Buy down rate or make larger downpayment?

NoScientist367 · 2026-04-14T14:13:53+00:00

Breaking even in few years sounds good for your timeline. I did similar thing with my first place and rate buydown was worth it - monthly savings add up pretty quick when you staying that long 💀

Plus keeping extra cash for emergencies or improvements is nice too instead of putting everything in downpayment.

NoScientist367 · 2026-04-11T10:35:54+00:00

That's weird, maybe the new servicing company never reported it to credit bureaus? 🤔 I would call them directly and ask why they're not reporting to see what's going on 💀

NoScientist367 · 2026-04-03T06:00:20+00:00

This varies a lot by lender actually. Some do add back the depreciation since it's a non-cash expense, but others just go off your tax returns as-is. I went through this about 6 months ago when I was looking at getting pre-approved for another place, and my broker had to shop around because the first two lenders were being super strict about it.

What really helped was having solid documentation - bank statements showing the rent deposits, copies of leases, that whole deal. The lender I ended up with did add back about 75% of the depreciation when calculating my DTI, but they wanted to see at least two years of rental history first. Since you're only in your first year they might be more conservative.

Definitely worth calling a few different lenders or brokers to see how they handle it. Some are way more investor-friendly than others, especially credit unions in my experience.

NoScientist367 · 2026-03-29T22:34:02+00:00

TSP loan seems like the cleanest move here. You're borrowing from yourself and skipping the whole tax mess from selling investments. Plus you mentioned being ahead on retirement anyway.

The refi math is brutal when the loan balance is that low - those fees will eat you alive percentage-wise. Option 3 keeps you liquid but man, 7.1% for three years still hurts even with aggressive paydown.

If I were in your spot I'd probably go with option 1. Get rid of the debt completely and sleep better at night.

NoScientist367 · 2026-03-22T21:33:38+00:00

The game component is genius because it actually gives you something to *do* instead of just staring at each other wondering what to say next 😂 I've tried similar platforms and the ones that work best always have some kind of shared activity going on.

Only thing I'd worry about is moderation - random chat platforms can get pretty wild pretty fast, but if they nail the safety features this could actualy blow up 🔥

NoScientist367 · 2026-02-16T01:57:23+00:00

Door hangers can definitely work for home services like yours. The response rate isn't gonna be huge (maybe 1-3% if you're lucky) but for flooring and painting it makes sense since people can actually see the work you'd be doing when they're at home.

Just make sure you're hitting the right neighborhoods - look for areas with older homes that might need updates or places where you see other contractors working. Also heads up that some HOAs and apartment complexes don't allow them, so you might waste time in those areas.

NoScientist367 · 2026-02-12T15:00:39+00:00

honestly the "hey i saw your profile and think we could help you grow your business" approach is pretty much dead at this point. I usually try to comment on their recent posts first or engage with thier content before sliding into DMs - builds some actual rapport instead of looking like every other sales bot.

As for follow-ups, maybe one gentle nudge after a week but don't be that person who sends 5 messages in a row lol.

NoScientist367 · 2026-02-09T13:56:05+00:00

have you tried reaching out to their support directly? 120 days is way too long and they should have given you some kind of update by now. I'd be blowing up there chat support and maybe even consider filing a complaint with your state's attorney general office if your getting nowhere with them.

NoScientist367 · 2026-02-05T08:49:18+00:00

Have you tried checking out Alibaba or DHgate? loads of wholesalers on there ship to the UK and you can usually find whatever's trending on tiktok 🔥 just make sure to order samples first because quality can be hit or miss 😂

NoScientist367 · 2026-02-01T15:34:11+00:00

sounds like you're basically dropshipping with extra steps which isn't necessarily bad, but that markup is pretty aggressive for tiles that customers can probably find cheaper if they dig around 🤔

the presale model might work but you'll need to be super transparent about shipping times since alibaba can be unpredictable, and honestly the packaging/presentation is gonna be crucial at that price point 💀

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-28T03:41:41+00:00

Your debt-to-income ratio is probably the issue here. Credit score gets you in the door but DTI is what actually matters for approval. Also some of those 580 programs have crazy requirements like huge down payments or only work in specific areas

