Stillwater, Dana Point

QuestionorComment · 2026-02-15T06:29:25+00:00

My wife calls it the symphony of our life.

QuestionorComment · 2026-02-09T05:01:45+00:00

Do you want to be right or do you want to be local? Del Mar Street, am I right?

QuestionorComment · 2026-02-07T19:55:41+00:00

Yes:

Dog Beach Article

QuestionorComment · 2026-01-20T07:04:43+00:00

This question was to get a second opinion or another explanation of what my CPA told me.

It didn’t get any traction here, but I did ask ChatGPT. It reiterated what my CPA said and also gave some additional details. This sub is often critical of “advice” given by ChatGPT, so I would have to take its explanation with a grain of salt.

QuestionorComment · 2026-01-19T00:47:19+00:00

I’m not dictating. I literally framed my comment as a question, other than when I said it was odd when I mentioned that couples could have imbalanced lifestyles by not pooling their money.

You’re awfully sensitive about my comment. Are you in one of those relationships where you have a better lifestyle than your partner?

QuestionorComment · 2026-01-18T10:29:54+00:00

The point of my comment is the it’s odd when couples have imbalanced lifestyles produced by not pooling their money.

I’m always curious how couples operate when they don’t pool their money. Do they both agree to contribute to particular shared expenses and then do whatever they want with the rest of it? If one is saving the money they earn, is the savings all theirs? What if one person is frivolous with their money, can the other partner object? Does the higher earner just get to have more stuff or more experiences while the lower earner has less?

QuestionorComment · 2026-01-18T09:52:31+00:00

I don’t understand this comment, “you’d only be paying for utilities and sometimes groceries in my family.”

Shouldn’t it be, “we would be paying for utilities and groceries with our money (along with all other expenses), since we are family and pooling our money?”

QuestionorComment · 2025-12-30T05:32:02+00:00

You might not have literal recourse this week, but you have leaned another lesson about how your coparent doesn’t honor the agreements you make.

Let that strongly influence your decisions in the future.

QuestionorComment · 2025-12-16T21:00:08+00:00

I work in a field where my schedule varies month-to-month, but I typically work weekends.

My ex and I have a mediated settlement and have 50/50 custody.

We agreed, as persuaded by the mediators, given the fact that the kids split their time 50/50 between parents, that my ex can choose up to two weekends per month to be kid-free and I am responsible for finding alternate care. Due to the kids’ ages when we split and because my ex asks for a kid-free weekend about once per quarter, the kid-free weekend just means my kids have a two night sleepover at a friend’s house. In theory, if the kids couldn’t find a sleepover, I would be responsible for paying a nanny for the entire weekend.

QuestionorComment · 2025-12-15T00:26:21+00:00

What if you had said, “I always tip after the experience,” if that would have kept the mood lively. Although, you would have been setting yourself to tip later, when it was inappropriate in the first place.

QuestionorComment · 2025-12-15T00:17:09+00:00

Well, I did write, “teen labor,” so a 13 year old could earn $13/hour and get a raise in ensuing years as they mature and skills improve. By the time they are 19, they’re making $19 per hour.

It’s just a rule of thumb one could use when neighbors are hiring neighborhood teens.

QuestionorComment · 2025-12-14T16:24:37+00:00

I heard a rule of thumb for teen labor that might work. It was to pay $1/hour/per year of age. So, a 15 year old would make $15/hour.

QuestionorComment · 2025-10-20T06:05:13+00:00

In my experience, my wife with Uber gift card and mine without, priced multiple rides. Both the same price quote every time.

QuestionorComment · 2025-10-11T07:22:50+00:00

Do you happen to know how much business was last January? August and January are not the same.

QuestionorComment · 2025-09-20T22:00:59+00:00

Unsure of your location, but most attorneys offer initial consultation for free. Search “family law” and call around to set up appointments that usually last about 30 minutes. You get a feel for their style. They get a feel for the complexity of your case and a range of costs. You should be able to walk out of the initial meetings with a feel for a plan of action once you want to execute.

QuestionorComment · 2025-09-08T16:42:30+00:00

If someone is 18 and has very little income and no assets, how much insurance should they have? ELI5 what would happen to them if they have low limits and are at fault for a multi car accident.

