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GM's thread about nothing (34 Viewers)

So pissed. Forgot to buy my ticket to the Beer, Bacon, and Bourbon Fest on Saturday, and now it's sold out. :kicksrock:
Only in BFE do these type of events sell out well in advance.
I even have a GB who's serving (owns a brewpub and a BBQ joint), and he said he couldn't get me in. Hard cap at 1000 attendees, which is going to be a lot for the venue.

Fortunately I have all three of the featured comestibles at home, just not as much variety.

 
HouseChat Activated:

Are those online "How much house can I afford?" calculators legit? The Oats don't have a whole lot of loot, but based on salary they tell me we can afford a lot more house. With the family growing and our place being ancient, we have had an architect in to design a pretty extensive, multi floor addition and renovation. We could do the renovation and be all-in on our current house for about 3x, or we can open up the pursestrings (ok, the bank's) and look to spend 4x on an already renovated home in our area that should be a significant upgrade even over our house as renovated.

Pros/cons:

Our current location is awesome in that it is set on a hill, gets tons of light has sweeping views, can see the bay in winter, walk to the train, walk to main street.

House we are looking at doesn't have those things. I'd have to drive to the station each morning and park. Overall commute time about the same. Also we would be further from the water and town. That said, NewHouse has 6BR to our current 3, and wouldn't require living through six months of construction with an infant and toddler (we would likely have to rent a place and move out for a few months to do that construction, whole thing sounds like kind of a nightmare) Also, New house (which we havent actually seen yet) has a pool and patio with outdoor fireplace and is in twice as much land (nearly an acre), has a two car garage (to our tiny one car), and other amenities. Finally while the hill at our house is great for light and views, it kind of sucks for kids, as there are some pretty steep, bordering on treacherous, drop offs to the next yard over and lots of the space isn't all that great for kids to play on.

All in all, not sure what advice I'm looking for, but what the hell, GMTAN is smart, and wife and I go back and forth on thks decision every single week or every time a new house hits the market in our neighborhood. Basically, there are things we love about our house that are unique and charming, and it's not ideal for kids in all ways, and the work we need to do on it will be a major PIA. If we spend a bunch more, we can get a house that is a significant upgrade in nearly all ways, though it will not be as good a location in many respects, and won't have some kg the unique charms of our current hundred years old dump,I mean house.

[Last factor for anyone still reading - im since we just sold an apartment last year and took the free tax gain thing, if we decide to sell before next august, we will have to pay taxes on the gain on our house, which is not insignificant, but maybe will add up to 5% of the purchase price on new house; of course, if we wait another year, with real estate here hearing up, the prices of homed in the range we are looking at may well jump 5%, so the home we buy now could end up appreciating enough in a year to make up for some or all of that difference].

TIAREALESTATENERDS

 
So pissed. Forgot to buy my ticket to the Beer, Bacon, and Bourbon Fest on Saturday, and now it's sold out. :kicksrock:
Only in BFE do these type of events sell out well in advance.
I even have a GB who's serving (owns a brewpub and a BBQ joint), and he said he couldn't get me in. Hard cap at 1000 attendees, which is going to be a lot for the venue.

Fortunately I have all three of the featured comestibles at home, just not as much variety.
Fort Wayne?

 
So pissed. Forgot to buy my ticket to the Beer, Bacon, and Bourbon Fest on Saturday, and now it's sold out. :kicksrock:
Only in BFE do these type of events sell out well in advance.
I even have a GB who's serving (owns a brewpub and a BBQ joint), and he said he couldn't get me in. Hard cap at 1000 attendees, which is going to be a lot for the venue.

Fortunately I have all three of the featured comestibles at home, just not as much variety.
Fort Wayne?
Yes.

 
Otis > any difference in the neighborhoods? Does one have more kids for your kids to play with growing up?

Also, it feels like you're saying your only choices are to stay or buy this other house... I don't know what the market is like there, but what are the chances that another house in the area goes up for sale in the next 6 months? I'd have to think pretty good?

I guess what I'm saying is from what you wrote, it sounds like the right move might be to move... but maybe not to that one other spot you're looking at.

 
[Last factor for anyone still reading - im since we just sold an apartment last year and took the free tax gain thing, if we decide to sell before next august, we will have to pay taxes on the gain on our house, which is not insignificant, but maybe will add up to 5% of the purchase price on new house; of course, if we wait another year, with real estate here hearing up, the prices of homed in the range we are looking at may well jump 5%, so the home we buy now could end up appreciating enough in a year to make up for some or all of that difference].
I don't think this math is right, unless you think certain houses are going to predictably appreciate faster than other houses. The likelihood is that both the house you're selling and the house you're buying will appreciate at roughly the same rate, so you won't make any extra money by buying the new house earlier.

 
Do not become house poor. Let me repeat that, do not become house poor. One more time. Do not become house poor.

Otis, people raised kids in 1,200 sq ft ranches and had wonderful lives. You don't need 4,000 sq ft. Build your wealth (assets) before committing to a huge monthly nut.

