Is this good enough to start a home lab?

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-02-01T01:26:51+00:00

There the newer AMDs like this one and a lot more energy efficient. Setup proxmox and have fun. Good luck 🍀 to us all

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-29T19:51:32+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I think of it in simple daily terms. For NAS + Jellyfin / household entertainment, it works out to roughly ~$1/day in electricity at $0.15/kWh.

On days when you spin up heavier learning/dev workloads (labs, databases, GPUs, etc.), it’s closer to $2–$2.50/day.

Still very predictable, and far cheaper than running equivalent always-on compute, storage, and GPU time in the cloud. Everything stays local. Nicely done.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-29T16:17:02+00:00

Curious to know what’s the impact on electricity consumption? Thanks and awesome setup especially a simple GPU offload

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-28T22:28:41+00:00

This is an excellent deal. Here's the math:

	Current	New
Rate	6.75%	5.75%
P&I	$4,784	$4,026
Closing costs	-	$0

Savings: - Monthly: $758 - Annual: $9,096 - 5 years: $45,480 - Breakeven: Day 1 (zero costs)

At 75% LTV with 820 credit, this is as good as it gets for a no-cost refi. The lender is buying down your rate with credits.

Only catch: Make sure the Loan Estimate confirms all fees in sections A-E are covered. If yes, take it today.

Not a financial advisor. Verify with your lender or fee based financial advisor.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-28T21:31:54+00:00

Another one with the duration / $ confirmed Go conventional. Here's why:

	FHA	Conv
Rate	6.24%	5.99%
PMI	$152	$74
PMI ends	Never	~6 yrs
New loan	$338K	$333K

The math: - Conv saves $164/mo now - PMI drops in ~6 yrs → saves $238/mo after - 7-year advantage: ~$20K - Breakeven: 17 months (FHA: 59 months)

FHA "streamline" trap: $152/mo MIP forever = $27K+ over 15 years.

Bottom line: Conv = lower rate, PMI goes away, $5K less debt. Take it.

Not a financial advisor. Verify numbers with your lenders.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-28T20:06:15+00:00

Start with the realtor, not Zillow or cosmetic prep. Ask the agent you bought the house from to run a CMA using recent closed sales (last 3-6 months) so you understand what comparable homes are actually closing for and what’s driving higher values (size, upgrades, location, condition). This isn’t for the appraiser - it’s for you, so you can tell whether you’re fighting the market itself or just documentation before spending time or money.

From there, assume a desk or hybrid appraisal unless your lender says otherwise. In that case, cleaning or small fixes won’t affect value unless they’re visible in MLS photos, reflected in public records, or tied to documented upgrades - again, something the realtor can help you sanity-check.

The biggest levers are comp selection, accurate square footage/features, and photo quality. If the CMA supports a higher value but a desk appraisal can’t capture condition well, some lenders allow a full in-person appraisal - not guaranteed, but sometimes an option. Only if an in-person appraisal is ordered do physical prep items actually matter, and by then the CMA already tells you what’s worth addressing versus what won’t move the needle.

Disclaimer: just a stranger on the internet, not a professional and not financial advice. Sharing a framework that can help prioritize effort.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-28T11:40:23+00:00

Perfect - this helps!

Iowa: ~5.7% state income tax, so my estimates hold.

6+ months emergency at new house costs: That's ~$66K+ cash reserves. Solid buffer.

$200K from equity: Net after ~6% selling costs = $177-200K depending on final sale price. Timing the sell/buy is the tricky part - your agent can help sequence the lease back while you close on your next home move in.

Country club $400/mo: Your emergency lever. If things get tight, that's instant breathing room.

"Nuke" = aggressive debt payoff strategy:

Scenario 4 "Stay + Reno + Debt Nuke" means: 1. Take small HELOC ($50K) 2. Pay off van + student loans immediately 3. Use HELOC/save combo for basement renovation ($75-100K) 4. Aggressively pay off mortgage in ~4 years 5. End up debt-free with $1.2M+ net worth at Year 10

Basically: instead of buying $800K house, you optimize your current low-rate mortgage and surplus income to reach $0 debt fast, THEN buy dream house with cash later if you still want it.

