Bo Young

UCSB 1963-1968/ English degree, But majored in Surfing and music!

1972-73 Opened a little health spa in Vista, CA. Met my wife. Moved to East Hampton, NY...put together a very creative band. Got married in Maine in 1975 at a Justice of the Peace on a weekend; perfect and simple. Borrowed a convertible 190SL Mercedes for the freezing trip, since the heater didn't work and it was late January on the East Coast. Love keeps us warm.

Early years: Played piano and sang in rock n roll bands until age 35. (CA, WA, CT, NY, FL). Did session work in Miami, produced and recorded a marvelous female jazz pianist, named Lee Scott for a private album on Blue Heron Label.Jammed with James Brown in 1978 in Miami. It lasted about 4 seconds, but have a wonderful picture of James and me, having fun at the keyboard. His “Live at the Apollo Theatre” record, thanks to Louis Reed and a party she invited me to... still rivets my soul with him singing; Please, Please, Please. All we did was dance!!! Thanks Louise.

Age 35: Living in La Jolla /then bought a home in Redlands and began selling Life Insurance (and the revolution from whole life to Term Insurance!) and had two beautiful boys. Spoke with Louise (Reed) Sumler up at a Japanese restaurant on Kearney Mesa, where I was playing piano. The Japanese clientele couldn't wait for me to finish my cover songs of Stevie Wonder so they could sing Karaoke! Couldn't blame them!

Moved to Connecticut, joined the A.L. Williams “insurance revolution,” from 1987-1989, and played piano in a mainstream Christian church. A lady walked up to me, after watching me play for a year, and said: I have to apologize to you. I couldn't believe you could be so happy when you play. I thought it was fake! ...now I realize you really are that happy!” That was quite a confession. I was even more happy then for her confession.

Economic meltdown in 1989 in Guilford, CT, no one was buying anything, (military cutbacks, etc.). We moved to Sarasota, FL, where my wife's family lived. Sold insurance, Annuities, learned estate planning (yawn!) played piano and helped musicians with their craft, in two different churches.

Started buying fixer-uppers with a hard moneylender.  Trained the young pastor of our church to be a partner.  Big mistake. 2nd vocation began in Redlands, CA, about 1983. Started buying little fixer-uppers in San Bernardino, did rehab work, found sound financial partners, and sold houses...doing “B grade” work on such things as roofs, septic systems, plumbing etc.  Was better at the selling and structuring contracts. (Paper, please!). Fell in love with power tools. The Milwaukee Sawzall-reciprocating saw.  My world changed!

Continued in S.W. Florida...Sarasota, Northport, Englewood, Port Charlotte, etc. - buying and fixing property; fortunately found a financial partner who could write the checks! My job was to locate them, negotiate, fix 'em, and sell 'em. And the tide was rising in 2003-2004. (Almost forgot the Bankruptcy in 2002. A glitch.)

The arrival of Hurricane Charley 2004 dumped a lot of pain in the area, and we helped neighbors with prayer & grilled food outdoors, and fetched water from the National Guard that was set up in town. Half of our roof disappeared; but no leaks! There was a roof under the 2nd roof! Hallelujah! Most fortunate. Blue plastic roof tarps everywhere.Moved out of FL to East Tennessee in 2005, where we now abide. One hour east of Knoxville. Very beautiful country, slower moving, with sweet seasonal changes... Concentrating on selling and designing private retirement plans. (I want clients to actually HAVE a retirement plan...so it’s my new crusade, being a boomer myself.)Dabbling in real estate still, with a rental house and some “slow moving properties in Florida, after the big downturn and adjustment. I refer to the properties as “underwater”. Friends look at me in immense bewilderment. Underwater??

Also I'm consulting with venture capitalists about a new high tech Co. producing a new Server for the data center industry. A friend from Princeton is president, and inventor. Very exciting energy saving product at a time when Data Centers are drinking up too much electricity. Very eco, green, smart, and necessary. It could happen. The Family Tree: Son Noah, age 37, married in Greeneville, TN, is a design/ renovation specialist. Son Jordan, age 30, single in Nashville, has a small recording studio. Wife, Michele, is secretary/bookkeeper of her family corporation in Fine Art/ her father was Syd Solomon-Abstract Expressionist. The work being sold currently in the Spanierman Gallery in Manhattan, NY. And everyone is healthy and we continually give God thanks! We've lived in 23 different houses. Sometimes by choice. Sometimes not. Does that mean we are gypsies?