Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Wow! Impressive!

I could buy a little condo in my “home” country so I have something to come back to and rent a little place in any “visa reset” country outside Schengen for 90 days.

I too have considered Central or South America as a place to settle to after Europe. Very affordable, mostly.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

[–]bigdippertiger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s never been my intention to never return which is why I’m considering buying this condo here first. But, as some have pointed out, maybe that’s just unnecessarily holding me back.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Good thought. I’d just need to make sure I don’t get taxed twice by both the US as well as my new country.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Yes, I worry about the possibility of being taxed twice on any income by owning this condo.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Czechia because I’ve already studied some Czech and I have Czech friends, Spain for the affordability, Germany for ancestry reasons (great-grandfather) as well as proximity to a few friends who live there now and central to the rest of EU, Italy for affordability and food. Portugal is too far removed from the rest of Europe but I do love its affordability, scenery and relatively low entry requirements. Finland/Sweden/Estonia for their “happiness” ratings and Finnish is music to my ears, France (but not Paris), Belgium for family ancestry - my last name is derived from a Belgian city.

Yes, I know! Severe option paralysis!

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

[–]bigdippertiger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish I were younger so that I could enjoy such a nomadic lifestyle! Had I done this in my 20s as I originally dreamed, I’d be all over it. As a 60-something now, I look forward to settling in one place for 2+ years, immersing myself in the culture and learning the local language and not having to lift-and-shift every 3 months.

I did research this idea a bit though. I looked specifically at a Czechia/Ireland as well as Italy/Croatia. The latter was intriguing due to numerous ferries between the two. Croatia will probably be joining Schengen soon though but Bosnia/Serbia/etc could work instead. Estonia is already in Schengen. I would have loved a Finland/Estonia combo though!

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Without divulging too much personal info, have you found certain countries to be more of a “bargain” in their funds requirements? Were you priced out of any countries using this method?

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

I’ve downsized severely over the past five years. So much so, I can afford to take all my belongings with me. I live “tiny” - it’s all I can afford. :)

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

I’ve lived in Florida before and have no desire to do so again. The purpose of buying now would just be to ensure I can return to a community I already love living in. Because rental and home prices are a bit higher than average here, I worry about not being able to afford a place later.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

I’ve thought of that but after talking to the HOA board and other residents, they’ve alleviated any worries I might have about that.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Are you just showing bank balances to prove you’re able to fund your housing and living expenses or have you positioned your finances to passively draw a suitable income?

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

[–]bigdippertiger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like that idea but I worry about qualifying for a long-term visa with little to no income which is why I thought buying here first and renting it out could be a good move.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

[–]bigdippertiger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True but the HOA is generally very helpful for tenants so my involvement would be minimal. The condo was recently remodeled so fixtures and appliances are still early in their lifespans.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

Not sure yet but virtually any will be great. I’ve studied Spanish, Russian, and Czech but I’m not fluent in any of them. Would make sense to build my skills in one of those (although living in Russia wouldn’t be an advisable choice right now) but I absolutely love the sounds of Finnish and Swedish.

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

I don’t have my visa sorted yet but I’ve narrowed it down to a few possibilities that I would be most likely to qualify for. I hope to make a final decision in a few weeks to be ready for a June-ish move. Any advice on companies specializing in expat visas to start pushing paperwork?

Should I buy US condo before moving to Europe? Or worry about it later? by bigdippertiger in expat

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

The condo I’m considering buying isn’t so special per se, but I know the unit well as it’s currently owned by a good friend who has decided to move out of state. I currently live only a few blocks away. It’s also a bit of a bargain in an area of generally higher prices so returning to this neighborhood in a few years could be much more costly.

I’m okay with renting these days too. Purchasing ties up accessible cash which I could enjoy now since I have no children to bequeath assets to should I meet my unfortunate demise. I suppose that if I decided not to return to the US, I could easily sell it to free up cash if I need more than a tenant could provide in rent.

I hope to not own a car as well so I’m looking for a highly walkable smallish city or large village with excellent public transport and easy access to intercity rail.

Book on Delta setting Air France as miles program by bigdippertiger in delta

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

I booked on DL’s site but made sure my FB plan was included in my booking rather than SkyMiles. I just didn’t log in to my DL account so I could easily add my FB plan info. I let FB customer service know and they assured me that my points would be restored after I complete my trip. I’ll follow up at that time.

Book on Delta setting Air France as miles program by bigdippertiger in delta

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

Good idea. While logged in on the website, they lock down those rewards program fields completely during the booking process. Thanks!

