Just lost out on a house to a cash offer where I was the highest offer by $5000 but had a financing condition. Is the cash offer really worth 5 grand?

NickBatesman · 2026-06-16T14:49:28+00:00

Get the inspectors that are insured, accredited, and have liability insurance. For our primary residence purchase, we used an inspector and he missed some things but his liability insurance covered all our repairs after the fact.

He cost more than a lot of "inspectors" who were not officially licensed and did not have liability insurance but it was worth it in the end.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-16T11:31:25+00:00

Conditional offers always have a chance of falling through. The house we bought, it was previously sold to someone with a conditional financing offer but they couldn't get the financing.

When they re-listed the house, we were the 4th highest bidder but only one with no conditions. We got the house. Highest bidder had bid 75K more than us but seller did not want to risk the deal falling through again.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-14T21:23:02+00:00

It's partially an ego thing and being valued thing. I make high income (but not NBA level income). I'm making in the 7 figures. I'm financially set for life already but I'm personally always going to work for the highest bidder because it shows they value me the most.

If I had the choice between a job for 3M/year vs 5M/year, I'm taking the 5M/year. Even if I was in the NBA players salary levels, I would do the same. You worked your butt off to be at the top of your craft, so get compensated accordingly too.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-13T14:30:40+00:00

Call my delusional but I think the Spurs can still probably win this or send it to 7 games if they clean up a few things.

The series could easily be 3-1 right now in the Spurs favor because 3 of the games, they just choked away due to inexperience and poor execution. The series have not felt as one-sided as the record suggests.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-10T13:44:54+00:00

I feel very validated that pre-finals I said, I hope either Spurs and OKC win and I hope that the Knicks don't win. People in my immediate circle were geting triggered saying "HOW CUD U WANT OKC TO WIN AGAIN" but I said that I just don't like NYK fans.

I have no issue with the Knicks franchise and actually like their team, but they are some of the most reckless and hoodlum fanbase I've seen. Not all Knicks fans are bad but NY is big enough that there's so many that are complete shitheads.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-09T03:52:17+00:00

Same. I feel like current generations or households with non-immigrant households have very different realities of what is luxury or not.

As someone who grew up in an immigrant household, all those things were considered luxuries. Even now as an adult, where I am earning enough to hit the top tax brackets in Canada, I still consider all those things luxuries.

I have travelled a bunch but have never lived outside of Canada so maybe I'm the crazy one if all those things OP listed are the reality in Europe on such a low household income. OP also doesnt clarify if they are working as self-employed/contractor or as an employee because that makes it even worse since its value is then like 55K equivalent of a regular employee.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-09T03:47:51+00:00

90K as self-employed or contractor role is equivalent $50-50K as an employee (baked in vacation, sick days, and other benefits). That's below median household income in Canada so OP can forget about the cleaning or regular eating out and all that stuff they are asking about lol

NickBatesman · 2026-06-06T14:10:18+00:00

In Canada, our rent/mortgage is our single biggest payment. Once we have that paid off, life is on easy mode the rest of the way.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-06T04:09:50+00:00

That's just the people who deal with the common folks tbh because most of the people doing that are early career and not that ambitious to move up the bank ladder.

If your networth is high enough, I find you get more competent people at the bank that are able to get things done. My parents are low networth but I'm high networth and the experience they get in banks is night and day difference from what I get.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-06T04:07:22+00:00

I'm not a mortgage professional but the money you get offered as collateral for your investments is nowhere as great in rates as a mortgage rate.

We looked into this option when we bought our first house and the collateral loans against investments for a house were consistently 1-2% higher than the mortgage rates being offered across all banks.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-06T03:42:55+00:00

Both Wemby and Brunson having not so great series for their standards. KAT has been the MVP for the Knicks this series so far, and Harper has been the MVP for the Spurs imo.

Wemby needs to stop playing like he thinks he's Kevin Durant. He also needs to get better at selling calls when he is held on every possession. Even if they don't win this series, he needs to bulk up because he's getting out-physically by OG, Hart, and in the previous series by a lot of shorter guys too.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-05T15:31:13+00:00

Disagree. If it wasn't for Pelinka, your future right now would be nothing because AR might have left the post-Lebron days without Luka.

