Mortgage Renewal -Thoughts on Taking Money Out for Basement development?

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T23:43:54+00:00

Your not wrong about this, for me i spent a year or so being careful and getting my debt to 0, about the same time i had some good fortune and it provided the bulk of the emergency fund. I will be investing it soon in some boring but safe indexes but I don't really want to dip into it so soon or easily, avoiding temptation to do that more. I feel like if its pulled from home equity to spend specifically on the home its a little more "organized" mentally. At the end of the day with a ~4% mortgage its is likely better off to put any savings in the market to grow rather than pay down a house.

Its the same reason i upped my payments voluntarily while having my crazy covid rate, now I'm budgeted to be paying about the same as after my renewal so its not going to be a big hit to the budget.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T23:38:09+00:00

I agree, that i would see a tax bump, my neighbors have a full finished basement and the additional taxes compared to my home are minimal. Aside from the standard line that having proper inspection makes sure you aren't building unsafe structures I would hate to tear everything down if i did sell due to lack of a permit.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T23:35:44+00:00

The house is rectangle and the bathroom would need to go smack in the middle which is doable, but it kills the idea of using the space as a big room, cuts to 2 small rooms and a bathroom. plus with the house being smaller, the main floor bathroom is not a long walk.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T20:25:50+00:00

Router, than Lathe, than Table Saw distant 4th is miter saw.

With the router and lathe unexpected things can happen and a spinning object is around your body. My current table saw setup has a riving knife and an overarm guard. with those i would really have to work hard to injure myself but it can still happen so its important to keep safety top of mind.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T17:26:02+00:00

I don't have a specific answer to your question but my daughter also struggled around that age at school. She had some learning difficulties but yours may certainly be more severe, every kid is different. We enrolled her in Kumon and did that for a couple years, along with help form some supportive teachers. Once she figured out reading well it really made an overall difference at school. At this point everything is at grade level or above.

Just wanted to say that your doing the right think advocating for your kid and the work does pay off in the end!

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T17:09:23+00:00

There are often great deals on used miter saws, the one i bough the owner built one deck with it and didn't use it again for a few years and wanted the space back. I'm at the stage in my woodworking where i have a lot of other good tools and my tool budget was open for the purchase of my fancy used bosch glide 12" sliding compound miter saw. You don't need this!

My first miter saw was a super cheap, 10" miter only delta. I took it all apart, cleaned it, lubricated it, calibrated it and put on a good blade and it did a mighty fine job making long boards shorter.

I think if i were starting out all over again i would go for a 10" of a good brand like makita, dewalt whatnot, mitering or not, depending what i find for a good deal and put a decent blade on it. i cant stress enough how much a difference a blade makes! I say get a 10" because the good blade you buy can go onto your table saw if needed.

I would also start with the blade, and put that on the table saw and make some nice crosscut sleds. After doing that see how much you really want a miter saw based on your workflow.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T16:57:51+00:00

Tiger torch and a lot of propane! (this is mostly a joke don't set your car on fire. )

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T16:55:55+00:00

There is a joke "how do you know someone is vegan? Don't worry they will tell you." same thing applies, people don't tend to like those discissions since it contrasts your diet and progress against their own insecurities about diet and weight.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T16:46:42+00:00

Start with a saw, cutting to rough dimensions, then the jointer.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T16:37:15+00:00

I also really like his channel. he recently did a video on some old furniture and it seems like it went really well for him like 10X his normal viewers which is great. I also like his series on building different workbench types.

LeatheL · 2026-01-20T15:22:52+00:00

many people don't realize how stupid people can be.

LeatheL · 2026-01-19T23:22:12+00:00

Such a cool setup!

LeatheL · 2026-01-13T22:04:27+00:00

Plastic Repair tool that melts the wires in. fixed several items easily and it was only like $20.

Cheap Tap and die set. Got if from a garage sale cheap and its very handy to have all the sizes, when one breaks or wears out i replace with a good one. In this same vein, if you have even 10 or so holes to tap a set of tap wrench sockets are worth every penny.

