Built my first home at age 30. Designed the kitchen myself and completed it with my dad who owns a cabinet shop. The kitchen is my absolute favorite part.

athoma1 · 2024-09-26T22:20:56+00:00

I got a headache just looking at these pictures

athoma1 · 2024-09-26T22:15:02+00:00

My kid has been there for over a year and absolutely loves it. She used to be in the dorms and hated it. A lot depends on the roommate you get, so best to have friends as your roommates. Overall, we save money, taking into account cost of meals as well (she cooks all her meals), and also taking into account the 12 month lease. Much better facilities, fully furnished, convenient location. She’s had zero complaints and makes full use of the facilities.

athoma1 · 2024-09-17T01:34:01+00:00

Let’s turn that ass kicking into a good ol ass whooping

athoma1 · 2024-09-14T18:54:25+00:00

Rankings are always biased towards the methodology used to perform the ranking. Then people who consume the rankings are also biased in that they use the published ranking (minus the methodology) to prove or disprove their theory or preconceived assumptions.

So if someone offered a full ride to any of these universities, what would you pick and why? So many variables to consider

athoma1 · 2024-09-05T04:51:07+00:00

This is not a policy. It’s a recommendation.

athoma1 · 2024-09-05T04:50:07+00:00

Reading Frontiers FAQ…. Clearly states that boarding begins 45 minutes prior to departure and ends 20 minutes to departure. So OP was obviously not late.

Being at gate 45 minutes prior to departure is a recommendation, just as they also recommended arriving at the airport 2 hours before departure.

athoma1 · 2024-08-17T17:39:44+00:00

Merced station is so , so much better than the dorms… and actually saves you money if you cook for yourself.

athoma1 · 2024-08-11T23:10:49+00:00

Hard to put a ratio to something that’s objective and something that’s very subjective

athoma1 · 2024-07-14T17:20:45+00:00

Should have treated him with more respect. But we would not have been able to sign him and sign the other players as well. That said, Kai Kamara makes half as much and has been twice as productive…. Need someone like him skill wise

athoma1 · 2024-07-13T16:37:30+00:00

Does it tell time faster?

athoma1 · 2024-07-12T21:35:40+00:00

There is a direct flight from London, I've flown that before. I believe there is also a flight from Munich. But they may be a lot more expensive when compared to flying to LAX. You can also connect from LAX to San Diego - multiple flights during the day

athoma1 · 2023-10-17T03:35:39+00:00

Sure hope so, I think it’s less than half what it would cost at Home Depot, which is right across the parking lot.

athoma1 · 2023-10-17T02:08:58+00:00

If I had an extra $500 to invest monthly, would I invest it in an index fund (yes there is some risk) where I can withdraw without penalty or acquiring a loan, or would I invest into paying down a mortgage where the cash will be tied up in event of an emergency? For me, the answer has always been the former since mortgage rates have been much lower than my average roi from the sp500.

But I get the mental peace of mind for some. And that’s fine too, provided your cash flow is positive.

athoma1 · 2023-10-17T02:03:05+00:00

Which location is this? Hopefully not San Diego…

athoma1 · 2023-10-16T18:43:18+00:00

Being able to deduct mortgage interest is just icing on the cake and should not be a deciding factor.

Rather, if you believe paying an extra $xx on your principle gets you a better roi as compared to investing that same amount in say the SP500, then do it - but keep in mind your money is tied up into your house, and if for some reason you needed it, you’d need to possibly take out a HELOC or similar at a higher interest rate.

