Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Sunday Realestalking
Ok, so if you were to build this in Queensland, on the beach at Broadbeach, the end list price would be about 8 million plus, plus.... house and land. Easy. That's if you could find someone who is capable of building in a style that you just don't see here, someone who gets character and detail. Ask for detail here and you get a raised eyebrow and a "why would you want to do that"???
This is for sale for 1.1 million US in Galveston, Texas in the US... all of it... not just the land... the whole damn house... and land. Ok, even take away the location.... no matter where it is.... to build and finish this house in Brisbane would cost you close to 2 million, easy.....to build... the house... no land.
God save Australia, when the mining boom is over and we have killed the goose that laid the golden egg. What is happening with our real estate and our cost of living???? I chatted to a Canadian traveller in the Telstra shop the other day. He reckons everything here is at least double what it costs in Canada.
It wasn't always like this. When I was a new grad, with a pittance to my name, I never consciously thought about how expensive food, rent, everything was. I thought the first house I purchased later in 1991 was totally affordable. Petrol was cheap, rent was cheap, food was cheap. I liked grocery shopping back then.
I'm sad. I see beautiful, great value homes like this and it reminds me that we're being boiled alive here in Australia and we don't even know it. We are one of the most expensive countries in which to live. Hey, I thought Paris was cheap! My Paris apartment was $125/night tariff in the 7th... lean out the window and touch the Eiffel tower stuff. I was drooling over 2 bed apartments for sale in central Paris that were half the price of 2 bed apartments in West End, Brisbane!!!
What's happened?
Didn't mean to get all rant-y (is that a word?.... it is now) and political on this beautiful Sunday morning... but sometimes the reality of living in this expensive country just hits me like a tonne of bricks. Does anyone else get hot under the collar about this?
Although, I was very excited when I found a packet of pasta on sale for 80 cents yesterday. The boys and I 'mentally created' a very cheap meal from all the sale items in the grocery store yesterday. Pasta 80 cents, tinned salmon $2, 300g broccoli 80 cents, tomato base $1.50, 100g cheese $1. Family meal for approx $6. Good lesson. It's doable.... as long as you don't need to live anywhere, need electricity, have to put petrol in your car..... rant, rant. Breathe out!
That feels better!
Now, Happy Sunday!
Images Courtesy HAR
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Hi blogging friends...just wanted you to be aware that I created a Facebook page for "Home Is Where The Heart Is" Here's the link or you can click on the link in the sidebar. Hope you'll stop over :)
♥ Kim
Friday, April 27, 2012
Top Speed
I finished the week at top speed yesterday, still tapping on my computer, loading up new goodies into my store, at 11pm last night. I was on a roll yesterday... very productive. Do you have days like that?....when you have boundless energy and plough through every task you have set yourself with a spring in your step and a smile on your face?
My 'yesterday' reminded me of a little passage I read recently, from a book in the pile I keep beside my bed. The book is, 'Damn Good Advice (for people with talent!)'. It's by George Lois, advertising guru, the original 'Mad Man'! He lists his philosophies on achieving success in point form. It's such an entertaining read, complete with quirky advertising campaign illustrations. For his 7th point, he states:
"Creating ideas without a work ethic to follow through is inconceivable to me.
If you don't burn out at the end of each day, you're a bum! People watching me work ask me all the time why I'm not burnt out, how (especially now at my age) I manage to keep going. The fact is, I'm totally burnt out at the end of each day because I have given myself totally to my work - mentally, psychologically, physically. When I head home at night I can't see straight. But I love that feeling of utter depletion. It is an ecstatic sense of having committed myself to the absolute limit. But after recharging at night, I'm ready to go the next morning. Isn't that what life is all about?"
I can really relate to this passage.. that delicious feeling of 'good exhaustion' after a very productive day.
I do think though, yeah, alright George, you can bounce out of bed recharged because I bet you don't have to do two loads of washing, iron school uniforms, do the school lunches and be at school by 7am for Guitar Ensemble, after picking up car pooling child 2 streets away by 6.20am. But I get his point.
There is also the subject of balance. Productivity sometimes might come at a price.
They come first. End of story.... said the Mum.
Anyway, the results of my busy day yesterday, after playing in the filth that is my shed, are being loaded up into my Cape Cod Designs store this weekend. They started selling as soon as I started loading them up last night (it was comforting to know someone else was up late with me) so I think I can confidently say today that 'stock is limited'. I have always wanted to say that.. "while stocks last".. ha!
Well it's pouring rain here... pouring... if they make my little boy play soccer in such rain today I will be a 'Not Happy Jan'.
At this very moment, I have my feet up and the Nespresso machine is purring. It's going to be a slower day today! ...although my dining room table is covered in receipts, as the BAS is due on Monday? Is it? Does anyone know? I can't find the form under all the paperwork. Maybe not such a slow day. Sigh!
Happy Saturday! I seriously love Saturdays.. and I bet I am not alone in saying that!
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