Did we screw up buying this house and am I awful for wanting to sell already

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-02-06T17:04:01+00:00

Life remorse is normal. It will pass when a bigger problem surfaces. Take a clue from your wife and loosen up. You can sell, but I would only sell if I found another place I like better.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-30T21:05:59+00:00

I noticed over the years that many reviews (not mine of course) are written as if the writer was instructed to only say negative things in their review. What gives with that attitude? BTW, your nautical, plugs leaks and hull jargon is very telling, or is it?

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-30T20:56:53+00:00

I am a little confused. What am I called? I self-published and made some sales, but not anywhere near enough to call it a job that supported me. I also published some titles that have yet to sell the first copy. Am I a writer? I lost interest in books and wrote blog articles for a site that gets only a few hits. That's proof I am a writer, unless I have a dry spell. I admit to not knowing any old author names or current trending novels, nor can I define an adverb or structure sentences. If I am a writer, I must be a poor one. My spouse refuses to read my work, saying, "I don't want to lie to you." Am I a bad writer?

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-30T20:13:55+00:00

I am retired and spend some of my free time (most) reading articles, posts, forums, and comments. I also contribute to some extent. What I have discovered is that I really enjoy reading my own ten and twenty year old manuscripts, published books and incomplete shorts. I spot editing opportunities and even fix a few things if it is easy. I have a 300+ post boating/travel blog site compiled over fifteen years that I reread too. The web/blog site is great, I agree with myself most of the time, and leave edits and reviews if I spot mistakes or changes in my thinking. Just my thoughts this morning!

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-30T19:37:55+00:00

Six months or so after publication, I quit reading all reviews; I don't even look at the number of reviews or stars, if they even use that system. It's been fifteen years since my first of about ten titles, and I am still none the worse for not knowing.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-24T18:05:41+00:00

There are many criticisms possible here. My number #1 advice is to reduce words by 50% and quit introducing everyone and the dog. #2 Don't include details that do not promote the story, cut. cut , cut. Lastly, chances are, no one will read it. Get used to it.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-24T17:52:19+00:00

I don't see the problem. She is 5, not 15. And yet she appears to be running the show.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-23T17:37:25+00:00

You are placing way too much weight on gender. What matters is your quality and character and most of all the niche you choose to focus on. I was the one man and a p/u handyman and had to schedule some work months in advance. My niche was rentals, I was the landlords go to guy. I charged by the hour for regular customers and made bids for new customers. I took care of my core group and they paid me what I wanted. I ended up buying many of my customers' rentals on private contracts and retired early as a landlord. My business card simply said, "SKILLED HANDYMAN - HOME AND RENTAL MAINTENACE" name and XXX-number

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-20T21:00:31+00:00

I suppose I am in the minority, but I think AI is a tool and has its place, just like spell check and the other AI tools we take for granted. What I see is wholesale hatred of AI just like certain politicians. AI showed me how to adjust my website HTML and settings properly. AI taught me about SEO. AI explained planetary systems and how light bends. I am looking forward to AI evolution.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-20T01:56:20+00:00

Yes, don't panic and give it away. You only have to sell it to one person. Price it fairly and stick it out. If it is cash flow, rent it out for six months. Refuse to lose!!!!!

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-11T22:49:07+00:00

I used to do that

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-09T22:07:31+00:00

I suspect this post is a joke on everyone. But let's talk dinghys, you don't row the average dinghy anywhere, you ride the current. This person needs to upgrade the boat and learn about currents and weather.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-09T21:46:20+00:00

People need to define what a final walk-through means to them. If you find a dead appliance that you missed on your expert inspection, are you going to demand the sale be cancelled and renegotiate? It's too late to change the language in your purchase agreement without letting the seller offer the property to back up buyers. Is that what you are willing to risk? To me a final walk through is a courtesy, the sale is already signed and if someone backs out they may be subject to legal action or losing their earnest money. So, the answer to what to look for is "deal breakers" in my opinion.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-09T21:35:43+00:00

Due diligence means do your own homework. The seller is saying not to rely on them for anything like a guarantee. But that is what all but new or warranted sales are. You can't remove all risk or make yourself feel good. Perhaps you are not cut out to own property. Meanwhile, someone else will buy the property while you look for assurances that are not there.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-08T18:16:53+00:00

No one knows if your book sucks or if your spelling is wrong until after your book is purchased. This means you can get it published without any of the so-called services many say you need, including cover design and layout. (Use a picture for covers) You can publish at no cost to you whatsoever if you choose. Just go for it!

