I inherited Dad’s house and mortgage - what’s interesting is that he refinanced several times and took out equity. When I got the house the loan was for about the same amount he bought the house for - in 1997. It SHOULD have been paid off but of course Dad chose to spend that equity, as was his right.

Still, a 1997 mortgage in 2026 is very affordable.

I have been renovating one room at a time. We found some mold from water leaks and remediated. We painted and changed out carpeting. I replaced the carpet in one bedroom with tile because of the outside sliding door and all the crud that got tracked in from the garden over many decades.

As a side effect of removing all carpet, painting the bedrooms, and remediating the mold and leaks, all my allergies disappeared.

I started making the outside mine first. I redid all the landscaping, planted trees and shrubs, added features.

I still think of it as Dad’s house. I kept his wireless ssid. But now that I live there I have to find ways to coexist with Dad’s memories and things. It’s hard getting rid of things but I bought many of them for him, like his living room furniture, so that’s less difficult yet to part with.

I miss Dad every day. I miss being able to pick up the phone and call him, talk about what’s happening, share car pictures.

It will always be his home, but now it’s mine too. When I paint I have to take down his things but if gives me a chance to curate them more logically.