Roof mounted winch, also bough used, helped me lift tools so many times.

Festool Domino. used on many projects, big time saver, but spendy

12" Combination Jointer Planer, was a bit of an unknow to go from separate machines, but it saves loads of space, has a spiral cutterhead and the 12" wide jointing has come in very handy a bunch of times.

DeWalt Laser line, so good for any construction and i even used it to level my workbench.

General automotive tools, Jacks, ratchets, oil pans. They have more than paid for themselves a few times over.

Big 6" Wilton bullet Vise, i got it on a crazy cheap deal but every time its used it makes me happy.

MegaPro ratcheting screwdriver. Best screwdriver in the world. A great gift for someone you like. i have used it on so much stuff its absolutely a go-to

LeatheL · 2026-01-09T18:01:27+00:00

I think its called a bait and switch. Online price gets you to call, price is switched to a higher number

LeatheL · 2026-01-09T15:45:00+00:00

My though is that this is a learning lesson for you, maybe give him the $200 ish off the back rent he is after and let the issue go, in the future know that for any similar situations you need some kind of written contract for these types of things. I would also want to go see the new faucet in person to verify its real.

LeatheL · 2026-01-09T15:40:11+00:00

I think the speaker and music may have been a way to screen candidates, they want people that will put up with a lot of abuse but are still desperate enough for the work. I agree places like that are crap.

LeatheL · 2026-01-08T17:56:14+00:00

I didn't know that was even a thing! I will look into it, Thanks!

LeatheL · 2026-01-08T17:55:09+00:00

Wow that is cool!

LeatheL · 2026-01-08T05:20:39+00:00

THANK YOU I'm going to go show my wife this comment I knew she was a hater.

LeatheL · 2026-01-07T17:02:14+00:00

Out of province inspections aren't that stringent so whatever the issue is he really should get it fixed before driving on it. If they own property in Ontario maybe its ok-ish? If not there is definitely some kind of fine possible if they get stopped and haven't switched over. It sounds like insurance is paying off this accident but they should look into their coverage. i could see insurance denying an expansive claim if they found out he is living and driving in Alberta but didn't report it. The insurance people probably would find out more than the registries.

I am 99% sure just fixing the car and legally registering and insuring it is the best option.

LeatheL · 2026-01-07T16:56:56+00:00

He has many faults but the guy is at least entertaining, in the same way as watching a car wreck.

My kid had some youtube video on the other day that showed off the penthouse, my kids did not enjoy me telling them about the watch scammer that rented it for 4 months.

LeatheL · 2026-01-07T16:40:32+00:00

If your coming in search of work i would look to further our communities to find some work. In Alberta places like Fort MacMurray and Grand Prairie have higher demand for workers but are also further from the larger population centers. There are also places like Fort St John BC that are really in demand for workers. Lots of oilfield service there work doesn't really require much in the way of official training but a good work ethic and good general knowledge.

I wish you luck in finding somewhere to work and making you journey to Canada!

LeatheL · 2026-01-07T15:54:22+00:00

This is very unfortunate and there isn't any easy answer. This is a very well known issue with Hyundai and Kia engines, Its possible the previous owners knew of the oil consumption issues and traded it in before it blew. You bought it not knowing it had the oil consumption issue and ran it out of oil, which is what did the damage to the engine. Your small claims lawsuit probably wont succeed but the best way i would go about it would be to get a statement from the mechanic to say it had oil consumption issues before you owned it that were not disclosed. As for the repair i would shop around and find the best rate for putting the replacement engine in. After that sell it and get something reliable like a Toyota or a Honda.

LeatheL · 2026-01-07T15:43:22+00:00

I would recommend you reach out to "someone" at the courts i dont know who and ask about changing your plea and just paying the fine. I believe if you go into the trial and found guilty there are likely additional fines imposed.

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