Search found 293 matches

by Balance
Mon Mar 25, 2024 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Off-market home purchase - best practices?
Replies: 33
Views: 1979

Re: Off-market home purchase - best practices?

I am unsure about best practices for an off-market home purchase and wondering if anyone can offer guidance. Questions: 1) Should the sales contract be handled in a more formal manner? (As I understand it, even formal contracts do not carry much weight). 2) I assume a home inspection and appraisal will be required for the loan. Is that correct? 3) What are the pitfalls of buying then reselling? I know that 1-year holding is required to avoid short-term capital gains. 4) What else should we consider? If the home is older as you mentioned, and if you are applying for an FHA or VA loan (even a conventional loan), depending on the condition, you may have to do inspections. An appraiser will not be able to determine the life of a roof, section ...
by Balance
Sun Mar 24, 2024 3:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can I really really afford a 3 million mortgage?
Replies: 104
Views: 9013

Re: Can I really really afford a 3 million mortgage?

Have you looked into buying a house somewhere like Redwood City? We lived in Redwood Shores when my wife worked at Santa Clara Kaiser and the commute wasn't too bad. Redwood Shores is an awesome neighborhood and you can buy a nice house for $2-$3M depending on how large it is and if's on the water. Foster City is also a couple of exits away but you would hit more traffic from the 92/101 merge.
by Balance
Wed Sep 06, 2023 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: If you have a high income ($500K+), how did you do it?
Replies: 190
Views: 24162

Re: If you have a high income ($500K+), how did you do it?

Real estate sales in California. The first three years I averaged around $200k, but for the last 7 it was $500k+
by Balance
Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lessons from a home renovation
Replies: 26
Views: 5288

Re: Lessons from a home renovation

We are at the tail end of a renovation. I interviewed 8 GC's and the quotes ranged from $350k (without materials) to $800k with materials. Most were in the $500k range with a material allowance. I have worked in real estate for 20 years and luckily I have connections with many licensed subcontractors. We decided that I would just subcontract everyone and we ended up spending $355k with materials. During the remodel I had various change orders that I never even asked the GC's to quote on so I believe I have saved at a minimum $150k (maybe closer to $200k) over a 6-month span. Luckily my neighbor makes custom cabinets in her home workshop. She did an amazing job for custom cabinets, vanities, and a barn door. It was about $25k for the cabine...
by Balance
Fri Apr 14, 2023 3:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lessons from a home renovation
Replies: 26
Views: 5288

Re: Lessons from a home renovation

We are at the tail end of a renovation. I interviewed 8 GC's and the quotes ranged from $350k (without materials) to $800k with materials. Most were in the $500k range with a material allowance. I have worked in real estate for 20 years and luckily I have connections with many licensed subcontractors. We decided that I would just subcontract everyone and we ended up spending $355k with materials. During the remodel I had various change orders that I never even asked the GC's to quote on so I believe I have saved at a minimum $150k (maybe closer to $200k) over a 6-month span. Luckily my neighbor makes custom cabinets in her home workshop. She did an amazing job for custom cabinets, vanities, and a barn door. It was about $25k for the cabinet...
by Balance
Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to remove pictures from ZILLOW and other real estate websites?
Replies: 24
Views: 5106

Re: How to remove pictures from ZILLOW and other real estate websites?

The photos on Zillow are typically syndicated from the MLS listing that the Realtor who had the listing posted initially. With our MLS, I have to take down my listing photos from the MLS and then Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, etc. will pick it up through their web-crawlers and update the images on their end. With some MLS systems, they will add a stamp to each photo with their MLS name and at that point, they now own the photos and can determine whether they will take the images down or not. The argument is that they need to keep the photos up so that appraisers/insurance adjusters, etc. can do their jobs in evaluating properties and comparables.
by Balance
Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Shopping Lenders
Replies: 4
Views: 335

