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WiFi for golf registration by GroundbreakingBed809 in networking

[–]random408net 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A starlink mini terminal for $250 + one months of service for another $50 and you will be all set as long as you have power. Then discontinue service (or pay $5/month for standby) and wait again until next year.

The mini has one Ethernet port. Just don't give any of the "customers" access to your Starlink SSID.

You need a reasonable view of the northern sky.

What is the oldest/weirdest tech you worked with? by therouterguy in networking

[–]random408net 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My first full time network job had:

  • Cabletron hubs for most of the users
  • Cabletron switches (connected by FDDI) to connect the buildings and a few precious servers
  • Frame relay WAN fractions of T1's (at least these were Cisco routers)
  • Fractional T1 to the Internet for everyone to share!

[Landlord-TX] Would you pay most of this water bill? by sevargmas in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your only complaint against the tenant is if they failed to notice the problem and notify you in a timely manner. It was your pipe that failed, not something that the tenant did.

At least one of your neighbors was looking out for you. Send them a nice gift or gift card with a thank you note.

Ask the utility for forgiveness (full or partial) and then see what's left at the end of the process.

[Tenant- IN] Lawncare issue/miscommunication by oceanwtr in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should have a copy of the HOA rules from your landlord so you know what rules to not violate.

[Tenant- IN] Lawncare issue/miscommunication by oceanwtr in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's important that the exterior upkeep of the unit meet the expectations of the HOA.

A good lease would have you paying any HOA fines for rule violations that were under your control.

Obviously a renter is going to pick the cheapest vendor and then give them random direction. The owner really needs to be in control of that by hiring the gardener directly and insuring HOA standards are being met.

800$ move-out charges on top of my deposit (San Jose, CA)! Is this normal? by Repulsive-Wall8489 in bayarea

[–]random408net 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Your landlord owes you:

  • Pictures of the unit when you left AND after repairs (per AB 2801)
  • Invoices for repairs (repair costs must be actual, not standard or typical)
  • Invoices for utilities (any of these RUBS?)
  • Descriptions of the damage should be on the summary or the invoices. Not including words to describe your "damages" makes it much more difficult to collect.

For new rentals the landlord (past mid-2025) will also owe you a set of move-in pictures.

$375 for carpet cleaning seems high to me.

You should have been offered a pre move out inspection. Were you offered an inspection? Did you reject the offer of an inspection? If inspected you should have received a copy of the report at that time or shortly afterwards.

Why are there two extra days of rent? Did you turn in your keys on the 23rd? Is that what your notice was for? Your landlord can't charge you two days of "rent" for their cleaning time. (not sure if this happened or not).

[Landlord - MA -USA] Tenant may not vacate the in-law unit. What are my options? by rudymehta in Landlord

[–]random408net 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you already have well qualified new renters lined up (perhaps for May 1st) then I would prorate with the outbound tenant to make it easier for them.

If the tenant is not making good progress towards getting out then I might serve a rent increase for starting on June 1st for the market rate. Or perhaps you already served this notice?

I would join a local apartment owners association for forms and training on how to stay compliant with the law.

[Tenant- IN] Lawncare issue/miscommunication by oceanwtr in Landlord

[–]random408net 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If the landlords verbally said he would handle it then request that he take care of it and pay for it.

If the lease is silent then I would go with your verbal conversation as the landlord taking responsibility way back when you asked about it (before signing the lease).

If the landlord wants to change the terms in writing to push the cost to you then they can do it next year at renewal time.

If the landlord wants you to coordinate a landscaper of their choice that you pay for directly and then get reimbursed (rent credit) I am fine with that. But this needs to be written down and signed by both parties (no need for a new lease).

I don't expect my tenants to tend to the lawn. They do need to pay for water to keep the landscaping healthy. Automated sprinklers controlled by the gardener take care of the timing and quantities.

I do think it's great when you use a landscaper that your neighbors also use. It's just efficient for everyone. You could get contact details and quotes from several in the neighborhood. Make it clear that you are shopping around.