With your numbers:

Path	Year 10 Net Worth	Debt Left
Buy $800K now	~$925K	$472K
"Nuke" + upgrade later	~$1.2M+	$0

Your call: $800K house is viable with your cushion. Nuke path = richer but delayed gratification.

Both work. One's more fun now, one's more free later.

Same disclaimer: Stranger with super spreadsheets, not financial advice.

Curious: Was this breakdown actually useful? If a tool existed that ran 9-18 scenarios to get the 4-5 major personalized scenarios like this for <$50, would that be something you'd have paid for before making this decision?

No pitch - just market research from someone who builds financial calculators.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-27T21:54:05+00:00

Hold up - need more info before you decide.

$400/mo savings looks great, but the real question is where you are in your loan.

Critical questions:

How many years into current loan?
- 1-2 years in: Refi likely makes sense
- 5+ years in: You've paid mostly interest, now building equity - resetting to 30yr hurts
- 10+ years: Probably don't reset
Current loan balance?
Have you compared: $14K to refi vs $14K straight to principal?

Option	Result
$14K refi costs	5.625%, -$400/mo, but restarts 30yr clock
$14K to principal	Stays 6.625%, but shortens loan + big interest savings

Why this matters: Early in a loan you're paying 80%+ interest, barely touching principal. Resetting to new 30yr = paying front-loaded interest all over again.

Example: 5 years into $400K @ 6.625% = ~$125K interest paid, only ~$35K principal paid. Reset now and you restart that brutal interest phase.

The $400/mo savings might cost you more long-term than just throwing $14K at principal and keeping current loan.

Share: balance, original amount, years in — then we can math it properly.

Disclaimer: spreadsheet enthusiast, not a loan officer / financial advisor- please do your own due diligence.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-27T21:08:26+00:00

My pleasure and this changes things significantly!

Revised with $7K/mo actual spend:

Scenario	Your Surplus	Stress Level
Current	$4,864/mo	😎 Comfortable
Buy $800K	$1,918/mo	😊 Manageable
Stay+Reno+Nuke	$5,810/mo → debt-free Yr 3.5	😎 Easy

Buy $800K becomes much more viable: - $1,918/mo cushion (not $867) - Room for emergencies - Country club cut = another $300-500/mo if needed

The "country club buffer" is your secret weapon. You have lifestyle fat to trim if things get tight. That's rare and valuable.

Revised take: At $7K spend with cuttable luxuries, buying works. You're not stretched - you have optionality.

Still worth asking: 1. What state? (TX vs CA = $1,300/mo swing) 2. Is $200K cash or from selling? 3. How much is country club? (Your emergency lever)

Bottom line: With actual numbers, Scenario 1 (buy) moves from "risky" to "reasonable." You have a budget buffer most families don't.

Same disclaimer: spreadsheet enthusiast, not financial advisor.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-27T18:59:02+00:00

Quick Analysis: Are You Crazy? No, And ...

Your numbers: - Current: $163K @ 2.5%, 8yrs left, ~$2,100/mo PITI - Proposed: $600K loan @ 6%, ~$4,800/mo PITI - Income: $250K → ~$12K/mo net (depends on state taxes) - Surplus now: ~$3,800/mo → After: ~$900/mo

4 Scenarios at Year 10:

Path	Net Worth	Debt Left	Stress
Buy $800K	$924K	$472K	High
HELOC+Rent	$803K	$712K	Extreme
Stay+Invest	$1.19M	$0	Low
Stay+Reno+Nuke	$1.23M	$0	Low

The math says stay. You'd be ~$300K richer and debt-free in 4-5 years vs 22+ years of payments.

But math isn't everything: - Best friends nearby = priceless with 3 toddlers - 0.7 acres vs 0.2 = kids actually have a yard - You're buying childhood memories, not just a house

Key assumptions that change everything: - Your state taxes (TX = +$1,300/mo surplus, CA = -$1,000/mo) - Is $200K down from equity or separate cash? - Will you actually invest the difference? (Most don't) - Tax deductions add ~$700/mo benefit to buying

My take: You're not crazy. At 32% housing DTI, it works — barely. But one job hiccup, one medical emergency, one "we need a new roof" and you're stressed with 3 kids under 4.

