One thing I haven’t really talked about is money. This is a very expensive project, and we got a very large construction loan to build our dream. The lender, Washington Mutual (who have been GREAT to work with!) requires that we have a licensed and bonded general contractor to do the work, and the contractor must submit a resume and references and get approved before the lender will release funds.
Ever since we switched contractors, we’ve had to pay the bills ourselves while our lender gets all their paperwork taken care of. Construction is all about cash flow. So…we’ve sold off a lot of assets in order to keep things moving.
I am a blatant BMW fanatic. When we started this project, I had two BMW M cars (street cars crammed full of racing technology) and two BMW motorcycles. The first thing to go was my 1988 M5, a 155-mph, 290-hp monster disguised as a mild 4-door sedan.
The next one to go left us last week, purchased by a friend of a close friend of mine (thanks, Linda and John!) This car, a 1998 M-Roadster, was absolutely the quickest, most fun vehicle I’ve ever driven. Every time I see an M car on the road, or even a Z3, my heart wrenches. For the first time in 25 years, I don’t own a BMW car any more 🙁
Now I’m down to the motorcycles, and one of them is currently for sale. My 1996 R1100RSL, a very fine machine, will have to go. A picture is below. It’s been reliable, fun, and a great commute vehicle for those days when I have to travel 170 miles to attend a meeting at work. It’s currently up for sale on the Internet BMW Riders marketplace.
Now my main transportation is a 1996 Nissan pickup, which looks like hell but has been utterly reliable and useful. And I still have the BMW that I’ve owned the longest, a labor of love dating back 12 years.
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