Creative Solutions

I have potentially anywhere from three to six homes coming available in the next two months. Two of those, I am pretty sure won't be an issue.

Additionally, Kirby and I are banking on the Waterford home staying rented even though their lease is up. These particular tenants tend to create lots of noise about how unhappy they are but don't really have the money to move. Note to tenants: happiness is a choice. Note to Kirby: thank you for dealing with grouchy tenants.

Then there is the lease on Hysteria Lane is coming due and I can't imagine an MIA tenant since April actually renewing her lease on an almost vacant home. Though, I would be ok if she did. She dutifully pays every month. She is now arranging to have the grass cut and so far, she isn't asking for any repairs.

Mrs. Spring left me in a bit of a bind with the Leeds house. And, as annoyed as I am for her breaking her lease, I am not sorry to see her go. I really hate tenants with a sense of entitlement. I have had four tenants in this property. None of them I cried about when they moved.

As an experiment, I am thinking about checking into the Veteran's Administration housing program for the Leeds home. They have a rent assistance program for vets and my home may qualify. I am not sure how I feel about this. I am also not sure who will manage this property for me--Kirby or Carolsue. I am relieved to have options.

My home on Fultondale is weighing heavily on me. Now that I have my wits, I realize spiraling into financial peril (with a short sale or foreclosure over one mortgage payment) is probably not a great long-term answer. It is amazing how sleep and time often provide massive injections of wisdom. Where we stand right now, Marty and I have agreed not to discuss this option again unless we are in a situation much worse than this.

Kirby tells me he is getting calls now that the rent payment is ultra low and doesn't cover begin to cover my expenses. Hopefully this will be rented very soon. In the mean-time, Marty Sunshine called the bank on Wednesday. He renegotiated our interest rate to 4 percent. Starting in December our payment will be reduced by half--making the property a viable rental once we get our tenant.