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My Story

49. Home, Sweet Home

by 동쪽구름 2021. 2. 21.

For the column in the paper, Disabled News, I wrote about my personal experience in America. I tried to convey the message the disabled should be given the opportunities to play and study with the able body early in their lives. To achieve this goal, the universal design of the environment was necessary.

 

Bang was the founder and publisher of the literature magazine for the disabled. She asked me to write about the disabled writers in America. The magazine was published every quarter. For a year, I wrote the articles for four times. Later, I found out why she asked me to write for the magazine. The magazine also published the disabled writers’ books. To be qualified, the writer either should have written for the magazine or won the writing contest sponsored by them. Bang asked me to write for the magazine to publish my book. She wanted to put together my columns and publish a book. That’s how my 2nd book, “What Are You Up To,’ was born. 

 

I moved back to Valley and rented a house when Katherine was one year old, and lived in that house for 13 years. Price of real estate was rapidly going up. The landlord asked me if I was interested in purchasing the house, otherwise, I should be moving so that he could put the house on the market. I had little bit of money saved. I borrowed money from the retirement pension and decided to buy a house. 3-5% down payment was enough to buy a home. The bank would finance the balance. I got pre-approval for $250,000 house. 

 

I learned my lesson from over spending, and I was determined to buy a home within my budget. The landlord’s asking price for the house was a bit above my budget, and I would need additional $20,000 cash to fix the house. I did not have that kind of money. 

 

I got a list of homes for sale from the real estate agent. I drove around with the list and checked the homes after work and week-ends. Once I found a home(s) I liked, I called the agent and we went to see the inside. The most important thing was the accessibility of the main entrance and the bathroom. The Valley was established in 50’s, after the 2nd World War, for the young families. Young men came back from the war, got married, and the baby boom just started. Homes built in 50’s had steps on the entrance and the room doors were narrow. 

 

The market economy is not based on the exact calculation. It is rather a creation of the consumers’ emotion. Stocks and real estate are good examples. Their prices go up or down without any objective basis. When the price starts to drop, people rush to sell them before the price drops even further. When price rises, they want to grab it before it goes up higher. Price of the house was rising. Buyers were offering more than the asking prices. I made few offers to buy, and they were all rejected.

 

For two months, I looked at 20-30 homes. Finally, I found a house within my price range. There were two steps on the main entrance. I put 12 feet portable ramp on it. Optimal slope ratio for a wheelchair is 1:12. For 1 inch height, 12 inches ramp/walkway is necessary. The longest portable ramp was 12 feet. The ratio was less than 1:10. It was difficult to go up by myself. But I did not have much choices. Later, my wife added additional ramp and made it easier. Now, we have a semi-permanent wooden ramp with the proper slope. 

 

It was an old house and repairs were needed here and there. Nevertheless, it was my house and I did not need to worry about rent hike or potential move out. Since my wife moved in, we fixed it up. Now it is a sweet comfortable home. The price has gone up too. Looking back, I should have bought a house a bit over my budget. Over the years, my income has gone up and I would have afforded it. 

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