The Importance of Being Organized
January 23rd, 2008 by Connie | Filed under Record Keeping.Once upon a time I was organized. Then a mean ol’ tree landed on our home, rainwater spewed over my closing documents, the file cabinet from Walmart leaked and what do you know… no more organization.
During our refugee days, organization consisted of keeping papers in color-coded laundry baskets where wet papers were left to dry following their rescue. All the while I promised myself daily that the minute we moved back home, new files and a logical filing system would get first attention over decoration.
Didn’t happen.
Then yesterday, I wasted an hour and a half hunting for our survey– a survey that originally cost $450 and who-knows-how-much for another copy, not to mention an hour and a half that could’ve been spent doing more dishes or compulsively scanning MLS and other fun stuff. And while I consoled myself that this would just be another lesson in the REI business school of hard knocks, the bile in my throat didn’t agree.
Finally gave up. Called our old mortgage broker to ask for the name of our surveyor to order another copy. He said, “That’s sitting in our back room. Found it the other day… guess we never mailed it.” Heavy sigh of relief followed by mild irritation followed by a resolution to get organized *this month* before the agony of income tax rolls around yet again.
So, because I’m irritated and do my best writing in states of agitation, you shall be bombarded with my indignation so I don’t fry the poor child-units.
Many pictures to follow as I peruse Office Depot for the most expensive way possible to a life of Organizational Bliss.
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Tags: landlord, Record Keeping, REI, rent houses



It could be worse. I had two boxes of tax documents that never made it to the filing cabinet. The cats found the boxes and decided they made excellent secondary litter boxes. Try explaining THAT to your CPA…
Now everything is filed the day it comes in or is paid. All the Febreze in the world won’t restore my documents. On the bright side, however, I guess I could drop off the boxes at the IRS ofice if I am audited…
ROFLOL~ Receipts as cat litter!!
(I’m changing out the photo in honor of your tragedy
)
Looking forward to your research as I too need to start getting organized. We have several areas where we keep stuff. My husbands truck being one of them. We need to make some changes PRONTO!
I am working on our tax info now..slow but steady.
Maria
The picture captures my situation perfectly… That’s about what I look like at this point!
One thing I have noticed about real estate bloggers is that almost everyone admits to scanning the MLS compulsively. I do it too. I guess it’s something serious investors (and serious real estate addicts) have in common. What did we all do for information before the internet?