What are your next major purchases?

[coopasonic]

$3500 for a new trumpet for the kiddo heading to high school.

Ouch.

They offered 0% financing and she passed...

[Isgrimnur]

As a programmer for vehicle lending, having your wife pass up free money has to hurt.

[em2nought]

So many horror stories associated with a lack of a back flow prevention valve. The things I've seen. I hope you get yours installed and it's the last time you ever think about it.

We did not have one in our old house. Along cones hurricane floyd. Flooding stopped about 3 or 4 house down from us. We thoyght we were safe. Then more water and it reaches the front of the house and driveway but still not near the house.
Then we hear water running. Go to the basement and see about 4 or 5 feet of sewer water shooting out the toilet.
Nothing we can do sbout it. About 25 minutes later the national guard pulls up and we are evacuated. I think we spent about a week in a shelter. It took that long for most of the toafs to be travelable. Go bavk to the house and I shit you not, sewer water in the whole basement about 4 or 5 feet deep.
Called FD and they were nice and helped pump out the basement. When it's done, everything is trashed including our boilers and hot water heaters amd worst of all about 40k worth of collectibles.
No coverage for sewer backup. Had no idea that was a thing.
They gave me pity money. Enough to replace the hot water heaters and part of the fuse box(,yes. Fuse box. It was and old house. Still had cloth wrapped electrical wires)
We got lucky though. Replscing 2 boilers for heat was gonna run over 12k for both. Called PSEG explained the situation and they replaced them for free. Mostly because the old ones were oil based and they switched us to natural gas. Probably figured they'd recover their costs and then some over the years. It was nice not having to worry about running out of oil.
Fadt forward to our new house. An unknown oil tank leaked. They had to rip apart a quarter of our basement and then lift amd anchor the house. They agreed to cover a backup prevention valve fir us but only a manual one which means we need to run to the basement and physically turn a lever on the floor. Will be super messy but better then another disaster.

Holy crap! These would make the sort of horror movie that you couldn't go to sleep afterward. Sounds worse than that Tom Hanks "Money Pit" movie.

[Smoove_B]

The worst situation I saw related to a lack of a back-flow prevention device was also Hurricane Floyd. I'd only been working full time for a few years at that point and it was the first time it came up. Sounds very similar to what you lived with; absolute nightmare scenario.

[Punisher]

Well, we definitely made sure we had coverage for sewer backup after that..

[Kraken]

When we left for the Berkshires yesterday, we had lined up four houses to tour. As of this morning, that’s down to one. One sold overnight; one we rejected after a driveby; and one isn’t answering our realtor’s phone calls. They have a few hours left to rectify that, but it’s kind of a longshot anyway. The one that we’re definitely going to see is priced $50k above our maximum, so it’s iffy, too. But it has been reduced in price several times, so there might be wiggle room if we like it well enough to give it our all.

The housing market didn’t come back to life in the spring as everyone expected, thanks to the Fed taking rate cuts off the table.

[Exodor]

The housing market didn’t come back to life in the spring as everyone expected, thanks to the Fed taking rate cuts off the table.

I've been sitting on the proceeds of the sale of the old house waiting for a rate cut before we refinance but looks like I'm going to have to give in and do it now. Hopefully we can refinance in a few years when rates are back down.

I'm in the market for a new TV. Our current TCL is so dim that some scenes are nearly unwatchable. Had my eye on a Roku branded model but the news that they want to add video ads to the home screen takes them out of the running. I'm looking at Hisense that the reviewers all love but I'm wary of a brand I've never heard of.

Anyone had any good or bad experiences with Hisense?

[em2nought]

The housing market didn’t come back to life in the spring as everyone expected, thanks to the Fed taking rate cuts off the table.

I had two showings today. I think the market is coming back because people think the rates might actually increase.

[Kraken]

We did get to see the second house. I liked it more than I thought I would. I was concerned that it's just too much for two old people: 6BR, 3.5 baths, 4000 sq ft, AND two separate inlaw apartments downstairs. I expected it to be a dump, but it was in decent condition and I liked the upstairs layout better than expected. In the end, though, we agreed that it is indeed too big for us, and we don't want to be landlords renting out the downstairs. Plus, it has no garage so we'd need to build one (there was room on the lot) that would probably set us back another $60k or more. If we were 20 years younger it would be an awesome long-term project, but we don't have a long term left.

We might make an offer on the first one. It's listed higher than our maximum, so we have to decide whether we want to go all-in on a house that's a bit shy of ideal to make an offer they might reject as too low. In the 13 months that we've been looking, we've only found one that approached ideal and we lost that in a bidding war. (There was another likely winner that sold last week before we could even go out to see it -- it was on the market for 4 days and drew 3 strong offers.) We need to nail down a decision over dinner tonight and let our agent know tomorrow morning. I think I could negotiate the price down if I didn't have to go through an intermediary, so I have to convince her to see it my way first.

[Jeff V]

In August we take possession of a condo in Manila. It's a new building, 11th floor, overlooking the swimming pool. We have to go there this summer to furnish it, at which point the building will manage it as an AirBnB when we are not there.

