Bogleheads.org

"Does the HOA own this land or the individual homeowner?"
I own the land that has the runoff issue but the HOA owns the storm sewer drain system that the water enters into.
I'll touch base with the Chattahoochee River Keepers and see what they say. I've heard of them but never considered them entering into this equation.

The fly in the ointment is that we live in a gated community which means that Fulton County and the city of Johns Creek both tell me I'm on my own since the HOA owns the infrastructure. Can't believe you got free rip rap. Unfortunately I live in Fulton county and the city of Johns Creek. I might call Johns Creek. They are much easier to deal with. I live in a gated community so I suspect they will say "No dice". Due to the proximity to the house, the slope and the climate, I would put in a cinder block or concrete block terrace and fill it with stone. It would be a one time expense; while concrete blocks would require a base, cinder blocks are more forgiving if one wants an unfinished look - though technically they would need one....

Consider Fred Miranda. Many pros hang out there - https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/

Rex66 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:37 pm thats unfortunate since that was my go to forum for canon 1dxii

Can't believe you got free rip rap. Unfortunately I live in Fulton county and the city of Johns Creek. I might call Johns Creek. They are much easier to deal with. I live in a gated community so I suspect they will say "No dice". Due to the proximity to the house, the slope and the climate, I would put in a cinder block or concrete block terrace and fill it with stone. It would be a one time expense; while concrete blocks would require a base, cinder blocks are more forgiving if one wants an unfinished look - though technically they would need one. Instead of stones, the fill could be compost/dirt/leaves with plants. Liriope would work since their roots are strong, store water, and they thrive on neglect, but there are most likely...

Sandtrap, thanks so much for your suggestions. I'll proceed as you recommended. My neighbor has already offered to split the costs. BTW, his downspouts also appear to be connected to 4" corrugated pipe but I can't find an outlet. That might be part of the problem and need to be addressed before starting. To OP: Thanks so much for posting the pictures. It explains everything. Some notes and questions: 1 Is there an upper drainage culvert with grill that drains underground to that black corrugated pipe that is shown emptying into the lower culvert grate? Or. . . Is there no upper drainage culvert and the black pipe shown is a perforated (uselesss) pipe burried at the low point below the drainage "erroded" swale water cut now? T...

View looking uphill https://i.postimg.cc/gJBMNyJK/drain1.jpg Looking downhill with gutter drain and storm water inlet at bottom https://i.postimg.cc/rwnQ8CG2/drain2.jpg The area between my house and my neighbor’s has started to develop a slight ”ravine” where water washes and drains. There is an 8’ 6” drop over 50 feet as water works its way to the storm water inlet. All the water flowing down this channel is coming from our ~ 1/8 acre back yards and sources other than roofs and gutters which drain via 4” corrugated pipe. I know there’s much more missing in order to provide advice but I’m just looking for a “back of the envelope” calculation. Here’s the 3 options I have come up with: 1- Bury another 4” corrugated pipe with 2 or 3 9”x12” ca...

Thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions.
A couple of clarifications: the "ravine" (note quotes) is just an area of erosion a few inches deep where water has started to form a channel. I'd like to prevent this from getting much deeper or wider.
The idea of a Rain Garden is appealing and Walter Reeve's site certainly has a detailed write up on this. They also advise NOT putting one in an area that has a slope greater than 12% and mine is about 18% so concerns me a bit.
Terracing is an interesting idea I hadn't considered.

Curious why you suggested putting the catch basin inlets at the bottom. Wouldn't further erosion have occurred by the time the water got to the bottom?

Glockenspiel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 3:14 pm Bury a perforated 4" or 6" diameter french drain in a trench surrounded with 3/4" graded angular rock, with the small plastic catch basin inlets at the ravine bottom, and dump the water into the storm inlet in the roadway. Use a geotextile fabric around the bottom and sides of the rock trench to keep the surrounding soil from mixing with the rock.

This will do a great job of keeping that ravine more dry.