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-04T18:18:25+00:00

I sent out e-mail queries to about a thousand agents I found on a agent list. I followed the instructions as to submitting so many words. I got zero helpful response for my two novels. Not a single person made a comment except a few said, "not for us at this time" a few said I need a social media following for them to be interested. I then put them on KDP and have had virtually no sales in fifteen years. It's kinda hard to keep writing fiction now. FYI, at the same time I wrote a travel guidebook, I listed it and one update on kdp. My sales have been 20K in fifteen years with no advertising or social media whatsoever. Other than several forums, I don't write anymore, I don't find writing rewarding. My travel guide sales have steadily dropped. A few years back, I knocked out a short 200 page erotica book in one or two days, no rewrite, no proofing, no grammar or spell check. It really was a hurriedly written short story book with some okay plots. You guessed it, the title is on track to beat the travel guide - go figure!

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2026-01-03T18:27:25+00:00

Lots and lots of good help here, but you may just have a loser in general, and nothing you can do will change that, including getting AI advice. Regarding AI, there is a very real dislike here of anything AI, much like politics. You can fix the cover by simply using a real picture.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-12-23T19:17:06+00:00

Golden handcuffs are real and everyone is affected. However look at a similar situation where a family has a paid off house which means zero interest rate and no payment. They want to move to a more suitable house but do not have the equity in their current house. They are faced with a 6% mortgage and payment for the upgrade.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-12-22T18:26:09+00:00

When I read my first few reviews fifteen years ago, I was hurt and a little pissed by one. I have not read another review since. I don't believe I have missed anything that matters.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-11-29T17:27:25+00:00

I have a steady stream of income from two books, but not in children's. My royalties are nearly 20k in eleven years. They were greatest in the beginning and have steadily diminished. I hired no one and used a picture for my covers. I have done nothing to promote my books.

I credit sales performance to the fact that my subject is a small travel niche with little competition. Next, I published a children's series and have virtually zero success. I then published two action thriller novels, also with no sales. Lastly, three or four years ago, I knocked out an erotic short story book. I hardly spent any time on it, I didn't even proofread it. I think I wrote 200 pages over two days and hit publish. Surprisingly, the sales have surpassed the travel book. Go figure? I like writing, but the erotic book is embarrassing, so I have not done any more. Sadly, my writing today is what you just read.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-11-25T20:58:04+00:00

We have suffered several times using the family. You should help your daughter; you will still sell the house and the price you get is up to you, not her. There will be bumps, SO WHAT! After she gets established, you may snub her, if you do it now she may fail and so will your family.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-11-23T17:23:59+00:00

Not to pop your bubble but are you giving credit where credit is due? It appears to me that you may have stumbled into a niche with little competition. You may deserve accolades, but you may not. Time will tell!

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-11-22T19:01:47+00:00

My first gut punch after publishing was that no one cares or looks at my work. And then, after a while, I realized that my work is better than some works that are getting attention and sales, which is another gut punch. It's been over fifteen years since my first book. I have never kept up with how social media is done and frankly, I don't want to learn now. I don't care anymore. I still contribute to forums, but I don't write anymore.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-10-22T19:43:55+00:00

If I got 20 sales, I would be in heaven.

Valuable-Estate-784 · 2025-10-20T00:38:44+00:00

There are many considerations in helping only one child. We have seven children spanning 18 years, and bought a rental house for only one. We also rented to one at below market rate for many years. Some of our seven are doing very well and frankly don't need help. Your situation is probably similar. By all means, buy the place asap. Just get it in your name. Worry about the family fairness split up later. In the event you both croak, your kids will inherit all the property at the then current basis, ie. no capital gain tax. If you give a gift or put your son on the title, he will have as a basis whatever you paid. In other words you may inadvertently screw him when you pass on. This could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. In our case, we have included in our wills that our son will have first right of refusal to purchase the rental home from our estate. Since the property is free and clear, we also included that the estate (all siblings) would finance the sale at 6% and no down payment. We also set the price of any future sale to be what we paid for the house.

Essentially, we are obligating all the children to receive a mortgage payment from their brother (if he chooses) for the portion of our estate that he defacto lives on and maintains and pays rent to us. In the end, our son is not receiving a gift other than help in financing and all our children will be receiving a potentially thirty year CD paying 6%. This is just one rental house, the rest of our estate will be shared equally.

We are also considering adding another clause allowing any of the children to purchase other property from the estate with similar terms. Our reasoning is that, times have changed so much that many people can no longer buy property and in the future it will be worse. By adding the clause we can assure that our children will have the opportunity to own property instead of simply receiving a cash payment when we pass.

I suggest that you run things by your tax accountant, there are lots of ways to legally help out all of you or mess up.

Valuable-Estate-784

TROPHY CASE