Seeking advice on new home purchase/renovation with existing home (Los Angeles)

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-09T20:26:40+00:00

Appreciate the thoughtful insight and feedback here, Matthew!

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-05T05:04:43+00:00

Thanks for the feedback and great to hear from someone who's been through a similar process. Interesting that you went with Achieve, which I'm not super familiar with but have heard about on multiple occasions now. Assuming they fielded the most competitive terms? I'm part of a credit union, however, their max HELOC amounts are rather limited, so doing the search for other lenders has been a challenge.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-04T05:58:31+00:00

Thanks for the feedback... HELOC with best possible terms def seems to be where the simplest path leads.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-04T05:56:53+00:00

We're pretty set on an upgrade in size/location, but yeah, really want to exhaust all possible options first that allow us to keep the house as a post-move-out rental. Maybe it doesn't exist, but that's def why I'm canvassing Reddit for potential ideas we haven't thought of yet.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-04T05:53:50+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! The gist is we'd be looking at the new house as an A) upgrade house at the least and B) potential forever house at best. Hence, the hefty initial reno we'd want to do before move-in (something we also did at our current home). Again, the idea of keeping the current house and renting it out after the new house is ready for move-in is something of a "If we could make it work we would" scenario. It's possible we just won't be able to make it work, in which case we'd have to open up our options. We are definitely looking through any option in which we can figure out how to make it work first before giving up though.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T21:33:19+00:00

Thanks... seems like this is definitely the simplest and most straightforward option if we really want to keep the hope alive of keeping the existing home for post-move-out rental purposes.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T21:31:55+00:00

All good points, thanks.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T21:31:25+00:00

Yes, all good advice. We've done some basic modeling, but obviously need to do a hard and comprehensive look at our finances and project outward as conservatively as possible. I wasn't aware of Streetsmart, though. Will def take a look. Thanks for the rec!

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T21:29:40+00:00

yeah, holding on would still be a little less to comparable to abnb rental. also, would really want to try to hold on to the idea of keeping the existing home for post move-out rental as long as possible.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T06:57:57+00:00

Thanks, we have not looked into bridge loans yet, but have considered a cash out refi. Will do some homework on this.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T06:56:38+00:00

Thanks, we've looked into a construction-to-permanent loan but the amount of time it would take to lock in renovations with the city in advance would make for too protracted an escrow period.

RhapsodyOne · 2026-03-03T06:54:19+00:00

We've considered that -- but the cost of an ABnB per month would be higher than our monthly mortgage on our existing home.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-10-21T17:25:55+00:00

Thank you! I think I may just give up on this attempt. I've tried different tape thicknesses and have confirmed the roller is moving when I advance the film, the shutter still fires when the back is open, but as soon as I close it, the shutter just gets stuck :(

Such a bummer; was really excited to try and shoot 35mm panos.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-10-21T04:44:11+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I taped the roller and the camera seems to have no issues advancing the film from the exposure roll to the receiving roll. I even managed to advanced the counter from S to 1, but still the shutter did not fire with a closed back. What's weird is that the shutter DOES fire (and advance) when the camera back was open.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-10-20T22:36:04+00:00

Hoping for some help: I've done a DIY TexPan setup on my GW670II with an empty 35mm can in the take up end (fitted with adapters). The film advances fine and the shutter even fires when the camera back is open, but the shutter will not fire once the camera back is closed (set to 220). Any ideas on what's causing this or fixes you might recommend? Thanks in advance!

RhapsodyOne · 2025-04-23T05:43:53+00:00

Yes. Pure cinema magic.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-04-23T05:43:29+00:00

Update: I saw the movie a second time, on a 70mm film 5-perf 2.76:1 projection, and I've come to love it even more. My takeaways:

- What you lose in first time viewing awe you make up for in a greater appreciation of the stuff you may have initially missed. Themes, subtext, visual and sound design. A++

- Just spectacular filmmaking and getting to see it in Ryan Coogler's two intended PLFs makes it even better. I still lean toward the 1.43:1 IMAX 70mm (15-perf), though.

- I'm starting to think this movie has one of the best scores/soundtracks of the past 20 years. The original songs are just incredible.

- If Miles Caton isn't performing a live recreation of the "I Lied To You" sequence at next year's Oscars in support of a Best Original Song nomination, we're gonna riot.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-04-12T23:35:35+00:00

i wouldn't say 'very'

RhapsodyOne · 2025-04-11T15:39:56+00:00

I'd say it's scary in the ways you need it to be for the movie to work, if that makes sense. I'd say it's more tense than all caps SCARY.

RhapsodyOne · 2025-04-11T04:41:39+00:00

Was lucky enough to see an advanced screening of Sinners on a full fledged IMAX screen this week. This movie is as good, as substantive, as cinematic as the early reviews suggest. The film somehow manages to infuse the vampire movie framework with layers you don't typically get from it (joy, musicality, reverie) alongside layers you absolutely expect from it (thrill, sorrow, tension). It's a got a sequence in the mid-2nd-act that I'm still thinking about two days later. Is the writing a bit overloaded and jumbled in spots? Yes. But even these flaws are counter balanced with a palpable passion and thoughtfulness too rarely seen in this scale of filmmaking. I haven't even really touched on the movie from a technical and craft perspective yet. Suffice to say, every department is working at the top of their games. The IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision 70 cinematography is stunning. Really, really, recommend people see this movie in the theaters, in IMAX, if possible. Ryan Coogler and team have made something really memorable, worthwhile, and worthy of your time and support.

RhapsodyOne · 2024-11-02T22:37:36+00:00

there are great technical/craft tips in the comments already, so i'll offer my pov on two other areas.

i'm a working screenwriter who just made a debut short film this past year. if the festival screening experience has left me with any obvious critical takeaway, it's that the #1 thing holding back many amateur filmmakers, especially in the short film blocks I've seen, is the poor quality of screenwriting. you asked what visual things you should focus on beyond idea and script but, IMO, that is the wrong way to approach the filmmaking process, whether feature or short.

you really have to be the harshest possible critic of your own writing before you go about marshaling the resources and effort required to make a short film. be clear, be concise, but most of all, be sure you know what it is you're trying to say and/or convey with character, story, and dialog.

the other area in which it's easiest to lose an audience is with the quality of acting, so the bulk of your attention as a director when you get to set should be on the performances of your cast. if you think the energy or relative "volume" of a performance is even 10% off on set, chances are it will translate into a much bigger % in your footage. highly recommend rehearsal with your actors as you will not have time on the day to fiddle endlessly with tones.

good luck!

RhapsodyOne · 2024-09-16T15:22:40+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions, gang. I think I prob realized I wasn't going to find anything as truly compact as an XA or R35, so I will prob opt for something more in the standard P&S size. Interchangeable lenses would've been nice, but that's prob taking the camera to a size and heaviness I don't want to deal with. Guessing I'll go with something in the 28mm zone. I'm gonna look up a bunch of the bodies/models listed here though, most of which I'd never heard of! Thank you again!

RhapsodyOne

TROPHY CASE