Buying my first home...

[jjjtronics]

Very close to where I launch my boat. Sounds like is not related, but I am finally buying my first house, and it is situated about 10 minutes from where we launch our boat. Not fancy, not so pretty, but mine.
I hope everything works out for me, I am very excited and happy !!!
My own house, where my kids can stay as long as they want, and where they can hang the pictures they want, and decorate it our way, with pictures of bikes, and boats, and airplanes, like we want, WOW, what a great feeling !!!
I had this good feeling the day I sailed my V20 the first time, by myself, and go wherever I wanted, is a great feeling, called FREEDOM...

[chumbucket]

Good for you. Congratulations and best of luck with the new casa.

[phatdaddy]

"ain't nothing better than your own back yard" Robert Earl Keene

Congratulations, Enjoy it.

[randlemanboater]

Congrats On The New Home!!!!!

Freedom Is Something We All Take For Granted Way Too Often.

[lumberslinger178]

congrats

[C YENSEN]

good for you. I did that two years ago. my first house :clap:

[parishht]

:party::party::party::party::party::party::party:

That rocks dude,

wow affordable property in PR?

Might I inquire on the price?

[bradford]

Congrats man! A man's house is his castle!

[garagenc]

way to go, now you have a place to leave the boat, drink beer, piss outside without the neighbors complaining, have bonfires.

[willy]

:clap:Good for you triple J, it is one of lifes great feelings. Enjoy it and congrats to you and your whole family

[Franco]

Now we can call you a HOMO______________________________________________ wner!

[cfelton]

Congratulations, hope all works out well for you an yours! Theres nothing like owning your own home. Had mine for 19 years and rebuilt it and added on , did it all myself. It was built in 1917. Its kept me busy!:happy:

[bcmarinamanager]

Congrats!! I just bought my 2nd about 4 months ago really close to where I launch my boat when I take it out of the water. It may get stressful, but it is well worth it. Let the life long work begin. They always need fixin' or upgrading, it gets addictive, kinda like working on my boat.....

[Blue_Runner]

way to go, now you have a place to leave the boat, drink beer, piss outside without the neighbors complaining, have bonfires.

GarageNC - you just described my pad
:happy:

[phatdaddy]

Not sure of your financial situation, but adding something extra to the payment will dramatically decrease the life of the note and the amount you ultimately pay. I added 200 a month to a 550 a month payment on a 30 yr note & paid it off in 11 years. I bought in 1990 & was mine in 2001. best of luck

[randlemanboater]

Good advise P-Diddy. I have paid $100 extra per mo. on my 15 year note and it looks like it will be done in about 9 years.

[nipper]

Good advice, Phat. Even if you cannot add an extra amount as large as yours ($200/$550 = 36.36% more), simply paying 1/2 of the monthly mortgage payment every two weeks can reduce the term of a 30 year note down to about 21. By doing that, you actually make an extra monthly payment every year, and every time you can reduce principal it helps. For example, if mortgage payment is $1000 a month, you would pay $12,000 per year via traditional method, or $500 x 26 bi-weekly payments = $13,000 per year, with most of that extra $1000 per year going toward reduction of principal balance.

[phatdaddy]

Yeah, i realize that a 550 monthly payment now days is unrealistic. i'm paying almost 200 a month now in proptaxes & homeowners & i own the house, thats almost half of when i was paying P&I + taxes & ins.
also make sure you are directing the extra money go to the principal..I had a friend who was just sending in an extra payment with the coupon and they were applying it to principal & interest, not principal only...

[Hammerhead]

Congrats Bro. I live close to the ramp I use so I know the drill.

"Honey,...I'm going to check the ramp out,...be back in a bit ".... < didn't tell'r I'm taking the V with me >

[jjjtronics]

THANKS FOR ALL THE + + + + SUPPORT AND GOOD ADVISE !!!
Well, being 45, I have to think carefully about this.
First, the Bank is not going to allow me too much time to pay it off.
Second, I don`t want to be paying until the day I die, I plan to retire someday.
So, the budget for this, is not much. I have to be realistic, and play it smartly. I will be happy with anything that is close to the water anyways, fancy or not. And, I will still have to put gas/maintenance on the V20 ( $$$$$$$ ), and beer/food on my belly, so I have to be carefull.
I am shooting for 15 years max, which will put me @ 60 y.o. when I finish payments, and that concerns me a lot, but I`m going for it anyways.
I is VERY interesting, that by lowering the amount of years from 30 to 20, the payment diference is around $100.oo, and that is not much, and down to 15 from 30, the diference is about $160.oo, not much still. WHAT A DIFERENCE !!!

