Why did I spend all this time and energy on a house that would sell for less than $60K? I note the following:

1) The whole point was to learn real Bob Vila skills, which I could take with me wherever I live.

2) I always (why?!) wanted to fix up a fixer-upper (as opposed to tear-downs, which should be, uh, torn down).

3) Neither Gabi nor I had jobs, our sublet was up, and we needed to cash out of this house. AND, we both wanted a town that afforded the chance to walk to the gym every night in January in 30-below weather.

4) When I bought the house five years ago, I was working up here (20 miles E of Montana, 70 miles S of Saskatchewan, on the north bank of the Missouri River) full time, my employer was paying my mortgage, and the job was supposed to be a go for another two years.

Lesson: There are no guarantees.