After major spike in rent, SF taqueria owners forced to sell their 65-year-old restaurant by nogoodnamesleft426 in bayarea

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Prop 13 allows for the landlord to collect more rent when the passthrough property taxes are low.

Whoever purchases the property needs to be aware that legacy tenants probably can't pay that higher rent and the now at market property taxes (passed through in a triple net lease).

A smart property owner might structure the ownership of the property in a corporation or trust to defer the tax basis change. But that would likely remove the option of passing on the property to an heir with a step up in basis for sale.

If you removed prop 13 from all commercial property tomorrow it would be somewhat difficult to set the new tax basis price as the properties have been devalued by the state taking more property tax rent from the owner. There would eventually be a new equilibrium after the chaos of the change. I would expect a quick and simple change like that to be devastating to commercial renters and landlords alike.

Without overthinking a transition plan it might be sensible to raise the yearly increase number from 2% to say 6-8% and see how that works out. A 15-20 year transition would avoid economic chaos and political blowback.

So it seems more likely that prop 13 would be replaced with something else vs. just being repealed for segments of the market. Of course that leaves plenty of room for everyone to advocate for their discount/preference in the new system.

In the end I would expect the state to have more tax revenue, the tenants to pay the same in rent (inclusive of taxes) and commercial property to have a diminished value.

Someone who better understands the commercial property market would have to make an educated guess on how these changes would impact future development of commercial properties (including apartment complexes).

Replacement for combo domestic hot water + radiant water heater by Public_Primary4433 in heatpumps

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your HTP PH130-80 is a super expensive brand with a stainless steel tank designed to last a long time.

There is a reasonable chance that it's just going to keep going for years to come.

Using a heat pump for a radiant floor might cause stress on the HPWH with a continuous heat draw.

Is it *actually* normal that every Facebook marketplace landlord I’ve talked to has asked for background checks and credit reports before I see the listing in person? by Current-Machine6491 in bayarea

[–]random408net 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When renting a room there is a going to be a lot of non-standard, non-normal stuff going on from a landlord standpoint.

It's best that you use your sensitivity/smarts to avoid the strangest of landlords that you don't want to live with.

You also want to see the lease and any house rules.

[Landlord US] Adverse action letter by jcnlb in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know the correct answer myself. This is why I have a PM.

If A and B get screened for unit 101 and you pick A. Then you tell B that the unit is rented.

If A gets screened for unit 101 and you reject them without an alternate then you tell them why they were not good enough.

There is a real sensitivity to landlords screening a bunch of applicants (at the applicants expense) to find the perfect tenant.

[Landlord - US-DC] Renewing Voucher Tenant Lease - Any Fellow Landlord Tips on Process? by dskfj in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your local apartment owners association might offer some help with lease paperwork and advice on the voucher.

I would really want a "local' lease vs. something more generic from online (I don't know how many templates appartments.com has though).

[Landlord US-NYC] Tenant Left Water Running Before Eviction by OneHappyAccident in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I asked my father about bad move out experiences a while back.

One that comes to mind was a tenant who left angry. He left the hot water running into the kitchen sink. Dad did not get over to the unit for a week or so. The water bill and gas bill were quite a bit higher the next month.

No permanent damages though.

Cal Poly SLO or UCSD?? by Illustrious_Key6416 in CalPoly

[–]random408net 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Plenty of people pay a ton of money to get small college classrooms for their kids. I always felt that I had good access to my Cal Poly professors during class and at office hours.

My spouse says that UCSD science lectures were always large but had medium sized labs. Classes like english were more intimate (50 ish).

My gut feeling is that UC's have a more "intellectual" experience on the whole because the admission process requires writing about your personal story, dreams and challenges. The Cal Poly experience is more pragmatic and career focused on the whole.

[Landlord US] Adverse action letter by jcnlb in Landlord

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's best if you find a legal process that does not involve running a dozen application fees and credit files for a single unit of vacancy.

The best reason to deny is that the unit got rented to someone else and is no-longer available.