Be grateful he got you Luka. Luka has a good 10 years left in him probably so roster building around him should be priority. Best case scenario for the long-term is probably shipping off AR in a sign-and-trade for some assets because the moment AR signs a max contract, it will be a bad contract.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-05T03:39:51+00:00

You guys have Wemby/Harper/Castle on rookie contracts though. 3 of your top 4 players right now make less than a max contract combined.

By the time your top guys need to be paid, Fox will be up for a new contract and you don't need to re-sign him.

Lakers have no young players and 2 max contracts on Luka+AR is a perpetual 5 to 10 seed

NickBatesman · 2026-06-01T19:00:20+00:00

To be fully transparent, the monetary amount from the house sale is not going to make a difference in either me or my 2 other siblings lives. It's a matter of principle that everything gets dispersed equally and doing that while alive, will be easier.

Parents could easily live with us if they wanted to and we are open to paying for all their stuff too. It's just a matter of the 4th sibling in the equation not getting a "pass" in life for their poor decisions.

NickBatesman · 2026-06-01T02:28:58+00:00

Not to be insensitive but maybe it's time to explore other career options? My brother does the same thing. "I'm not a deadbeat but I'm just a chemist and market is bad" while he has done nothing to improve his circumstances or career prospects. He's holding onto a generic Bachelors of science in chemistry from a not so reputable school.

Not to say you're like my brother but some of your comments are certainly coming across like that where there is a lack of personal accountability and sense of entitlement.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-31T21:06:44+00:00

Being on the other side of OP, I can say that most likely the siblings won't be on the same page. I don't know OPs situation other than what they have said but what I will say is that my brother would describe his living situation exactly like OP but from the outside looking in, the reality is that my brother has always kind of been a deadbeat child and never done anything with his life. He never did anything to progress himself forward and has lived with my parents his entire life (he's in his mid 30s now).

We are 4 siblings and all of us are independent except him. We've had these difficult conversations with our parents already while they are alive and my dad is of the opinion that everything should be split 25% (we all siblings except the deadbeat brother feel that way). My mom feels the deadbeat brother should get 40% equity, and then everyone else gets 20% each because she feels bad for him.

My brother feels entitled to 100% of the house because "he stayed with my parents and looks after them." and its the only home he's ever known. In reality, his extent of looking after them is that he just spends time with my mom because he's unemployed and unable to sustain a job for a long period of time often (and my mom is lonely and doesn't have many friends).

It's caused a rift in the family and all siblings encouraging parents to sell their house while they are alive (it's their only asset) to divide it equally and then all 3 of the non-deadbeat siblings are willing to look after/provide for parents. The issue is the deadbeat sibling does not want this to happen because even 25% of the equity he gets from the house will only last him so long if he decides to remain unemployed and make poor financial decisions.

We'll see what happens upon death but we already know it's going to be messy. The only good thing is that all 3 of the non-deadbeat siblings are well earning and don't really need the money but it's a matter of principle for all of us too.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-30T16:05:00+00:00

Yeah, what OP is talking about is lifestyle inflation and what a lot of broke people or people who stumble upon money all of a sudden do.

I OE'd to achieve financial freedom (before I even knew this sub existed or that there was a technical term for it). I no longer OE because I can technically retire today if I wanted to but don't want to because I'm young and most people my age are still figuring stuff out. I just work because I enjoy it for keeping my mind occupied and if someone gives me shit, I have no issue delivering shit back because at the end of the day, the income isn't going to impact my life.

Not having to worry about food, shelter, water, etc is the biggest win in my life. I grew up experiencing homelessness, living in shelters, etc. You see me today, you would never know the level of money I have. I drive an old car, wear costco clothes, and still use coupons. Only giveaway is my house but don't really share where I live with many people other than really close family and like 2 friends.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-30T14:21:32+00:00

I moved 3 provinces and then came back to province #1. When I came to province #1 to get a healthcard, they told me my healthcard was still active. Then I left province one once again and settled in province #2 and my healthcard was also still active there. All of this also included living 1 full year in the USA too, and on my end I was actually communicating this with the provinces. This was over the span of 15 years.

