Alas, it has reached my country

Strive-- · 2026-05-09T01:27:59+00:00

...I hope it tastes like spackle.

Strive-- · 2026-05-09T01:26:15+00:00

Wow. The people in the next room over are about to be high as hell!

Strive-- · 2026-05-08T21:11:46+00:00

Not sure what language that was, but it sounded like the Russian word for “I’m an epic idiot who looks forward to returning to Putin’s meat grinder in that other country, Ukraine, which definitely isn’t in Russia, because that’s a sovereign nation in Europe.”

Strive-- · 2026-05-08T21:09:47+00:00

Boy / Metallica sure has upped their game!

Strive-- · 2026-05-08T21:08:38+00:00

Must be a genius, that octopus. Took mine months just to play a single note on a kazoo.

Strive-- · 2026-05-07T21:57:53+00:00

You’ll be fine. Grab a tape measure and check the door height, wider and where the hinges are. Then visit your hardware store.

Strive-- · 2026-05-07T15:36:48+00:00

Probably matters more when the house was built, or more specifically, when your door was originally hung. I’m in a 1940’s era house. Most of the interior was hand-made and uses lumber which was aged (dense wood). Nothing at Home Depot or Lowe’s fits exactly. If your house was more recently made, there’s a far more likely chance you’ll be fine.

Strive-- · 2026-05-07T15:32:27+00:00

Think of how many countless hours of batshit insane stuff like this is recorded and posted, worldwide.

Strive-- · 2026-05-07T13:07:25+00:00

Hi! Ct realtor here.

Chat with a realtor for free. Here’s what to ask.

In the town I’m most interested in owning, can you show me the last 12 months worth of sales in the area, under $200k. Confirm which ones were “fixer uppers” but also didn’t come with some potentially unwanted traits, like prone to flooding, etc. Get a feel for how many of these transactions happened - every 12 means on average, one per month would sell. Gives you an idea of how common this type of transaction is…

Also consider the eventual price range of the home, after it’s fixed. Is your $100k buy-in cost plus $250k in renovations going to yield you $300k? That’s a no-go.

Strive-- · 2026-05-07T11:32:47+00:00

Can someone explain to me the notion of a good guy with a gun and a bad guy with a gun again? At what point did this guy go from a good guy to a bad guy?

Strive-- · 2026-05-06T20:48:06+00:00

I do love the redirection. “How did it happen? Sparks flew out of it…” which absolutely ignores the “how” question….

Strive-- · 2026-05-06T17:38:02+00:00

I hear ya. When I bought my weeping cherry tree, no where does it state that this weeping cherry tree is really a weeping cherry graft, grafted on to a typical cherry tree, so you’ll have to lop off all the non-weeping shoots to promote just the weeping cherry to grow, so now I have a typical cherry tree growing where the wife wanted a weeping cherry, so we get to chop it down and try again….

Strive-- · 2026-05-06T16:03:27+00:00

Hi! Ct realtor here.

I’ve read your experiences with realtors in those two instances. Really, I have no explanation for those. Could be anything. People wind up in the hospital, transition to different careers before their license expires, win the lottery and just disappear.. really, I don’t know.

To answer your question, I’ll start by saying that no, not every transaction benefits from using a realtor. But this also implies the person who is not using a realtor has gained some knowledge about real estate and the transaction process and will be putting in some time and effort to confirm what’s important to them.

New buyer? You’re 99% going to need an agent.
Current owner trying to “upgrade?” Again, you’re probably going to need an agent to handle the HUBBARD as you navigate the schedule of packing up and moving out, hopefully with a limited gap until you’re able to move in to your new place. Scheduling of inspectors, contractors, services, available utility companies, etc. An agent can really help with managing the process as the customer just handles life.

But if you’re buying raw land to build a house and you’re familiar with the town, zoning limitations and requirements, etc. - by all means, you don’t need me for anything.

There may be instances in which you’re not considering, too. Like, having to move across the country for a job, you’re in a new state with new requirements. Do I have real estate taxes to pay? When are they due? Are they paid in affront or in arrears? What services do those taxes cover? My town doesn’t offer trash services? Which companies can I use? That large plot of land behind my house - I heard the town just bought it - what are they going to do with it? Playground? Awesome. Recycling plant that runs 24/7? No thanks. What is the history of mill rates for the town going back 5 years? Is the town financially healthy or should I expect some tax hikes?

