Search found 5951 matches

by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?
Replies: 46
Views: 4972

Re: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?

Thinking about this some more, you should at least consider eloping instead of having a wedding to save money. To convince your wife to forego the wedding, agree to have a baby ASAP, like starting this weekend. WIN-WIN.
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gated communities pros and cons? (Atlanta or anywhere.)
Replies: 67
Views: 6606

Re: Gated communities pros and cons? (Atlanta or anywhere.)

A lot of people mention HOA. I also have been against the HOA for the last 20 years. However, with the popularity of Airbnb the last couple of years, I would really appreciate a small fee HOA which can have bylaws to not let residents Airbnb their houses to strangers. Our neighborhood is not run down and the 4-5 bed houses can fetch ~$500 a night on Airbnb. However, roughly 1/4 of the Airbnb'ers who come are in a caravan of junk cars. It is obvious they pay $500 a night + fees because they cannot afford 4-5 normal hotel/inn/motel rooms in the area - which cost roughly $200 a night with tax. They occupy all the street parking with their ugly cars, and are noisy at night. Sorry you are having to deal with that. You don't need an HOA to take ...
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?
Replies: 46
Views: 4972

Re: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?

Roger32 wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:11 pm I wouldn’t say we have “a bunch of debt”. It’s really just 20k in student loans, plus an auto loan at 0%
and a $55k mortgage.
You are incorrect on the “forever house”. This is just a very expensive area. Your talking like a dormered out cape cod as in what you get for 400-450k around here. Nothing fancy.
Yeah, you can't get a studio for that around here unless it is small and has two or three major problems like an airshaft view or being a fourth floor walk-up. But it won't be your "forever home"; remember that I predicted that when you close on the next house. 8-)
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Few weeks into new job recieved significantly better offer elsewhere
Replies: 103
Views: 12090

Re: Few weeks into new job recieved significantly better offer elsewhere

teos wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:53 pm
Burning bridges -- sure -- but it's a very small company. Low probability of it making a major impact in my life.
Don't underestimate how your reputation will proceed you in the future, even if you work in a large industry in a large city, especially since you are currently in a senior position. Every employee at a small company will be talking about it and something like that will follow you around for years. At least be proactively completely honest with your current employer about why you are leaving because they will find out, anyway.
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Comfort level with Credit Card Balance
Replies: 86
Views: 7612

Re: Comfort level with Credit Card Balance

khangaroo wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 3:37 pm What is your relationship with your credit card balance or do you just pay it off each month?
Balance paid in full automatically each month by transfer from checking.

I don't understand how you can both not pay off the balance monthly and also not pay interest unless you have an introductory offer. Nor do I understand how carrying a credit card balance is helping you buy a condo unless you are planning to indirectly use expensive credit card debt for the down payment. :confused
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?
Replies: 46
Views: 4972

Re: Do you think I am being too conservative on buying a house?

I don't understand why you are making extra principle payments on your mortgage when you are planning to sell the condo anyway and the rates on your student loans are significantly higher. Why not divert that money to the student loans now? If you want to be conservative, stay in the condo until you are ready to have a second child. Consider not spending $25k on a wedding when you have a bunch of debt and want to buy an expensive house in a couple of years even though it sounds like your future wife would not like to do that. I am willing to bet you $100 that the "forever home" won't be forever based only on the information in your post. That's just an excuse to stretch to buy a bigger, more expensive house. I think your future wi...
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I roast my own coffee?
Replies: 43
Views: 4217

Re: Should I roast my own coffee?