The area between my house and my neighbor’s has started to develop a slight ”ravine” where water washes and drains. There is an 8’ 6” drop over 50 feet as water works its way to the storm water inlet. All the water flowing down this channel is coming from our ~ 1/8 acre back yards and sources other than roofs and gutters which drain via 4” corrugated pipe. I know there’s much more missing in order to provide advice but I’m just looking for a “back of the envelope” calculation. Here’s the 3 options I have come up with: 1- Bury another 4” corrugated pipe with 2 or 3 9”x12” catch basin inlets and dump into the storm water inlet. 2- Lay a bed of river stone in the depression. Topography will make it difficult to get stone to this location. 3- P...

Orlandoman, thanks for the link. My question arose because of the quoted verbage - "... helps pay for corrective lenses ..". I was trying to figure out how much the "help: was.
Kabob, you raise some excellent points about going through the opthamologist's optometrist for the glasses since they have all the info. I think that's the route I'll go.

I understand the Medicare will pay for a basic pair of glasses following cataract surgery but I can’t seem to find any specifics. In the past I ordered glasses from one of the online sellers but wonder if an optometrist would be a better option in this case. I assume if I ordered from someone like Zenni I would have to submit a claim to Medicare for reimbursement.
What’s been your plan & experience?

Would it be possible to prepare a Turbotax return and then use a service such OLT.com to import the Turbotax data and do a reduced fee state e-file?

Asyouwish, thanks for the response. Per 525: If you repaid unemployment compensation in 2022 that you included in your income in an earlier year, you can deduct the amount repaid on schedule A (Form 1040), line 16, if you itemize deductions and if the amount is more than $3,000. The amount repaid was over $3,000 but they don't itemize. It also states: Method 1. Figure your tax for the year of repayment claiming a deduction for the repaid amount. Method 2. Figure your tax for the year of repayment claiming a credit for the repaid amount. Follow these steps. 1. Figure your tax for the year of repayment without deducting the repaid amount. 2. Refigure your tax from the earlier year without including in income the amount you repaid in the year ...

I'm helping someone with their taxes and they're using Taxslayer. They received unemployment compensation in tax year 2021 but were required (and did) repay it in tax year 2022.

In doing a bit of Googling I have found this:

if greater than $3,000 it is claimed here:
Federal Section
Deductions
Itemized Deductions
Miscellaneous Deductions
Repayment under claim of right (if greater than $3000).

It has also been suggested that they amend their 20231 tax return. Does anyone have experience with this? Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help.

I replaced the pressure relief valve on my water heater twice before someone suggested that I check the water pressure regulator valve on the water supply just after the line enters the house. On most houses, exterior hose bibs are also plumbed so that they receive their supply AFTER the pressure regulator valve. If so, this makes it easy to check the water pressure in your house. Go to a big box DIY store and buy one of these - https://www.homedepot.com/p/JONES-STEPHENS-300-psi-Water-Test-Gauge-with-3-4-in-Hose-Connection-J66300/202271244. Simply attach it to a hose bib and turn the faucet on. Your pressure should be around 60 - 70 p.s.i. If it's much more than that your pressure regulator might be bad. The regulator can be adjusted downwa...

I'm always looking for new podcasts so I downloaded a couple of episodes of "If Books Could Kill". Since I'm a Freakonomics fan and am familiar with Levitt and Dubner, I decided to listen to that episode first. Now I'm no prude and can keep up with the best of sailors, but I was immediately turned off by repeated obscenities and F-bombs. Add that to their elitist, egalitarian attitudes and I'm fading fast. Steve Levitt was their primary target even though Stephen Dubner is a co-author. They repeatedly tore apart Levitt's conclusions on various topics but offered no credible data to back up their opinions. I'll probably try one more episode before giving up but I'd rank this at the very bottom of a LONG list of podcasts that I've l...

I received a Garmin Varia unit as a Father's Day gift last year. The radar detection of cars approaching from the rear seemed like a really cool feature. I ride in a bike lane along side 2 lanes of traffic. The alarm was constantly going off even with cars 2 lanes away from me and quickly became a nuisance. I think it would be much more valuable if you're in the road riding with traffic or on country type roads. Just my opinion. You might also check out a radar unit like a Garmin Varia. That will pair with quite a few bike computers and display the status of the cars behind you, basically anything going faster towards you from behind. I have a Wahoo Bolt (the one the OP mentioned), but there are other units that work with the Varia as well ...

