Bogleheads.org

deanbrew

The OP makes $125k a year, is maxing retirement savings, and is obsessing about a Subaru Outback? Or more accurately, worried about a few thousand dollars and willing to trade down. Just keep the Outback and enjoy it. I agree. But if every two years he wants "new features" again this is g...

deanbrew

The OP makes $125k a year, is maxing retirement savings, and is obsessing about a Subaru Outback? Or more accurately, worried about a few thousand dollars and willing to trade down. Just keep the Outback and enjoy it.

deanbrew

Time is certainly a factor in cars, but less than mileage, and especially if it is stored indoors. If the OP puts very few miles on the car each year (though we don't know how many because OP has not said) then a ten year old car may have 50k miles. That's nothing on a newer car, most of which are ...

deanbrew

IMO - as someone who pays attention to Boglehead philosophy, but also likes cars - there is more to this than the numbers. I don't keep my cars 10+ years and run them into the ground. In "x" years, your 2015 Outback will have a higher resale/trade value than the 2014 Legacy, due to being a...

deanbrew

Also the Legacy and the Outback are two totally different cars. Presumably you bought the Outback for a reason? Has that reason now changed? The Legacy and Outback are not two totally different cars. They are based on the same platform and are highly similar. They are the same size and have the sam...

deanbrew

In a condo situation, doesn't an owner own a sliver of the land the complex is built on in proportion to the size of their condo unit? As such it seems like the amount of land a condo owner actually owns would go down if the complex is bigger and built more densely, such as in the case of a high-ri...

deanbrew

I'm a bourbon drinker who has tried enough scotch to know that I don't really care for scotch. If somebody gave me a $500 bottle of scotch, I would sell it or gift it to a friend who is a scotch connoisseur. I'd much rather have 10 bottles of interesting bourbons (or a good gift for somebody who wi...

deanbrew

So I test drove a Toyota Camry and Subaru Legacy. Both are 2014 Certified. I really like the Subaru Legacy much better and the Subaru dealer is willing to give me more money on my trade. The certified 2014 Subaru Legacy base model w/ 50k miles is coming to $15k out the door. Thoughts? I think you a...

deanbrew

What exact model do you have? Limited? 4 or 6 cylinder? Did you actually pay $36k, or was that the MSRP? How many miles does your car have on it? Have you looked for similar vehicles near you on cars.com and autotrader.com?

deanbrew

I also think you should keep the Subaru. It's a very nice, reliable car. And you've already taken the largest depreciation hit - the first two years of ownership. Actually, nearly three, as the 2018 models will be out in about four months. I would chalk this up as a learning lesson, as selling it is...

deanbrew

Agreed, it's absolutely a fake. But the link could have explained how it's made. People think if they don't see a seam around the edge then it wasn't fabricated. But the way it's done is to cut a genuine coin just inside the rim (like a can opener does) so it makes a piece like a dish - the entire ...

deanbrew

The above auction idea is excellent. It's somewhat of a crapshoot, as it all depends on who shows up at the auction. But, it's a very easy and efficient way to go.

deanbrew

Most sources consider Michelin to be at the top of the heap in tire quality, and also in cost. It seems you can get tires of varying quality from Continental, Goodyear and other brands. If you want to get more miles out of a set of tires, you need to look at how many miles the warranty is. While a 6...

deanbrew

I agree. Most people want to come in and renovate or just gut the house and redesign it the way that they like. It's not worth the headaches and the cost to you to do it yourself. My stepfather did this and lost money, even though they tried to do a few minimal upgrades and keep them neutral. It st...

deanbrew

Agree on ignoring Zillow. It may be reasonably accurate, but I've seen lots of times it is off by more than 50 percent. Interview three real estate agents who are active in your market and: a) have them prepare a market analysis telling you what the property is worth; b) have them tell you how to ma...

deanbrew

It doesn't hurt to ask in a nice, polite way, but a $25 increase is peanuts. I imagine the landlord's real estate tax, insurance and other expenses have gone up far more than that. But, yes, keeping you there for another year eliminates some turnover cost. I probably would just agree to pay the extr...

deanbrew

Has the salt grid collapsed, is that why the salt got wet and solidified? If so, I would think that all the salt will need to be removed to replace that. If not, then I'd be worried about breaking that grid in trying to break up the salt. Hmmm ... this makes me insecure, since I'm not sure what the...