Read this article - it's about the high income suburban trend of living paycheck to paycheck.

http://m.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/03/are-the-suburbs-making-people-live-paycheck-to-paycheck/284586/
He's a richkat lawyer, don't let him fool you otherwise.

 
The treacherous dropoffs on the hill are the only thing making me even consider the other house. Pools are great... if you live in the southwest or have a pool guy, or your kids are old enough to do all the stuff that comes with a pool most of the time. Pools with little kids are more treacherous than that hill.

Is a pool or a deck worth more than walking to the train in the morning? I doubt it if you're a one-car family. And as far as having to move out for a few months, you'd have to move out if you actually move to a new house, too.

If you love your location, never leave. That's my two cents.

 
Do not become house poor. Let me repeat that, do not become house poor. One more time. Do not become house poor.

Otis, people raised kids in 1,200 sq ft ranches and had wonderful lives. You don't need 4,000 sq ft. Build your wealth (assets) before committing to a huge monthly nut.

Read this article - it's about the high income suburban trend of living paycheck to paycheck.

http://m.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/03/are-the-suburbs-making-people-live-paycheck-to-paycheck/284586/
He's a richkat lawyer, don't let him fool you otherwise.
Rich is not the same as high income. I'm just saying that building wealth should be his goal, not finding more and more ways to spend his high income. Combined with his previous ruminations about hating Big Law, hanging his own shingle, building independent wealth so he can do what he wants etc. Committing to a huge house on LI is not going to allow any of that to happen anytime soon.
 
O - I want to echo Gusters comment about options. In the book Decisive, the Heath Brothers note that the number one thing that leads to poor choices in life and business is making something an A or B decision right away.

For me, the reduced stress from the current payment, transportation differences and views would make it a no brainer to stay.

 
Otis > any difference in the neighborhoods? Does one have more kids for your kids to play with growing up?

Also, it feels like you're saying your only choices are to stay or buy this other house... I don't know what the market is like there, but what are the chances that another house in the area goes up for sale in the next 6 months? I'd have to think pretty good?

I guess what I'm saying is from what you wrote, it sounds like the right move might be to move... but maybe not to that one other spot you're looking at.
Good questions. Yes, your right, we aren't limited to this specific house. We are expecting lots more to hit the market in the next couple months. The neighborhood is as good as ours. Frankly, neither has a ton of little kids running around, but people out here do "play dates" and classes and crap like that where you go over to people's houses. A new house, regardless of which we buy, would have more flat land, and thus more area for kids to run around.

But these are all different neighborhoods in the same town. We won't leave this town.

Of course there is the issue of having to sell before we buy. So while we are casually looking at houses now to see what we can get, our area is tough to get into due to demand even at the higher price points we would look at. So if we found something tomorrow, unless they would take a contingency (they won't), we still couldn't buy it. I've thought about bridge loans or something like that, but they probably wont work. So we would have to sell and then hope something we like comes available, or else rent. Bottom line is if we do move, I'd like to do it just once more and not again later. We have two terrors now and plan to try for 1-2 more which is why a house with lots of space and bedrooms is appealing to me (would be great to have a spare also as an office and guest room).

I would miss some of the really unique things I love about our house, but more and more it's seeming like moving is the better option.

I do have some concern that the bigger mortgage (like double) will force me to keep a high paying but high pressure job longer in life, but if I can eek out 10 years at my current salary level, we should be able to pay off even the higher priced house, or most of it, in that time frame. Taxes are high, but if that's all we had to pay to live there on a monthly basis after that, it would be a sweet deal. So I don't want to get in over my head and be housepoor, but knock wood I've had the same job for 15 years and it has been stable and I'm doing well enough in it, that I think I should be ok. Worst case scenario the floor falls out from under us and we have to move. Not the end of the world I guess.

But there is no middle ground by us. Homes are crazy expensive, and based on all wet have seen, we have to spend more than double what we paid diet our current home to get s significant upgrade. Otherwise in this market if you won't spend that, it's a lateral move.

Just a tough decision. And now I'm rambling.

 
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[Last factor for anyone still reading - im since we just sold an apartment last year and took the free tax gain thing, if we decide to sell before next august, we will have to pay taxes on the gain on our house, which is not insignificant, but maybe will add up to 5% of the purchase price on new house; of course, if we wait another year, with real estate here hearing up, the prices of homed in the range we are looking at may well jump 5%, so the home we buy now could end up appreciating enough in a year to make up for some or all of that difference].
I don't think this math is right, unless you think certain houses are going to predictably appreciate faster than other houses. The likelihood is that both the house you're selling and the house you're buying will appreciate at roughly the same rate, so you won't make any extra money by buying the new house earlier.
But the new house will be nearly twice the value if the old house.

 
Do not become house poor. Let me repeat that, do not become house poor. One more time. Do not become house poor.

Otis, people raised kids in 1,200 sq ft ranches and had wonderful lives. You don't need 4,000 sq ft. Build your wealth (assets) before committing to a huge monthly nut.