As soon as I get home this week, I will start the process, and I promise I will post many pictures. And hopefully I will be living on it this summer.

JT

[phatdaddy]

Hey, sounds like you got a plan,,stick to it.. I do know that after 45, you won't believe how fast time flies.
a pirate looks at 60
phatdaddy

[willy]

Well said and good reference Phatdaddy.

[jjjtronics]

Thanks for all the good advise.
Here is a a couple of pictures.
This house was abandoned after it`s owner passed away. It was totally vandalized, even the windows got stolen. It is in REALLY bad shape, but I`m not scared, I`m not afraid of hard work and long days. I will do most of the repairs myself. And by the way, I will have to sell my car, my motorcycle, and a couple of other things to come up with some cash that I need for this.
I am waiting on the banks to do their thing. I hope it happens. I already started cleaning it and giving it love and care. It is located in Las Croabas sector, Fajardo Puerto Rico. One minute from the ramp !!! Jejejejeje
Juan

[jjjtronics]

Not much as is, but love and hard work makes wonders. I am keeping pictures for the "before and after" album.
Juan

[Sean]

:clap::clap::clap: Please tell me that is the view from you house:love: Cngratts and good luck:clap:

[parishht]

Who cares about fixing it, look at those views,
I have a feeling you will be out on the NEW patio most of the time.

[jjjtronics]

THANKS GUYS !!!
Well, 5 years ago, I went through VERY dificult times, things that really hurt, none of my fault. One day I was very down and had lost my faith, and a friend of mine, and I don`t remember who, told me to never ever fight back, to never revenge, and to stay good and decent, and that Father God will see my good and help me out to get up and be OK.
Life took everything I had from me, even my two boys where taken from me as the court ordered her to keep custody. I was left ( materially wise ) with the clothes I was wearing, and my ever faithfull old Montero/Raider, where I lived for a couple of months before I had the courage to go to God, my Parents, my Family and MY FRIENDS.
I changed so much. I lost ALL love to material things. God gave me a lesson, and I learn that Him, Family and Friends are everything.
The oportunity to buy this house, I believe is God`s gift to me, but what I really love is Him, my two sons, my Family, my friends, and now you guys ( hey, hey, hey, don`t get any wrong ideas, Jejejeje ).
Juan

[nipper]

Thanks for sharing that with us JJJ. Very inspirational. May God bless you with all that you need and deserve.

[C YENSEN]

Thanks for sharing that with us JJJ. Very inspirational. May God bless you with all that you need and deserve.

WHAT HE SAID:beer:

[Sean]

Thank you for that Juan, and God Bless

[randlemanboater]

God Bless you Juan.

Hey, I have an idea, what do you guys think about a V-20 mission trip to PR to help Juan fix his house once he gets it?

[parishht]

If it is a mission trip, does that mean it would be tax deductible?

[nipper]

I'm not sure Juan would want to wait, because at least us Northerners would be calling for the trip to Puerto Rico oh, say, next January when its colder than a witch's tLt up here.

[jjjtronics]

Thanks for all the support !!!

Hopefully I can invite you guys to stay at my house sometime in the future.
You Americans already have helped me A LOT !!! Your Country gave me a lot of opprtunities, first in the Navy, later with Raytheon Aerospace, and now with the FAA, where I work as an Aviation Specialist ( NAV/COM Tech in our airports ).
I feel a lot of RESPECT, PRAISE and GRATITUDE for you, and your GREAT COUNTRY.
Juan

[jjjtronics]

To start working on the house, I need water, and electricity. I asked my friends co-workers for a used generator to buy it, and guess what, Roberto, gave me a 4kw unit that he had. All it needs is carb cleaning, new oil and gas. He made my day. See photo.

