2009.04.08 19:00 - Retreat facility brainstorm 1b

The Guardian for this meeting was Corvuscorva Nightfire, substituting for Stevenaia Michiniga. The comments are by Corvuscorva Nightfire.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: Pila! Three!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Nice to see you again, Pila!
Pila Mulligan: hi Corvi, hi Threedee
Threedee Shepherd: Hi folks
Pila Mulligan: same hereCorvi
Pila Mulligan: we had the first real life retreat facility discussion earlier here Threedee
Threedee Shepherd: how did it go?
Pila Mulligan: as well as could be expected, I suspect
Pila Mulligan: there always seems to be a tension in planning efforts between the 'let's do this' and 'let's imagine this'
Threedee Shepherd: Imagine does notr hurt, initially
Pila Mulligan: I like to do the imagning part first, but it can be difficult
Corvuscorva Nightfire: not at all! Pila and I are stressing imagining.
Pila Mulligan: too many let's does can impeded :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: and doing as a it arises.
Threedee Shepherd: In the end, it is a nice building or two, with rooms
Pila Mulligan: yep :)
Pila Mulligan: and sewage and water and utilties :)
Threedee Shepherd: yes, but one lets the architect/builder worry about those things
Pila Mulligan: hwoever, for fun, try typing retreat center in Google Images and see the diversity
Pila Mulligan: everyhing from yurts to mansions
Threedee Shepherd: not surprised.
Pila Mulligan: from hundresd to millions in costs
Threedee Shepherd: Is there any sense of the range of activities that would occur?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nope
Corvuscorva Nightfire: part of the fun of imagining.
Pila Mulligan: there's the point of imagining if you askme -- seek the extremes of activities and then converge
Threedee Shepherd: Often, thinking about that comes first
Pila Mulligan: yes,, agreed completely
Threedee Shepherd: Let's see. You build in a few time share condo/hotel rooms for the members and that helps pay for it
Pila Mulligan: now if some generous angel came along and gave PaB a few zillion to build a retreat center it may not matter
Pila Mulligan: hmm, similar tohughts being typed then
Threedee Shepherd: My wife would invest in a Kauai time-share in only a few heartbeats
Pila Mulligan: :0
Pila Mulligan: now is not a bad time for it
Pila Mulligan: prices are down
Threedee Shepherd: Realize, the cost for running in the high-speed DSL needs to be figured in. Any idea of the per squarre foot costs if built on your land?
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs, nods.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: very important!
Pila Mulligan: well, the first point of contention today was that Hawaii was too distant to be practical
Pila Mulligan: and I have to agree
Threedee Shepherd: there is some truth in that
Pila Mulligan: so it is either romanticized to here or it is built elesehwere
Pila Mulligan: I got by with probably just over $100 per square foot Threedee, but that was doit yourself, freinds and on thje cheap
Pila Mulligan: way more if you do it architect-normal
Threedee Shepherd: mmhmm
Pila Mulligan: I like what I got, but it is not a practial grup effort approach
Threedee Shepherd: So, this would be substantial in cost, let alone operating expenses.
Threedee Shepherd: Here's an idea. One can buy big old mansions in the midwest (Peoria) inexpensively. I mean reaaly inexpensive.
Pila Mulligan: was getting a lasagna from themicrowave ...
Pila Mulligan: yes, substantial costs
Pila Mulligan: exactly what I was tinking after the session
Corvuscorva Nightfire: the midwest is really cheap.
Pila Mulligan: $1 a house in Detroit inner city
Pila Mulligan: yep
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh yeah...i forgot aobut that!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Detroit has an airport?
Threedee Shepherd: I'm thinking more $250,000. in a quiet rural area.
Threedee Shepherd: Peoria has an airport
Pila Mulligan: yes, it was just an extreme -- Detroit, and it may have an airport too
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: shhots, buy Generla motors this summer for $1
Pila Mulligan: I lived in Des Moines for several years before moving to Hawaii in 1985, and owned a really nice old house there, with an apratment upstairs, that cost $19,000 in 1982
Pila Mulligan: that's where things are headed now
Pila Mulligan: price wise
Threedee Shepherd: Well, at this moment there are bargains tro be had if one has cash.
