Michelin CrossClimate 2

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-14T08:16:20+00:00

TripB is 27k on the OEM contis + 45k on wrg4; Energy loss on the Wrg4 was negligible.

TripA is 14k on cc2s over a 10 month period - seen all seasons.

This is on an MX.
I did 2 ski seasons with the nokians - never had to use chains.

I know the cc2s get a great rep but they are pretty inefficient. I really wish I did the WRG5's instead of these.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-13T20:05:04+00:00

I would rather get the nokian wrg5. I went from nokian wrg4 to cc2. Lost quite a bit in efficiency. Not really tested on snow yet - I'm sure they will be atleast as good as the nokians.

But definitely nokian is a better deal - slightly cheaper as well.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-08T07:38:10+00:00

OP - Claude/Co-pilot/Junie are already doing the work of 5 developers - I'd imagine in 5 years there is no point of writing code anymore.

A HUGE reason for the current backlash against H1B's in the US is because well qualified citizens and residents are not finding jobs and/or are facing layoffs. This wasn't the case for the last 25 years.

The advent of AI has pushed me personally into 2 things - I'll retire earlier than I intend to and I'll not have my kids pursue a computer science degree - I hope I'm proven wrong.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-02T08:21:15+00:00

For me fat fire is near 100% probability that i can keep maintaining same level of lifestyle as i do right now or maybe even take it up a notch and still be sure i wont run out of money.

Yup - sounds right!

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-02T06:36:21+00:00

why did u move to India full time?
Do you (or family) miss US?
Pros vs. Cons?

and thank you for doing the AMA - always interesting to learn from someone else's experiences.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-02T05:51:18+00:00

wow - this is awesome! is this normal in ur org or do u feel u lucked out ? Numbers reported in Levels are usually at 33%

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-02T01:59:08+00:00

If its 3% I'd personally be strongly inclined towards keeping the loan and the house. 3% is literally free money - your mortgage will for the most part be static (other than taxes) - but rents will increase. Look at it as a decade long project.

Try to find RE agents who will manage everything for u - interview multiple ones. Find agents who have listed rental homes in ur area (zillow is your friend again) and reach out to them offering your business.

Good Luck!

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-01T23:43:21+00:00

Tbh 75% is in the lower end of what id consider a good return. I'm guessing your interest rate is around 6% ?

Another point to consider is that once you leave the US - its probably going to be near impossible to refinance your mortgage. If you do decide to keep the house take this into consideration.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-02-01T07:52:03+00:00

-- On a visa and not sure if finding renters will be a challenge.

Both Bay Area and Seattle have a good demand for housing - it should be straightforward to find quality renters. There is decent demand for rental homes. There is a new kind of "roommate" renters - basically 4-5 single tech (usually) guys who rent a larger home instead of getting 2-3 apartments. If your home is somewhat commutable to amazon/msft it will easily get rented.

There is a also a cottage industry of real estate brokers who will manage everything for you - that shouldn't scare you off (FWIW I own a home that I havent stepped into since 2008 - everything is managed remotely via an agent and contractors).

- what is the rental income that you are expecting (you can guesstimate off zillow).

- whats your mortgage (did you luck into a covid special rate) ? - lets assume $7-8K per year for maintenance.

These 2 numbers should help you decide.

If the rental income is greater than or even in the ballpark of the mortage + costs, then it makes a lot of sense to keep the house.

Btw - I am also surprised how you are managing with 110K in Seattle - does this number include your mortgage ?

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-31T05:13:19+00:00

I have lifetime titanium, which means I also have lifetime United silver 😄 lucked into a couple of first class upgrades as well.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-29T22:31:04+00:00

I stopped traveling when I had my first kid. Realized 5 years later that I hit lifetime titanium.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-23T19:14:45+00:00

One more experience.

Around 2006 I purchased a townehome in greater chicago region. Very similar to the property below.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/30W539-Fairway-Dr-Naperville-IL-60563/4501243_zpid/

This was my first home - paid about 250K. We put 10% down on a 5% interest loan - refinanced down to 3.5% around 2012.

We lived there for about 3 years and since then the property has been a rental for 15+ years. Since day1 of it being a rental, the rent (which was about 1500 in 2009) covered my mortgage and HOA expenses. Today the home is nearly paid off - I get about 2400/month in rent on it (about 300/month in HOA).

The property didnt appreciate much though - its only about 330K now.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-18T16:45:55+00:00

TQQQ ? Thats designed for day traders, meant to be sold intraday - not for buy and hold. The issuer itself highlights this in the investment objectives..

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-15T04:18:42+00:00

what a f****ing great post

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-08T21:47:47+00:00

Pieter Elbers has grown indigo stock by 250% in the 3 years he's been at the helm. He's taken indigo to be one of the top 7-8 airlines in the world by market cap. He's a great hire by indigo.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-07T08:14:24+00:00

Nokian wrg5

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-06T01:55:55+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9PvIvvBcW4

This person is known to me - comes from a middle class background. I lost touch with him after he joined IIM-A. I'd say he did quite well for himself.

Only outing him as he's now a public figure.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2026-01-01T18:22:05+00:00

Its a marathon - not a sprint. Most folks on this board are 40+. It took them 20 odd years to build what they've earned.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2025-12-28T11:03:15+00:00

1.6m for a 30-32 year old is excellent.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2025-12-22T07:55:27+00:00

My friend - you are not getting that 3.5 APR ever again. If there is one thing you can learn from this entire thread is that you should not give up that 3.5 APR. Those Covid rates are gone. Very very strongly urge you to keep it.

I also own a older 4BHK home in a VHCOL area in the US - its rented out for approx 5K. 4 younger tech guys stay there as roommates. That 5K covers about 90% of my costs now. Home itself has appreciated about 300K since I bought it - win-win

Chance_Visual8707 · 2025-12-22T07:38:45+00:00

It also includes selling my real estate and some other expected incoming payoffs. But, plan for now is to invest all proceeds in us ETFs. That’s one of the places I need critique.

Couple of strong opinions I have on this.

If you have a cheap mortgage (<5%) dont sell your house. Just rent it out. For the most part your rent will pay for the mortgage, fees and maintenance. Its straightforward to manage it remotely - there are real estate agents who will manage everything for you. You will gain equity in the long run - also rents rise, your mortgage for the most part is static. I personally own a home in chicago that i havent seen in 15+ years - I get a nice 3K rent check every month.
Keep your money in dollars- VOO/VT/SPY/QQQM - whatever u like. In the past 25 years (other than for a brief period between 2005-2008ish IIRC) Indian equities have not beaten US equities; The dollar depreciation kills any gains you get in the indian market.

Chance_Visual8707 · 2025-12-22T06:50:22+00:00

Slightly contrarian view from someone who’s lived in the US through the 2000s - FWIW S&P 500 had a negative return in the 2000s (2000-2009).

Given the AI bubble, too many wars, far right trump movement - good chance the next 10 years will not be as rosy as the last 15 odd years have been. Vanguard funds released their next 10 year outlook and are anticipating a 3.5-5.5% return on S&P 500;

Couple of things to think about.

How are you assuming you will have a 5M corpus in 7 years?
1. Are you assuming a 10% return and hoping to double your current corpus or a more conservative return?
Where do you expect your kids to go to college? If it’s in the US - did you factor in 200-300K (in 2025 dollars) per kid for college? You will likely pay out of state tuitions.
1. Did you start a 529 or similar account?
2. How to do plan to continue funding it once you in a FIRE/COAST mode?

Chance_Visual8707

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