deanbrew

This is what I would do. Call the tour company and see if you can reschedule or get a credit for another trip. Explain the situation. If you can't get any help from the tour company, talk to family members about your awkward situation and hopefully they will understand. It would look really bad to ...

deanbrew

The OP didn't say he doesn't like the ride and handling of his current SUV/crossover/raised station wagon; he said it is under-powered. Not sure how much more HP a new version has compared to his current one, but most vehicles get more HP every year. "2. The ride is not great compared to newer...

deanbrew

If you do not like the ride of your small SUV, why consider buying another? Yes, the ride will be better on a new car (because it is new), but a small SUV will continue to have a harsher ride compared to a sedan. I think you should start investigating new cars, but take some different style for tes...

deanbrew

The places I have seen this, it is in fact the same servers taking the order, entering in the system, packaging the order (including drinks) and receiving the payment. Interesting. I suppose that is common, depending on the type of restaurant. I don't regularly takeout food, so I've never given it ...

deanbrew

The tipping situation I find most puzzling is takeout oders where the same staff handles both takeout and table service. They do almost as much work handling and packaging the takeout order as the same food table service. Table service they get a tip, but usually not for the same takeout order. Hmm...

deanbrew

With structural and design center options - the final price is ~ $520K. We cannot lock in rates until 30 days prior to closing which will be sometime in Dec 2017 or Jan 2018. Today's 30 year mortage rate is 4.375% and I believe it maybe around 4.5% - 4.75% when we close. Nobody has any clue what in...

deanbrew

So basically none of you would tip in advance? You would hit the "no tip" button and then tip at the end by leaving some cash on the table? How would I know how much to tip in advance? I base my tip (partly, anyway) on the service I get, and I can't know that in advance. To answer your qu...

deanbrew

Are there any additional things we need to be thinking or what should be our next steps ? I would think you will plenty busy figuring out flooring, cabinets, hardware, fixtures, lighting, paint, etc. Or has all of this already been decided? I'm not sure there are that many legal and financial thing...

deanbrew

I'm not sure I'm completely following the real estate you own. But if I'm understanding right, you want to spend an additional $225k on a vacant lot. And you already own two vacant lots that are extremely leveraged? It seems to me you have a lot of money and debt tied up in vacant land. Vacant land ...

deanbrew

What if they used disposable plates and utensils? I just went to a restaurant like this. They delivered the food with disposable plates and utensils and cleaned up after you? I would leave a tip. Part of the issue is you're not sure about the pay system in place. Does all the staff make reasonable ...

deanbrew

1. No 2. Sometimes. This is the most awkward system. If I clean up after myself, I'm not leaving a tip on an empty table and wonder if the next diner ended up with it. Sometimes I'll stop by the counter and throw money into a jar, but most of the time I don't. 3. Yes. I frequent a Chinese restaurant...

deanbrew

Borrowing at 0% certainly doesn't cost you anything, and can present investment opportunities. But there are a few considerations, as I see it. 1. Can you afford the higher monthly payment arising from a lower down payment? 2. Do you really want to pay off the car over 6 years, or do you plan to pay...

deanbrew

What are thoughts on leasing a car? I"m guessing most Bogleheads say buy it so you begin to accrue equity right? No! A car is a depreciating asset. It is an expense not an investment. No such thing as building equity in a depreciating asset. Boglehead way would be to buy so you can keep it for...

deanbrew

If you are buying a Honda, buy new. Hondas depreciate so little in the first few years, it doesn't make sense to buy used. This is a myth. The same is often said of Toyotas, but I bought a three-year old Toyota with like 35,000 miles for 2/3 the price of buying new. It probably does not make sense ...

deanbrew

24 years old with no family/kids? you dont really need the space of an Accord or Camry. Get a Civic Si with the manual. Or a manual Mazda 3 sport. Yo are in our 20s... go have fun. You have many years ahead to become boring middle aged person with a me-too beige midsize sedan. (I say this as somebo...

deanbrew

If you are buying a Honda, buy new. Hondas depreciate so little in the first few years, it doesn't make sense to buy used. If you are buying a Mazda, buy used. Buying a two year old Mazda will save you a lot of money compared to a new one. The Mazda 3 and 6 and Honda Civic and Accord are all good ca...