Pila Mulligan: yep
Corvuscorva Nightfire: North Carolina is cheap...but more expensive than the midwest. The Triangle has a strong meditating community already.
Pila Mulligan: and they have the NCAA basketball champs nearby
Pila Mulligan: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: there is that.
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs.
Pila Mulligan: in fact, this is the obvious approach for a practical-minded group wanting a retreat facility -- buy low
Threedee Shepherd: Actually, I think it would be interesting to have an inexpensive big old house near (1 Hr) a major city. Then one could combine PaB and urban attracti0ons during a trip.
Pila Mulligan: yep
Threedee Shepherd: Chicago--the flights are cheap to there.
Pila Mulligan: and there would be lots of potnetial for creative activities
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: then, after the success of that location, there could be a Hawai`i annex
Pila Mulligan: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins.
Threedee Shepherd: In a centralized place like chicago, there would also be the opportunity to rent out the retreat center at times, generating income.
Pila Mulligan: yep
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods..that's a goooood point.
Threedee Shepherd: In fact, we should look into whether there are current retreat centers for sale now.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: !!!!
Pila Mulligan: as several people pointed out, many PaB people would eb interested, but could afford only so much time and cost for retreats
Pila Mulligan: nice idea Threedee :0
Corvuscorva Nightfire: time share seems like a smart idea for some.
Pila Mulligan: buy the elephant whole
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods to that.
Threedee Shepherd: I am thinking workshops as well as Buddhist-style retreat, too.
Pila Mulligan: yep
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods..that came up.
Pila Mulligan: and renewal as someone said :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: I think Threedee gets a medal for the idea of looking for retreat centers being sold
Pila Mulligan: let's pass that idea o to the Googlgle group Corvi
Pila Mulligan: even at the risk of putting doing before imagining
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi Eliza!
Pila Mulligan: hi Eliza
Pila Mulligan: how are you?
Eliza Madrigal: Everything is taking a moment :) Hello
Pila Mulligan: ah, rezzing
Pila Mulligan: or whatever the proper SL term may be :)
Eliza Madrigal: Great. Everyone?
Pila Mulligan: fine thanks
Eliza Madrigal: I was curious to see if Three was here, and wanted to ask about the fun question :)
Pila Mulligan: there he be
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: He is here, but is he here? I think not. :)
Pila Mulligan: you're referring to his inquiry of his granddaughter?
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Eliza Madrigal: "Why is fun, fun?"
Threedee Shepherd: looking for realestate, sorry
Pila Mulligan: he told me reently, by Im, but let's wait and see what he says
Corvuscorva Nightfire listens.
Pila Mulligan: shopping for retreat centers no doubt :)
Threedee Shepherd: My grand daughter thought it was a silly if not pointless question.
Eliza Madrigal: !
Pila Mulligan: :)
Eliza Madrigal: hahahhah
Pila Mulligan: like, why is the sun bright
Eliza Madrigal: Hey Resting :)
Eliza Madrigal: Yes...children maybe are too busy playing to be concerned with our "questions" hehe
Pila Mulligan: hi Resting
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi Resting.
Resting Thor: hi Pila
Resting Thor: hi Corv
Pila Mulligan: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Is this your first time here, Resting?
Pila Mulligan: did you see anything for sale Threedee?
Resting Thor: no ...i have been here many times but months ago
Threedee Shepherd: there seemed to be three categories: fun, boring, painful/yucky
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles.
Pila Mulligan: sounds accurate to me (3 categories)
Resting Thor: categories or work, or work meetings?
Pila Mulligan: Q: what is fun (to a child)
Resting Thor: ah haha
Pila Mulligan: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Asking a child "What makes fun, fun?" What is the suchness of fun? Lol
Pila Mulligan: so fun is what's not yucky or boring
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Threedee Shepherd: excatly
Resting Thor: could be neutral of course
Pila Mulligan: my avi keeps typing, I'm not :)
Threedee Shepherd: neutral=boring
Resting Thor: no opinion
Pila Mulligan: :)
Resting Thor: no strong opinion any way
Eliza Madrigal: hehe...why I turned by typing off, Pila :)
Pila Mulligan: oh, how Eliza?
