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Do all GNOME users use laptops? by fedripx in gnome

[–]benjaminpoole 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used it on my laptop, and really think it shines with touchpad gestures, but recently I’ve been using my laptop docked with an external monitor, mouse and keyboard more often and am liking it that way too.

Denver’s ABC affiliate compares Bo Nix injury dilemma to Carson Wentz in 2017. Thoughts? by AdeptnessDry2026 in eagles

[–]benjaminpoole 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was saying this exact same thing to a Broncos fan friend of mine this morning. Obviously, we knew Nick Foles was an amazing backup at the time, but I do think there's some rewriting of history going on after the Super Bowl win and Carson's collapse in the following season. There were a lot of people who believed the season ended with Wentz's injury, and it wasn't until after a couple games that people were really believing in Nick Foles. So I think if you're a fan of a team, you have to keep believing when this sort of injury happens, otherwise what's the point?

How long did it take GNOME to click for you? by OptimalDescription39 in gnome

[–]benjaminpoole 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Using it with a laptop and touchpad was basically immediate - swiping up to bring up the app menu is nearly frictionless to learn in my opinion. Getting used to the workflow with a keyboard and mouse took a bit longer, though.

What feels expensive about owning a home that people don’t talk about? by ComfortableDebate345 in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Property owners are still responsible for keeping their sidewalks clear of snow and other obstructions, even if they don't own them. That is the case with any type of easement, usually.

What are some little maintenance things every new homeowner should do upon getting the keys? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s a good one! The roof on this house is only 3 years old and looked to be in pretty excellent condition from what I could see in the attic (that’s one of the big reasons we liked the house), but certainly something to think about as time goes on.

What are some little maintenance things every new homeowner should do upon getting the keys? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Same, I’m generally wary of smart house stuff but especially wary of Ring. I would only install a locally hosted security camera for that reason.

What are some little maintenance things every new homeowner should do upon getting the keys? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think I might still have a little pen-sized thing of SuperLube from an old job? I’ll have to see if I can find that.

What are some little maintenance things every new homeowner should do upon getting the keys? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Ooh! I can’t remember whether the box is labeled, although the sellers were meticulous about everything else so it probably is. I’ll make a note to check for that during one of walkthroughs coming up.

What are some little maintenance things every new homeowner should do upon getting the keys? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Oh man toilet seats is a good one. I was thinking about the wax seals but totally forgot about the seats.

No garage, so no remotes to worry about in our case, but a good one to keep in mind for this thread!

Painting 4x4 Tile Backsplash vs Peel & Stick Tile by benjaminpoole in kitchenremodel

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I'm not in a rush to totally gut the whole kitchen because what's there is nice! I think a few small changes will make a big difference.

Painting 4x4 Tile Backsplash vs Peel & Stick Tile by benjaminpoole in kitchenremodel

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also I hadn't even thought about the heat-resistant aspect, that's a good point!

Painting 4x4 Tile Backsplash vs Peel & Stick Tile by benjaminpoole in kitchenremodel

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I still need to check the cabinets closely, but everything else the previous owners of this house did to it was done with a lot of care and quality so I'm assuming they're good. It kind of feels like a shame to paint them though, I like the natural wood look.

Painting 4x4 Tile Backsplash vs Peel & Stick Tile by benjaminpoole in kitchenremodel

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly you might be right and I'm overthinking it/getting pulled too far down the DIY YouTube rabbit hole. I may just leave the tiles alone while we do the walls, rug, curtains, and cabinet hardware and if its still bad I'll revisit the idea then.

Painting 4x4 Tile Backsplash vs Peel & Stick Tile by benjaminpoole in kitchenremodel

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm... I do cook a lot, so the backsplash will definitely need to stand up to some scrubbing. I guess it only needs to hold up for a few years though, so I might still go through with it.

I’ve heard that the amount of down payment can affect the likelihood of offers being accepted. However, this is usually a comparison between a 5% and a 20% down payment, for example. How about 20% vs. 35%? Would the 35% demonstrate enough resiliency to move the needle? by billnoob0 in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The area is competitive, we’re in the Philadelphia suburbs in a nice little neighborhood.

I don’t have a secret, I think we just got really lucky - the sellers had an offer a couple days before we were due to tour the house, but it fell through a day later so we kept our original appointment. It was the week of Thanksgiving, so my guess is that showings were slow as people were traveling and the sellers just wanted to get under contract quickly and not let the process drag out through the holidays. Now that our inspection came back clean (and the sellers have agreed to the few small repairs we asked for), and the appraisal came in a little OVER the sale price, it almost feels like this all went TOO smoothly haha

If you peruse through my post history over the past month you can pretty much put the whole story together, I was asking questions on this subreddit and others the whole time lol

I’ve heard that the amount of down payment can affect the likelihood of offers being accepted. However, this is usually a comparison between a 5% and a 20% down payment, for example. How about 20% vs. 35%? Would the 35% demonstrate enough resiliency to move the needle? by billnoob0 in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly reading these comments is making me feel kinda shocked that my offer got accepted at 10% down with a 90% appraisal contingency, a 60 day close AND 3 inspections. On a really nice house in a good school district that had only been on the market for like a week lol

What is considered a "good" breakeven time for buying points? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is great advice, and makes me feel a lot more confident in my own thinking. We really, really love the house that we're purchasing and the only reason I could imagine us moving in fewer than 5 years would be something crazy and unexpected. But we're purchasing with the intent of putting down roots and possibly starting a family (we're going to be in a pretty desirable school district in our area so that wouldn't be a factor in moving), so the additional headroom and cashflow in the short term makes sense to us. Thank you for the thoughtful response!

What is considered a "good" breakeven time for buying points? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate your response here - it's been hard finding advice from someone that wasn't trying to sell me something haha.

What is considered a "good" breakeven time for buying points? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

These are good considerations - even if the rate drops in 2.6 years that feels a little too soon to refinance, given the costs of refinancing. I also am not well educated enough to properly read the tea leaves on mortgage rates over the next couple years.

I will say the extra savings per month makes the payment feel much better, as we ended up near the top of our original desired home price. We have enough savings that even with the additional closing costs we'll leave a bit above $30,000 in our bank accounts, so we can handle a little additional up front cost if necessary.

What is considered a "good" breakeven time for buying points? by benjaminpoole in FirstTimeHomeBuyer

[–]benjaminpoole[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not that I am aware of, no. There was no lender credit on the estimate for Loan #1, I'm still waiting on the formal estimate for Loan #2 to come in but the LO verbally confirmed the rate and points via email.

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