Re: Shopping Lenders

Congratulations on getting your offer accepted. Have you talked with your Realtor about switching lenders? If you switch lenders during escrow, then your agent, the listing agent, and title/escrow would need to be informed about it. You will also need to keep in mind how many days are left in your close of escrow and if you have any contingencies. If you are in escrow now your current lender is probably working hard to get all of your docs in. Normally, it's best to shop lenders before an offer is accepted otherwise your current lender will have put in a lot of work on your loan file. What I would do is be completely transparent with everyone on your team (agent, lender, escrow/title). Tell your lender that there is another lender offering ...
by Balance
Thu Mar 24, 2022 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Grandfather to gift me his house
Replies: 44
Views: 5502

Re: Grandfather to gift me his house

Thank you for the replies so far. He and my grandmother (who died in 2020) jointly owned the house. Not sure if this affects the stepped up basis like someone mentioned. So would the less complicated plan be just for him to leave the home to me in his will instead of gifting it now? Perhaps I can just live there now as if I owned the home and then when it gets passed down to me the ownership will officially change to me. Am I thinking this correctly? The basis would start at what they originally purchased it for in the 80's. Then you have a step-up at the date of death for grandma in 2020. If he gifts it to you say in July of 2022, you can also have it appraised for the time it is gifted to you. Let's say when he gifts it to you, it is the...
by Balance
Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How does escalation clause work in home buying?
Replies: 10
Views: 1180

Re: How does escalation clause work in home buying?

I purchased a home using an escalation clause in DC about a year ago. I initially entered an offer, then my realtor communicated to me that another offer was coming in and advised using an escalation clause. My new offer was $500 over any other competing offer up to my max, which was $30K higher than my initial offer. The other bidder actually offered $1K over any other offer up to their max, and their offer had a cap $1K higher than mine! The seller chose my offer anyway. The seller said they appreciated that I am in the military (I later learned the seller was some kind of TSA administrator). I speculated that another factor might have been that I put down 20% down vs 10% for the other bidder. I also waived the inspection contingency sin...
by Balance
Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How does escalation clause work in home buying?
Replies: 10
Views: 1180

Re: How does escalation clause work in home buying?

I have worked in CA real estate for 20 years in both the SF Bay Area and San Diego (both hot markets). The escalation clause can be tricky. When my buyers use an escalation clause it may say something like this "Buyer will pay $5,000 more than the top offer up to a max of $1M". We will always ask for verification of the top offer from the listing agent. The problem is that once the Seller knows that you're capped at $1M, they will just counter you at $1M because they know your limit. Then they will also counter the other top offers at $1M and use your cap as leverage to bring the other offers up. The escalation clause doesn't always work (rarely in my experience) because most buyers have a max price that they won't exceed. And in ...
by Balance
Fri Feb 11, 2022 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Father passed. Real Estate Basis question
Replies: 17
Views: 2520

Re: Father passed. Real Estate Basis question

I am both an Appraiser and a Realtor. Most of my appraisal work comes in the form of date of death, step-up basis appraisals. The IRS will only accept valuation from a certified appraiser. The definition of market value must contain the IRS verbiage and the opinion of value is the date of the passing. The IRS will not accept the valuation from a Realtor because they are in an advocate type of position and will typically only give you comps via a CMA (comparative market analysis) whereas the appraiser is not biased and will put it on the appropriate appraisal forms with a signed certification page. @Hub, very sorry for your loss. And thank you for this helpful thread. @Balance, is there a specific type of certification that one should ask a...
by Balance
Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Father passed. Real Estate Basis question
Replies: 17
Views: 2520

Re: Father passed. Real Estate Basis question

I am both an Appraiser and a Realtor. Most of my appraisal work comes in the form of date of death, step-up basis appraisals. The IRS will only accept valuation from a certified appraiser. The definition of market value must contain the IRS verbiage and the opinion of value is the date of the passing. The IRS will not accept the valuation from a Realtor because they are in an advocate type of position and will typically only give you comps via a CMA (comparative market analysis) whereas the appraiser is not biased and will put it on the appropriate appraisal forms with a signed certification page.
by Balance
Wed Feb 02, 2022 10:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Did you move for better weather? Did you regret it?
Replies: 246
Views: 32845

Re: Did you move for better weather? Did you regret it?