Bottom line - Did they both come up with the same amount of tax owed?

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek] FYI - WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service provided details today clarifying the federal tax status involving special payments made by 21 states in 2022. The IRS has determined that in the interest of sound tax administration and other factors, taxpayers in many states will not need to report these payments on their 2022 tax returns. During a review, the IRS determined it will not challenge the taxability of payments related to general welfare and disaster relief. This means that people in the following states do not need to report these state payments on their 2022 tax return: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexic...

The WSJ article was comparing averages across fund families.

sycamore wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 6:58 am

LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 5:29 am ... The WSJ article showed Int. Equity mutual fund posttax returns on average were .33% lower than the comparable ETF's. Growth funds also trailed ETF's by .2%.

Are those for Vanguard mutual fund versus corresponding Vanguard ETF? Or just "average" across fund families? If the latter, I'd say the article is no big deal -- I can choose between VG mutual fund or VG ETF with negligible difference.

Any example comparisons from the article?

Thanks everyone for weighing in. I guess I picked a poor example (VTSAX & VTI) since their expense ratios and 10 yr performance are so close. The WSJ article showed Int. Equity mutual fund posttax returns on average were .33% lower than the comparable ETF's. Growth funds also trailed ETF's by .2%. I would think that over a long period of time those differences would be non-trivial.

I was reading an article in the WSJ yesterday about how most classes of ETF's outperformed their mutual fund counterparts. It also appears that the conversion (eg VTSAX -> VTI) is not a taxable event.
Before I make the leap, are there any disadvantages to doing a conversion other than the ETF shares cannot be converted back to mutual fund status?

Will anyone else be traveling with you? If so, have them go through security first and camp out at the end of the x-ray machine conveyor until your watch comes through.

Not unless your quest is to visit an airport. in all 50 states.

Could you pay for some of the vehicle with a credit card and then dispute the charge if there's problems noted after you take delivery?

I don't know if Flagler College still does tours but they have a very impressive collection of Tiffany glass that's worth seeing.
Also consider eating at the Columbia House. Their "1905 Salad" is famous!

Regarding agents, I've been with this agency for over 10 yrs. I've only had 1 claim during that time but they were very helpful and smoothed out a claim problem without me having to do anything. They are an independent agent and initiated the coverage comparison based on the fact that the cost of my auto premium was rather high.

Not to sidetrack this thread but a bit over a year ago I emailed my TD Ameritrade rep and mentioned that I'd be moving my assets (barely 7 figs.) to another brokerage firm in order to take advantage of a transfer bonus. He asked how much the bonus was ($2,500) and within 15 mins emailed back that he'd match it as long as I left everything for 12 months.

Interesting about the "short rate" cancellation cost. Something else I didn't know about.
Acuity has just started writing policies in GA. My suspicious mind wonders if they tend to quote a low rate and then make up for it as a result of inspection. I'm going to sit tight with Auto Owners for another year and see what happens.
Next year, would it make sense to apply with a new carrier a couple of months before my old policy expires and see what the new company finds with their inspection before cancelling? Can you terminate a new policy if you don't agree to correct any deficiencies noted?

CenTexan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:08 am
Shouldn't we be able to require the inspection before we decide to buy the insurer's policy? Seems stacked in favor of the insurer!

That's exactly what's been bothering me but other then keeping the old policy in effect until the new company does their inspection I don't know a way around this. Plus if you do make the switch, any saving realized will be eaten up by the cost of double coverage.

Before committing to a particular organization you might want to investigate how close the tax prep sites are to your house and whether you can request to work at a particular site or if you're just assigned a location. Depending on the district the organization serves, you may have a bit of a commute, possibly during rush hour.

My agent called last Friday and mentioned that I could save about $450/year by switching my homeowners, auto and umbrella to Acuity. I'm currently with Auto Owners. The savings is enticing but my house is 32 yrs old and I'm afraid an Acuity inspector will look at my house/property and require some expensive changes. I don't have any sizable trees but the driveway has some cracks that might be considered a hazard. It's on my to-do list but I don't have enough room in the budget to replace it this year.
Do anyone have personal experience with problems associated with changing carriers?