Mortgage from Philippine National Bank is pending. If that doesn't work out, a home equity loan will give us enough $$$ to pay it off.

[TheMix]

After putting it off for over a year. Replaces my 1998 F150.

[Holman]

$3500 for a new trumpet for the kiddo heading to high school.

Ouch.

They offered 0% financing and she passed...

Wow.

Our high-school senior has been playing electric guitar for a couple of years and asked us for a bass (which he wants to learn) for his birthday. A good starter bass is about $1000.

[Kraken]

That's purdy. What is it?

Replacing Wife's 14-year-old Fit moves to the top of our list after we solve our housing puzzle -- find and buy new house; move; clean out, refurb, and sell old house; refinance new house -- but that all feels like a long time off.

This is the house we have our eyes on now. It started at $725k last November and fell to $700k this month, but I don't think it's worth more than $650k. The kitchen is small, the 1st floor half-bath is tiny, and the basement is damp. The first two problems could be solved by moving the laundry upstairs, but we won't have money to do that for a year or two. Gonna run that past our agent tomorrow and see what she thinks. It is a nice private lot in a good neighborhood in a prime location (just 9 minutes to Lenox and less than 15 to downtown Pittsfield) and the house has a lot of positives.

[gilraen]

That's purdy. What is it?

2024 Hyundai Tucson (hybrid).

[telcta]

6BR, 3.5 baths, 4000 sq ft, AND two separate inlaw apartments downstairs. ... we don't want to be landlords renting out the downstairs.

That is a lot of house. Perhaps instead of renting maybe do a B&B? Great area for it with summer and winter tourists. I would stay there.

[Kraken]

6BR, 3.5 baths, 4000 sq ft, AND two separate inlaw apartments downstairs. ... we don't want to be landlords renting out the downstairs.

That is a lot of house. Perhaps instead of renting maybe do a B&B? Great area for it with summer and winter tourists. I would stay there.

If you're curious. The two apartments are the white doors at driveway level; the main house is the red door to the left. They would absolutely be lucrative AirBnBs, if you wanted such on your property. The pics for this listing aren't very good but will give you an idea.

[Lassr]

My son needed a car so I sold him my 2020 Kona for way under market price and bought myself a 2024 Kona.

[Daehawk]

Wheels are getting weird again I see.

[em2nought]

The pics for this listing aren't very good but will give you an idea.

I'm not happy at all with the pictures my realtor had a photographer come in and take. I could have taken better photos with my phone.

[Hrothgar]

Kumho doesn't seem like a great name for a tire brand.

Nice car though.

[Blackhawk]

Kumho doesn't seem like a great name for a tire brand.

Unless you like blowouts.

[Kraken]

The pics for this listing aren't very good but will give you an idea.

I'm not happy at all with the pictures my realtor had a photographer come in and take. I could have taken better photos with my phone.

First impressions matter. I've seen a couple of listings with "virtual staging." You can view the empty rooms or see them artfully arranged with digital furniture. The house that I linked is a lot nicer than its pictures suggest.

[dbt1949]

I'm gonna buy my a G.E.C.K.

[pr0ner]

The pics for this listing aren't very good but will give you an idea.

I'm not happy at all with the pictures my realtor had a photographer come in and take. I could have taken better photos with my phone.

First impressions matter. I've seen a couple of listings with "virtual staging." You can view the empty rooms or see them artfully arranged with digital furniture. The house that I linked is a lot nicer than its pictures suggest.

When I sold my last place, my realtor insisted I stage it since I had already moved into my new home. It was more than worth the investment.

[Kraken]

Offer signed and tendered. They have 36 hours to respond. I'm not real optimistic because we came in substantially below their asking price, but our agent believes it's a fair price -- and as far as we know there are no competing offers on the table.

[Scuzz]

We are getting quotes to get solar. Probably two years late but the way rates are skyrocketing it will save us money. The most expensive item in the quotes are batteries for use in the evening so you don’t have to use the power companies juice.

[naednek]

We are getting quotes to get solar. Probably two years late but the way rates are skyrocketing it will save us money. The most expensive item in the quotes are batteries for use in the evening so you don’t have to use the power companies juice.

I just got our solar installed a few months ago. Happy to refer you to who I went with. (There is a referral program)

[TheMix]

Offer signed and tendered. They have 36 hours to respond. I'm not real optimistic because we came in substantially below their asking price, but our agent believes it's a fair price -- and as far as we know there are no competing offers on the table.

Good luck!

[Kraken]

Offer signed and tendered. They have 36 hours to respond. I'm not real optimistic because we came in substantially below their asking price, but our agent believes it's a fair price -- and as far as we know there are no competing offers on the table.

Good luck!

