The river was very quiet over the long weekend. I like it that way, which is why I was almost annoyed when Padma called out, "There are some people at the gate!" By the time I had got off the old sofa on the verandah, they were already coming down the driveway towards the house. "They" turned out to be my car mechanic and his wife. Where else but in a small town do you get visits from your car mechanic?
I reflected on this and how lucky we are to live in this bend of the river, with no neighbours and a view to die for and plenty of sunshine - when the sun is shining which is most of the time. Of course, I will have to downsize sometime in the future, after which my only view will be my neighbours' houses and the sunshine will be limited to just a few hours a day - when it's not totally obscured by my neighbours' houses and trees.
Apropos of downsizing, I still receive a steady trickle of inquiries in response to my real estate advertisement on www.realestate.com.au which asks interested buyers to send me their "Expression of Interest", as I don't want to scare them away with my asking price around $3.2 million. Most are scared away as soon as the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, but some hang around to try their luck by making a lower offer.
The latest inquirer was quite insistent, telling me that his offer of $2.8million was quite generous since an earlier advertisement - see above - had suggested a price of only $2,275,000. That was many years ago when the land valuation alone had been a far more modest $1,554,000. That valuation has since exploded to a massive $2,880,000, which means that I am only asking for an extra $320,000 for the huge two-storey house and countless other structures and improvements.
It's strange how those same people love to see the real estate they already own double in value every ten years, but hate to see it happen to the real estate they want to buy. Anyway, this particular chap seemed too young to appreciate the magic of compound interest nor to have eaten a cheap pub lunch of mixed grill in 1972 which then cost 75 cents but now sets you back $40 at the Bomaderry Bowling Club Bistro.
(Incidentally, I have reported the Pizza's to the Apostrophe Protection Society)
Which brings me ever so conveniently to the object of my current desire which is a little house in Bomaderry at 17 Tarawara Street. It has plenty of storage space for all my books, the garden is small enough to allow me plenty of time for reading, and with bushland across the road, it has neighbours on either side only. However, its main advantage is the five-minute walk to the railway station. I love train travel, and with my concessional Senior's Pass I could be in and out of Sydney for $2.50.
Its asking price is $839,000, which sounds a lot when you know that it sold for just $290,000 in 2015 which is only eleven years ago, but that is - once again! - the magic of compound interest, in this case on steroids. Maybe I show it to the chap who thinks "Riverbend" is too expensive!