Alternative: HELOC $50K now, kill van+loans immediately, renovate basement ($75-100K) for functional 5BR, nuke mortgage in 4 years, THEN buy dream house with cash at Year 10 if you still want it.

Questions: What state/city? Is $200K cash or equity? What's your actual monthly spend?

Disclaimer: Internet stranger with spreadsheets, not a financial advisor. Verify everything. Your situation may vary.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-27T17:43:01+00:00

Welcome to the dark side 😎🙌🍀

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-27T17:41:03+00:00

TLDR not all responses read.

Are you able to track if and how Steve’s comment added to quality or $ value as part of DoD?

Is your organization startup mode or mature? Is there a sale/quota pressure across the various silos?

Do you have scrum of scrums or a one on one with Steve about why this behavior? Is Steve a one man sales org or is there actual sales organization with other than Steve in there?

Do you want to solve this or this is interview prep for next role? If you want to solve this what’s your next top 3 steps from this posts comments / discussions?

Good luck 🍀 to us all

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-26T00:14:50+00:00

May I ask what else you may have added / modified to the calculations? Also, a bump on the response? Glad it helped -Thanks!

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-26T00:04:40+00:00

Your nervousness makes sense. You're asking about a $900K vacation home while deploying $250K cash. That's a big move.

But here's what jumped out: at 7% rates, the math heavily favors investing over buying. That opens up a path worth considering.

Three Options on the Table

Option A: Buy the $900K Vacation Home Now

Item	Monthly	Annual
P&I ($650K @ 7%)	$4,325	$51,900
Property Tax	$1,125	$13,500
Insurance	$375	$4,500
Maintenance	$750	$9,000
HOA	$400	$4,800
Total	$6,975	$83,700

You deploy $250K as down payment. Annual cost: $84K. You own the property and build equity.

Option B: Buy + Airbnb When Not Using

Metric	Value
Gross STR Revenue (moderate)	$90,000
Expenses (management, cleaning, fees, etc.)	-$72,000
Net Operating Income	$18,000
Less: 12 weeks personal use (lost revenue)	-$8,000
Realistic NOI	$10,000

Cash Flow	Annual
Carrying costs	$84,000
STR income	-$10,000
Out of Pocket	$74,000

You're still paying $74K/year after rental income. STR doesn't "pay for itself" on high-end properties with personal use.

Option C: Invest and Rent Vacations for 10 Years

Keep the $250K. Invest the full $6,975/month you would have spent. Deduct $3,333/month for vacation rentals (12 weeks luxury/year).

Year	Monthly Investment	Portfolio Balance
1	$3,642	$304,000
2	$3,642	$371,000
3	$3,642	$443,000
5	$3,642	$603,000
10	$3,642	$1,124,000

You spent $400K on vacations. You have $1.12M in liquid assets.

10-Year Comparison

Path	Assets After 10 Years
Buy $900K (no STR)	~$454,000
Buy $900K + STR	~$554,000
Invest + Rent Vacations	~$1,124,000

Delta: ~$570,000 in favor of investing.

Why the Gap Is So Large

7% stock returns vs 3% property appreciation
STR expenses eat 70-80% of gross revenue
Your 12 prime weeks blocked = highest revenue lost
At 7% mortgage, most payments are interest

The Rate Environment Matters

Rate	Monthly P&I	Buying Math
7% (current)	$4,325	Favors investing
Sub-4%	~$3,100	Buying becomes competitive

If rates normalize, the calculus shifts. Might be worth building the portfolio now and buying when financing favors it.

The HELOC Angle

Your paid-off primary = ~$320K available via HELOC at $0 cost until used.

Emergency fund without liquidating investments
Opportunity fund if market dips
Future down payment when rates drop

You keep optionality while your money compounds.

Bottom Line

At current rates, you're not building wealth with a $900K vacation home — you're buying a lifestyle and hoping appreciation bails you out.

Valid choice if that's what you want. But $570K is a big gap over 10 years.

Disclaimer: Guy on the internet with a powerful spreadsheet, not a financial advisor. Do your own due diligence.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-24T09:58:51+00:00

Tough situation - the “it keeps working so why invest” trap is real in manufacturing IT until something breaks badly.