ThankYouJack wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:26 am After reading another coffee thread, I started looking into roasting myself.
I have an popcorn popper so am considering giving it a shot. The more coffee I drink, the more I feel I'm starting to pick up on freshness and flavor. I enjoy lighter roasts especially with my cold brew. Am thinking about going with this for my first beans - https://www.sweetmarias.com/costa-rica- ... rce-1.html

But wondering if it's worth the time / trouble to roast.
It's certainly worth trying since you already have a popcorn popper just for the experience and then you can decide for yourself if it's worth the time and trouble to you personally to do it again or even on a regular basis.
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Temporary investment of house sale proceeds $250K
Replies: 6
Views: 1006

Re: Temporary investment of house sale proceeds $250K

Yes, you don't really want to invest money for such a short period of time, just save it in near-cash form as suggested by ExitStageLeft so it's not at risk.
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

Getting back on topic, my expectation is that ticks will not crawl under my tights. Do y'all think that's right? It seems to me that most women nowadays wear tights for almost anything and everything and most certainly hiking, running, walking, camping because they are so comfortable which I can report is true. So if any women or men have had a tick under their tights, please report. Thanks! It seems like tights would help but I wouldn't rely on them. Ticks are very small and could enter from the bottom openings or at the waist or through any hole in the tights or crawl up and onto your torso. They might even feed through the tights, not sure about that. Also, those tights are black so it wouldn't be easy to spot ticks on them, which is wh...
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 4:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Digital Subscription Nightmare - PSA
Replies: 24
Views: 2034

Re: Digital Subscription Nightmare - PSA

Barefootgirl wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:47 pm In 2017, I briefly ordered and later cancelled, a digital subscription to the Washington Post.
I doubt it is anything nefarious as far as the access to the accounts but it does sound like they are charging you without your permission. I'm wondering if your cancellation somehow did not take effect because there are so many ways to sign up for a digital subscription.

How exactly did you order the subscription? Was it via an app? Was an Amazon device such as a Fire tablet or Amazon's website or Amazon Pay ever involved in any way with your subscription?
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 2:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

drawpoker wrote: Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:46 pm
Pajamas wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 8:14 pm
.... My understanding is that a negative blood test doesn't mean that Lyme is not present.....treatment is based on symptoms following a tick bite rather than on a positive blood test.
You have it backwards.
I think what I said is correct. A negative blood test doesn't mean that Lyme is not present. The diagnosis and treatment are primarily based on history of tick bite and symptoms, not tests. See here, for instance:

https://www.columbia-lyme.org/diagnosis

What you said is also correct.
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

In my experience, most "dangerous" neighborhoods aren't really dangerous at all for outsiders. I would caution against making a decision based on how safe you "feel" because those feelings are almost universally wrong. Look at the crime stats, which should be easy to find. Is someone who works in an neighborhood considered an outsider? I agree that you have to look behind the numbers. For instance, the area I live in has a very high crime rate. Crime rates are generally reported based on the number of people who live in an area and there is a large daily influx of people who live elsewhere plus the majority of crimes are against property rather than people (particularly shoplifting, credit card fraud, and similar), so t...
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cannot redeem [Non-traded stock]
Replies: 4
Views: 661

Re: Cannot redeem [Non-traded stock]

Unlisted REITs have a lot in common with vacation timeshares. Don't be surprised if your shares aren't worth anything close to what you think they are, especially since there is no planned liquidity event such as a public listing in the foreseeable future.

Here are three firms that deal in unlisted REITs on the secondary market. I don't know anything abut any of the firms and am not recommending them. There are probably a bunch of other firms out there; these are just the first ones I found by searching.

https://cfxtrading.com/sellers

http://www.cttauctions.com/

http://www.mackenziecapital.com/
by Pajamas
Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: light bulb bases
Replies: 4
Views: 766

Re: light bulb bases

Sometimes you will see a European-standard E27 base for sale online and you can use them interchangeably with the North American-standard E26 base.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 8:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

I have limited experience removing ticks from people, but I've removed scores from dogs. I've always found a certain amount of manipulation must be done with a deeply embedded tick just to get decent access. You should get a tick removal tool. Makes it much easier. https://www.google.com/search?q=tick+removal+tool&tbm=isch I think that it is safer if the body of the tick is removed and it is then necessary to dig out bits of the mouth parts left in the skin vs. having a whole tick fully attached to you slathered with liquid soap until it decides to pull out or dies. As long as that intact tick is attached to you, it can regurgitate. If it is removed or mostly removed, it can't. Standard treatment may have changed since you had that tic...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

livesoft wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:56 pm
Pajamas wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:55 pmHow will you know if the liquid soap caused the tick to regurgitate or not?
How will you know if pulling tick out with tweezers caused the tick to regurgitate or not?
It can't regurgitate into your bloodstream if the hypostome is pulled out.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/scie ... bites-you/

It takes a while to get infected after a tick starts feeding. That's why inspecting the skin and removing ticks quickly is so important.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

livesoft wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 4:40 pm We can all try the liquid soap deal and report back. Be sure to note exactly which liquid soap was used.