Read this article - it's about the high income suburban trend of living paycheck to paycheck.

http://m.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/03/are-the-suburbs-making-people-live-paycheck-to-paycheck/284586/
This is my concern.

 
O - I want to echo Gusters comment about options. In the book Decisive, the Heath Brothers note that the number one thing that leads to poor choices in life and business is making something an A or B decision right away.

For me, the reduced stress from the current payment, transportation differences and views would make it a no brainer to stay.
This is probably good advice too.

####.

 
O - I want to echo Gusters comment about options. In the book Decisive, the Heath Brothers note that the number one thing that leads to poor choices in life and business is making something an A or B decision right away.

For me, the reduced stress from the current payment, transportation differences and views would make it a no brainer to stay.
For what it's worth, the current payment isn't an option. We have to do the work if we stay. The house is old and some of it b really bad shape. Kitchen is small and dark ad awful. Need another bedroom. Need to finish the basement for a playroom. Etc. So my nut if we stay, while less than in a big new house, would be more than our current.
 
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[Last factor for anyone still reading - im since we just sold an apartment last year and took the free tax gain thing, if we decide to sell before next august, we will have to pay taxes on the gain on our house, which is not insignificant, but maybe will add up to 5% of the purchase price on new house; of course, if we wait another year, with real estate here hearing up, the prices of homed in the range we are looking at may well jump 5%, so the home we buy now could end up appreciating enough in a year to make up for some or all of that difference].
I don't think this math is right, unless you think certain houses are going to predictably appreciate faster than other houses. The likelihood is that both the house you're selling and the house you're buying will appreciate at roughly the same rate, so you won't make any extra money by buying the new house earlier.
But the new house will be nearly twice the value if the old house.
Got it. If both houses go up at the same rate, selling/buying earlier will get you some money. But to break even on a 5% increase in purchase price, the houses would need to appreciate by something like 10% in less than a year. That seems like a bad bet, particularly because with every passing day, the time period for that 10% increase gets shorter. I don't see how it makes sense to do this before August.

 
[Last factor for anyone still reading - im since we just sold an apartment last year and took the free tax gain thing, if we decide to sell before next august, we will have to pay taxes on the gain on our house, which is not insignificant, but maybe will add up to 5% of the purchase price on new house; of course, if we wait another year, with real estate here hearing up, the prices of homed in the range we are looking at may well jump 5%, so the home we buy now could end up appreciating enough in a year to make up for some or all of that difference].
I don't think this math is right, unless you think certain houses are going to predictably appreciate faster than other houses. The likelihood is that both the house you're selling and the house you're buying will appreciate at roughly the same rate, so you won't make any extra money by buying the new house earlier.
But the new house will be nearly twice the value if the old house.
Got it. If both houses go up at the same rate, selling/buying earlier will get you some money. But to break even on a 5% increase in purchase price, the houses would need to appreciate by something like 10% in less than a year. That seems like a bad bet, particularly because with every passing day, the time period for that 10% increase gets shorter. I don't see how it makes sense to do this before August.
This is a fair point. I think we get excited when we see awesome houses like this one hit the market, and just want to leap. But waiting the year/18 months does a couple things. It saves us those taxes on gains on the current home sale. It also means we would have a lot more money in reserves (at the end of this year I get my first year of equity partner payment, so I'll basically just be paid a pretty hefty limp sum end of year which would give us a cushion and some more flexibility on a down payment). You're right, this has to be the smart move. And maybe in the course of the year we have a better idea of whether we should do the work or move.

Seems like we should just sit tight for a year and then reevaluate.

 
Funny thing is I think we have decided that before. And then the old pipes start banging when the heat comes up at night, and the crazy squeaky floor wakes the baby, and the kitchen with the sloping floor sucks, and the doors don't fit in the frames, and the in-laws come and have to sleep on the couches in the living room, and we see a nice house listed and think "duck it, let's get outta here." Rinse, repeat.

 
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O - the topic of delayed housing gratification is near and dear to my heart. I have a house that I like but don't love in a school district I hate. We also know what part of town we want to move to, but we are about 2.5 years from having enough saved up in down payment to make the move comfortable financially. Its hard to watch houses come on and off the market in the place we want to be and remain financially prudent.

 
O - the topic of delayed housing gratification is near and dear to my heart. I have a house that I like but don't love in a school district I hate. We also know what part of town we want to move to, but we are about 2.5 years from having enough saved up in down payment to make the move comfortable financially. Its hard to watch houses come on and off the market in the place we want to be and remain financially prudent.
Definitely sounds like we are in the same boat. Waiting is probably the prudent thing; it's never the thing I've actually done in life, but with two little girls at home, I really need to be a lot more risk averse. On the bright side, I'm about 1.5 years away from doing this, and 1 or 2 or 3 years in the grand scheme is probably nothing but a blip, particularly if it makes the whole transition a lot less stressful.

GLGBB

 

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