Corvuscorva Nightfire too
Pila Mulligan: found it -- thanks :) (typing animation off)
Pila Mulligan: two years in SL to learn that :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hahaha
Eliza Madrigal: Edit > preferences, yes. My av would type constantly otherwise for all my attempts at editing
Corvuscorva Nightfire: yes, me too.
Pila Mulligan: may save some of the bandwidth too
Corvuscorva Nightfire: sometimes takes me several tries to type what i want to say.
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Corvuscorva Nightfire: but i like that about this medium...typing..thinking...changing....then sending.
Pila Mulligan: hmm, is that a display failure or a problem with expression :)
Eliza Madrigal: yes! That suits me too Corvi
Pila Mulligan: oh, i see now Corvi -- pardon -- I have had the expreinece fof things being typed taking several minutes t appear
Pila Mulligan: and then appearing out of sequence
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh yes.
Eliza Madrigal nods
Threedee Shepherd: Here you go, only $700,000 and ready to be converted to a retreat center http://www.findthedivine.com/propert...orthfield.html
Pila Mulligan: hmmm, thinking about comments and re-typng -- intertsing idea
Pila Mulligan: find the divine, nice start
Pila Mulligan: wow, cool place
Eliza Madrigal: I just wanted to pop in for a moment guys. How exciting about the retreat. :)
Pila Mulligan: nice to see you Eliza
Corvuscorva Nightfire: glad you came by.
Eliza Madrigal: Nite for now :) Will prob. see you tomorrow at the workshop perhaps :)
Pila Mulligan: yep, bye bye
Threedee Shepherd: bye eliza
Resting Thor: byeeee
Pila Mulligan: and the place for sale has a labyrinth, too -- very nice
Resting Thor: neat pics
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: minnestoa can be awful cold though
Corvuscorva Nightfire: That is true.
Pila Mulligan: Corvi: http://www.findthedivine.com/states/states_nc.html
Corvuscorva Nightfire: asheville!!!!!!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nice!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: far from airport but....worth it
Corvuscorva Nightfire: well..
Threedee Shepherd: those don't appear to be for sale
Corvuscorva Nightfire: sort of
Corvuscorva Nightfire: no.
Pila Mulligan: ah -- for sale ones: http://www.findthedivine.com/properties.html
Pila Mulligan: http://www.findthedivine.com/propert...stleridge.html
Threedee Shepherd: I looked at all of those and eliminated based on price
Pila Mulligan: ok
Pila Mulligan: $4,500,000
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pila Mulligan: where's that angel :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: wooosh
Corvuscorva Nightfire thinks.
Pila Mulligan: there's one in Mexico wihtout a price :)
Threedee Shepherd: only $475,000. http://ohio-retreat-center-camp-for-sale.com/
Pila Mulligan: http://www.findthedivine.com/propert...ostheaven.html $499,00
Threedee Shepherd: saw that one Pila
Corvuscorva Nightfire: ohio...big and lovely lodge and 10 cabins...
Pila Mulligan: Ohio does look nice
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hard to get to?
Pila Mulligan: Guernsey County, Ohio suggests a rural location
Threedee Shepherd: $700,000 http://expandretreats.com/show_featu...tID=2875&FURL=
Pila Mulligan: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Guerns...title&resnum=1
Pila Mulligan: Sonora Pass Lodge looks very nice too
Corvuscorva Nightfire: 11 guest rooms and a seperate two bedroom cabin
Corvuscorva Nightfire: and a real restaurant and bar.
Pila Mulligan: well, if nothing else this is a stimulating web site for images and ideas
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: and it also suggests a realisting range of costs to buy one, so building one is likely to be more
Pila Mulligan: realistic*
Threedee Shepherd: yes, building would be more
Corvuscorva Nightfire: i wonder if there's an inn or motel in Hillsborough NC for sale.
Pila Mulligan: maybe there is a website with litsings for mansions in peopria
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pila Mulligan: same thought Corvi
Pila Mulligan: aim a little lower
Pila Mulligan: than a full fledged comeplet facility
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that lodge made me think of it...
Corvuscorva Nightfire: and i am thinking of Hillsborough cause it's close to an airport, rather rural and close to "stuff"
Pila Mulligan: botique hotel in Prague, 3.3 million $US
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins.
