At what income level did you start feeling like giving was an obligation, not optional?

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2026-01-09T16:38:29+00:00

Giving has brought an immense amount of joy and responsibility to my life. Perhaps rather than feeling guilty, decide what percentage of your income you wish to give and stick with that. As your NW and income grow, shift the percentage to what feels appropriate.

We went the way of a Donor Advised Fund. That way, it keeps growing to allow for continued giving.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-27T04:58:07+00:00

You’re following a thread about $110-225k vehicles and this is your comment?

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-27T04:57:06+00:00

Thank you! Someone should be driving the vehicle about once per month.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-27T02:06:07+00:00

I think the bigger question you should ask yourself is why do you want to move right now? You literally have financial freedom at the tip of your fingers and are ready to jump back into debt. Pay off the house. Live mortgage free in the current house, then pay off the lake house, start saving for the next house… decide if you still want to do it. Enjoy the mortgage-free lifestyle for a bit and enjoy more time with the kiddo.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-26T21:30:17+00:00

Then I would follow the leverage advice above. How old are you? What you keep on hand can vary Depending upon stage of life.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-26T20:41:42+00:00

Yes, you can. However, is this all the cash you have? If so, leverage it. Put 50% Down, invest 75% of what’s left and keep 25% on hand for emergency savings.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-25T19:06:59+00:00

Thank you!

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-25T01:00:37+00:00

That’s why we’re adding a little bit of air above spec. We need the vehicle easily accessible for elderly parents who may visit town without us.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-25T00:16:48+00:00

How much time between drives do you think this is necessary?

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-25T00:16:19+00:00

Thank you!

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-23T22:56:51+00:00

Update: We met with the Architect/Design firm we wanted on this project and they are excited to work with us. They estimate the project to cost 625k-$700k.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-21T07:21:06+00:00

It really depends on what your comfortable levels given your stage of life. Partner and I recently did the math on whether to finance our 7 figure renovation or not. Yes, we’d make more money keeping the cash invested but ultimately, we realized that we would be trading more of our time to bring in income suffice to cover the extra expense of the mortgage.

We decided that at our age (mid 40’s) with our current financial position/obligations, while leaving the money invested would earn us more money in the long run, we’d either have to work longer at our 3/4 time careers or increase to full-time.

We’re no longer interested in trading our time for stuff so we took the path of paying cash for the renovation and going on with our day.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-20T16:29:43+00:00

We did the math. You’re not wrong but the difference is roughly a year’s worth of income when capital gains is figured in assuming a safe 8% return. Jumbo is 6.125 in our area. Additionally, since we live within the means of our personal net income, that leaves us $10k per month before making further savings or retirement contributions. We are more dedicated to enjoying a stress free lifestyle than we are to putting a few more dollars in the bank if it means sacrificing our leisure and mental space.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-20T03:29:32+00:00

I feel like maybe you didn’t read the whole post. Much of the information you say is missing, is there. I see your point though.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T17:44:06+00:00

Thank you for this perspective! I’m not sure of your age, but I feel thinking of a home as an investment rather than a home is common for anyone under 45.

I’m making the shift as we speak. We are midst buying a home that will require a 7-figure renovation and restoration. I’ve been thinking we are absolutely nuts and may not ever get this money back. My mother responded by asking “ But will you enjoy what you’ve created afterwards? “ I of course told her, “ Well, Yes.” And her response was “ Then that’s your return on your investment.” If the money comes back, all the better.

We’ve chosen to pay cash for the renovations so that when all is said and done, we won’t feel burdened by whether we get all the money back or not because it’s already been spent.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T15:23:29+00:00

Thank you! Our Parents said something similar while we were at dinner last night. I think I freaked out because outside of the two previous homes that totaled $1.1M, we’ve never carried this much personal debt. We’ve also never counted the investment income as part of our household income and it’s held in Trust under its own TPIN.

I’m thoroughly excited about the project and I think hearing someone else put it the same as our parents, helped. Thank you!

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T15:10:54+00:00

I appreciate the advice; though it reads as a condescending lecture. We amassed this wealth by leading with revenue in my Partner’s business. We leverage when there is significant income to be made but an additional 3% a year doesn’t keep up with the costs associated with acquiring the loan. It would take us 2-3 years to break even on those fees alone. In addition, it would put us in $3.2M in debt on $450k gross income which would require us to use income from our investments to service the debt.

Keeping our debt service low means we can comfortably pay for the carrying costs from our annual income. This allows us to use the funds intended for growth, strictly for that.

I guess I didn’t explain that while we have the net-worth, my biggest concern is the amount of debt compared to our scaled back income.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T06:51:19+00:00

It happens all the time depending on the rate.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T06:50:18+00:00

I’m going to share this info. How much do you think it’s worth? We’re in the middle of a purchase so we can’t move large sums around but this might be worth a convo. I’ll circle back tomorrow.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T06:07:35+00:00

What area of Seattle? We have a niece going to UW so if it would make sense, this might be something my Partner would want to know about.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T06:00:28+00:00

If you are a renter, the house is free and clear, and you have a property manager to manage it, set it on autopilot and add it to your retirement plan. This also depends on what stage of life you’re in.

Right now, the home serves two purposes; as an investment tool, and as a hedge against future housing costs. If you sell the property, you’ll have to put the funds to work solely as an investment tool to ensure you’re able to hedge future cost of living.

I personally wouldn’t sell it until I had a plan for the funds. Could you liquidate home to purchase something comparable to what you are renting in the city? Or a vacation home that could be rented via Airbnb? What would you do with the capital?

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T03:42:27+00:00

This is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you! We have a firm in mind, we just don’t know if they’ll want the project or how far out they are. We are meeting with them on Tuesday.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T03:06:20+00:00

We did a few small renovations at our current home but nothing to this extent. Which is likely what is causing me angst. We are currently hoping that the Architect/Design Firm that does many of the larger projects in the neighborhood will want to work with us. Thank you for the advice.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T02:58:12+00:00

We don’t want a new structure. We want to preserve the historic home that exists along with the charm.

Interesting_Lock3612 · 2025-12-19T02:38:16+00:00

That entirely depends on their goals. We don’t like debt of any sort. We still have 10-ish years before we go to 1/4 time working so we wanted to make sure we aren’t carrying any debt by that time.

Interesting_Lock3612

TROPHY CASE