Happy Spring!

As usual, springtime in the Rockies is always a gamble. Last weekend’s snowstorm started slow but picked up steam as the weekend came to a close. Our “paltry” two feet of snow piled up to more than three feet in town and drifts that covered cars in the northern foothills. And this was some of the wettest, heaviest snow I’ve ever (not) had the pleasure(?) of shoveling. In fact, the residents that still live on our mountain didn’t get dug out until Friday—a good four days after the snow ended. More snow is predicted the beginning of the week.

Needless to say, we haven’t been able to do anything with our property yet. That doesn’t mean nothing is happening, though. We still have applications to fill out. Now that the FEMA declaration has been approved, we’re on deadline to get even more paperwork completed.

Next week, we look at what kind of home we want and get a few bids to see how much money we’ll need to win in Vegas. All kidding aside, we are talking with our financial adviser to figure out what we can afford to build since this little adventure is throwing a wrench into our long-term retirement plans. The first step is to score a low-interest loan, and that’s where the FEMA declaration helps us the most.

I’ve been looking at floorplans for days and have a few ideas of what I’d like in a new home. The trick will be to fit all of our champagne wants and needs into that beer budget without compromising quality. I’ll let you know how it goes.