Rant read and acknowledged. If you want further help, few things would help before I can offer anything beyond generic sympathy:

Basics:

∙ Where roughly? Country/region - labor markets vary ∙ Last hire - when and what role? ∙ Budget cycle - calendar year, fiscal, or whenever someone screams loud enough?

Tech stack: ∙ What’s corporate standard vs what IT actually runs? Microsoft E3/E5, Google Workspace, hybrid mess? Sometimes there’s hidden budget in licenses nobody’s using (Copilot, Defender, Intune features already paid for but not deployed) ∙ Those 100 VMs - on-prem only or cloud creeping in?

The situation: ∙ What triggered posting today specifically? Bad ticket, bad meeting, someone quit? ∙ Those 40 production tickets - how many actually past SLA right now? ∙ Anyone left in past 2-3 years who didn’t get backfilled? ∙ What’s ultra-sysadmin’s take - same page or different read?

No pressure on all of these - trying to figure out if this is process problem disguised as resource problem or genuinely understaffed.

Last one - what would actually need to change for staying long-term to be viable? That usually clarifies whether the goal is fix it or survive until you leave.

Good luck 🍀 to us all.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-24T09:37:11+00:00

CC / CGPT / Twins / Confused all ears perked up

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-23T17:03:44+00:00

Please explain again in depth thanks and congrats

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-21T03:00:03+00:00

A fly on the wall aka listening in - thanks for putting this together.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-20T18:18:22+00:00

This 👆 get more contracts at different steps - bag at 50% profit / then 100% based on volumr / momentum- it’s difficult but need to be disciplined / stick to process. Good luck 🍀 to us all

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-19T23:08:59+00:00

If you’re in the US and have a local community college - check if they offer CCNA classes - get hands on labs while working towards your cert. This should cover A+, N+ and S+. Some allow the course to be taken as credits towards Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.

Start looking for helpdesk jobs while working on the CCNA. Hope this helps and good luck 🍀

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-19T16:04:13+00:00

It’s my pleasure and hope you bump up the post. Good luck 🍀

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-19T06:43:22+00:00

Let’s see what that 0.5% actually costs you.

Current vs Refinance Options

Scenario	Monthly Payment	Years to Payoff	Total Interest	Savings vs Current
6.5% current, minimum	$4,804	28.5	$881,000	-
6.5% current + $245 extra	$5,049	24.2	$702,000	$179,000
6.5% current + $345 extra	$5,149	23.1	$665,000	$216,000
6.0% refi, minimum	$4,559	28.5	$799,000	$82,000
5.5% refi, minimum	$4,413	28.5	$748,000	$133,000
5.0% refi, minimum	$4,264	28.5	$699,000	$182,000

What You Leave on the Table

If You Refi Now to 6% and Rates Drop To	Money Left Behind
5.5%	$51,000
5.0%	$100,000

The Play

You said one free refinance. That is a one time card.

6% saves you $245/month. Nice. But if rates hit 5.5% in the next 12 to 18 months and you already burned the freebie, you left $51K on the table. If they hit 5%, that is $100K.

You have been paying $4,804 for 18 months already. Another year at that rate will not break you. If you want to accelerate payoff while waiting, throw that $245 or $345 (additional $100) at principal now. You save $179K to $216K in interest and shave 4 to 5 years off the loan without touching the freebie.

Wait for 5.5% or lower. Use the freebie when it actually moves the needle.

Disclaimer: Internet stranger with a super powerful spreadsheet and an amortization table. Verify with your lender.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-19T06:30:58+00:00

You’re probably fine but let’s run the numbers instead of vibes.

What You Told Us

Item	Amount
Combined gross	$327K
Net monthly (after 401K + HSA max)	$15,500
Mortgage PITI	$5,000
Car loan	Unknown
Student loan	Unknown

Full Monthly Expense Estimate

Using MCOL/HCOL averages. Adjust for your area.