Do you mind disclosing what your repair cost was?

I love the drip stop feature on my Mocamaster. I close it when the brew first starts and let the grounds saturate (aka - bloom) and then finish brewing.
Technivorm also sells factory reconditioned units at a substantial discount - about $100 less. Mine looked perfect. The only drawback is that they only have a 1 yr warranty vs 5 yrs for retail ones. They always show out of stock on their website but if you call there's a good chance they have some available.

I live in GA with natural gas deregulated. The bill for our 1 story house last month was $278 with $100 of that going to taxes and admin fees. In the summer our monthly gas bill is $45 - $55 and only about $5-6 of that is for the gas itself. Everyone has their fingers in this pie.

I received some heirloom tomato seed and am getting ready to start them. I have an Aerogarden and was thinking about using iy initially and later transferring to soil pots.
Has anyone made their own plant food for this type of application? I've read some pros and cons. I was a bit taken back by the cost of Aerogarden branded plant food.

Direct Tool Outlet carries Ridgid and Ryobi tools. https://www.directtoolsoutlet.com/. They sell reconditioned tools and most appear to be unused brand new. Also most of the Ridgid tools they sell have the Lifetime Service warranty which will give you free replacement batteries for cordless tools. Be sure to carefully read and follow all the requirements. They have a flat rate shipping charge so if you are able to purchase several tools at one time the shipping cost is minimized. They frequently have sales so keep a watch out for those.

I don't know if it's still available but VMware had a Windows emulator for free personal use. It handled the task very capably.

I find it interesting if not puzzling that in the last image the vertical crack was repaired while the diagonal one wasn't even though it appears that there is some water intrusion.
I had a couple of leaks repaired with epoxy like yours about 5 yrs ago and they are fine.

If all else fails, dispute it with your credit card company and use the email as justification.

My last tire purchase was from Discount Tires. I went in when Costco was running a $150 off a set of 4 Michelins. They matched the price. I mentioned that Costco also includes a road hazard warranty and they included that at no additional price as well.

I've had a Brooks saddle sitting in a drawer for 5 or 6 yrs that I received as a gift. I gave it a month or so and never found it comfortable. Is there a preferred way to break one of these in other than "tincture of time"? Anything to apply topically?

I don't have any first hand experience with this company but bookmarked it a couple of months ago. I can't remember who recommended it.
http://www.leatherique.com/

Our microwave will occasionally run (turntable spins, fan comes on) but it doesn't heat. I stop the unit, open the door and then SLAM it closed and it works fine for a few weeks. I guess the door sensor is wonky. This possible solution is fast, easy and free. What have you got to lose?

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm hoping this small crack can be repaired rather than having the whole windshield replaced. Since they have a financial incentive to replace the entire windshield, I suspect that 's what will happen.

A rock hit my windshield and caused a 3" crack at the very edge of the glass. My insurance agent said I have a $0 glass deductible and set me up with Safelite to repair the crack. They said if it wasn't repairable or the repair failed my windshield would be replaced with zero out of pocket.
Any pitfalls I need to be aware of ?

When the builder requests a check for the change order items, tell him that the person who writes the checks isn't in the office right now......

Another vote for Blum BLUMOTION. All the hardware Blum make is great quality. I would probably talk with a rep on the phone or go in person if there's a local dealer to determine exactly what model of hinge you need. There's a dizzying array of hinge types depending on whether you have inset (flush to the cabinet face) doors or overlay.

Thanks for that info.

rkhusky wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 11:17 am

LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 5:59 am Thanks for the Vanguard link. I don't see any dividend estimates - only Cap. gains. Most of my VG funds had dividend distributions late in Dec last year. Also, what does % of NAV Estimate refer to?

The dividend estimates come out Dec 8, along with estimates for qualified dividends.
See: https://advisors.vanguard.com/tax-cente ... rrent-year

You're absolutely right! It's about $1,900 for both myself and my wife.

tibbitts wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 9:35 am

LifeIsGood wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 6:18 am I haven't made my QCD yet. Last year I could have increased my QCD by $3K and saved $6K in IRMAA charges !

I'm confused, how do you get $6k? Isn't each bracket at most a jump of maybe half the $6k (for 2 people)?