I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area. I spent most of my childhood in SF and moved to the Peninsula with my wife when we started our family. We loved San Mateo County. However, the last few years with "fire season" has been horrible. We decided last year to move south to San Diego which has arguably the best weather in the country if you like mild weather year-round and little humidity. My biggest regret making the move is having to meet new friends during Covid. Most of my family and long-time friends are still in the Bay Area and I miss seeing them regularly. Otherwise, San Diego is great and the beach is so therapeutic for the soul.
by Balance
Wed Jun 30, 2021 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: selling property fees
Replies: 11
Views: 1178

Re: selling property fees

RE Agent/Appraiser chiming in here. I didn't read the other replies and I don't know if this has been answered yet. I work in the Bay Area, CA and your mileage may vary depending on your location. In the Bay Area, typically the seller pays for the commission (5% is standard, 2.5% to listing agent and 2.5% to buyer's agent). The buyers typically pay for title and escrow fees. You shouldn't have any attorney fees regarding the sale of your house if your agent has an in-house broker and attorney. Unless you need an attorney for your family estate/trust. Your agent should be able to create what is called a "Net Sheet" which will break down all your costs and net proceeds based on the estimate of what your home would sell for. I normal...
by Balance
Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sale of Expensive Home--Limit Showing
Replies: 36
Views: 5439

Re: Sale of Expensive Home--Limit Showing

I am a Realtor and Appraiser in a very hot area as well (Bay Area, CA). I have had very high-profile clients and homes and here is how I manage showings especially during the COVID era. 1) Showings by appointment only (CAR does not allow Open Houses currently) 2) I have everyone sign a PEAD - Covide Property Entry Advisory Form - Essentially certifies that buyers aren't sick and will wear masks, disinfect door handles, etc. 3) I have every buyer send me a bank Pre-Approval letter to ensure they are even qualified to make an offer on your home. Without a current pre-approval form, I do not give buyers their appointment. 4) I personally disinfect door handles and light switches at the end of the day, we require shoe coverings and replace thos...
by Balance
Sat Jul 25, 2020 2:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Family expanding - Time for a 3 row SUV
Replies: 69
Views: 5636

Re: Family expanding - Time for a 3 row SUV

We were in a similar situation during our last purchase a couple of years ago. My sons were age 5 and 1 at the time and we tried out the Highlander and Pilot. My 5-year-old still had a hard time getting in and out of the SUV by himself. The biggest issue for us was the third row was not easily accessible. Then we started looking at the Honda Odyssey. We loved how much lower to the ground it was and the kids could get in and out on their own without our help which was a big advantage over the SUV's we looked at. The clincher for us was how easy it was to utilize the third row. We could easily move the second row (via rail sliders) to access the third row. The third row is also super comfortable and roomy compared to the SUV's. Another thing ...
by Balance
Sat Jul 25, 2020 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vitamix Worth It?
Replies: 167
Views: 26263

Re: Vitamix Worth It?

I have used my Vitamix almost everyday over the last 12 years. I make green smoothies religiously for lunch. I haven't had any issues and haven't had to replace the blades. For me it was a great buy. I had a Nutribullet as well but it was more of a pain to clean and it didn't have the same blending power as the vitamix.
by Balance
Thu May 28, 2020 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HBO Max
Replies: 38
Views: 3648

Re: HBO Max

Signed up for the $12 deal but discovered that HBO Max will not work on Roku devices yet--perhaps soon. A lot of irate Roku users out there as I see from some of the comments on news stories. DD streams it on her Macbook and to a TV via Apple TV so we will keep this for now but I can't access it on my two main TVs with Roku devices. I believe we still have access to HBO Now. I went into my Roku today to add it. Not there. Googled it and found that HBO didn’t come to terms with Roku. Roku is likely the number one streaming device - shame on HBO! I read that both Roku and Amazon Firestick have the agreement on the table with HBO Max and they are close to making it happen soon. YouTube tv does not have it yet either. As of now, I can only wat...
by Balance
Wed May 13, 2020 7:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Appraiser is asking for more money in the middle of refinance process, legal?
Replies: 36
Views: 3794

Re: Appraiser is asking for more money in the middle of refinance process, legal?

