[MrPrena]

Well, when someone work more than 40 or even 60+ hours per week most likely need to hire a gardeners.

Only gas or electric lawn equipment we have are
-TroyBilt underpowered 140cc push mower. Underpowered, but very very reliable.
-I believe it is black decker yard trimmer. Electric.

Rest are all by hand. We don't have a leaf blower. I just use lawn mower to rake off all the leaves during the fall. My yard budget for new equipment or chemical is $0 (zero dollars) this year.
Glad that I still have all the necessary stuff from 2yrs ago.

Yeah, our first HOA mgmt company was stupid. I got a letter for my lawn on our 2nd month of owning a near dead grass property on a short sale. I've found out our HOA just wanted to increase the rate, and no community improvement. Only thing they did was send tons of warning letters to houses.
So, we dump them and got a better mgmt company. Within owning a house for 6 years, our community changed the mgmt company twice (on our 3rd).

[KingOfJericho]

I work 55/wk and still mow my own lawn lol.

[rjpeaks]

how do you like your B8?

stick?

over on AZ or QW?

[John 070]

Originally Posted by W Cole

600k in interest!? That doesn't pass the sanity check. Its $154,438 assuming a fully amortizing 15-year mortgage. Even if it were interest only you would only pay $360,000 (800K X .03 X 15).

Americans have a serious math crisis. Like common core. Our public HS was college oriented and many of us aced the sats. On this forum sometimes people can't even calculate mpgs....

[2011CrazE89]

So over the weekend I noticed my garage door is coming down on an angle. When it's completely closed the right side is not flushed with the ground. It’s about three inches higher than the left. Looks like I have to get the track aligned. It never ends!

[Templar]

Originally Posted by MrPrena

Well, when someone work more than 40 or even 60+ hours per week most likely need to hire a gardeners.

Only gas or electric lawn equipment we have are
-TroyBilt underpowered 140cc push mower. Underpowered, but very very reliable.
-I believe it is black decker yard trimmer. Electric.

Rest are all by hand. We don't have a leaf blower. I just use lawn mower to rake off all the leaves during the fall. My yard budget for new equipment or chemical is $0 (zero dollars) this year.
Glad that I still have all the necessary stuff from 2yrs ago.

Yeah, our first HOA mgmt company was stupid. I got a letter for my lawn on our 2nd month of owning a near dead grass property on a short sale. I've found out our HOA just wanted to increase the rate, and no community improvement. Only thing they did was send tons of warning letters to houses.
So, we dump them and got a better mgmt company. Within owning a house for 6 years, our community changed the mgmt company twice (on our 3rd).

Nah... I typically work 50 hours a week but that can raise to close to 70 if there's a lot going on. I still cut my own grass, water it, feed it, etc.

The front yard is the easiest, but is obviously the most visible so needs to be maintained properly. The back is just cut and trimmed because it's mostly weed grass and the dogs will destroy anything nice I try to do back there.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by rjpeaks

how do you like your B8?

stick?

over on AZ or QW?

I like it but don't love it. It's a manual. I'm always halfway thinking of selling it for a Golf R but having a kid, the extra space is kind of nice.

I'm on AZ but that community (VW/Audi in general) just stinks.

[davis449]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

I like it but don't love it. It's a manual. I'm always halfway thinking of selling it for a Golf R but having a kid, the extra space is kind of nice.

I'm on AZ but that community (VW/Audi in general) just stinks.

It USED to be pretty good. I agree, it really just sucks now. Have you modded the S4 yet? If you haven't you NEED to. Just a pulley and tune will make you love that car. I promise...

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by davis449

It USED to be pretty good. I agree, it really just sucks now. Have you modded the S4 yet? If you haven't you NEED to. Just a pulley and tune will make you love that car. I promise...

I have an AWE exhaust but that's it. I'm not doing anything until I replace the terrible dual mass flywheel.

[ejheverest]

My tax savings on owning property more than pays my expenses on the property. I would rather own than pay the irs more due to a higher agi.

