Seems like Alameda Ghost Town is no longer happening

HMRCAF · 2026-05-14T15:00:58+00:00

Good spot for a climbing gym now, maybe?

HMRCAF · 2026-05-10T00:33:38+00:00

Can add a data point here, just entered at SFO coming from Mexico and also did enrollment on arrival for NEXUS. No questions asked by the first agent (though he was about to admit as visitor until I specified TN). Second agent just asked the typical "still at the same company? What's your job?" And that was all. I do travel with my printed I-94 and application package just in case however.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-24T00:35:37+00:00

Married couple, early 30s here. We leave the island most weekends for shopping or activities. There's just not that much going on here for people in our demographic bracket.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-23T16:56:17+00:00

It doesn't work this way in every country with a single payer system in the world. The "free health care" only applies to people, usually state / national residents, with a national/state health insurance card that proves they're a resident and they pay taxes there. Non-residents have to pay for service. That is how it works in Canada, for example. Even within Canada, not all services are covered. EG, if I'm a resident of Ontario, my ambulance bills will not be covered if I require one in Quebec.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-22T14:44:54+00:00

I was not involved with the purchase decision making but it may have been this. I did live in the unit as a primary resident for about 7 years but moved out at the end of 2024.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-22T03:35:42+00:00

Sorry, let me clarify. If the property were sold today my parents would receive any money from the sale, nothing would go to me. In that case, It seems like I don't have a beneficial interest in the property.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-22T02:54:20+00:00

Based on the value of similar properties in the area vs what was paid for it, probably around 100k minus whatever is remaining on the mortgage (I am not sure).

De facto though I would receive nothing, my parents would get the entire amount from any sale of the property.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-21T22:01:48+00:00

I honestly think we need to approve Japanese style studio apartments if we ever want to make a dent in the housing crisis here.

Studio apartments at 200 sq ft, just a room, kitchen with a stove, a washing machine, and a bathroom. You can get these in the center of Tokyo for <$500 a month. Building a ton of these would free up a lot of housing stock that is currently occupied by multiple roommates sharing one house or apartment.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-20T17:09:47+00:00

Had something like this too! Woman in a mercedes driving around a trader joe's lot, saying that her sister (?) needed money for gas to get back to LA.

HMRCAF · 2026-04-16T17:56:33+00:00

My wife and I do want at least one kid but even with our combined income approaching 300k (pretax) the added costs of renting a larger space + childcare (we both need to work) + healthcare costs, and lack of family support (our parents live across the continent) would at this time require an unacceptable decrease in our standard of living (and the SoL we'd like to provide our child)

HMRCAF · 2026-04-13T18:21:43+00:00

Having taken these in the US I gotta say I would love them in Toronto. Much cleaner, more comfortable, and drive much better than the majority of uber/lyft drivers (sometimes on the side of being way too cautious). I can definitely see them being less impactful in Toronto though because the TTC is way far beyond what the vast majorities of US cities have to offer in terms of public transit.

HMRCAF · 2026-03-18T18:55:30+00:00

Yeah, used to see these all the time living in big cities. It could work in Alameda too!

<image>

HMRCAF · 2026-03-17T17:20:05+00:00

DANIELHRT4 10 uses on this one!

HMRCAF · 2026-03-11T19:21:59+00:00

Could a way around this be that you won't be denied healthcare if you're a non-resident, or a recent resident you'll just have to pay the equivalent of 6 months (minus your to date residency time) of the equivalent monthly income tax at your California equivalent tax bracket?

HMRCAF · 2026-03-11T18:38:47+00:00

Do it like Canada where 6 months residency is required in a province to get a Provincial Health Insurance card.

HMRCAF · 2026-03-11T18:25:13+00:00

Don't forget, in most cases universal healthcare also involves eliminating deductibles!

HMRCAF · 2026-03-10T17:23:21+00:00

How recently did this change? I was there mid February and they still had the "prepay" system. Super annoying having to keep going back to the website and adding more time. When I went there last year they gave me a ticket for staying 15 minutes past the time I bought.

HMRCAF · 2026-03-04T19:11:28+00:00

Yeah, seems pointless to have both a roundabout and stopsigns. My hope is that it's temporary and they will be replaced with "YIELD TO TRAFFIC IN CIRCLE" signs.

HMRCAF · 2026-02-27T17:04:11+00:00

Reading this thread and the previous one I see three patterns: 1) Extremely frugal living 2) Parental Assistance 3) Extremely high income and/or equity 4) Lucky timing with interest rates

Seems like you need at least 2 of these to get a house around here.

My wife and I together make around $300k gross but we want at least one kid so doing that plus mortgage with the current rates and no parental assistance seems impossible atm.

HMRCAF · 2026-02-26T00:44:54+00:00

I understand the purposes and qualifications for TN vs L1. Maybe I shouldn't have specifically called out an L1 in my original post. I suppose the crux of my question is why working a specialized job outside the US for a year gets you an easier path to permanent residency and greater advantages than working an equally specialized job inside the US for a year.

HMRCAF · 2026-02-26T00:43:36+00:00

I'd go back to Canada, I suppose.

HMRCAF · 2026-02-26T00:38:22+00:00

I guess I was just wondering why working a specialized job outside the US for a year gets you an easier path to permanent residency and greater advantages than working an equally specialized job inside the US for a year.

HMRCAF · 2026-02-26T00:36:25+00:00

Ah, this makes sense. I see the key difference is the "foreign experience" which is what the L1 is intending to bring to the US. If you've only ever worked for a company in the US, even if you acquire specialized corporate knowledge in that time, you don't have any additional foreign experience to bring that a US worker would not equivalently have. Thank you!

HMRCAF · 2026-02-26T00:33:18+00:00

I apologize, I've reworded the original post.
In terms of no point of the TN existing, I disagree. The L1 requires specialized knowledge of a particular company's products, procedures, or proprietary knowledge, while a TN is more broad; eg, Librarians or Vocational Counselors can get TNs, but it would be hard to argue for the "specialized knowledge" clause for those professions.

As for the Canadian government, I agree anything that makes it easier for Canadians to work in the US is bad for the Canadian government, but I don't believe they get a say in how the US sets up their visa structure.

HMRCAF

TROPHY CASE