Threedee Shepherd: I think the conclusion is that if we worked with the right real estate companies, we could find something under $500,000. if we choose to go that way.
Pila Mulligan: I agree, maybe something pretty much lwoer, even if we are willing to build up
Threedee Shepherd: yes
Threedee Shepherd: I am just thinking that the higher price would get a place easily rented for retreats
Pila Mulligan: Illinois, $300,000 -- historic 18 unit Inn is over 100 years old. It includes a restaurant and bar, meeting rooms and banquet area
Pila Mulligan: yep
Pila Mulligan: http://www.bizbuysell.com/listing-in...n-q433317.html
Threedee Shepherd: Yes, and one could probably find a manager to run it.
Pila Mulligan: could be a roach hotel, however
Threedee Shepherd: Wow, that Inn seems practically perfect, though quite rural
Corvuscorva Nightfire: rural is a consideration
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that is...how far from Europe in cash and time.
Pila Mulligan: this is a nice exercies
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or say...Hawaii or New Zealand.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Australia
Pila Mulligan: and they are asking only $225,000
Pila Mulligan: not $300,000
Threedee Shepherd: Really is such brief searching could so quickly find realistic possibilities, I bet we could find something we might be able to afford.
Pila Mulligan: most traffic to the retreat for PaB would be form the Us and Europe
Corvuscorva Nightfire: most.
Pila Mulligan: I agree
Pila Mulligan: I bet a travel agent could tell us the best travel hubs to look at
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods
Threedee Shepherd: So, to my thinking, one focus at the moment could be determining IF these is some way to raise the funds to buy one of these kinds of places.
Pila Mulligan: then research surrounding areas for deals on property
Threedee Shepherd: *there
Pila Mulligan: yes, we have been kind of not looking at the money side of this idea
Corvuscorva Nightfire: the supply side, you mean?
Threedee Shepherd: I suggest that in the current market, we have a reason to do so.
Pila Mulligan: well, grants, income sources, buyers for residence, etc
Corvuscorva Nightfire: we're looking at cost pretty much.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods
Corvuscorva Nightfire: income sources as in: paying the bills as they come in..or lowering the bills.
Threedee Shepherd: Almost all granting sources lost big in the recent crash
Pila Mulligan: whatever Pema had in mind to do here would have been at least $300,000 to get done
Pila Mulligan: so there is a kind of baseline
Pila Mulligan: whatever sources he had in mind
Pila Mulligan: if he had sources in mind
Threedee Shepherd: So, we need a funder who loves PaB and gives us low/free rates, and who operates the Inn-type thing as a business.
Pila Mulligan: yep
Pila Mulligan: maybe a retired professor :)
Threedee Shepherd: I will buy-in, but that's all :)
Pila Mulligan: I would ont be surprised if sometime soneone shows up with just such an interest, Threedee
Pila Mulligan: a funder/operator who loves PaB
Threedee Shepherd: Yes, and we need to look for such. Really, a funding discussion with Pema is in order.
Pila Mulligan: :)
Threedee Shepherd: Well, that's enough ideas for one night. Who will bring up the idea with Pema? Or, at least direct him to the log of this session.
Pila Mulligan: Corvi or I will see to it, Threedee
Threedee Shepherd: Good.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: We'll put it on the google group for this idea.
Threedee Shepherd: ^.^
Pila Mulligan: hopefully we got enough good property links to kndle an interest
Threedee Shepherd: yes, I think so
Pila Mulligan: and thanks again for opening the door Threedee
Pila Mulligan: happy Passover :)
Threedee Shepherd: Thank you Pila
Threedee Shepherd: A quintessential ritual.
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pila Mulligan: that's where Steve is tonight, at a Seder dinner
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Happy Passover, Three.
Threedee Shepherd: ^.^
Pila Mulligan: http://findthedivine.mapmate.com/maps/479 -- nice map with prices from the first siote Threedee found -- for the record
Threedee Shepherd: goodnight :)
Pila Mulligan: bye threedee
Pila Mulligan: see you next time
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I'd best mosey to my next gig, too.
Threedee Shepherd: mmhmm. Corvi do you claim the log
Corvuscorva Nightfire: yep, did
Pila Mulligan: ok Corvi