If it doesn't work, then one always has the option to try to remove another way which can also be reported. Ain't Social Media great?
How will you know if the liquid soap caused the tick to regurgitate or not?
livesoft wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 4:35 pm Because a girl in the class screamed, "Eeeyewww! Billy has a tick in his ear!"
Well, why was that girl looking in Billy's ear?
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which diet soda pop do you enjoy?
Replies: 234
Views: 18413

Re: Which diet soda pop do you enjoy?

I miss Tab. Why don't you drink it any more? Years ago I drink a lot of it, too, but don't drink soda often these days, and almost never at home. I still find the idea of "Diet Coke" somewhat preposterous because Tab was the diet version of Coke, at least to me. Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi - The other caffeine soda I drink. I find it the tastiest of the colas. Cherry Coke Zero is good too. I have never liked any Diet Coke variant. Have you tried Diet Dr Pepper Cherry? I had some earlier this year for the first time and was really impressed with it. I think it is much better than the cherry versions of either Diet Pepsi or Coke Zero. I have found that when getting a diet cola from a fountain, one quick squirt of regular soda of the sam...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

iceport wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:29 pm A quick search turned up this letter, published without comment or correction in the Journal of Family Practice:

https://www.mdedge.com/sites/default/fi ... etters.pdf
I think that letter might encourage studies of the technique but I would trust it as much as I would any other letter to the editor of any publication and would prefer to stick to proven methods, myself.
livesoft wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:38 pm In elementary school I remember the teacher finding a tick in my friend's ear. There was no going to the non-existent nurse's office. The teacher dealt with it right there in class.
Why was the teacher looking in your friend's ear?
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

bltn wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:03 pm Having quickly skimmed the thread, and being a former resident in the city of Chicago, I would decide that my wife s safety is worth far more than a nice salary or job.
I d go for less money in a safe place in any big city.
Same should be true in suburban and rural areas. Guns are more of a problem in schools in those areas and violence involving guns can have more serious consequences than violence that doesn't involve guns.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ticks and common sense?
Replies: 74
Views: 6436

Re: Ticks and common sense?

You think that counterclockwise motion is significant? What happens clockwise? I have no idea. :D That's just what the doctor told me. I asked if I could use bar soap, and she said no, which also doesn't make much sense to me. But I can't argue with the results. At first, I thought she was just applying rubbing alcohol as a disinfectant. But then she started looking around on the bench where I was sitting. The tick had just dropped off. There was a nurse that had asked to watch the procedure because it was new to her, also. The doctor said it has worked every time for her. That's not a recommended method of tick removal despite the fact that your doctor used it. Aggravating the tick with heat or chemicals (like liquid soap) or squeezing or...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hiking vacation in November - any recomendations?
Replies: 35
Views: 5728

Re: Hiking vacation in November - any recomendations?

With one week only, consider travel times. Look for something relatively quick and easy to get to so you can maximize time on the trail without needing to take the first day you arrive just to recover from getting there. Pretty much every state has some great areas for hiking.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What’s your Value Colombian coffee?
Replies: 53
Views: 5158

Re: What’s your Value Colombian coffee?

lazydavid wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:40 pm If you like dark roast, you want something like a Guat, which is cheap and can handle heat well.
Okay, then that's probably why praxis likes the Guatemalan beans.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pay off Student Loan vs Taxable Account/Liquidity
Replies: 9
Views: 957

Re: Pay off Student Loan vs Taxable Account/Liquidity

Agree that you should pay off $12k in student loans and simplify your life. If it were $120k it might be a different matter.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gated communities pros and cons? (Atlanta or anywhere.)
Replies: 67
Views: 6606

Re: Gated communities pros and cons? (Atlanta or anywhere.)