[Foxrus14]

You have to buy the right house at the right time in the right area. We have been in our house for just over 2 years and we have already gained over $700,000 in equity. but we also lucked into a foreclosure but we were looking for a while and moved when we saw an opportunity. Taxes are a bitch but we challenged them with the tax office and had them lowered from $17K/year to $13k/year

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Foxrus14

You have to buy the right house at the right time in the right area. We have been in our house for just over 2 years and we have already gained over $700,000 in equity. but we also lucked into a foreclosure but we were looking for a while and moved when we saw an opportunity. Taxes are a bitch but we challenged them with the tax office and had them lowered from $17K/year to $13k/year

You gained 700k in equity, yet feel that 17k is a lot in taxes. I'm assuming that the house was worth more than $0 to begin with. Even with a 700k house, 17k is high?

imho this is exactly why our society keeps moving towards the haves, and have nots. I just found out that IL taxes diapers. Diapers? Because the rich get richer and the po' go to jail.

[MrPrena]

I bought my house, because I wanted to hedge against rising cost of rent.

[Foxrus14]

Originally Posted by John 070

You gained 700k in equity, yet feel that 17k is a lot in taxes. I'm assuming that the house was worth more than $0 to begin with. Even with a 700k house, 17k is high?

imho this is exactly why our society keeps moving towards the haves, and have nots. I just found out that IL taxes diapers. Diapers? Because the rich get richer and the po' go to jail.

Yes $17,000 is expensive... do you not think it is expensive? It doesn't matter that We have gained as much equity as we have... we were looking for the right opportunity and found it. Of course the house was worth every bit of the price we paid for it. actually it was worth a shit ton more... we just kept waiting for the "Catch"... why did no one else scoop this up. Right place at the right time... Patience pays off.

[PSUSMU]

Originally Posted by MrPrena

I bought my house, because I wanted to hedge against rising cost of rent.

Idk about Colorado rent, but here in DC, I was writing a check for $1695 ($1595 + $50 parking + $50 utils) every month to live in a 520 sq ft studio. They were raising base rent to $1630/mo if I renewed; which is considered rent-controlled. Great location - right across from metro; but, I couldn't justify it with the fact that I could own 3x the space with a 2-car garage a few miles outside the city, so I bought.

[P1]

I spend every Sunday morning washing cars and getting working in the garden. I bought myself a nice Honda mower, along with a good gas leaf blower and gas edger. Not cheap stuff, but I enjoy it tremendously and it's satisfying pulling up to your house when it looks great knowing you're the putting in all the hard work. It's great "me" time where no one bothers me and I can just think about whatever I want to think about. Or just zone out.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by P1et

I spend every Sunday morning washing cars and getting working in the garden. I bought myself a nice Honda mower, along with a good gas leaf blower and gas edger. Not cheap stuff, but I enjoy it tremendously and it's satisfying pulling up to your house when it looks great knowing you're the putting in all the hard work. It's great "me" time where no one bothers me and I can just think about whatever I want to think about. Or just zone out.

Haha, we have the same hobbies.

[2011CrazE89]

Originally Posted by P1et

I spend every Sunday morning washing cars and getting working in the garden. I bought myself a nice Honda mower, along with a good gas leaf blower and gas edger. Not cheap stuff, but I enjoy it tremendously and it's satisfying pulling up to your house when it looks great knowing you're the putting in all the hard work. It's great "me" time where no one bothers me and I can just think about whatever I want to think about. Or just zone out.

I use to enjoy yard work. But I've stepped on my dogs poop once too many times. Typically I would go on "poop patrol" before I start mowing. But there is always that one that I miss. And if it ever gets caught in the blades

[P1]

Originally Posted by 2011CrazE89

I use to enjoy yard work. But I've stepped on my dogs poop once too many times. Typically I would go on "poop patrol" before I start mowing. But there is always that one that I miss. And if it ever gets caught in the blades

I've actually never had that issue once. It's gotten stuck in the wheels before, but I also have a gravel drive, so that usually takes care of it when I push my mower from the back of the house to the front of the house.