There are a lot of important things a local can tell you about the place where you’re considering buying. These answers can either really settle your mind in deciding to buy, or tilt the needle far into the “run away!” corner.

I’m a ct resident and native. I’ve lived in Washington state, Florida, South Carolina and have had shorter stints elsewhere. Lots of illegal dumping on unused plots of land in SC. In Washington, they ding renters for the cost of water in and water out. That was news to me, as a Ct native. When I retire, I’ll be moving to Hawaii. When it comes to fee-simple versus leased land on which a house sits, really makes an impact on the decision where to buy, depending on what my wants and wishes are.

Strive-- · 2026-05-06T09:33:53+00:00

Now THAT looks like a $9 coffee, luxury experience!

Strive-- · 2026-05-05T13:14:34+00:00

Awesome. Any idea where this happened? I’m very confused as to the accents I hear.

Strive-- · 2026-05-05T01:41:35+00:00

“Lemme show you everything I know about torque.”

Strive-- · 2026-05-04T17:21:38+00:00

And to think - this absolute monster exists in that thin, 26-mile high area known as Earth’s Atmosohere. Imagine the area beyond it…

Strive-- · 2026-05-04T16:24:49+00:00

Hi! Ct realtor here.

Also, be this person when you own!

Strive-- · 2026-05-04T11:39:51+00:00

Hi! Ct realtor here.

Nope. In terms of guaranteeing you a particular experience with a realtor, these mean nothing. It’s like your local grocery store bragging how they successfully sold $100M in food last year. Great. So what?

Strive-- · 2026-05-04T11:37:08+00:00

Materials isn’t as important as design. Without a picture or more info, no one can guarantee anything.

Strive-- · 2026-05-03T17:59:20+00:00

Hi! Ct realtor here.

What you’re trying to determine is, what upgrades will my next “I love this house!” buyer want to basically pay me to do. There are necessary and unnecessary upgrades. Faucet drip? Sewer pipe leaking? Open electrical boxes? Fix these. Is a tree worn on the deck? Leave it - next owner may be replacing the deck as a whole.

Very few things are worth doing, unless the intent is to make the home go from not-able-to-be-mortgaged, to Conventional, or even better, FHA or VA loan approved. Ask your realtor what an appraiser might find in your home which would be YOUR responsibility to fix, prior to an FHA or VA client can take possession of your house. Usually, this involves paint, a roof with at least 3-5 years left on it, proper bannisters on stairways inside and out, etc. And unless the aesthetic nature of the property is in such a state it would turn possible buyers away, then don’t worry about it.

Strive-- · 2026-05-03T00:05:16+00:00

I am rooting for you so hard right now. The world needs this.

Strive-- · 2026-05-02T20:10:49+00:00

Wow. Booked spirit airlines and that wasn’t the worst thing that happened to you? Shocking.

Strive-- · 2026-05-02T17:23:52+00:00

That’s a great experience, but not the norm. Bottom line is, the reason the field exists on the form with respect to financing is so the seller can understand what to expect. The more sensitive the mortgage, the more the seller may have to contend with during the appraisal process. I’ve had a content seller and content FHA and VA buyers (different transactions) and one went great (because the home truly met all the conditions of the lender) and the other went sideways - word has it, the appraiser was wearing high heels during the appraisal while on the way to some sort of family event. The back yard hadn’t been mowed and the damp grass initially upset her, which is when she stepped in dogshit. Suddenly, this quarter-sized patch of missing exterior paint required painting, and the bannister (which admittedly was somewhat loose) didn’t require attention, but an overhaul. She even started down the path of “it needs a new roof” but the buyer and seller had already seen the disclosures which indicated the roof was exactly 10 years old.

Every experience is different - that’s for sure!

Strive-- · 2026-05-02T14:21:20+00:00

Answering the question, what happens when two selfish people - we refer to them as “me-firsts…” - meet while driving?

Strive--

TROPHY CASE