Looking Ahead

I’ve struggled this year with the camper. Being stationary in Okoboji is a lot different than traveling. I am over the teeny space, I’m going stir crazy in 200 sq ft of space that is my office, kitchen, living room and bedroom in one. I can’t take it anymore!

Two years ago I wrote a post that everything is harder in the camper – fine, but annoying. Worth the tradeoffs to experience amazing new destinations. Less so for staying put.

Last month, I wrote that I was feeling very cooped up in the camper, and thought maybe the best idea was to buy a bigger camper. We toured a fifth wheel that had mid-room, perfect for an office. But $50,000 is a lot of money to just be stuck in one place and only able to use it for 5-6 months of the year.

So I think I’ve found myself at this conclusion: next year is my last year with the camper. Honestly, I’d be done this year if Jamey’s parent’s hadn’t bought a condo in Okoboji. I will let them have a summer of quality time. I will also spend far less time in Okoboji next year.

I’m sick of the four hour drive. I’m sick of dealing with holding tanks. I’m sick of the tiny space. I’m sick of the wobbling. I’m sick of it all. Give me my big, beautiful home. I’m over it all. I’ve come home from each trip to Boji tired, not restored. I’m really looking forward to fall and winter so I can just stay home.

What about going somewhere else?

What we want for a second home location is: close to the actual town, on or near water, bike trails, breweries. Alexandria and Duluth fit that bill, but with only one campground in either location that is actually close enough to bike to the fun stuff, and neither of them know what will be open next year. And … new place, same problems. The camper is too small, it still wobbles when Jamey moves around, it still has holding tanks to dump. That no longer sounds good to me anymore. Have I mentioned I’m tired of the camper?

I’d love to go camping again, but I refuse to spend $300/month just to store the camper! We’ve made amazing memories. I always recommend buying a camper and getting out there to anyone thinking about it, do it! But for now, I think I’m done with it.

Maybe buy a condo?

I started writing this last month … and left it in drafts. Since then, we’re on the fence about buying a condo. We found one for sale listed at $119,000 and I’m sure we can get it for less. It’s not on the lake, it doesn’t have lake access, but you can see the lake a little bit, which is more than I can say for the campground! It’s two bedrooms, so I can have an office/guestroom and space to move around! It has laundry in the unit and a dishwasher. Life would be much easier in a condo.

We’ve talked about buying a cabin there off and on for years; more as a pipedream than anything else, I never thought we’d be able to afford a cabin. I can’t believe we can afford a condo, but … we can …

A condo is a lot less work than a house/cabin. The HOA takes care of the yard and snow removal, they maintain all the exterior things like roofs, windows and balconies. We just show up and relax. That is very appealing … and the more I think about that, the more appealing it is for a primary home down the road too! This condo doesn’t allow short term rentals, so we can’t AirBnB it for extra income, but that’s fine, because I’ve seen the groups that are renting AirBnBs for bachelor and bachelorette parties and I don’t want to open up my home to that chaos.

From a financial perspective, the timing is right. And since I was seriously considering the $50,000 camper, that would have been a monthly payment, plus the campground fees … so it’s kind of a wash in terms of month to month expenditure. And the condo will appreciate in value. Not a ton, it’s an older building, but as long as we take care of it – Okoboji is a popular tourist town, there will always be demand for places there. So in a few years we can sell it and get our money back, or even make a few grand.

But it’s a commitment to at least 2-3 more years in Okoboji. It’s not Duluth (I looked, I can’t buy anything in Duluth that isn’t a run down, 150 year old house for close to that price). It’s still a four hour drive. There is no yard for the dogs, so it’s a lot of walking and taking them up and down the stairs (it’s a second floor condo).

If we’re going to be in Okoboji anyway, and who are we kidding, we’re going to be in Okoboji for the foreseeable future – Jamey’s parents will be there now and I can’t tear Jamey away from his happy place – we might as well do it in a more comfortable, spacious home.

I doubt we’d use it a ton in the winter, but it’s a nice option for a getaway. Jamey can’t really take vacations during the school year, but we could go to the condo during school breaks. I’d probably go once a month for a long weekend, maybe a week for a change of scenery and just to check on things.

What if we don’t buy the condo?

I ran this buy my financial advisor last week, who was surprisingly cool about the decision; calling it the same as buying an expensive car like a Cybertruck, but with potential to make money. His main question was, if you don’t do it, will you regret it?

If we were facing this question in March, I think I would be a lot more excited about this possibility. But knowing we’re going into the winter and will be making payments on something we’ll rarely use, I think that’s where I’m stuck. So yes, I do think when next spring comes along and I’m back to working in a dinette and stuck in a camper that wobbles … I will regret not buying the condo. And with rates dropping, the prices will probably climb next year.

I guess that means we should do it. We can afford it, it makes a lot more sense than buying another camper just to park it somewhere, we could go to the Winter Games, we could go after coaching season ends … I think I talked myself into it!

Future Sam, report back on if this works out and if we think it’s a great decision.