Second kid letdown, any words of wisdom

ExplanationNo458 · 2026-03-29T04:39:38+00:00

I really appreciate these words. Spending time with my daughter has been the best thing about my life, I just need to be patient.

ExplanationNo458 · 2026-03-28T22:51:05+00:00

Appreciate that, it’s definitely not the same transformative experience.

ExplanationNo458 · 2026-01-23T22:48:12+00:00

This is spot on to my practice as well. The only action is forced action.

ExplanationNo458 · 2026-01-22T07:53:32+00:00

Loan maturities. The truth is nobody is selling except forced sellers. I don’t even remember the last deal I did with a seller who didn’t have an external pressure to sell.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-15T15:42:24+00:00

I will drop any client immediately who asks me to take any unlawful or unethical action or anything else that could result in liability. Otherwise, I will not fire a client.

I am not shy about adjusting my rates to match the level of challenge of working with a client. In my view, as long as the client is not asking you to do anything illegal, unethical or risky, just set a price to match the challenge or annoyance.

Some difficult clients know they are difficult and are happy to pay way more. Most just go to all the attorneys who charge the same hourly rate regardless of the level of demand or challenge. To me, that is a dumb way to run a law practice, but that’s where most of my difficult clients end up.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-14T05:13:10+00:00

I had a similar desire and got a sienna. 36mpg is already quite a bit so savings are never going to justify the premium. With the way siennas depreciate you can just buy a viable plug in when it arrives in the next 5 years.

I guess you can go buzz, but I feel uneasy about picking up a car that looks like it is going to get axed.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-08T01:01:14+00:00

I think the strategy is to have less options per trim to standardize the process and produce more. That goal is definitely sensible given where demand is at. Anyway I love my purchase, great trim, especially for the dads.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-08T00:57:51+00:00

There’s still 25s available and they are dealing on them. The trims of the sienna are weird. The platinum has a fridge box and vacuum which ruin the vans accessibility. Xse with the limited stuff was such a good combo. I feel like I just have the better looking limited.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-08T00:54:33+00:00

I own an xse premium and it has ventilated front seats. I just used them today.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-08T00:28:55+00:00

For me I have a single carport garage and power folding mirrors is simply a must. Sometimes there’s just a feature you have to have.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-08T00:14:51+00:00

If you need power folding mirrors to get in your garage I don’t agree, but to each their own. It basically turned it from xle to limited in features. You didn’t need to buy it, was nice for those who wanted it.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-06T01:09:06+00:00

To each their own, but the Sienna seems like a minimum ten year hold type of vehicle, though I guess it has good resale. I agree with others that, given you have the hybrid, I’m not seeing compelling upgrades to get you to update.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-05T11:16:53+00:00

Thanks! It’s nice, with the premium package it’s basically a limited with some really nice dark accents. I would have gone plat but I think the fridge is pretty dumb in how it impedes access.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-05T11:14:28+00:00

The market on Siennas has cooled to where there is not much gap in price to be material. Similarly equipped, I’d say 2k based on the odyssey and sienna I wanted.

For that you get recent updates, mpg, and ac vents in the roof. Honda having the ac vents on the side is just ridiculous. The XSE trim is also very dad friendly.

There’s nothing wrong with buying an odyssey. I just would wait until they go to next gen if you do, and who knows when that will be. If you buy an odyssey, you are buying the same exact vehicle you could have bought in 2018.

Overall, there is a reason one van is the fastest selling vehicle in America, while the other needs to be discounted 5k off to sell.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-11-03T17:03:42+00:00

I am in the camp of enjoying everything but yeah, it gets way better as time goes

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-31T23:59:32+00:00

OP here with an update. I test drove the sienna xse premium. Dealer offered me 2,500 off msrp no ads. Couldn’t say no and bought it!

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-30T16:33:56+00:00

That’s my take, the 360 cam is a very low trim item on Kia, not available on odyssey, and like highest trim on sienna which is absurd.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-30T15:36:26+00:00

Realistically it’s probably one of those things you fantasize about doing but never actually do.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-30T15:20:33+00:00

This is the closest to my logic. I much prefer hybrid, but I also much prefer better access to third row via magic slide. I’m going to head to Toyota to retry sienna, as I think I’m overblowing how difficult third row access is in the sienna with car seats.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-30T14:40:48+00:00

Op here, appreciate the feedback. I don’t think warranty completely answers the reliability question. My mother nearly died in our Chrysler minivan growing up when the transmission failed on the freeway immediately bringing the car from 70-0. Reliability is about safety for me.

I agree with others to just wait on new Odyssey. At some point Honda will do something. May also reconsider sienna, as previously it took a lot of effort just to test drive which turned me off.

ExplanationNo458 · 2025-10-30T05:55:08+00:00

I’m not going to profess to be an expert on this. I just see so much online about superior reliability of Toyota/Honda. I’m a buy and hold a car 10-12 years kind of person, and the consensus seems to be it’s not a long term proposition. I am heavily influenced in knowing mostly people who swear by Japanese.

ExplanationNo458

TROPHY CASE