I am an appraiser and a realtor in the Bay Area. I belong to both a local and national association and I hear commentary both in my market area and for the rest of the country. First of all, most lenders use a middle man called an AMC (Appraisal Management Company) who acts as the firewall between the lender and the appraiser so that there is no undue influence. The AMC establishes a baseline fee upfront with the lender, then they negotiate that fee with the appraiser. Many appraisers report they get 40-60% of the fee charged to the borrower. Since COVID-19 and the shelter in place order, many appraisers decided to stop doing interior appraisals. The median age of appraiser is 60+ years old so they are the target age that will be most deva...
by Balance
Wed May 13, 2020 3:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Appraiser is asking for more money in the middle of refinance process, legal?
Replies: 36
Views: 3794

Re: Appraiser is asking for more money in the middle of refinance process, legal?

I am an appraiser and a realtor in the Bay Area. I belong to both a local and national association and I hear commentary both in my market area and for the rest of the country. First of all, most lenders use a middle man called an AMC (Appraisal Management Company) who acts as the firewall between the lender and the appraiser so that there is no undue influence. The AMC establishes a baseline fee upfront with the lender, then they negotiate that fee with the appraiser. Many appraisers report they get 40-60% of the fee charged to the borrower. Since COVID-19 and the shelter in place order, many appraisers decided to stop doing interior appraisals. The median age of appraiser is 60+ years old so they are the target age that will be most devas...
by Balance
Mon May 04, 2020 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: terro ant treatment
Replies: 34
Views: 4146

Re: terro ant treatment

We have done pretty well with Terro. The ants tend to come back once every year or other year. I know this is pretty obvious but the most crucial step that we have learned is to never clean up the ant trails that are leading to the traps. It is important that you let those ants go back to their lair to spread the poison to all the other ants. My wife and I used to clean up the ant trails when we first used Terro years ago and had horrible results.
by Balance
Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What’s the lowest you can comfortably live on?
Replies: 26
Views: 2047

Re: What’s the lowest you can comfortably live on?

$60k is pretty light. If you are in a HCOL area on the west coast rent can easily be $3000-5000 per month depending on where you live. In the Bay Area you would be on the upper end of that range or even higher. That doesn't leave a lot for food, utilities, and emergency reserves. What do you pay in rent per month? Everyone's answer is going to vary with housing costs being the biggest variable. We live in the Bay Area and we have two kids. We own a house with a small mortgage. We probably need about $80-90k per year. Our kids eat a lot and we consume meat, eggs, dairy, fresh fruit and veggies mostly. We pay $3200 a month in rent Thanks. That is $38,400 in yearly rent with $22k left for food and other essentials which isn't a lot but could ...
by Balance
Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What’s the lowest you can comfortably live on?
Replies: 26
Views: 2047

Re: What’s the lowest you can comfortably live on?

$60k is pretty light. If you are in a HCOL area on the west coast rent can easily be $3000-5000 per month depending on where you live. In the Bay Area you would be on the upper end of that range or even higher. That doesn't leave a lot for food, utilities, and emergency reserves.

What do you pay in rent per month? Everyone's answer is going to vary with housing costs being the biggest variable.

We live in the Bay Area and we have two kids. We own a house with a small mortgage. We probably need about $80-90k per year. Our kids eat a lot and we consume meat, eggs, dairy, fresh fruit and veggies mostly.
by Balance
Sun Apr 26, 2020 6:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Where to buy a home in the Bay Area
Replies: 69
Views: 9785

Re: Where to buy a home in the Bay Area

I'm both an appraiser and Realtor in the Bay Area. My wife and I sold our house in Redwood Shores (between Foster City and San Carlos) 5 years ago and moved to Dublin to raise our kids. We haven't regretted it at all. Dublin has it all in terms of housing (big/small, new/old, SFR/TH/Condo), has restaurants, shopping and two Bart stations. It gets warm in the summer and has been this week. It has been great during this shelter in place since there are so many walking trails and space to move compared to when we were on the Peninsula and where I grew up in San Francisco previous to that. We have excellent schools (good for resale even if you don't have kids) and very low rates for violent crime. The downfall is there is hardly any nightlife a...
by Balance
Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Eating out after lock-down is lifted
Replies: 112
Views: 11914