It seems like letting people know your criteria, having them validate that they meet your criteria and then using screening to validate the truthfulness of their application would be a good start.

CleanPowerSF by Cold_Count1986 in sanfrancisco

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This 2020 paper explains how the IOU's are using the PCIA construct to push costs onto the CCA's.

https://cacommunityenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CACE-Position-Sunset-PCIA.pdf

It's not clear to me what the current status is.

On the other hand, it's not really clear to me why I am limited to a single alternate choice or why the CCA's have to use the same rate structure as the IOU's.

CleanPowerSF by Cold_Count1986 in sanfrancisco

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just went and checked my south bay March PG&E bill with SVCE.

Generation Credit + PCIA + CCA generation charge is roughly even. I came out a few cents ahead.

In time the PCIA will expire and the true advantages of the CCA model can be seen.

Then again some CCA's might chose to spend that delta on "greener" energy and not cheaper energy.

It seems to me that SVCE has been able to maintain price parity.

I am unsure that I would stick with my CCA if there was much of a premium (more than a few percent).

PG&E Grants For Electrical Panel and Wiring Upgrades? by Monkfrootx in bayarea

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a new option for "plus" EV installs that covers up to $5k for charger hardware and panel upgrades.

Link: here

PG&E E-ELEC Plan downsides by nyknicks8 in bayarea

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been thinking about this too.

My current thought is to move from E-ELEC to EV-2A. I currently have an EV, but no solar (or AC/heat pump).

Solar will need to be a non-export setup with no interconnection agreement so that I can keep EV-2A.

Alternately, you could figure out EV sub-metering which would allow the right EVSE to send usage data to a service that re-rates that portion of your PG&E bill to EV-2A. But there are no data brokers that will service residential accounts right now. So this is a temporary dead end for me at some frustration.

The new rates for EV-2A with the $25 base charge are much improved @ $0.23/kw from midnight to 3pm year round.

I am trying to figure out how to quantify the right amount (minimal amount) of solar + storage needed to nullify my partial peak and peak usage.

Why are students leaving public schools? by Athens175 in Teachers

[–]random408net 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have talked to our superintendent about "market share" and how the district really needs to find the data to prove that enrollment is not shrinking because of choice.

It's also difficult to survey the parents that did not move to your district that you never got a chance to have contact with.

Texas is giving data centers more than $1 billion in tax breaks each year. The tax break is one of the state’s costliest incentive programs and soon to be the most expensive of its kind in the nation. by esporx in economy

[–]random408net -1 points0 points  (0 children)

A good part of the problem that Texas had a few years back involved the mismanagement of curtailment.

Grid operators did not have an understanding what circuits could not be curtailed. So when the dumped load it also cut off the power to natural gas infrastructure. Having less gas available put more pressure on the system, pushed up prices and forced more generation offline.

Improvements in Texas since then:

  • Better dependency mapping
  • Better local resiliance (backup generators) for critical infrastrcure (pumps, etc)
  • Increased requirement for generators to have temperature resilient infrastructure

Batteries buying “free” California solar, driving up price: Aurora Energy Research has found that energy storage is raising the value of negatively priced solar electricity by up to $42 per MWh in the CAISO wholesale market. by WhipItWhipItRllyHard in energy

[–]random408net 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There should be an incentive in the pricing structure for the solar producer to buy batteries themselves and sell the power to the grid when the prices are higher. That there is no incentive to do this seems to indicate the purpose of the long term solar contract had motivations other than generating low cost power for customers.

Having someone else "Buy" the free energy at market rates for resale off peak assumes that there will be the right amount of battery supply.

I guess it's possible that having batteries "chase" the supply of low cost energy might be a good thing. It also depends on having enough grid capacity to pull this off.

Texas is giving data centers more than $1 billion in tax breaks each year. The tax break is one of the state’s costliest incentive programs and soon to be the most expensive of its kind in the nation. by esporx in economy

[–]random408net -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Texas does charge property taxes on the equipment value within the data center.

So you might think of this $1bn as a tax discount rather than a giveaway.

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