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How far would you go to buy your forever home?
For one particularly adventurous couple, that meant not putting a deposit down on your standard house, but instead a 70-foot superyacht found abandoned in Alaska.
Talk about niche, right?
Now, the couple behind this surprising life choice have spoken for the first on whether they think their bold purchase has been worth it.
Blaine and Janice, the couple who bought the superyacht to live in, were very open about what a huge job it was to get the actual structure of the boat liveable in the first place.
They've shared their journey renovating the vessel on their YouTube channel, Onboard Tangaroa – The Neverending Sea Trial.
And yes, it seems to have been a never ending trial ever since they bought the place.
The couple admitted that the superyacht had a whole host of issues that they had to work through in order to make it safe enough to live in.
Blaine and Janice admitted that, even with the obvious work that had to go into restoring the boat into a liveable condition for them, they still got caught out by lots of "hidden" issues with the superyacht that had to be addressed, too.
This included things like deck rot hidden underneath wood and paint throughout the boat, corrosion of the metal parts that had touched the water, and general neglect.
They were hard to avoid, the couple said, but ultimately had to be sorted.
So, after all that time, energy and money... was it worth it?
"At the end of the day, it’s yours," Blaine told his viewers, saying that the sense of satisfaction after the completing the job outweighed any negative feelings on the project.
"[Ultimately] you have the pride of looking at it saying, ‘I built that.'"
Blaine and Janice clearly have a connection to superyachts. The couple first met while working as crew members on another such boat 25 years ago.
Ever since then, they settled down, living on the land with their children and dogs before deciding to return to life at sea.
They found the superyacht left seemingly abandoned in Wrangell, Alaska.
However, when they finally went to view the boat - it looked decidedly different from pictures they had seen. Originally built in 1969, the vessel had fallen into disrepair, full of mould and drenched with water.
They spent three days investigating the full infrastructure... and then decided to fully commit to restoring it.
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The cost of living crisis is hitting families hard around the world - but one couple has found a novel way to beat it and still live their absolute best lives.
Angelyn and Richard Burk, who are originally from Seattle, have decided to give up dry land in favor of living on the high seas after finding it is actually cheaper to live on cruise ships than pay their mortgage,
The couple has found that with rising mortgage rates being what they are, it actually works out a lot more cost-efficient for them to live on board a boat rather than scrimping and saving for a home loan, as well as scratching their itch to travel.
The Burks left their jobs and packed just a single suitcase each as they began their life at sea in May 2021, after realizing they could live on a ship for as little as $43.92 a day.
Angelyn, 53, who is a former accountant, told Australia’s 7News: "We love to travel, and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense."
She and Richard, who is also in his 50s, plan to spend the rest of their lives traveling and have already been making the most of sailing around the world.
They have hopped on and off multiple cruise ships since their adventure began, including a 51-day trip from Seattle to Sydney, and say that some of their favorite locations have been the Bahamas, Singapore, Italy, and Canada.
Angelyn added: "Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older."
The couple has decided to put their retirement plan into action earlier than expected and worked out a way it would make financial sense for them to live a holiday life.
The pair lives frugally, making the most of sales and their loyalty memberships to get the best deals without having to ever return to their 9-5 jobs.
They began to fund their travels using their savings and worked out that by selling their home, they could retire early and start living between cruise ships immediately.
Angelyn explained: "We have been frugal all our lives to save and invest in order to achieve our goal. We are not into materialistic things but experiences."
She went on her first cruise in 1992 and caught the bug for it, which only increased when she met Richard, with the pair planning to cruise yearly, if not bi-annually.
In April 2022, Angelyn told CNN that the average cost per day to live on a cruise ship was $89, which included the price of their room on board, transportation, tips, and entertainment, as well as port fees and taxes, which was "well within" their retirement budget.
Since embarking on their seafaring adventure, the couple can count on one hand the number of nights they have slept on dry land in the past year, staying with family or friends when they have a day or two between switching ships.
Retiring on cruise ships is nothing new, however, as Reddit users commented about family members who have done the same.
One user pointed out the benefits of living on a ship include free medical care on board, explaining: "There are older retired folks who do this cause there are doctors on board those ships and it costs less than nursing homes.
"They'll be on the same ship for months, then get onto another ship for months, just back and forth. Signing up for 3+ months like that the cruise lines give out large discounts, so it's much cheaper than a single week that most people would go on."
A couple found an ingenious way to navigate the cost of living crisis, and it means they get to see some amazing parts of the world at the same time.
Angelyn and Richard Burk, originally from Seattle, have made the bold choice to trade dry land for the open seas, realizing that living on cruise ships is actually more economical than paying their mortgage.
With escalating mortgage rates, the Burks found that living on board a boat is a far more cost-efficient option than struggling to save for a home loan while satisfying their insatiable wanderlust.
In May 2021, they bid farewell to their jobs and embarked on a new life at sea, each armed with just a single suitcase - all because they could live on the ship for as little as $43.92 a day.
Angelyn, 53, told 7News: "We love to travel, and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense."
Along with her husband Richard, the couple has clearly taken to life on the water as they intend to spend the rest of their days on cruise ships exploring the world.
Since their adventure began, the couple has hopped on and off multiple cruise ships, relishing the freedom to sail to various destinations. Their travels have taken them on a 51-day voyage from Seattle to Sydney, where they explored locations such as the Bahamas, Singapore, Italy, and Canada.
Angelyn explained: "Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older."
The Burks decided to kickstart their retirement plan earlier than anticipated, devising a strategy that made financial sense and allowed them to live the life we all dream of.
They adopt a frugal lifestyle, capitalizing on sales and loyalty memberships to secure the best deals, all while bidding farewell to the mundane 9-5 routine. By utilizing their savings and selling their home, they achieved early retirement, promptly commencing their new life split between cruise ships.
