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deanbrew

I had no idea about this. How broad do these laws go? If I get a hip replacement and the hospital decides not to pay the company that made the artificial hip, can that company come after me? As best as I can recall from my college days, this is one of the laws instituted in the early 1900s for real...

deanbrew

In my area (Los Angeles), the concrete companies send them to every property owner, just in case the contractor does not pay. The letter contains a threat to put a lien on the house. The point of the certified letter is to show proof that the property owner was contacted, so if the letter isn't sig...

deanbrew

In some jurisdictions, the contractor would need to send such a letter before being able to place a contractor's lien on your property. This is why I never sign for these letters. Did I miss someone mentioning this previously in this thread? Do you regularly and repeatedly not pay contractors? Aldo...

deanbrew

Do you have comprehensive coverage with your auto insurance? If so, it should cover windshield replacement, probably with little or no deductible. If the insurance is written for this car, it should pay to replace the windshield with one that works. I see no reason to buy extra or custom insurance, ...

deanbrew

Yes, you are correct. If you can get a car for 1% of the MSRP, it usually is a steal. Tough to find but they are out there. Everyone in my immediate family usually ends up paying less than 1% of the MSRP when they lease because I was in the business. Wife paying .8% Father .65% Mother .95% Sister 1...

deanbrew

Now, When researching leasing, many sources give you formulas with gross cap cost,money factor, cap cost reduction, residual value etc. etc. which can get very complicated; (and almost impossible to calculate with the first numbers the dealers float you. ) However I've come to the conclusion that t...

deanbrew

when the value on my cars drop below $10k. I drop collision and self insure. I understand the theory of self insuring, but when I checked with two different insurance companies two years in a row on one of my older cars, the savings for dropping collision was less than $200 per year. I don't consid...

deanbrew

Well, if most of your retirment income already comes from a typical 60/40 portfolio, it doesn't make sense to compare it with TIPS or something secure. I'd compare it to the expected return of my portfolio. That's why 5% makes more sense That was my initial thought, as well. But, a 5% real return e...

deanbrew

I thought discount rate of 5% was standard. Why is the calculator using 1% as default? I think everything done with the calculator is in real dollars. I do all my analysis in real dollars. Also, SS should be discounted with a risk-free rate, not a general rate. Yes, this exactly. I explained the id...

deanbrew

I own a 2015 Subaru Forester and 2015 Honda Accord. Liability insurance only, both vehicles. Wow. I would think this kind of sets the extreme for not having collision or comprehensive coverage. Personally, I don't drop collision coverage until my vehicle's value gets down to under $3,000. The annua...

deanbrew

Is the RV Park rented to overnight/short term guests, or are all of the spaces leased on a seasonal or yearly basis? I ask, because these two types of campgrounds, though similar in some respects, are usually operated differently. I am a commercial real estate appraiser with the MAI designation, and...

deanbrew

Haven’t read all the responses, but I am so annoyed at 4-year-ago me for buying a (perfectly fine) Subaru Forester instead of a minivan for our now 2 kids. Just get the Honda Odyssey. You need to transport you, your spouse, and three kids at a minimum. Plus any stuff you want. Plus you might want t...

deanbrew

It pleases me even more to tip 35 percent. No, make that 40 percent. Wait, make that 50 percent, and It will please me even MORE . :wink: Tips can only be shared with front of the house staff that customarily receive tips. A requirement or any expectation of sharing tips with the kitchen staff would...

deanbrew

We are on our second Odyssey. I've been in quite a few 3-row SUVs, and all are significantly inferior in terms of third row access, comfort and roominess. As you look around, get in and out of the third row in the vans and SUVs, and you'll quickly see how much better the vans are. With three kids, a...

deanbrew

Regarding the corkage fee: does none of it go to the server? I find it astounding that a diner should pay a sizable corkage fee plus a tip. It seems to me that if a corkage fee is charged, a healthy portion should go to the server. I go to a BYOB restaurant, and bring our own wine, but they don't ch...

deanbrew

We have always rented it our nightly when we are not there, about 100 nights/year. We don't profit as much, we use it nearly every high season week and holidays. But it does cover about 75% of all costs, and is great to make a dent in providing a nice place to retire. We've tossed around for a few ...