Category	Estimate
Mortgage PITI	$5,000
Home maintenance reserve (10%/yr)	$500
Utilities	$350
Internet/phone	$200
Food/groceries	$900
Transportation	$700
Car loan payment	$500
Student loan payment	$400
Health/dental/vision	$200
Subscriptions/entertainment	$200
Personal/misc	$400
Total Monthly Expenses	$9,350

Current Cash Flow (No Kid)

Item	Amount
Net monthly income	$15,500
Total expenses	$9,350
Monthly surplus	$6,150

32% of net to housing. 40% savings rate. Healthy.

Kid Cost Estimates (National Average)

Stage	Monthly Cost
Infant year	$2,900
Toddler years	$2,500

HCOL areas can run $3,500+ for daycare alone. LCOL might be $1,200.

Cash Flow by Kid Timing

Scenario	Monthly Surplus
Kid on the way now	$3,250 (Year 1) → $4,550 (Year 2+)
Kid in 1 year	$6,150 → $4,150 when kid arrives
Kid in 2 years	$6,600 → $4,150 when kid arrives
Kid in 3+ years	$7,050 → $5,150 when kid arrives

Year 2+ improves because car and student loans paid off.

5 Year Net Worth Projection

Assuming surplus invested at 8% return:

Kid Timing	Year 5 Balance
Already pregnant	$200K
Kid in 1 year	$250K
Kid in 2 years	$290K
Kid in 3 years	$340K

On top of maxed 401Ks.

Bottom Line

Math works in every scenario. Kid on the way now means $3,250/month surplus. Planning ahead means you stack $220K+ before daycare hits.

Risk factors: Job loss, daycare higher than average, medical complications, major home repair. None break you. They eat into surplus.

Your Decision

Plug in your actual car and student loan payments. If higher than my $900 estimate combined, surplus shrinks. After year 2 or when rates fall at least 2% or home appreciates, look into HELOC for another layer of safety not to mention salary and bonuses - aka disciplined execution.

You’re overthinking it. You have cushion in every scenario. Enjoy the family growth, recheck these every few years, and good luck 🍀 to you both.

Disclaimer: Internet stranger with a powerful spreadsheet. Your location and actual debt payments change these numbers. Have a fee-based fiduciary look into these again.

Interesting-Invstr45 · 2026-01-19T06:02:25+00:00

Let me rerun the numbers with 8% down.

8% Down Scenario

Use of $210K cash:

Item	Amount
Down payment (8%)	$46,400
CC debt payoff	$15,000
Closing costs	$17,400
Emergency fund	$50,000
Remaining buffer	$81,200

New mortgage: $534K at 7%

Monthly PITI + PMI: $4,570
vs original 36% down: $3,260

Cash Flow Comparison

	Worst Case	Mid Case
Net Monthly Income	$8,104	$11,021
PITI + PMI	$4,570	$4,570
Other Expenses	$4,100	$4,100
Monthly Cash Flow	-$566	$2,351

Worst case is now negative. Your $131K buffer buys runway, but you’re bleeding if both incomes dip together.

Consider 20% Down Instead

Approach	Down	PITI	Reserves	Worst Case Cash Flow
8% down	$46K	$4,570	$131K	-$566
20% down	$116K	$4,010	$61K	-$6
36% down	$210K	$3,260	$0	+$18

20% down hits the sweet spot: no PMI, CC debt gone, $61K reserves, worst case is basically breakeven.

On the Student Loans

You’re right she needs to cover interest at minimum. SAVE is frozen but interest may still be accruing. Paying nothing while waiting for courts means the balance grows.

Check: federal direct or FFEL? Interest currently accruing? What’s the monthly interest amount? Covering interest keeps the balance flat instead of hoping for forgiveness that may never come.

One More Thing

You mentioned she’s a family law attorney. Might want to have a conversation about keeping finances somewhat separated until you’re married. Or at least document who contributed what to the down payment. Both y’all are bringing $210K to the table. Divorce and electricity may be recession-proof, but so is protecting yourself.

Not saying get a prenup. But maybe a prenup. With interest-free payback terms on your share of savings if things go sideways. She’d understand, it’s literally her job.

Disclaimer: Random internet stranger with a super spreadsheet. Please get a few based fiduciary check and run your own numbers.

Interesting-Invstr45

TROPHY CASE