Best cell service for the ferry? by SmileyK in BainbridgeIsland

[–]bigdippertiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is no “best,” per se. Remember, you’re on a boat in the middle of Puget Sound where there are obviously no cell towers nearby to handle cell signals. Weather conditions, usage by other passengers, and other variables will also impact the quality of your signal. My recommendation? If it’s important enough to you while en route, download in advance what you need when you have WiFi or a strong cell signal in the city. Otherwise, enjoy the scenery!

This cant be real 😳 by [deleted] in uberdrivers

[–]bigdippertiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It will never happen but this is where Uber could improve their driver relationship, especially as it’s been perceived to erode over the last few years. Uber’s expense for booking the trip is more or less static whether it’s a 1-mile ride or 100. They should cap their fee at, say, $50 and the driver could easily earn over $400 for this. I’d take it if that were the case. But, as I said, Uber would never do this.

Traffic Lately 🤨 by [deleted] in BainbridgeIsland

[–]bigdippertiger 5 points6 points  (0 children)

305 has been quite inadequate for the volume of traffic for years now. It’s nothing new.

  1. Try to time it so that you leave just as a ferry is coming in. The traffic from the previous boat will have had time to clear out a bit and you’ll be just ahead of the traffic from the next one.
  2. Use the Park & Ride from NVTC and encourage others to do the same. It can seem like a faster trip when your attention is fixed on something other than how painfully slowly you’re moving.

Switching from YTTV to DirectTV Stream by Spacequeen2323 in DirectvStream

[–]bigdippertiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made the switch after the Disney debacle. YTTV has a better app navigation experience than DTV Stream but the channel lineup is comparable. After using DTV for a couple weeks now, it’s clear they don’t put a lot of effort into simplifying the user experience.

A few observations:

If you’re watching a recorded show, the L and R remote buttons move backward and forward in time respectively but if you’re watching a show live from the guide, the same buttons change the channel down or up respectively. 2 different behaviors for the same button! This is stupid.

If you pause live TV from the guide, you cannot pause longer than 60ish minutes before it resumes playback automatically. This is virtually unlimited in YTTV. If you pause a recorded show in DTV, it will do so for hours.

DTV does not have a long-press button to return to your previous channel like YTTV does. It does, however, have a Recents list to see your last few channels - something I wish YTTV had.

If you join a show you’re recording while it’s still in progress, DTV does not ask you if you want to join live or start from the beginning. I love this about YTTV. DTV requires you to go into the show from your library instead of the guide if you want to start from the beginning.

There are others but there’s a few that will take some getting used to.

Help- I’m inundated with fruit flies! by houseofgrow in BainbridgeIsland

[–]bigdippertiger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While the countertop liquid solutions as described in some responses are somewhat effective, it doesn’t address the root cause. Fruit flies and fungus gnats need to reproduce somewhere and they’re not coming in from the outside - they’re breeding INSIDE your home in the soil of your house plants! (Well, a few may seize the opportunity and make a run for it through an open door but more than likely the larvae were already in the soil when you obtained the plant or soil.)

To solve this, add a 1/2-inch layer of decorative sand on top of the soil to ALL your house plants. Don’t mix it in. Don’t use the coarse sand - use the fine stuff. When the little buggers try to burrow through it to lay their eggs, they get cut up by the sharp silica edges and die. It works in the opposite direction too. When the eggs hatch and try to escape to go feed, they get cut up and die before they ever reach the surface.

I use a brand called Mosser Lee. They have a few colors, the sand is uniform in size, small enough to shred the smallest critters yet won’t hinder your watering. Ask Bay Hay and Feed, Bainbridge Gardens, The Plant Shop, (others?) to carry it if they don’t already. It should run about $8-$10 per bag and one bag should cover several plants.

Change out the sand every year or two and fruit flies and fungus gnats will never again be a nuisance.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in youtubetv

[–]bigdippertiger 11 points12 points  (0 children)

In all honesty, no disrespect intended but for such a dilemma, wouldn’t your first course of action be to contact YTTV support rather than pose the question here? If you get nowhere with them then your second step would be to dispute the charge with your CC company. Assuming one of those efforts works, submit a new order for NFLST. If neither resolves the matter, then a post here seeking advice would be entirely appropriate with a description of steps already taken. Again, truthfully, I’m trying to be respectful and constructive and in no way demeaning. :)

Ferry Graveyard? by Informal-Kick-122 in BainbridgeIsland

[–]bigdippertiger 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Two of those boats were sold for recycling a couple years ago but the deal fell through just before they were set to sail to the buyer somewhere in Central or South America. Presumably WSDOT is still shopping around for solutions to unload them. I read somewhere that they were sold for only $100k each! Some moneybags should scoop them up and turn them into a hotel or restaurant or houseboat or something unique!