Dude rejected our offer but dropped his price by $5k. Tomorrow we will go up by $5k. We learned that he rejected two previous offers that were both lower than ours. Our agent showed them our prequalification letter, which says that our limit is the amount we're going to offer tomorrow. She explained that we aren't rich young people making an investment, but an old couple looking to retire and stretching as far as we can go. If necessary I'll go up another $5k, which puts us $5k over our official limit, and that will be our final offer. He doesn't need to know that we have a newer prequalification letter that's $25k higher than the one he saw.

I believe that we've already offered more than this house is really worth, and he would be smart to accept our final offer. The house has been on the market since his wife died last Thanksgiving, which is a very long time in this market.

[em2nought]

I believe that we've already offered more than this house is really worth, and he would be smart to accept our final offer. The house has been on the market since his wife died last Thanksgiving, which is a very long time in this market.

Maybe it's just the photos, but it looks like it's going to need a new roof pretty soon to me? Make sure your inspector pays particular attention up there. Oops, I'm a house behind. I meant the house with the two apartments. The current house has some definite curb appeal. Definitely approve of all the mini-split AC units too.

When I sold my last place, my realtor insisted I stage it since I had already moved into my new home. It was more than worth the investment.

I think I've got it staged pretty well. I'm hoping to sell it totally furnished, everything but my clothes and personal effects. Quite a few in my complex usually get sold furnished, but I'd clear it out if I had to. I'm getting a bit tired of keeping in showroom condition as I'm normally a bit of a slob.

[Zenn7]

Finally getting bathroom remodeled. $17k (and we're getting a discount at that).

Asked Dad for an advance on my allowance. Doesn't look like I'm getting it. :p

[Kraken]

I believe that we've already offered more than this house is really worth, and he would be smart to accept our final offer. The house has been on the market since his wife died last Thanksgiving, which is a very long time in this market.

Maybe it's just the photos, but it looks like it's going to need a new roof pretty soon to me? Make sure your inspector pays particular attention up there.

Yes, that's definitely going to come up after the inspection. There are also a couple of places where the siding doesn't look daisy fresh and some light switches that might not be functional. The price we settle on tomorrow (if we can) isn't going to be the last word. I'm not in love with this house and am prepared to play hardball.

[Default]

$3600 for a new sub panel, a 30 amp breaker in the laundry room, a 40 amp breaker in the garage. About $500 for the tankless water heater.

Oh, and $4500 for the kitteh's stomach surgery.

[Kraken]

We raised our offer by $10k and the seller didn't respond to that yet. Speculating that he's trying to solicit a competing bid. He has to decide tomorrow.

I still feel like we're paying too much, but right now we're $45k below his list price, so that's satisfying. We'll go up $10k more if necessary. Our agent assures us that the house is worth it, but of course the buyer's agent gets paid a percentage of the price by the seller, so who's she really working for?

This is the worst time in a generation to buy a house -- inventory is low, prices are at or near a peak, mortgages are expensive -- but we don't have the luxury of waiting for a better market. I really hope to have it all squared away before the election in case things get ugly.

[Kraken]

Our offer is on hold. The seller neither rejected it nor counteroffered. His realtor told our agent that he recommended accepting our offer, but the seller is a cantankerous old man who insists his house is worth more than it is. He says the roof is fine, for example. He is going to come up from Florida in a couple of weeks and his realtor is going to have a roofer confirm that it does indeed need replacing. He's also going to point out a few other flaws that reduce the house's value and that the owner is blind to. He hopes the seller will take our offer after his eyes have been opened. We've made it clear that it isn't going any higher. Meanwhile, I'm sure he's hoping for a higher competing bid.

So we aren't withdrawing the offer, just pausing it for two weeks. Weird. I'm fine with either outcome. Naturally I'd like to get the house, but won't be heartbroken if we don't.

[em2nought]

Our offer is on hold.

I'll sell you a nice little condo in Florida for 1/6 what you're going to pay that cantankerous old man.

[Zarathud]

It’s an estate sale with someone who doesn’t want to move on. I expect you’ll have to pull the offer before he accepts.

[Kraken]

For now, it's Schrodinger's House -- we both bought it and didn't buy it.

[Scuzz]

We are getting quotes to get solar. Probably two years late but the way rates are skyrocketing it will save us money. The most expensive item in the quotes are batteries for use in the evening so you don’t have to use the power companies juice.

I just got our solar installed a few months ago. Happy to refer you to who I went with. (There is a referral program)

I think we have decided to skip solar for now. The cost is about what I was expecting but it’s the cost of and eventual battery replacement costs that bug me. Also after talking to my accountant the tax credit will do very little for us.

We could take out a loan or pay cash but either move reduces the returns from the solar. Also at our age we don’t want to run a loan out too far and leave the estate paying for it.

So maybe just panels without the batteries, or perhaps just improvements in insulation and weatherproofing.

[Default]

$3500 for a new trumpet for the kiddo heading to high school.

Ouch.

They offered 0% financing and she passed...

Wow.

Our high-school senior has been playing electric guitar for a couple of years and asked us for a bass (which he wants to learn) for his birthday. A good starter bass is about $1000.

You can get a decent one for far less than a grand. Does he have a scale length or body style in mind?