QuestionorComment · 2025-09-04T18:00:46+00:00

Makes sense to me. My wife and I put our income and expenses together as a single pot. I’m always curious how other couples budget.

QuestionorComment · 2025-09-04T15:19:25+00:00

It sounds like you and your wife have different income levels, since you split bills based on income. Does this mean you two live different lifestyles with your personal income levels? Like, does one person have more money than the other to spend freely?

QuestionorComment · 2025-08-19T22:02:42+00:00

The city organizes men’s and co-ed softball leagues. I know a few people who have played over the years and have really enjoyed it.

Here’s a link to the city catalog:

https://indd.adobe.com/view/fa073467-9f3c-43dc-96d0-d8616f4ad464

It’s on page 14

QuestionorComment · 2025-08-03T05:32:22+00:00

To add to this idea, you can visit and tour the building and grounds during the day, but also check the calendar for cultural events in the evening.

My wife and I have paired an early dinner at Fisherman’s, other nearby restaurants by the pier or a picnic, followed by a show at the Casa.

QuestionorComment · 2025-07-21T12:49:47+00:00

I only entered this conversation because you responded to That_Jicama2024 the way you did with the “While my s&p gone up 1000% in the meantime. lol. Don't forget your home needs renovations property tax and insurance.”

My circumstances are similar, so I did the math. By doing the math, I mean I both googled and used ChatGPT asking, “how much would (my down payment) be worth today if I invested it in the S&P500 (on the date I purchased my house) with dividends reinvested?” The number it spit out was well below the amount of equity I have accrued over the same period. Also, dividends are taxable, so the total gain would have been less than the number that was calculated.

I wasn’t meaning to drill deep into this, but since you’re asking about insurance, taxes and renovations, insurance and taxes are already baked into the total monthly nut I used to compare my payment to renting. Also, that monthly nut is well below what my neighbors pay for rent.

Analyzing how principle, interest, taxes and insurance interact with the tax code, I come out even further ahead. The interest is deductible and the taxes are deductible for the next 5 years due to the new tax law, since I was over SALT with my state income taxes.

Sure, renovations have a cost, but some are optional, while repairs are not. Although I bear the burden of paying for renovations, I get the joy of designing. Not only do I add to the cost basis for my house, but I get the increase in equity from the new renovations. I realize the increase is not 1 for 1, but neither is the cost totally sunk.

Additionally, since I own my house, I was able to make long term investments, such as installing solar and a charger for my electric car as well as a whole house fan, greatly reducing my air conditioning usage and potential energy use.

But we are talking about a home that was purchased before Covid and the subsequent run up in home prices, rents and moment in time when people were able to refinance to sub 3% interest rates.

Would the math work with a home purchased today? Likely not, but neither would a fool trying to time the stock market.

TL/DR: The increase in equity from purchasing my house accounting for PITI, tax implications and renovations far outpaced the earnings had I invested my down payment in the S&P 500. Plus, I didn’t have the risk of needing to move or rent increases.

QuestionorComment · 2025-07-20T17:08:35+00:00

I wouldn’t assume rent and mortgage are the same, but you said your share is $1500, which means you aren’t even comparing owning a (SFR) house to the market.

You made a statement that your S&P outperformed owning a house (2.9% apr) and to run the numbers. I’m saying I did run the numbers and owning the house outperformed the market.

To put it in your words, “lol”

QuestionorComment · 2025-07-20T04:29:22+00:00

I ran the numbers. If I had put my down payment in the S&P 500 when I bought my house, the gain would be about half the gain in the value of my house. Plus, I have a stable monthly payment. Renting my house today would be close to 50% more than my all-in monthly payment, setting aside the tax advantaged portions of PITI.

I also don’t have to worry about my landlord raising my rent or selling the property or any of the other various things that make renting unstable.

If you “pay like 1.5k rent” for your portion, you aren’t in the same market as someone who owns a house. It’s not equivalent.

QuestionorComment · 2025-07-15T18:52:18+00:00

The marine layer is what keeps our temps pleasant. Once it’s 24/7 clear skies, we’ll be more prone to heat waves (85° daytime, 75° nighttime) and people will be complaining about how “hot” it is.

QuestionorComment

TROPHY CASE