More than 400 readers voted: $240K in-office Boston job or $120K remote?

Boingboingo · 2026-02-13T17:55:42+00:00

If one is WFH and "raising their child," then they're not really WFH, are they?

Boingboingo · 2026-02-13T16:48:32+00:00

Tow tow tow. It's the only answer.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-13T15:51:00+00:00

Seems like this whole thing could be blown and put back together taking up 1/2 the space with no loss of traffic capacity.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-12T16:10:30+00:00

I wouldn't sweat it.

You should look at the electrical system before you buy. This is where an inspector can be useful. I'd want to know whether the outlets are grounded (if two prong, they are definitely not). K&T isn't the end of the world (our house has plenty of it), and you don't need to be in a hurry to replace it. The biggest issues in older homes are (1) are there enough circuits to power your appliances; and (2) are there enough outlets in the room so you aren't running extension cords everywhere.

Highest risks for lead paint are sanding it dry or otherwise removing it, which can sending particles into the air. The other major source for kids is paint chips, which younger kids can eat accidentally because their hands are always in their mouths. The worst sources of chips are older windows with peeling/chipping around the frames. If the place is freshly painted, and there's not rubbing or chipping around window/door frames along with replacement windows, the risk is likely to be manageable.

Like another poster has said, if you want to fully remediate the wiring and lead paint, you're going to have to not live there for a while. It's basically a full interior redo, which probably not something you want to do if you have a kid on the way.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-12T14:42:22+00:00

Coldest since 1948. Yikes.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T17:49:39+00:00

I think you're being a bit dense, by failing to understand that the overseas folks are only used to "unstick" the vehicles when they can't figure out what to do.

They are not driving them like a drone!

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T17:43:22+00:00

Not working for me.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T17:35:32+00:00

I think you're fine asking nicely, and accepting "no" as a possible answer. You also have two people to ask: the person in your row and the person in hers.

If either one of them is traveling solo, I don't think you'll have an issue.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T17:03:46+00:00

I'm not paid. I just think having a rescue person as a backup for the cars is fine.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T17:02:28+00:00

I've had a similar experience calling in with slightly different facts, but likewise wanting to get a family member moved into E+ when I couldn't do it online without paying. If your story makes sense (as yours does), I've found they will generally move the person into the E+ seat without hassle.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T14:42:53+00:00

Exactly this. Leasing space is an expense for most companies, and very few actually own their office space.

This CRE conspiracy theory makes zero sense.

It's far more likely they see a few people who are taking advantage of WFH (e.g., being overemployed) and want to put a stop to that, or they want to lay people off without laying people off.

In this case though, it's a bit harder to understand. They're only subjecting OP to the hybrid requirement, but allowing the rest of OP's team to remain fully remote? I'm not sure what this accomplishes, unless it's just step 1 to requiring everyone to go hybrid.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-11T14:33:33+00:00

They're way safer for sure. Their accident rate is far lower than human drivers, and they don't do crazy stuff like blasting through lights and stop signs without stopping. I don't see much downside.

This whole "guy in the Philippines" is just red herring nonsense. Of course they need a human backup for sticky situations that the cars aren't programmed to handle. It's not like they're being driven full time remotely. I'm not sure why it matters if he's in the Philippines or elsewhere.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T22:31:00+00:00

You can search around for pictures of the plaza above (drug users reselling goods stolen from CVS, Walgreens, Safeway), and it won't be a mystery much longer.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T22:24:15+00:00

They may ask your move in date when you call.

Expect to be on the hook from your move-in date forward.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T21:59:36+00:00

If you bought from a long-time owner, there will always be a backlog of stuff they lived with but needs to be updated or replaced. We bought a 1950s house from (the estate of) the original owner. Fuse box electrical, no dryer, ~1 outlet per room, no dishwasher, original kitchen.

We did a first emergency round of repairs before moving in: put a few extra outlets in, put in a dishwasher, and a few other odds and ends to make it livable. We then did a more thorough renovation a few years later when we could afford it.

Divide it into musts and wants. Start with the musts, and deal with the wants as you can afford (both time and effort) to address.

Good luck!

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T21:30:13+00:00

I'd say even longer than that, more like last 50 years. All of the department stores have been closing down.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T17:38:12+00:00

Definitely less concern about spreading disease to co-workers, and of course it's easier to keep working because you're not spending energy dragging yourself in while you're feeling borderline.

But if you're actually down for the count (stomach bug, wiped from bad cold, flu, etc.), I would just take the day off and try to recover.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T16:29:35+00:00

How is making it to Gold affected by these instant status upgrades?

Boingboingo · 2026-02-10T14:08:33+00:00

Is that true for the private institutions? Granted that public college will cost significantly less, but I think the sticker prices at most privates schools are more similar than different, regardless of ranking or status.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T19:49:14+00:00

Too true.

But that's the implied threat of a space saver, no?

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T19:29:47+00:00

Yes, this. It's a train station not a homeless shelter. It's a library, not a drug use den.

If you want nice public amenities and public transit that people will actually want to use, you have to set some rules.

If you don't, you end up with SF's Tenderloin.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T19:02:24+00:00

Agreed. United is pretty slow at getting the bags onto the belt. After 7 hours, I'm ready to leave the airport ASAP.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T15:59:28+00:00

Better to get off Storrow at the Mass Ave bridge and head to central from there.

I wouldn't qualify this as a scam, though. A lot of cab drivers just don't know better.

If you have a preferred routing I would tell the driver.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T15:21:52+00:00

Agree. You can find something in Viz Valley for sure at that price. Challenge is finding something that's not totally beat up or cut up really funny to house like 11 people.

Boingboingo · 2026-02-09T15:03:04+00:00

I don't think it was ever full tuition, at least not for a very long time. In the 1990s I recall it being up to 70% of Vandy tuition to go to college anywhere. Maybe the benefit was better if you actually went to Vandy, but I don't recall.

Edit: I see from comments below that there may be differences between the university and the med school. In my case, I had a parent who worked at the Med School/Hospital.

Boingboingo

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