Angelyn continued: "We have been frugal all our lives to save and invest in order to achieve our goal. We are not into materialistic things but experiences."
She caught the cruise bug in 1992 and her love for holidaying on the sea was heightened when she met Richard, and the pair would cruise yearly, if not bi-annually.
Angelyn revealed to CNN in April 2022 that the average daily cost of living on a cruise ship amounts to $89, which includes the room, transportation, tips, entertainment, as well as port fees and taxes.
Luckily for the couple, this was "well within" their retirement budget and without any hesitation, they set sail for the life they'd dreamed of.
Since embarking on their seafaring adventure, the Burks have spent just a handful of nights on dry land, temporarily staying with family or friends during brief interludes between switching ships.
The Burks are living the high life, and with their sights set on endless adventures and new horizons, they've discovered a remarkable way to conquer the cost of living crisis without sacrificing their dreams.
A couple's dream to move into a $2 million home has been shattered as they're unable to evict a squatter who claims they had an agreement with the previous owner.
Last October, Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, purchased a residence next to family members in the NYC neighborhood of Douglaston, Queens, as reported by ABC 7.
The proximity to their family was an added benefit as the elderly couple takes care of their son Alex, who has Down syndrome, as he could then easily be looked after by family members if something was ever to happen to them.
"I just want to know that I can die tomorrow and he’s next to his brother," Susana said, per the outlet.
However, the Landas have not moved into the multimillion-dollar home - despite signing the deed four months ago - as they have been unable to get rid of squatter Brett Flores, who has taken over the home.
ABC 7 reported that Flores was hired by the former elderly homeowner as his caretaker until the man passed away in January 2023. He was paid $3,000 a week to care for him and has reportedly been given a "license" to stay in the house from the previous owner.
"We couldn't believe it, we could not believe it," the mother of three remarked. "I wake up and I go to sleep about the same thing, when is this guy going to come out?"
In New York City, squatters have rights after living on the premises for 30 days, and it is "unlawful for any person to evict or attempt to evict an occupant of a dwelling unit who has lawfully occupied the dwelling unit for thirty consecutive days or longer," as noted in the New York squatters’ rights page.
The couple has been forced to deal with the bill for all the utilities and maintenance to keep up the large property - despite not living there at the moment.
Susana claims that Flores has been "leaving windows open 24 hours," which has racked up a staggering heating bill. "It’s very crazy, our system is broken," she said. "I never would imagine we have no rights, no rights at all, nothing, zero," with her husband adding: "It makes me feel completely forgotten in this legal system, unfair and not able to do anything."
While their home-to-be has descended into chaos as the Landas family still can't move in, they also alleged that Flores was advertising rooms on rental sites. In the listings - which have been deleted - Flores promoted "The Prince Room" for $50 a night to males, females, couples, families, or students looking for a place to stay, per Daily Mail.
The couple has had five hearings in civil court since they bought the home, but the process keeps getting delayed by the squatter's stunts. He attended court without an attorney and filed for bankruptcy on January 9 - which prevented any legal proceedings from going forward.
The couple are taking Flores to landlord-tenant court in hopes of getting him ousted, but the next court date is not scheduled until April.
A couple decided they wanted to live the rest of their lives on a cruise and that's exactly what they've done.
Monica Brzoska and her husband, Jorell Conley, decided not to wait for their retirement to follow their dreams so they ditched the 9-5 grind, sold up all of their possessions, and set sail on the sea.
"I was desperate to see the world," Brzoska told The Sun. "When my dad Andrzej, now 68, needed a liver transplant in August 2022, my mom Lucyna, 60, said to me: 'Don’t wait for retirement to follow your dreams. Do it now.'"
Taking on board that advice, the 32-year-old and her husband set sail and have not looked back ever since they began the adventure almost two years ago.
"All my meals are cooked by chefs, and staff change my bedding," stated the ex-teacher from Memphis, Tennessee. "I haven’t stepped into a kitchen or used a washing machine for a year."
But where did the love for cruises stem from?
According to Brzoska, it all started in October 2016, when the happy couple decided to go on a week-long cruise to visit Mexico, Belize, and Grand Cayman.
After realizing how great life was on the waves, they decided to start doing it more often visiting Puerto Rico and the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, and Turks And Caicos before the pandemic made all that travelling to a grinding halt.
However, that didn't stop the couple's love for cruises so once they were allowed to, they decided to sell up their stuff and live out of cheap cabins so they could enjoy seeing the world together.
"It sounds mad, but the numbers made sense," Brzoska continued. "Accommodation, food and entertainment would be included – we'd only need spending money. And because we’d been on so many Carnival cruises, we’d earned access to some amazing offers."
She also added: "If we chose the cheapest cabins, our savings from the pandemic would allow us to book eight months of cruising for £7,900 ($9,975) - some trips paid for in full, others with deposits."
The pair also rent out their home in Memphis so they have a steady flow of cash coming in to be able to continue their travels.
The 32-year-old also added that leaving life on land has been an enlightening experience.
"Before, there had always been lesson plans, cooking and cleaning," she said. "But all of that [is] gone."
Not only that, but it also improved the pair's marriage.
"Without the daily stresses of life, we rarely argued, but always told each other if we needed space or more time together," she said. "We ensured we got dressed up for a date night each week at one of the fancier onboard restaurants."
However, this major life change hasn't come without its challenges as Brzoska admitted that they both miss their families dearly.
"We miss our families, but know we can fly home if there’s an emergency," she told the outlet, but knowing her parents encouraged her to make this move, she gets to live out her dreams of travelling the world with the love of her life.
Would you ever consider doing something like this?
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