deanbrew

I watch a neighbor's house when they are away every winter for a couple of months. They shut off the water, and fortunately have electric baseboard heat (which they set at 55 or so), which is about as foolproof and dependable as any heating system could be. I go in about once a week to water a coupl...

deanbrew

I can't fathom a reason for a server to change the tip to be an even 5 cents. I'd more likely assume they accidentally keyed the cents incorrectly or some other harmless mistake. Why would someone purposely risk their job for 2 pennies? I agree. I think this had to be a mistake somewhere along the ...

deanbrew

According to the second and third links in the previous post, 10% was standard in 1922 and 15% was standard as recently as 2004 to 2008. So, it appears that the increase to 18 and/or 20 percent (if true) has happened during the past 10 years. That's pretty recent. So, we either adjust or we don't. I...

deanbrew

It seems like there are some people on here who have never eaten at a really nice restaurant or worked in the food service industry. There is a definite progression and skill to being a waiter. I hesitate to call it a career, but there is skill involved. The way the restaurant industry works is you...

deanbrew

The best evidence of over-assessment is an appraisal prepared by a professional appraiser who is experienced with tax appeals in your jurisdiction. While appraisers are not immune to the games that assessors and appeal boards play, they are better equipped to provide answers and present concise evid...

deanbrew

We ate dinner last night at Panera Bread. Same basis concert as a burger joint--- you place your order and it’s placed on a tray for pickup at another location and you bus your own table but this time I paid with my debit card. This time the payment screen asked if I wanted to add a tip to my order...

deanbrew

Personally, I am a repeat customer of a few restaurants, so they know me and I get relatively good service, thus the tips is on the high end of the range (and over it a number of times.) Are you getting relatively good service because you are a repeat customer and the servers know you (and, thus, t...

deanbrew

OP, I do not tip differently for alcohol. I generally spend $60-$120 on a bottle of wine however, so nothing upscale. You don’t consider the upper end of “$60-$120" a bottle to be upscale? I don’t care what you spend money on, but on a forum where a lot of people are notoriously frugal, I found thi...

deanbrew

I wouldn't worry about liability. I don't see that you have any more or less liability for a vacant lot than you do all of the other months you own the land as an absentee owner. I'm not familiar with vacant lots being manicured and needing mowed. Is this common in FL? In my experience, vacant lots ...

deanbrew

I rent from Enterprise every time my car is in the shop, so once or twice a year. I have never had a problem with them. I've rented from Enterprise several times, as well, without any issues. I'm guessing this kind of thing might be more location/office-specific than brand-specific. Some managers (...

deanbrew

No moral dilemma here. In my view it's a complete waste of money. Sorry man. My thoughts exactly. I'm not feeling guilty about spending my own hard-earned money doing what I want. If that means flying or driving, so be it. I'd feel the same way if I raced cars or had a boat. I don't even understand...

deanbrew

It surprises me that you can get a windshield replaced for $200. Kind of amazing, actually. Money well spent, for sure.

deanbrew

munemaker wrote: ↑
Thu May 10, 2018 7:54 am
Collect the balls.

Does that woman live next to a driving range?

deanbrew

I am not a lawyer, but I would guess you only have recourse against the person responsible for cracking your window. I would sincerely hope there is no possible recourse against the person who hit the ball. (Unless its in the extremely unlikely event that you could prove it was intentional.) I agre...

deanbrew

I have had probably four windshields replaced over the past decade due to chips and cracks, and I think each one cost about $300 to $400. Or should I say that's what the companies charged the insurance companies. Perhaps they charge that much to insurance companies and $200 to $300 to car owners. I'...

deanbrew

It depends on how "not in a flood zone" you are. If you are 1 foot outside the FEMA line for the 1% annual chance flood, then worth it. If you are on top of a mountain, probably not. There's more to it than that. You should evaluate all of the land around your property, with an eye toward how every...

deanbrew

I'm not an expert, but those who are typically say that today's smartphones are pretty, well, smart. The phone makes sure that the battery isn't overheated or overcharged when connected to a charger, and it shuts the device off when the battery gets low but not drained completely. Apparently, the ba...

deanbrew

New? Drive them both and find out which you like better. Make sure to drive the different trim levels. With the Accord, I've usually found the EX-L to be the sweet spot in terms of value/comfort/content. Used? Neither the Accord or Camry. If I were looking at used cars, I would look at the Mazda 6 a...