Re: Eating out after lock-down is lifted

If you say reduce seating by 50%, I don't see the business surviving by increasing prices by 50%. People enjoy going out but prices do matter and if that $15, 20, 30 meal becomes $22, 30, 45 that would make eating home much more likely. If seating is reduced by 50%, prices would have to go up 100% to be revenue neutral. Staffing and food costs would go down. It would still kill most restaurants though with the fixed costs. There is a reason tables aren't 6 feet apart in a restaurant. Maybe a good model going forward would be to have lower prices for take out than eat in. Shift the fixed costs of dining space to customers using it. Makes sense all else equal on the basis of pre-pandemic attitudes. Say for some other reason lots of restauran...
by Balance
Wed Jan 29, 2020 11:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying a new-construction home
Replies: 28
Views: 4284

Re: Buying a new-construction home

I am a Realtor and Appraiser in California and I have represented many clients on new construction homes. Most of the big builders in California will no longer allow for rebates on the commission (They call it a "referral fee"). There are a select few that will allow for rebates but not many left and they are slowly all going away. If your Realtor is knowledgeable about the area and has visited the various new construction sites, they can point out the pros and cons to each development and sales offices especially if they have been a part of those negotiations. They can tell you what types of incentives are available and weigh them all against one another. A knowledgeable agent can also describe the Mello roos, HOA fees, taxes, et...
by Balance
Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: $10,000 Commission check
Replies: 8
Views: 1067

Re: $10,000 Commission check

I get commission checks quite frequently over the last decade. At first, I didn't have the best plan on what to do with them. I always put away 30% of my check for tax purposes, I also conservatively add money every check to my solo 401k, then I save another 25% (Always save a good chunk for the times when commissions may be infrequent). Whatever is left off I spend for myself and the family.
by Balance
Tue Oct 15, 2019 5:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Home appraisal 8% less sq ft than listing
Replies: 42
Views: 10308

Re: Home appraisal square ft less than Seller Listing

Couple things I wanted to add to the discussion as I am both an appraiser and Realtor. The appraiser measures the house from the outside (unless its a condo). This is how the builder measures as well. When you measure from the interior, you may miss a foot or so on each side of the house due to framing/insulation/wall finish. As a Realtor for both sellers and buyers, I would always verify the size of the house and the source from where the listing agent's property characteristics were obtained. This is something a buyers agent must be doing. I live in the Bay Area, and most listing agents will state on the private remarks that the buyer and agent must verify the square footage before making an offer. I would ask your agent if he or she even...
by Balance
Sun Jun 17, 2018 10:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best stroller+infant seat for gravel roads?
Replies: 18
Views: 2700

Re: Best stroller+infant seat for gravel roads?

We run/walk a lot on paved and gravel trails. We bought a BoB Revolution for our first son and now that we have two, we have a BoB Duallie Revolution. They work great for running and hold their value really well for re-sale. Depending on the accessories you buy, they can get pricey. We bought our first BoB with a big discount at REI and we bought our BoB Duallie during Black Friday on Amazon. You can also check Craigslist and Nextdoor as neighbors are always selling them when their kids get older.
by Balance
Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fitting three young kids in the car...
Replies: 76
Views: 8008

Re: Fitting three young kids in the car...