FlyAF wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:47 pm Each instance was between 50k - 100k to have them fixed/re-made and left them useless / open for a couple of months each time.
Seems it would have been more cost-effective to hire security guards to man the gates.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Consistently over budget on food - what are you guys eating?
Replies: 70
Views: 7623

Re: Consistently over budget on food - what are you guys eating?

Earl Lemongrab wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:38 pm I really like the white cheddar ones. The supermarket had a three-day sale with the 7oz boxes for $.88. I was relatively good and only bought one box, which I've been eating reasonably slowly (still 1/2 box left five days later).
I like the Tabasco ones best. If I could get them at that price I would probably use that as justification for eating more of them. They are engineered for maximum snack appeal.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

Katietsu wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:00 pm Honestly, the most frightening experiences of my life have been in an “Ivory Tower” and in a neighborhood of million dollar houses.
Would you be willing to share some of those experiences here?
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:56 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

Jim Beaux wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:38 pm
No help from google or wikipedia. Im being sincere. Its more important to me to know the law then it is to win a debate- and with that in mind, I cant find any federal statute prohibiting a gun in the car in a school parking lot.
Okay, here you go, in brochure form from ATF so you can print it out:

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/guide ... tf-p-53101

If the person has a state permit to carry and the gun is both unloaded and in a locked container, it is okay under federal law to keep it in the car. (I'm not sure how much good that would do anyone in danger.) However, state and local laws would also apply and the school system's policies would also apply to an employee.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: NT
Replies: 20
Views: 1855

Re: Advisor trying to convince me to buy annuities

Also, if this is an experienced salesperson, anything you say he has heard before and already has a prepared response to it. Salespeople are taught how to counter objections as part of their training.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

goodenyou wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:09 pm I guess it is no surprise that this would devolve into a gun debate. It is very obvious that it would.
It certainly didn't need to. I doubt that would seriously be considered an acceptable solution by B3GINN3R's wife, anyway. "I was worried about taking a job in a dangerous neighborhood but I'm good to go if I'm packing! BRING'EM ON!"
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Thoughts on buying income restricted housing
Replies: 2
Views: 1070

Re: Thoughts on buying income restricted housing

I'm not familiar with the ones in Boston but in NYC some are places where I would want to live but most of them would not be. Most of the desirable income restricted housing is rental. Many of the owned apartments are in buildings that are not well maintained and not in good financial shape. Some of the buildings are even reverting to rentals. Those are the older ones that the city turned over to the tenants years ago because the landlords weren't maintaining them or paying taxes on them. Buying one might result in lower living expenses but as you said, there are lots of drawbacks which can include a cap on capital gains and a restricted buyer pool. Often a cash purchase is required so that even many of the people who meet the income limits...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

Jim Beaux wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:53 am Youre mistaken. In regards to gun carry, federal Law only applies to federally controlled facilities. Guns are prohibited in certain parks, post offices, military bases, federal offices, lands administered by Corp of Engineers, etc. Gun carry permits are issued by state agencies. Gun laws differ greatly from state to state.
It certainly should be illegal then.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Land Purchase Possible or Forget About It?
Replies: 39
Views: 6266

Re: Land Purchase Possible or Forget About It?

Seems like they just spouted off the $20k figure from the top of their head. You might offer them 10% over appraised value since they are cousins and to discourage them from looking for other buyers but it doesn't seem like anyone would have much use for the property or would be willing to pay more than it's actually worth. Maybe 2 acres is considered hunting property where you are but in most places it would not be unless it were adjacent to public lands open for hunting and even then it would be considered a site for a cabin.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Consistently over budget on food - what are you guys eating?
Replies: 70
Views: 7623

Re: Consistently over budget on food - what are you guys eating?

nimo956 wrote: Mon Jul 30, 2018 4:02 pm
Essentially, I don't buy any packaged foods in a box (outside of pasta). No . . . Cheez-Itz . . .
What? No Cheez-Its? Some forms of deprivation are too horrible for me to contemplate. :twisted:
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 11:30 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: NT
Replies: 20
Views: 1855

Re: Advisor trying to convince me to buy annuities

Advisor = salesperson. A salesperson's livelihood depends on selling things.