[nipper]

OK Juan, which handsome guy in the picture is you?

[jjjtronics]

The tallest. Jejejeje

[jjjtronics]

I`m sorry nipper. I did not look carefully at the picture, thats tough to guess.
I`m the one with less money in the pockets.
Jejejeje...

[phatdaddy]

i bet your the one that looks like he just got a free generator....
a word of advice from someone who has lived with generators for primary power for days at at time, check the oil every time you gas it up. maybe that model has the auto oil shut off, if so it will shut down if it gets low. with those horizonal engines, there is a fine line between low oil & no oil.

[scook]

Man Juan, you're killin' me with that picture with the Palm trees. It's been pretty nice (finally) here in Oregon, but it's supposed to SNOW tonight.

If I wasn't stuck here with two houses not sold, that's the kind of mission trip I'd like to take - but I agree with Nipper - probably around January.

Good luck with the house project and don't hesitate to ask for advice - there's a bunch of guys here who know about that stuff.

And thanks for your kind words about the old USA. We've definitely got some problems, but most of us, on both sides of the isle do love it.

[Monkey Butler]

Jaun, I am just catching up here and your post really hits home. Thanks and know that your "lesson" has been passed on.

[willy]

I amnot 100% on this guys but I believe Fajardo PR is where the ferry leaves to go to the other islands of PR. I love it there it is beautiful beyond belief and the people were great.
Good luck JJ let us know if we could be of help some how.

[scook]

Hey Juan,

I looked on Google Maps and it does look like you're in a beautiful area. I don't know if you want to give your address, but if you do, we can zoom in and see right where you are, with the satellite imaging.

For all the bad stuff on the internet, it's amazing how close it can bring a bunch of guys who all like the same boat and share some old fashioned values.

We're with you bro' - keep us posted on your progress.

[jjjtronics]

We were at Cayo Palominito, Cayo Icaco, and Cayo Palomino this Sunday. Day was perfect.
My two sons were with me. Boat ran perfect. Everything was super, little windy, but nice.
I had a great day, I even forgot I have a phone.
Here are some pictures.

For those GPS lovers;

Palominito: 18 20`18.74" N , 65 34`04.71" W
Palomino: 18 20`55.57" N , 65 34`04.53" W
Icaco ( my favorite ): 18 23`11.15" N , 65 35`31.42" W
And the house I`m working on buying: 18 22`08.26" N , 65 37`27.91"

Yes, the ferrys to Culebra and Vieques pass by this Cayos ( Cays ) on their way.

Only God can create such places and views. We are blessed. Too bad, and I admit, that many of our people does not realize what we have in this small piece of the Earth.

And as I said, you guys are welcome to visit anytime.

Juan

[jjjtronics]

My son Juan, and my son Jorge.
The girl is my son`s girlfriend. She is a great person, sweet and lovely. He is a lucky guy.
The mountains you see in the back-ground is Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
By the way, Juan, Juan and Jorge, there is where the J-J-J-tronics come from.
Juan

[chumbucket]

Beautiful picture Juan. I'm jealous. :clap:

[randlemanboater]

Juan.....you are a very lucky man.

I think you better keep the big motor for just such days.

[willy]

Yea that is the place I remember, I have been trying to talk the CEO into buying a condo or small home there for a couple of years, something I could rent out for income and stay in for a few weeks at a time during the winter.

[parishht]

Great pictures, now I miss the beaches of Venezuela,
but it will be a long time before I go back there.

[nipper]

Nice shipshape coiling of the bow line.

[C YENSEN]

dam your place is gorgeous. you are a lucky man. :beer:

[jjjtronics]

Well, you`re right, but living on the Island is not all perfect and easy. We have many problems.
I just hope that you guys can come down sometime and hang around with us. When I lived in your Country, I was always invited to different places, and I was treated with good friendship, respect and fun. I used to ride dirtbikes, and also fly R/C airplanes, and I enjoyed my hobbies a lot because I had good friends there who invited me to their places and their homes. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT, so, I hope I can do the same for you guys.

Juan