We have two kids, both still rear-facing, with a third due in the fall like you. Our Prius worked fine with two, but started getting extremely cramped when our youngest moved up to a toddler carseat. I've seen people say that they have three carseats across the back row of a Prius, but my experiment failed despite having some of the smallest carseats on the market (Clek Fllo and KeyFit). When we started looking for a new car, we only considered minivans for the reasons that everyone here has already mentioned. I love Toyota so I immediately assumed that we'd get a Sienna, but then we read that the Sienna's middle seat in the second row is too narrow to properly install a carseat with another carseat on either side. The problem, then, is th...
by Balance
Tue May 22, 2018 11:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: SF Bay Area Credit Unions or Banks Questions
Replies: 8
Views: 1379

Re: SF Bay Area Credit Unions or Banks Questions

We use Provident CU (based on the Peninsula) and we love it. When we sold our house a few years back we used our credit union and Ally bank for the proceeds. Many CU's that we researched will only give you their high yield with a cap of $25k. Ally doesn't have a cap so it made more sense for us to put the bulk of the proceeds there.
by Balance
Sat May 05, 2018 3:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What do you pay baby sitters?
Replies: 53
Views: 7520

Re: What do you pay baby sitters?

We live in a HCOL area (Bay Area).

Our babysitter charges $20/hr for two children. But my kids are small, 4 and 1.5 years old and are a lot of work. If my kids were older and more self-sufficient I would probably be paying around $15/hr.
by Balance
Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When would you replace a car?
Replies: 34
Views: 4684

Re: When would you replace a car?

LarryAllen wrote: Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:17 am Get a new, or nearly new, safe car. New baby deserves it!
Totally agree with this. A newer car will have a lot better safety and technology upgrades which are important for driving especially when you are tired and distracted because of your child who will at times be temperamental in the car. Plus your Civic doesn't have heat or air.

When we had our first child, we had a Prius and my old 2006 Honda Civic. We thought we could make it work with these two cars but I wrenched my back more than once trying to get my son into the car seat because of the lack of space. We sold the Civic and bought a used Accord and it was so worth it.
by Balance
Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:33 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: San Francisco Mid Peninsula, California Chapter
Replies: 113
Views: 61778

Re: San Francisco Mid Peninsula, California Chapter Interest?

I'm in the Dublin/Pleasanton Area, we just moved from Redwood Shores. Most of my network is still on the Peninsula and I would be happy to do a meetup.
by Balance
Mon Apr 16, 2018 2:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Costco gas
Replies: 67
Views: 10250

Re: Costco gas

We have a Chevron right down the street from us and a Costco one exit away (5 minute drive). We are in the Bay Area, CA and our gas prices are very high. Yesterday I got gas on both of our cars. The Chevron was at $3.89/gallon while the Costco was at $3.19/gallon. It was a pretty big spread while typically its at least a 50 cent per gallon difference. Like others have said, we try to go early or on weekdays when there isn't a line.
by Balance
Sat Apr 14, 2018 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning
Replies: 14
Views: 2058

Re: Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning

Have stayed there several times and it's worth the money. Renting DVC points is the cheapest way to get in. We always rent car from Hawaii Discount Car Rental. Rent unit with kitchen. Go to Safeway, or Costco, in Kapolei to stock up on food. You might not save a ton of money overall but nice to have the space and eat some meals at the room. Another option we did a couple times was stayed at the Marriott timeshare down the road a couple blocks which is a great resort. Not Aulani great but still great. Can rent units on Redweek cheap. Then add a day or two at beginning or end at Aulani. In fact, one time we rented a room midweek. We just used their pools for two full days. Was well worth the cost. The villa with the kitchen and laundry sound...
by Balance
Sat Apr 14, 2018 11:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning
Replies: 14
Views: 2058

Re: Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning

Childcare is included at Aulani which is worth a ton of money compared to the other resorts. Note, it's first come, first served. Their pools and lazy river are great for the entire family. Aulani is located on one of the lagoons in Kapolei --- the perfect place for tranquil ocean swimming and relaxing. Lyft and Uber are very popular on Oahu; if you wanted to take a day trip, these would probably be easier and cheaper than renting a stay-long vehicle. Oahu's bus system is extremely robust and convenient. It's as simple as plugging your destination into your iphone maps or google maps and clicking the "transit" tab (eg. not the "driving" tab). It tells you exactly where to walk to, which bus to get on, where to get off, ...
by Balance
Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning
Replies: 14
Views: 2058