deanbrew

lazydavid wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:52 pm

bltkmt wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:35 pm

BanquetBeer wrote: ↑
Sat Sep 23, 2017 8:27 am
My favorite in that whole category is glenlevit 15yr
Isn't that a scotch, and not bourbon?
Glenlivet is a scotch for sure. I don't know what Glenlevit is

I think that's scotch that was distilled in a 60s tract home.

deanbrew

Kirkland can be a bit of a crapshoot. They source from two different distilleries; Buffalo Trace (Frankfort) and Jim Beam (Clarmont). I bought some about three years ago in Louisville and it was great. I have purchased several bottles since I moved to Jacksonville, and they all had a noticeable Jim...

deanbrew

I was at a few open houses where the selling realtors were immediately telling me (and being pushy) about *other properties* or new developments they were representing. And I was thinking, if was was the seller who used that realtor, I'd be upset that they were steering me away from my own property...

deanbrew

I know cement board (Hardie is just one brand) has been EXTREMELY popular for several years, but the fact that it needs painting is a HUGE downside IMO. In that respect, it's similar to owning a house with wood siding, isn't it? Hardie says it won't need painting for 15 years, but I'm curious if tha...

deanbrew

If more people bought a car with safety as a priority and had even moderately realistic expectations in terms of the chances of having a serious accident when chose make and model, there would be a lot more large cars out in the streets. No way I am driving around in a lightweight low-budget tin ca...

deanbrew

We own a Honda Odyssey that we bought four years ago. Even though we don't use the full people and cargo capabilities all the time, it does come in very handy when we need something from the hardware store, lumber yard or Sam's Club. Or to haul stuff somewhere. Or when we have 5 or more people. I do...

deanbrew

I am not trying to be unkind, but I offer here for perspective that I suspect that your stepmother's siblings will have a good laugh amongst themselves if you approach them asking for personal property. You are the out of state siblings of their sister's husband who died 8 years ago. Putting myself...

deanbrew

This is incorrect. While generally the incontestability period kicks-in after one-two years of the policy being in force, there are exceptions, most commonly for situations where the insured's ages is misstated/misrepresented on the application. It wouldn't necessarily involve voiding the policy, b...

deanbrew

From some quick research, and I am no lawyer, it seems you should have inherited half of your father's estate upon his death. The other to your step mom, and once she passed you two would not have been entitled to that half. It sounds suspiciously like you need a lawyer. Agree. I don't see any reas...

deanbrew

This is the universe telling you not to pay down your mortgage. :mrgreen: Haha, that's exactly what I was thinking. I could possibly see doing Option B, as it's simple and automatic. There's no way I would try and make multiple extra payments each month, knowing I would have to track them somehow. ...

deanbrew

When I've been in the market to buy a house, I absolutely look at appraisals. If there are 3 houses with the same asking price and one of those 3 is 20% lower than the rest, I assume that there's a good reason for that and discount it in my mind. Appraisals or assessments? They are two different th...

deanbrew

Assessed value means pretty much nothing in relation to resale. Don't worry about it. All that matters is what the market will pay and what it would appraise for. I agree. Don't worry about the assessed value. Just enjoy the lower taxes. Assessments are conducted using "mass appraisal" techniques t...

deanbrew

The purpose of my question is that it seems to me that if "diminished value" is something that folks believe an insurance company should pay, then wouldn't it be logical that a responsible individual should pay as well? Absolutely, I don't see any difference. But either way, it's only going to happ...

deanbrew

OK - what if we turn the situation around and suppose this does not involve insurance. You do damage to my car and it is your fault. Complete repair of the damage costs $1,000 -- BUT I (legitimately) claim my car now has "diminished value" (after the repair) of $2,000. In addition to having paid th...

deanbrew

1) The type of Asbestos that is "hazardous" is the type considered "friable" or easily airborne. 2) Floor Tile containing Asbestos is NOT a hazard as long as it is intact and not "powdered" 3) Ceiling tile that is in good condition and has not become "friable" is not a hazard and as long as it is i...

deanbrew

In that case, I assume that the charity needs to spend down the card before the fees start to kick in as well. I suppose a well-run charity will know to do this, but the more I learn about these cards the more furious and outraged I feel. :annoyed :annoyed :annoyed No, I don't donate the card to th...

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