You're basically asking what to say to a shark so that it will stop trying to bite you. It's a shark's nature to bite you and nothing you say will change that. The only thing you can do is swim away from the shark and get out of the water.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What’s your Value Colombian coffee?
Replies: 53
Views: 5158

Re: What’s your Value Colombian coffee?

praxis wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 3:49 pm I order two 1 kilo vacuum sealed bags of dark roast whole bean coffee and grind it coarse and brew in a French press.
Doesn't a dark roast ruin high quality coffee beans by destroying any subtle flavors and making the coffee taste bitter and burnt? Seems like a waste of money and good coffee beans.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:06 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Interesting Take on the 3 Fund Model
Replies: 66
Views: 5556

Re: Weird Portfolio Guy Returns

9.5 out of 10? With market timing? Uh....no. I consider myself a 7.5 out of 10. The majority of my portfolio is solid 3 fund. I have a lot of US Savings bonds from long before I discovered Bogleheads, that I don't think fits in well (about 15% of my portfolio) and I decided to buy $5k of BRK-B this year (0.217% of portfolio) which I feel was a complete un-Boglehead move. Market timing and picking stocks.....I don't know. 5.5 out of 10. Sorry. I'm only seeing 3 out of 10 (#1, #2, and #10) and that's being generous with assumptions. https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy I don't think there is anything wrong with not being a Boglehead but it would be a shame to read and post on the website without understandin...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:55 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Interesting Take on the 3 Fund Model
Replies: 66
Views: 5556

Re: Weird Portfolio Guy Returns

magicrat wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:40 am If you are looking for a deal I suggest diversification. It has massive positive benefits and is practically FREE. It is as close to a free lunch as you will find in economics.
Harry Markowitz and the Efficient Frontier:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Markowitz#Research
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dental implant in Tijuana
Replies: 37
Views: 5160

Re: Dental implant in Tijuana

wsiddiqi wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:10 am Hi folks,
Has anyone gotten dental implants done in. Tijuana, or ensenada? How does one go about doing this? Recommendations for dental surgeon?

Thanks
Are you familiar with dental implants and the fact that they require several visits? You might look into dental schools for treatment if you don't live near Mexico.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Co - signed a Mortage, Now wants out
Replies: 57
Views: 7422

Re: Co - signed a Mortage, Now wants out

Bradley37 wrote: Thu Aug 02, 2018 8:25 am Now, I wanted out of it.
Why? Might be better to address the underlying issue in a different way. Current mortgage rates are much higher.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New job commute
Replies: 64
Views: 5142

Re: New job commute

1 1/2 hours for 34 miles each way sounds truly miserable. The fact that it's a new job probably means that your feelings about it will increase. Might be best to admit now that you did not foresee how bad the commute would be and find another job. You could talk to your employer about the commuting stress and the possibility of working from home some days or adjusting working hours (different start and end times or four day workweek with a later evening commute). If no one else is doing that it's not likely that they will allow a new employee to be that flexible. If that's not possible and there's no other way to improve the quality of your commute such as carpooling, then you can either move or get a new job. Including commuting hours in y...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:52 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which offer to accept on vacant land?
Replies: 17
Views: 2398

Re: Which offer to accept on vacant land?

Why did the two developers back out and why did the offers drop so much in just a year?