Disneay Aulani (Hawaii) vacation planning

Hello forumites! My family and I are taking a vacation for the first time with our kids in tow. We are planning on going to Disney Aulani in Hawaii. Before having our children, my wife and I would vacation to the Hawaiian islands at least twice a year. We have stayed at various hotels/resorts but this is our first time at Aulani. We looked at vacation packages via Costco Travel for both the hotel accommodations and flights. The Aulani package was about 25% more than the other resort hotels on the strip. With all the various activities for the children and the fact that the resort is geared towards families, the extra expense seems reasonable. My question is where would you consider finding the best prices on flight and hotel accommodations?...
by Balance
Sun Aug 27, 2017 2:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Amazon Prime worth it?
Replies: 146
Views: 19555

Re: Is Amazon Prime worth it?

If you are a Whole Foods shopper, like we are, there will be some significant benefits for Prime members. Looks like this coming Monday Whole Foods will be lowering prices to capture more shoppers. Prime members will be able to get two-hour shipping from Whole Foods in select locations with additional deals that only members receive. Whole Foods will also be using Amazon/Prime lockers in which you can pick up or return packages. Pretty interesting and worth a second look especially if you shop at Whole Foods. Link below.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/20 ... 602204001/
by Balance
Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Life at crossroads. What would you do ?
Replies: 198
Views: 25732

Re: Life at crossroads. What would you do ?

If you currently live 30-40 miles from SV and you have "terrible" public schools you should consider moving out to the Tri Valley Area (Dublin/San Ramon/Pleasanton) which is also 30 miles from SV. Your drive will be comparable but all the public schools are 9's and 10's. The rent will cost you $3k/Mo+ which is comparable to what you are paying now.

Or you can move to Sunnyvale which has good public schools as expect to pay $4-5K per month in rent but will have a great commute to work.

I think you have options. There were areas in the Bay Area that once had terrible public schools but many neighborhoods have been transitioning and the public schools have been getting better across the board. Best of luck to you.
by Balance
Thu Apr 21, 2016 12:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any stay at home parents regret the decision?
Replies: 100
Views: 16978

Re: Any stay at home parents regret the decision?

I was a stay at home Dad for 18 years. I can't place a dollar amount on the time I was able to spend with my Son. All the money in the world could not have made me any happier. :happy I feel the same way. I am a stay at home dad but I still operate a small business from home about 20-25 hours per week. My wife makes more money than I do and her career income potential is greater than mine. But my wife also works part time. Since we both have flexible jobs, my son has never had to use any type of babysitting or nanny/day care. He is thriving and we couldn't be happier. We are about to have our second son and so far everything is workout out. I do agree with some of the previous posters in that you need to make sure your SAH spouse is on boa...
by Balance
Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to Stay in San Francisco?
Replies: 38
Views: 5631

Re: Where to Stay in San Francisco?

Skip the city and stay in Marin Co. Hide out in Point Reyes Station or Inverness Although I don't recommend staying in Marin County your whole time, I would recommend staying at Sausalito for a night. It's the perfect place to go for couples and has good bed and breakfast type lodging as well as great views (you are near the water) and lot's of different restaurants. Also a comment on the Mission District. It is not too dangerous anymore. Growing up and going to school in SF in the 90's was a little rough but it has since been gentrified. If you are looking for the best burritos in the world you can't go wrong with La Taqueria or El Farrolito. Valencia also has a lot of great new restaurants. Union Street/Lombard has a lot of great bars. A...
by Balance
Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2008 Honda Accord with only 10K miles. Any major service needed?
Replies: 56
Views: 12952

Re: 2008 Honda Accord with only 10K miles. Any major service needed?

