It’s a four bedroom two and a half bath ranch that’s been owned for nearly 50 years by its current owners. I praised them highly for the exceptional care they’ve given it all these many years.
If you like being on the water with views to die for, along with having your own private dock, this home’s for you. What I particularly like about their home, is its lower level being a walk-out to the lakeshore. Whomever designed it, was a mid-century master at functionality. There’s absolutely nothing about its floor plan I dislike or would change. If you, or anyone you know is looking for lakeshore, after seeing this one, you’ll all be ready to set sail from the dock located behind 40 Lakeview Drive here in Mason City. Such a perfect place to create one’s own sanctuary, don’t you think?
Tonight’s one-liner is: Salvation can’t be bought and sold.