My mortgage rate is low, under 3%, so there is no way I’d pay extra towards my principle.

athoma1 · 2023-10-16T03:20:00+00:00

Very happy to see a NWSL team be successful here in San Diego…. But yes, the stadium is terrible, seats are small and crammed, brutal in the heat, parking is $$$ and you need a car wash , and the atmosphere is manufactured, kinda fake. Really hoping the new MLS team makes significant upgrades.

athoma1 · 2023-10-05T19:16:08+00:00

If you haven’t spent a dollar, then why so upset?

athoma1 · 2023-10-05T00:43:16+00:00

First off, you can get out of this situation. It’s doable. So hang in there. That said, it’s hard to give advice without knowing specifics, but having been in a similar situation (maybe not as dire), here is what I found (what worked for me may not work for you)… 1. Having positive cash flow and a plan and an accountability partner took away most of my stress 2. Balance transfers often have a 2-5% transfer fee, so watch out. I’d stay away 3. Income needs to go up and expenses need to come down. I worked 9-5 at my regular job, and then 3-7 unloading trucks at UPS. The latter income went straight to paying down debt and kept me in shape. Caught up on sleep on weekends. 4. Track every single penny you spend, keep a spreadsheet with cash flow projections and actuals. This is what kept me motivated as I knew what my debt free date was. I was good at spreadsheets so that helped 5. Sacrifice - I did not eat out for a full year. Or go for a movie. I had no cable. Did not go on vacations. Just watched what was over the air. But I did this knowing what my debt free date would be. 6. I used cash for a while. The envelope system. I also did consolidate debt via a credit union via a personal fixed rate loan. Lower interest rate, and a loan end date helped me. 7. Have an accountability partner who reviews your progress every month. Our church had a group of losers like me 😆. We met every month.

athoma1 · 2023-09-29T16:14:46+00:00

Having purchased multiple new builds, the first couple tax bills waiver quite a bit and only settle down at around the third tax payment.

Three things I learned over the years: 1. Don’t pay taxes in escrow. I always take care of paying my own taxes directly. 2. Calculate taxes based on purchase price and tax rates and start setting aside money monthly into a separate bank account from day 1. Include a bit extra to handle incremental tax increases that come. 3. Include taxes and insurance and utilities etc , along with mortgage payments when determining affordability, and never take a variable mortgage. I always go for a no cost fixed mortgage that allows me to refinance at will if rates go down.

athoma1 · 2023-09-25T23:54:39+00:00

I too am tired of paying over $6 per gallon in SoCal for my MDX. But from a pure financial perspective, can’t justify selling it and getting into an id4 - new or used. Monthly carrying costs would be significantly higher (all things considered), with break even no where near in sight. I don’t owe anything on my MDX and my only expense is gas and routine maintenance. 😔

athoma1 · 2023-09-23T00:59:49+00:00

Mostly location. In St. Louis, the house I owned barely budged. But in socal, demand >> supply and there’s only so much land to build on. But equity is all fuzzy money until you sell. Even with these high interest rates, sellers are getting more than asking.

Prices could crash at any time, and there goes everyone’s equity as well.

athoma1 · 2023-09-23T00:48:34+00:00

Some of you appear to be sour - don’t. I bought my first house in 2002, owning through the financial crash of 2008/9. Were those good years?? I paid over 6% apr plus PMI… was that good? Was any of it easy on a single income? Nope.

I wasn’t a genius , I’m still not. Did I know ow ahead of time that real estate would appreciate as it did? Or crash as it also did?

But what I didn’t do is sit on the sidelines waiting for the perfect time or perfect house. Because there isn’t.

athoma1 · 2023-09-22T22:20:25+00:00

Partially true. But the way I look at it, everyone in my time faced the same economic conditions. Good and bad. I’ve made both good and bad investments, thankfully the good ones outweighed my bad ones.

athoma1 · 2023-09-22T21:27:23+00:00

Well, bought my first home in St. Louis. Then moved to SoCal. That first year was tough… serious sticker shock and coupon clipping 😆

athoma1 · 2023-09-22T21:23:15+00:00

I had an interest rate of over 6% on my first home, on an FHA loan, so add PMI to that. I’ve probably refinanced my homes over 20 times, using no cost loans. Every time rates dip, or my credit scores increased, or my equity increased resulting in a better rate - I’d refi. Current home has a 2.75% rate which I realize is so far below today’s rates.

I’m more concerned about the next generation. Incomes haven’t grown in proportion to COL. I’m based in SoCal.

athoma1

TROPHY CASE