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After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, the quake insurer's system was to pay off by the various "procedures" (one check for the roof, another for carpet, bla bla bla), and make the payment to co-recipients: us and the mortgage holder.

At that point, we robbed our savings and paid off the home - it sure simplified repairs and expedited things.

Once that scenario was all digested, we took a look at paying off our second home in the desert....did that, so when we sold the first one and moved out here to the Coachella Valley, it was like pocketing a big profit and not having to reinvest in another home.

Best decisions we've ever made. We have very low overhead, and a chunk of cash for retirement....which is good, since I've become the primary caregiver in an elderly parent situation, pretty much forced to be "retired".