[Christmas – 1998] Walter was a Vietnam War veteran who had finally received disputed benefits more than 20 years late, and he wanted to use the money to purchase land and build his home. He found a tiny parcel at a low price, but the closing was delayed when Walter’s attorney discovered that, somewhere in the chain of conveyances for the land an heir had filed a copy of the Will rather than of the Probate Judgement in the local land records. While the Will did name the heir, it was logically possible that the Will might have been disputed and overturned. Therefore, only the Final Report and Account of the Court could establish the legitimacy of the previous owner’s deed.
Somehow, unreturned calls and slow responses stretched the delays into a 9 month “gestation period.” Walter, his wife, and I had searched for months to find a suitable building lot at a very low price, so it would make no sense to pull the plug on this transaction: We had to be patient.
The parcel was barely more than a third of an acre but it abutted the National Forest, so for his money Walter was getting thousands of acres! After waiting decades for the money due him, followed by the unexpected additional 9 months; when the day of the closing came, Walter’s good cheer was infectious.
It was a cash deal. Walter was supposed to come to the table with $4,837.62. But he did not bring a check: Instead when his lawyer asked for the funds Walter produced from an inner lapel pocket a bulging envelope. Walter opened the envelope and pulled out a wad of $100 and $50 bills, then — peeling them off and counting — he cast each one upon the table with a flourish. This was one time that I wish I had brought a camera just to catch the shocked looks on the lawyers’ faces!
“Walter, why did you do it this way: Why didn’t you just bring a check?” I asked.
With his full beard and robust physique, Walter looks like a mountain man. Smiling, he fixed me in his gaze; and in his powerful voice he roared:
“Steve, I’m only going to o this once, and I want it to be fun!”
And it was fun… especially when Walter tossed the last bill from the envelope upon the table, which brought the pile of cash up to $4,800. Then he pulled out his wallet for the other $37.62. Instead of 50s and 100s, he began to slowly count out the balance in small bills. Reaching into my pocked I said: “Walter, I can help you with the 62 cents!”
The following spring, with the help of a close friend, Walter began construction. They rented a bandsaw and worked out a deal with the owner of a timber lot to cut boards with the lot owner keeping half, Walter building his home with the other half.
Walter had purchased a set of plans, which he carefully followed. Unlike many owner-build homes which are solid but unaesthetic, the result of Walter’s good planning was a lovely, well constructed modern cape. On my first visit to Walter’s new home, he told me that he pans for gold in the national forest, usual earning about $50 and takes his wife out for dinner.
Certainly the angels were smiling, laughing, dancing, and singing at that mountain man’s Christmas Closing!
SK-B
P.S. Realtors® generally do not get tips. But Walter knew that the commission on a $5,000 is not high, so he insisted that I accept a $50 gratuity. I still had that $50 bill. So long as I do not spend it, I will never be down to my last dollar. And with memories like this, I will always be rich!