The last two hours had been frustrating. I had stopped my car at five houses, looked at the single-sheet fliers I got from the bins just under the "For Sale" signs and drove on. Not one of the homes kept my interest after I read the descriptions.

Six weeks earlier my parents had passed away. My sister and I split the estate, after a month of legal crap. As it worked out, we each got ten million and a yearly income of half a million for life. The lawyers got a hefty bag of cash too. I decided ...