I have an 2007 Honda Accord manual transmission. I didn't read through each and every reply so please forgive me if I missed something. - I would change out the tires immediately. Because there is some cracking and it is several years old I would change them out. It is just something I wouldn't risk and you will feel more confident when you drive knowing that your tires won't blow out on you. If you have a Costco membership they will often times do promotions with Michelin or Bridgestone where if you buy 4 tires one of them will be free (or significantly reduced in cost). We bought the Bridgestone Ecopia's a few months ago and they have a 75K mile warranty/5 years. - Someone mentioned replacing the timing belt. You don't have to worry about...
by Balance
Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I buy a new car or hold
Replies: 19
Views: 2633

Re: Should I buy a new car or hold

I would say go for it. We did the same thing and sold our 2007 Honda Accord and just bought the Prius V just last week. The V is a bit more expensive but it suits our needs as a family car. We paid $21k for it after all of the incredible rebates that you mentioned. The only difference is that we financed most of it even though we had the cash to pay it off due to super low rates. The reason there are so many incentives is because the regular Prius is going through a complete redesign for 2016 and is supposedly going to get 10-15% better gas mileage. So they are trying to get rid of a lot of their stock as I'm sur you are aware of. We lucked out and still received all the incentives even though the V won't be getting the complete redesign li...
by Balance
Sun Aug 02, 2015 3:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's Your Monthly Food/Groceries Spending? My is through the roof?
Replies: 201
Views: 25005

Re: What's Your Monthly Food/Groceries Spending? My is through the roof?

2 Adults
1 2 year old child

We spend anywhere between $1200-1500/month
We eat organic, grass fed, free range, wild caught, fresh fruit and veggies etc. We utilize Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Safeway and try to buy in bulk/deals. We take our lunch to work and eat out only a couple times a week as a splurge. But otherwise, all meals are home cooked. It's a lifestyle decision for us and so far we are all very healthy and can't complain except for the sticker shock :) We live in the Bay Area too where everything is pretty expensive.
by Balance
Sun May 31, 2015 12:59 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help getting started growing my nest egg
Replies: 8
Views: 2627

Re: Help getting started growing my nest egg

400-500K house in Silicon valley sounds optimistic. That stuck out to me as well. I work as an appraiser in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The last two condos I appraised in Sunnyvale and Mountain View were both over $1 million and they were 2 and 3 bedroom floor plans respectively. Both in the heart of Silicon Valley. You may be able to buy a cheaper house in certain parts of San Jose or even south of that in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Even in the more affordable parts of the East Bay, condos are selling over $300k. The market is the toughest I have ever witnessed right now as a buyer. That being said I think you have a good plan and are asking the right questions. This is a great forum for solid advice and it seems like you are on the ...
by Balance
Fri May 29, 2015 1:23 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Selling home - unexpected competition
Replies: 113
Views: 21921

Re: Selling home - unexpected competition

Congrats Thomas! I live and work in the Bay Area as a real estate appraiser and realtor. It is indeed a crazy market. We just sold our property on the Peninsula. We initially listed for $1.249 and we received 18 offers. We also had a few preemptive offers at 1.35 and 1.4 respectively. The buyers' agents both gave us deadlines for their preemptives. We ultimately ended up selling our house for over $1.5. The buyer offered all cash with a quick 7 day close and no contingencies. We had another offer that was higher but they needed financing. We took the all cash offer which is very common in the Bay Area. A lot of sellers are selling way above their list price and setting new all time highs for their neighborhoods. The main fear for sellers is...
by Balance
Thu May 21, 2015 11:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Might sell house to a friend. What is fair?
Replies: 30
Views: 4104

Re: Might sell house to a friend. What is fair?

I would get an appraisal. I like one of the previous replies which stated that both parties should get their own appraisal or at least both agree on one appraiser to do it. Appraisers should abide by USPAP and be completely unbiased in their valuation. Find an appraiser who specializes in residential properties in your area. Although most realtors do have a good feel for their respective markets, they do not have the same methodologies, or the same governing body that keeps them unbiased. If there isn't a chance to obtain the listing I would find it hard for a realtor to give you adequate time for more than a CMA of recent sales in your area. An appraiser would most likely do their due diligence and look at all recently sold comps and make ...
by Balance
Mon Dec 08, 2014 12:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What UN-frugal thing do you do? What do you splurge on?]
Replies: 785
Views: 84180

Re: What do you splurge on?

Food and Coffee