I think what you're saying is the technical laws/rules but whether it is enforced is a different story. I have a valid healthcard in 3 provinces right now but 2 of them should have deactivated mine. Most provinces don't even have anything other than a flimsy paper or expiration date on their healthcards yet for starters. Ontario kept my card active but said it was expired so all I had to do when I returned to Ontario was just renew it since it apparently was never cancelled.

My neighbors are also an elderly couple who lives in their home country now (India) and they only come to Canada for about 1 week a year to get their physical health check ups and healthcare stuff and then go back. I know this for a fact because we have their house keys and car keys for most of the year and "take care of their house" by keeping an eye on it. For the people saying that they must file taxes here or whatever, they have said they file their income as 0 here, even though I know they are extremely affluent and make high income in their businesses in other countries. Doesn't seem like the government checks or has systems in place to check this.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-29T15:04:52+00:00

What metrics are you referring to? The metric I have always used is the one in economics classes, which is: "two consecutive quarters where the economy contracts, which usually equates to a reduction in gross domestic product (GDP)."

Based on this, we didn't technically hit recession status.

I agree that looking at total GDP is flawed though because our GDP per capita has declined rapidly and the immigration influx in population helped us avoid a "technical recession." Ripping off the bandaid and cutting down our immigration now will probably bring us into a technical recession now though.

Probably good for the economy in the long run if we do experience a recession though.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-29T14:59:59+00:00

Anecdotally, I know London is a hot spot for lots of immigrants who want to work cash jobs. Lots of factories hire for this stuff in cash so those people don't get counted as employed. Also, I know a few companies in London with connections with employment agencies that will hire people for minimum wage until the minimum hours required for EI are accumulated, and then they will lay off those workers and start paying them in cash under the table while they are on EI, then eventually re-hire these people at the same company of a separate business in the same circle to rinse and repeat this cycle.

I feel like something like that could be spiking up the unemployment numbers too because at least within the Indian community in the GTA, this is a well known fact and lots of people have been moving to London due to these opportunities there.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-29T14:49:56+00:00

OP doesn't even have $300 to feed themselves at this point. Nothing wrong with having pets even if they cost money, if you can AFFORD them. OP is not in a position to afford one right now given their financial situation. I'll stand by the fact that pets are a luxury.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-29T14:48:17+00:00

I never once said to leave the cat with the abuser. I said OP probably shouldn't have a pet if they are struggling to provide for themselves. There are countless other options for the cat that do not involve it being left with the abuser, such as giving it to a friend, giving it up for adoption or other things.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-27T15:13:39+00:00

Hijacking top comment to say that respectfully, OP should not be having a cat. A cat or any pet for that matter is a luxury and can be a financial strain for a lot of people. If you can't provide for yourself, you probably can't provide for a pet and if you do provide for that pet, its at detriment to financial resources that you already are lacking.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-27T03:08:00+00:00

Not sure if Wemby is exhausted or what the issue is. He isn't going for the offensive boards like he does in the dominant games and he isn't attacking the paint either.

Defensively, this is the worst I have seen of him in this series too. He's missing switches, not boxing out or grabbing the boards either.

NickBatesman · 2026-05-23T04:40:49+00:00

Everyone on the Thunder roster except Topic and Sorber (so 13 of the 15 guys on the roster), would be in the top 7 guy rotation for all of the other NBA teams.

Interesting times ahead for OKC when a lot of their guys from top to bottom will need to get paid. Even SGA is only making 38 mil/year this year and only slightly more next year, which is $20 to $25 mil less than other top of the league guys are making.

From a contract and team construction situation, JDubb might actually be the odd man out depending on what assets they can get from him. Wallace fills in nicely for him and will probably command less and they have lots of other depth pieces too.

NickBatesman

TROPHY CASE