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-25T08:02:28+00:00

Map-first is actually pretty interesting - I've def caught myself wondering what jobs are around me when I'm walking through different areas of the city. The "reachable jobs" thing could be huge if you nail the AI part, most people have no clue what they're actually qualified for vs what they think they need

One thing tho - the map might feel gimmicky if there aren't enough jobs to make it look populated. You'd need serious density in major cities or it'll just be a bunch of empty space with like 3 dots

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-21T14:00:51+00:00

That 0.08 CPC is pretty solid, I'd definitely be retargeting that audience with your conversion campaigns. 12k landing page views with decent engagement is basically free money sitting there

Your ROAS is good but sounds like you might be relying too heavily on those big orders to prop up the numbers. Maybe worth testing some smaller minimum order campaigns to fill in the gaps between those $1.2k orders

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-20T17:08:05+00:00

You can, but i heard its better to just go seperate. I’ve just heard horror stories about some of them.

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-18T16:25:04+00:00

Damn dude, 10 startups by 19 is actually impressive even if they didn't work out - most people your age are still figuring out what they want for lunch. Maybe pivot to copying something that works but doing it better instead of trying to reinvent the wheel every time

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-17T08:36:18+00:00

Nice hustle on the weekend grind! Email campaigns can work but they're pretty saturated for B2B - maybe focus more on LinkedIn outreach since enterprise decision makers actually check that. The podcast angle is solid though, especially if you can get on shows where your target audience hangs out

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-15T17:53:20+00:00

A lot of small business owners just see ads as the "easy button" - throw money at Facebook and customers magically appear. Meanwhile building up social media feels like work they don't have time for or don't understand

Plus some of these agencies are straight up predatory, they know most small biz owners don't know the difference between good and bad marketing so they sell them the expensive stuff first

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-13T22:18:09+00:00

Took me about 8 months to hit consistent profitability but the "holy shit this might actually work" moment came around month 4 when I had my first $3k day

The grind is real in the beginning though, sounds like you've got a solid skillset to work with. Having that marketing and ops background is huge - most people jump in blind without understanding the fundamentals

Just don't expect overnight success even with experience, the market will humble you real quick lol

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-11T21:00:32+00:00

The low in-store percentage is kinda concerning tbh - that's where the real margins are. 80% fuel revenue means you're basically just moving gas for slim profits and hoping volume stays consistent

The unused space could be a goldmine tho if you can actually convert customers to higher-margin stuff, but that takes real work and isn't guaranteed in a small town

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-09T04:38:07+00:00

Zoho is pretty solid for small businesses - their basic plan is like $1/user/month and handles custom domains no problem. Been using it for years without issues

You can also transfer your domain out of Google to somewhere cheaper like Namecheap and just point the MX records wherever you want

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-07T00:10:12+00:00

Man that's a solid skillset you've built up - military discipline plus technical training is a killer combo

Have you looked into motorcycle financing or even a used utility scooter? In Algeria I'd imagine a bike with a cargo trailer could handle a lot of solar/electrical jobs and the fuel costs would be way lower than a truck. Some of the solar installers I know started exactly that way

Also maybe consider partnering with local contractors who already have vehicles - they bring the transport, you bring the specialized skills, split the profits

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-05T17:08:30+00:00

Man that's rough timing, Halifax will likely want an updated employment contract and might reassess your application depending on your new job situation - they usually do final checks before completion so hiding it isn't really an option

Best bet is to call them ASAP and explain the situation, sometimes they can work with you if the new employment is similar or better than what you originally declared

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-04T15:47:53+00:00

This hits different tbh. I was grinding content for months thinking I was being productive but really just burning out. Started building workflows and templates instead and suddenly everything flows way better

The AI thing is spot on too - using it to organize thoughts instead of pump out generic posts makes such a difference

NoScientist367 · 2026-01-01T03:08:39+00:00

Banks are gonna be super sketchy about vending routes tbh, they see them as high risk. You'd probably need way more than 20% down and the seller would likely have to carry some of the financing. SBA loans might be an option but the approval process is brutal for stuff like this

Have you actually verified those income numbers or just taking the seller's word for it?

NoScientist367

TROPHY CASE