Saving for a goal and then reaching the point of execution is a mixture of joy and fear all at the same time…..

Although we have less than four weeks until we pick up the RV and we are finalizing and completing all the loan paperwork and such.  At one point we were looking to sell our townhouse and take the proceeds to purchase the motor home.  But since we had found out the amount we could get in rent, it seemed to be a better choice to hold off on selling, renting the townhouse and take a loan out for the motor home.  With interest rates being low, I am taking a calculated risk and betting that our home will appreciate more more than the costs of the loan over that period.  With the construction on the upswing in our neighborhood (see the Nation Harbor link at the top of the page), I am betting that prices will increase and that it is a better use of my money by keeping it invested in the townhouse than an outright purchase of the motor home.  Each person is different and what works for one may not work for another.  Life in general is about risk and reward, each decision has some risk that needs to be weighed against the potential reward.  Here is the progress on the new MGM Casino set to open at the end of the year and you can see National Harbor in the background.

Anyway, getting the loan finalized and paperwork completed via the mail will make the delivery smoother.  I will also be able to get the tags and title work started, it is harder to do, most times you purchase a car from the local dealer who handles all this stuff.  If I was buying a car, I don’t think I would be doing this ahead of delivery, but everyone tells me that Sherman RV has a great reputation, that they will do anything to protect it and if there are any issues that we find during pick up they will be documented and get taken care of quickly and to my satisfaction.  But stroking that big $$,$$$ check for the down payment was one of the largest checks I have ever written, and took many years of savings with a plan and goal in mind.  Now I need to keep focused as we have a few more large expenses to cover before we hit the road.

I am going to give a product endorsement and no, I am not looking to get anything out of it, but wanted to share the information I gathered since I feel it can help someone else.  The product is a way to invest, called Betterment.

Since with today’s low or zero interest rates on checking and savings accounts, the question is where do you stockpile your emergency fund, or your funds to say pay the down payment on a motor home?  Checking accounts are now like putting cash under the mattress, with a zero return.  I wanted something easy and one where I can control the amount of risk I take but will not cost me an arm and leg in management fee’s.  After reading about Betterment, I decided that was the place to stash savings, I could set the amount between stocks and bonds, and the whole fund is using computers to make the decision and not paying some wiz kid a commission to make the trades.  The fee’s are lower, they invest in low cost Exchange Traded Funds tracking major indexes.  I recommend you check it out. www.betterment.com

And no, this is not my account, I wish it was, it is just some pictures I found on the o’l Internet….

RV Pick Up Is In: