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i get travelers constipation and often don't poo the entire time im traveling... it used to scare me, now i enjoy not sitting on dirty 2nd world toilets.
The cost delta isn't very significant for a recently-rebuilt home in this area. 2 car with 2 or 3 br and 1 or 2 ba is maybe $550-$575k. The cost is mostly in the land.
Below that, $500k will get you into condo / townhome territory. At that point, you're paying $200-$400 a month in HOA, plus dealing with upstairs neighbors in a lot of cases. Many such properties around here are actually single-family homes which have been subdivided into 2-3 apartments, by floor. And believe me, those hundred year old wooden floors squeak. Anything under $450k, and you're parking on the street.
I kind of figured that was the case. I'd probably hold off on buying since you're spreadsheet shows the a huge variance in the cost comparison based on the appreciation rate.
This shifts the numbers dramatically. Even with somewhat pessimistic assumptions about property valuation and taking HOA fee into account, this pays off during the second year by moving down to a 15 year mortgage.
Hell, even if we assume the property inflation rate to be zero, it STILL pays off in less than two years:
Yes, that I would go for. Nice clean, assume it's in a good location for you, etc. And not nearly the amount of overhanging mortgage or increased utilities by not sharing any walls with anyone. And at that price, if you needed/wanted to move/change jobs, etc, you could likely easily lease the place to cover the bills.
Originally Posted by sixshooter
I greatly prefer 15yr mortgages.
This. The house my ex-wife still lives was on a 15yr mortgage. But with an anticipated move to Austin in the next 18-36 months, I'm not sure there is any company that will pay me a salary allowing a 15 year mortgage there unless it's way out in the sticks or something.
It's definitely a different neighborhood. On Irving Park, most of the store signs are in English. On Montrose, which is one major block north, they're mostly Spanish. This does not personally bother me (better supermarkets, for one thing), but it's something to consider from a resale perspective.
It's definitely a different neighborhood. On Irving Park, most of the store signs are in English. On Montrose, which is one major block north, they're mostly Spanish. This does not personally bother me (better supermarkets, for one thing), but it's something to consider from a resale perspective.
I'll need to eyeball the property...
Good point on signage/resale. From other comps, is that signage already making it "more affordable" vs a different more "english" neighborhood?
Wants and desires can not be expressed in spreadsheets, Joe.
Owning a car and modifying the engine is definitely a bad investment, for example.
But, hell, I want it that way.
Truthfully, this one is 100% about the money. I'm perfectly happy in my present accommodations, I just feel as though I'm sacrificing a potential opportunity for financial gain. The data seem to support this.
Originally Posted by Vashthestampede
Is it weird that when I use someone else’s bathroom I try and clean their **** steaks when I take a ****?
Anyone ever had a home circuit breaker fail in the "ON" position?
Nasty lightning/thunderstorm through OKC this morning, one circuit that includes lights and the garage door opener fried. Fancy modem and router base on a completely different circuit are dead, while nothing else on that circuit is.
Circuit breakers don't generally do much to protect against lightning. They are relatively slow-acting, and are designed to protect against over-current, not over-voltage.
The modem and router died because the lightning induced a voltage in whatever line external to your house feeds the modem.
Here in the lightning capital of North America we have various surge protection devices that the mounted directly into the fuse panel and elsewhere. I'm dubious as to their effectiveness, but we did have a fairly large oak tree struck by lightning about 30 feet from the corner of my house with no damage to electronics. The charge sent chunks of the tree trunk over the house into the front yard.
When lightning hits the electrical Transformers up on the poles and they explode like a bomb it's pretty impressive. That's a fairly common occurrence.
Circuit breakers don't generally do much to protect against lightning. They are relatively slow-acting, and are designed to protect against over-current, not over-voltage.
The modem and router died because the lightning induced a voltage in whatever line external to your house feeds the modem.
Gotcha. I just thought it was strange that two unrelated circuits (one electrical and the other cable) died and nothing else. I have an electrician coming by to make sure no other damage than just the breaker.
I couldn't see any obvious damage to the house, but even when I left for work this morning it was still raining too hard and far too much lightning for me to take a good look.
Originally Posted by sixshooter
Here in the lightning capital of North America we have various surge protection devices that the mounted directly into the fuse panel and elsewhere. I'm dubious as to their effectiveness, but we did have a fairly large oak tree struck by lightning about 30 feet from the corner of my house with no damage to electronics. The charge sent chunks of the tree trunk over the house into the front yard.
When lightning hits the electrical Transformers up on the poles and they explode like a bomb it's pretty impressive. That's a fairly common occurrence.
Yeah, I've seen that in older neighborhoods back in Tulsa. Current neighborhood in OKC was built in the 80s, so everything is buried except the street lights.
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