Run the Numbers

Have you ever gotten stuck in a spreadsheet, working variations on numbers, hoping one of ways you change the values around will magically give you the solution you're hoping for?   I felt like I was doing just that tonight.

There is a piece of property some friends of ours would like to purchase.  We've been involved in helping try to work out a way in which these friends can make it happen.    They're banding together as a group of investors in the hopes that together they'll be able to come up with a way to creatively work out a solution.

My husband, who is a real estate broker, built a very nice spreadsheet that helps us look at options.   There are options for numbers and types of investors, percentage of down payment, interest rate, years in the term and other variables that show basically how much money you need when.

And that's the trick, isn't it?  If these investors had lots of cash they could just go and buy the property.   But they don't.   They're hoping to purchase the property for a good cause, but to do so they'll have to hold on to the property for five to ten years and hope that property values don't go down.

It's a lot to ask of someone to commit to spending money now and (depending on how the numbers are run) continue to invest in a piece of property so that in the future it can be put to good use.    Hopefully we can find a solution.   Until that time, we'll keep working on numbers in spreadsheets.

The Big Boy Update:  My husband got my son's favorite baby blanket out yesterday.   My son just loves this little blanket so we put it away from time to time so he doesn't form an unbreakable bond with it.   My son was so happy to have it yesterday he stayed in his room while we were doing things downstairs.   He knew we were talking because he participated in the conversation several times from upstairs.   And then he got quiet.   He had gotten down on the floor, perfectly covered himself up with his little blanket and gone straight to sleep with his head almost under the rocking chair.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Reese, if you're older and reading this, please forgive me for not getting started on planning your birthday party yet.   I know it's coming up and it's been on my list to do, but I haven't sent out the invitation yet.   It's going to be a "Green" birthday party for you.  You are totally obsessed with the color green right now.   It's terribly cute.   I'm going to go set a reminder for myself to start working on your party tomorrow right now...