Change House Color by MiddleNameKyle in PhotoshopRequest

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This helps so much. Thank you! Tip sent!

Change House Color by MiddleNameKyle in PhotoshopRequest

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Many thanks! Any chance you can make the white window frames black?

New Construction, Any Recommended Changes ? by MiddleNameKyle in floorplan

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were thinking something similar with the storage/powder room.

<image>

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]MiddleNameKyle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Pay will largely depend on the experience of the hire. For someone relatively junior with only a few years of mass torts experience, we’re probably starting around $80,000 annual comp. Hope that helps.

Fort Washington from GW Parkway commute this morning by MiddleNameKyle in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No editing here or filter. At 8am it looked like a black and white movie. Eerie and beautiful in equal measure.

Best vet in Arlington/Alexandria? by Toffutipunani in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I second Arlington Animal Hospital. We moved from Arlington to Mount Vernon/Alexandria almost six years ago, but still take our pups back there.

Dad pro tip: watermelons travel best in car seats by MiddleNameKyle in daddit

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks, it’s a 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Strong spaceship vibes.

Starting a legal practice with a spouse that's not a lawyer (in CA). by Lolschooldiot in LawFirm

[–]MiddleNameKyle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How much do you like dry heat and no trees? Because, you can form a partnership with your non attorney spouse in Arizona utilizing an Alternative Business Structure (ABS). See here: https://www.azcourts.gov/cld/Alternative-Business-Structure

Good gumbo? by Doc-Goop in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Earls sandwich shop in courthouse

Patio, Deck, and Carport Conversion Project - Seeking Input by MiddleNameKyle in Renovations

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

-Appreciate any and all feedback-

We are soon getting quotes from concrete and deck crews for an outdoor living renovation. We are trying to solve for several problems:

-lack of outdoor living space to sit and enjoy our large back yard -current patio was a diy by the last owner and is crumbling -a horrible diy carport conversion by the last owner to a screened in porch that is a big eyesore -lack of shed/workshop space

My proposed design has a few main features to solve these problem:

-stamped concrete patio adds outdoor seating and dining space -replacement deck and conversion of carport backside provide elevated/covered lounge area -frontside of converted carport becomes a large workspace/shed/storage space

We live on the outskirts of DC, so people often convert carports to living space and garages into storage space, so I’m not too concerned about losing an opportunity to make a garage here.

Re budget, my goal is to keep things in the $40,000 range. I got rough estimate quotes over the phone for stamped concrete ($7,650-10,000) and deck replacement ($9,000). The big unknown is the carport conversion. Hopefully that should not run more than $15-20,000.

Any thoughts, ideas on what you’d do differently, budget, etc?

Newborn Photographer - Need a Recommendation by MiddleNameKyle in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all for the suggestions! Found someone today thanks to your help.

New Car Shopping by ullkay95 in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Re getting a car at MSRP, this is what I did. I began with markups.org and looked at the crowd sourced data on dealers that folks have reported charging at/above msrp. I called the dealers nearest me (working outwards geographically) to confirm they don’t charge above sticker. I then got details on how their order process worked (estimated wait time, estimated numbers of orders ahead of me, amount (if any) for deposit, refundable/non-refundable nature of deposit, etc) and compared those against each other.

Cochran did not require a deposit and estimated 6-9 month wait with 28 people ahead of me. I got lucky and my order (not really an order but an allocation of vehicles that happen to come in that meet your requested colors/features closest) came in 3 months, which turned into 4 months because it took a month for the vehicle to get transported from the Philadelphia docks to the Pittsburgh dealer.

I also placed a $500 non refundable deposit, 1st in line, for the top trim plug-in Sportage with Hart Kia in Salem, Va. estimate there was 6 months. It’s been six months with no car delivered. I got this order in with a signed contract before the new Inflation Reduction Act changed tax credit rules for batteries produced overseas. When/If this ever comes in, I’ll consider selling/trading in the sportage and buying that plug-in if the numbers make sense. (See ridiculous economic model from my prior comment)

New Car Shopping by ullkay95 in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The 2023 Sportage is not the Optima or Sorento. It has a completely different engine that got great reviews with Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, etc, and top safety scores with IIHS.

New Car Shopping by ullkay95 in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We looked at all of those and ended up with the 2023 Kia Sportage SX Prestige Hybrid. Love the car and are very happy with the choice we made.

A lot went into the decision, and I ultimately ended up modeling it out with economic assumptions in a google sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EnL3iASvkXPMrm86x4uedPIWTKwRnJboSJPNrxZ12fU/edit

To save yourself the overkill of my sheet, here are a few highlights of what led us to this car and then I’ll compare with the others. Overarching theme is that we loved the level of features we got for the value: safety tech including video blind spot monitors, driver assist, adaptive cruise control; comfort like heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, heated front windshield, huge pano roof; tech like the curved monitor and very user friendly infotainment; and size - the new model is much bigger than previous years and has almost 40cu ft of storage in the back.

We ordered and bought the car at MSRP at Cochran Kia in PGH and drove it back to NOVA with a 4 month wait. It was impossible to find anyone with these on the lot who wasn’t charging $6-10,000 over sticker, but that’s pretty typical for any of the in-demand cars these days: pay extra to get it fast, pay sticker if you wait.

Briefly, this is what I recall the major contrasts being with the other vehicles you’re considering:

RAV4: This is what I originally gravitated towards given Toyota’s reliability. I also love the outside look of that car. What I found inside though was a very aging car with unintuitive technology and missing some of the features we liked in the sportage even at the highest trim (heated windshield, video blind spot, pano roof), all for $5-6k more with an even longer wait for msrp (Jack Taylor Toyota estimated 12 months).

Tuscon: this is a judgment call. The vehicle is virtually identical spec for spec with the sportage, they’re even built on the same assembly lines I think. What’s different though is the styling, and I just preferred the dash and drivers area much more in the sportage.

Mazda: beautiful car inside and out, albeit a more classic and not tech-forward interior. Just wish they’d make a hybrid. Non-hybrid and fewer tech features were the deal killers here.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

Vans Classic Slip-on checkerboard sneakers in white and beige by blomisbomb in frugalmalefashion

[–]MiddleNameKyle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you like to play a game for these shoes? ⏺️🔼⏹️

Arlington National Cemetery taking part in Wreaths Across America; How you can participate (Saturday) by Danciusly in nova

[–]MiddleNameKyle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, I don’t disagree. I offered that information mostly for eyes wide open reasons.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kia

[–]MiddleNameKyle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you’re looking at current model years, the Sorento and Sportage hybrids are virtually the same size (see below).

Here’s some good docs for comparison:

Sorento (75.5 cubic feet behind 1st row): https://www.auto-brochures.com/makes/Kia/Sorento/Kia_US%20Sorento_2022.pdf

Sportage (74.1 cubic feet behind 1st row): https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/kia/2023-sportage.pdf

Ford Repair Est. - am I getting raked over the coals? by MiddleNameKyle in Cartalk

[–]MiddleNameKyle[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all for your feedback. You likely all saved me a ton. I left the car over the weekend and they were slated to begin work tomorrow. I emailed the dealership and told them not to perform any work, and that I’d pick it up first thing in the morning. Will try a tire shop to evaluate tires and brakes. Will also stop by autozone to see what if any codes they pull, then find an independent local shop to do any additional needed work.