When United Airlines decided not to pay into our pension any longer and handed what money they had to the Pension Guarantee Board I retired early afraid for my 30yrs investment with the company. Everyone told me no problem you will get the same amount of money later if you stay. I was young, 60yrs, and a widow with a daughter in a private college on the mainland. Not exactly the time to retire. But it was the time, and I would have lost a lot more of my hard earned money had I stayed as my colleagues have and still can't afford to retire. I took an excelerated pension payoff and invested in four houses. Two in Manoa and two in my hometown of Duxbury, Ma. across from the ocean.
It hasn't been easy but, I found that it was my kuleana, I love houses and I like fixing them up. This Armstrong house was really ugly but, in Manoa, and I could afford it. Now after a design by Fritz and contracting by Joe, the house is beautiful and I never want to leave. It is big enough to have friends spend the night with no problem. I can walk the dogs on the wide grass sidewalks in the shade of the mature Acasia trees. The green parrots greet me with a screech at the end of the driveway. And most importantly, I feel at home here. Safe.