deanbrew

What is the point/purpose in having any "contingencies for... inspection" in the "contract" IF " all negotiations are completed" already ? [emphasis added] RM I should have said "all negotiations barring something unexpected and significant". I maintain that ...

deanbrew

??? If the inspection happens after the contract and you cant renegotiate, then whats the point? You are basically buying blind. This must vary regionally. In my state the inspection happens between the offer and P&S . Generally it works like this around here (MA): Step One Buyer makes a formal...

deanbrew

Under no circumstances should the buyer be expected to know the HVAC is 20 years old. Nor that the roof is past it's useful life, etc. If I were looking at a 20 year old home, I would fully expect the HVAC system, plumbing, wiring, windows, roof and pretty much everything else to be 20 years old un...

deanbrew

The offer is the start of negotiations, not the end. Both the buyer and the seller can insist on their positions in the process, but the sale doesn't continue until they reach an agreement. The agreement is reached when both parties end their negotiations and sign a contract. Which happens before t...

deanbrew

It is not unethical for a buyer to ask for things after an inspection found that the roof is beyond the useful life, the HVAC is beyond it's useful life, there is wood rot, evidence of a prior leak etc. The OP says the HVAC is original and 20 years old. An inspection coming back and telling you tha...

deanbrew

I just had a neutralizer and water softener installed for our well and the water is now slimy and tastes bad. The plumbers advised if we neutralized the water we would need the water softener. I suspect the plumbers did not know how to set it up the neutralizer correctly. I will consult with Cullig...

deanbrew

the price is negotiated prior to inspections. If the inspection happens and things are at end of life like the roof or HVAC yes, I expect to be able to negotiate something on those. I don't think that is unreasonable. You can't expect to command full price on a previously negotiated item to later f...

deanbrew

this has been a significant point of frustration for me. We bought a house w/ 34 year old HVAC and it crapped at 39 years. We bought another house w/ 25 year old HVAC and it's still going on 28 years... The old stuff will probably rust out or we'll pay more in warranty fees and it will die as soon ...

deanbrew

It's a normal part of buying an older home. You get to look around the home and it's pretty obvious roughly how old the hvac is. It isn't something you would wait to ask for a reduction for after you make an offer. Something like discovering non-obvious damage during a closer inspection would be so...

deanbrew

Got the same unit from Ohio Pure Water Company https://www.ohiopurewater.com (for slightly more money) but they've got excellent customer service (answered a myriad of questions from me), and provide foolproof installation instructions and programming instructions. Install is either super easy (usi...

deanbrew

How is that 5 percent split? I hope the listing side isn't keeping 3 and giving 2 to the selling side. It should be closer to 2 for the listing agent and 3 for the selling agent.

deanbrew

Ok. Thanks for the clarification. I better understand the street issue now. Have any of the 19 similar detached homes sold recently?

deanbrew

I'm confused. Cul-de-sacs are usually preferred because there is LESS traffic, not more. How can there be lots of traffic in a cul-de-sac? $475k is not really a low or modest price in Pittsburgh, especially for a townhouse. How many townhouses are in your development/community/neighborhood? What hav...

deanbrew

It's just one of the many figures I've found when searching "how much to spend on a car" for example the below: https://www.moneyunder30.com/how-much-car-can-you-afford http://whitecoatinvestor.com/how-to-get-rich-by-driving-a-5000-car/ And I agree it is exceedingly conservative, but I li...

deanbrew

The main Hyundai and Kia 5 year/60k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty transfers to subsequent owners, along with 5-year roadside assistance. Original owners get a 10 year/100k mile powertrain warranty, but this is shortened to 5 years/60k miles for subsequent owners. These warranties are pretty good co...

deanbrew

I have to jump back in and get clarification on the OP's "Based on 10% rule get a car for ~5k". Do you really mean you think you should only spend 10% of one year's income on a car? Where did that silly yardstick come from? Ten percent of one year's income for an asset that lasts ten years...

deanbrew

It's admirable that you are saving so much money, but a 10 year old Hyundai with 161k miles is clearly on the downslope of life. It probably isn't worth much at all without a working AC, and not all that much more with it working. I wouldn't fix the AC, but would start looking around at vehicles. Yo...

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