You might want to go with the developer you think has the best chance of getting the approvals and as quickly as possible so the deal will close. Otherwise, a year, two years from now, you'll be right back where you are now but perhaps with fewer interested developers and even lower offers and maybe more resistance from the community.
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for a pep talk
Replies: 39
Views: 5825

Re: Looking for a pep talk

If all of that is true, why am I not seeing my net worth budge when I check in every few months? It still feels like for our gross income ($350k) and the amount in investments/savings and the decreases in debt, that net worth should be increasing faster. Is there a dollar amount where you really gain traction? $1mil of net worth? There's almost certainly a problem with your net worth calculations. My guess is that you are referring to assets when you say net worth. You must deduct liabilities from assets to get net worth. That said, your net worth could have decreased when you sold your house because of the transactional costs and perhaps because the price it sold for was less than the value you had been assigning to it. Example: Your hous...
by Pajamas
Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:03 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Interesting Take on the 3 Fund Model
Replies: 66
Views: 5556

Re: Weird Portfolio Guy Returns

Here, take this quiz from memory only without looking up any answers:
Name three of the top ten holdings of each of the following four ETFs:

USA Real Estate ETF (VNQ)
Utilities ETF (VPU)
Industrials ETF (VIS)
Materials ETF (VAW)

Name three specific pieces of military equipment made by Lockheed Martin (LMT).

Name three brands (other than Caterpillar) that Caterpillar Incorporated (CAT) owns.

Name three subsidiaries of 3M Corporation (MMM).

Name the major competitor of Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) west of the Mississippi.
If you can't answer these basic questions about your potential investments, stick to broad index funds.
by Pajamas
Wed Aug 01, 2018 10:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Property investment - Chase cash flow or paying off the mortgage faster
Replies: 3
Views: 813

Re: Property investment - Chase cash flow or paying off the mortgage faster

You shouldn't consider starting a real estate business if you can't decide which mortgage is better. Do some more reading about being a landlord and especially about financing properties. Crunch all the numbers both ways and also include other variables such as down payment amount. You should have some idea of cash flow and return in various scenarios over time, including worst-case.
by Pajamas
Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:07 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Payoff rental property or invest in the market
Replies: 15
Views: 2132

Re: Payoff rental property or invest in the market

What's the rate on the mortgage? Is the interest you pay deductible? Market returns might be higher but there is risk that they might be lower or negative. Paying off a mortgage is a guaranteed return, but you would also lose leverage and likely some tax advantages on your rental property.

I would also look at the return on the rental property to see if it even made any sense to keep it but you didn't ask about that.
by Pajamas
Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Unexpected early retirement - requesting advice
Replies: 56
Views: 8615

Re: Unexpected early retirement - requesting advice

Consider making it work now and pulling the trigger very soon rather than asking if it can work. You certainly have enough assets and surely your spending is at least somewhat flexible. Biggest risk to your finances would be negative market returns soon in your retirement so take that into account. Just to make sure I understand by "making it work" -- do you mean to lessen my market exposure by reducing my 70/30 to be much more conservative ? I was thinking on a general level, more about reducing expenses and having a buffer of near-cash to cover a few years of expenses in case of a market crash to allow time for recovery, but whatever it would take to make it work. Sounds like you have a strong need to stop working soon.
by Pajamas
Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DW job in dangerous area
Replies: 90
Views: 9572

Re: DW job in dangerous area

ddurrett896 wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 6:24 pm
Pajamas wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:43 pm
ddurrett896 wrote: Wed Aug 01, 2018 4:03 pm But a gun, learn how to shoot, carry the gun.
She probably wouldn't be able to get a permit to do that at school and the penalty for doing so illegally is up to $5k or 5 years under federal law and she would almost certainly lose her job, as well, which undermines taking the job in the first place.
Don’t do it at school. Carry to and from school
And lock in vehicle.
That's really bad advice as the law applies to school zones, specifically 1,000 feet around the school.

There's no evidence that it would increase her safety to carry a gun, anyway. It might make some people feel less afraid to carry a gun but it doesn't actually make them any safer.
by Pajamas
Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Unexpected early retirement - requesting advice
Replies: 56
Views: 8615

Re: Unexpected early retirement - requesting advice

Consider making it work now and pulling the trigger very soon rather than asking if it can work. You certainly have enough assets and surely your spending is at least somewhat flexible. Biggest risk to your finances would be negative market returns soon in your retirement so take that into account.