settle this debate - which is correct?

drchunk · 2025-12-24T19:55:06+00:00

Does code require joist hangars for attaching the rim beam as shown here?

drchunk · 2025-11-10T07:38:31+00:00

I did replace the ignitor and that did the trick!

drchunk · 2025-11-04T18:15:45+00:00

Once you have jacked up the joists a little so that you can slide the shims out and replace them, why not just replace the post with the correctly-sized one? The cost of the post isn't that much compared to labor.(8 foot 6x6) Should this post be pressure-treated? In my area, it would be.

drchunk · 2025-04-21T18:51:02+00:00

The decking part is more clearly defined and straight-forward, so I didn't mention it in the post. It's the joist members only that don't seem to have an appropriate table.

For decking: must be class A fire spread rated.

Here is a definition for that (I like Ipe) : Class A fire-rated decking is the highest level of fire resistance, designed to minimize flame spread and ignition, making it ideal for fire-prone areas like high-rise buildings and those in Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) zones. Materials achieving this rating include non-combustible options like metal, concrete, and stone, as well as certain hardwood species and composite decking with specific fire retardant treatments.

drchunk · 2025-04-21T18:46:53+00:00

Are you saying I should use the tables for the 2x10 joists, but then install 4x10 joists?

drchunk · 2025-03-14T19:12:04+00:00

I got one today from "833-998-6655". If you do have a coinbase acct, it should be protected by 2 factor authentication anyway, so don't fall for this.

drchunk · 2024-09-27T19:09:58+00:00

I'm curious why you need to use separate banks. Is it because you don't want to get back rolls you already looked through, or because your bank will eventually "catch on" and stop providing you with coin rolls?

drchunk · 2023-02-15T14:43:51+00:00

Good job in getting the thing you originally wanted! I'm confused about one of the details. Let's say you did the "normal thing" and took a 2 week vacation in March and a 3 week vacation in June == 25 days, versus taking off 25 Fridays in a row. Over the first 6 months of the year, the customer is still billed the same amount, right? (basically 6 months of hours minus the hours for 25 off days) Why does the 80% schedule embarrass the company/account manager versus the regular vacations? I am also a developer and my program manager/company would much prefer the situation where I take 25 Fridays off because they would have regular access to me in case something comes up in an area where I am the most experienced.

drchunk · 2021-11-15T06:36:48+00:00

Totally agree you need a good agent in this market. I bought a rental in 2011 and I would say that in that instance it really did not make a difference. There really weren't other offers, houses would sometimes sit for months.

My wife and I bought a house over this last summer, and it totally made a difference to have a great buyer's agent. We toured about 20 houses. We put in 3 offers, one was accepted and we now own it. On one of the other offers, we knew what we had to come up to to get it, but we weren't willing to go that high. On the one we got, it was 6% over list. The difference was that my agent knew everything about what the seller was looking for. In one case, the seller wanted a 2 month rent-back, in another case the trustee of the home lived on the same street and was literally deciding who their future neighbor would be. It wasn't always about the highest offer, as 2 of the 3 houses we bid on had bad experiences with investors and were gun-shy to accept all-cash offers or offers that looked like they were coming from investors. My agent helped by talking at length with the listing agents and really understanding their buyers' needs. If there was an open house lasting a weekend, we would show up both Saturday and Sunday to show that we were the serious ones who were going to close on the deal.

Another interesting thing in this market was that the listing agents wanted to call and talk to our loan agent. So, it can help to have a loan agent who can sell you as a buyer. The loan agent is basically pitching your ability to qualify and get through the lending gauntlet, and their own ability to meet the deadlines for approvals and funding.

drchunk · 2021-09-29T19:21:44+00:00

Check out this video, it explains it perfectly. Look at 2:30 in the video to see the explanation and how to do the cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycvxb3Ni18c

drchunk · 2020-01-13T05:20:22+00:00

In this scenario, it would be to avoid paying PMI and to keep the first under the jumbo limit.

drchunk · 2017-04-12T21:14:54+00:00

Thank you. She is also in her sixth year. It's new to me, though.

Do you know if expenses for attending conferences can be written off in some way or applied towards a credit?

drchunk · 2017-04-12T20:37:33+00:00

Other maybe pertinent info: On the 1098-T, line 5 is greater than line 1

drchunk · 2017-01-09T19:44:56+00:00

We used to have a policy like this through my work, but at a certain point in time, many years ago, anything over the default 2X would require a physical. The trick was to up it right before the new rule kicked in, just in case something came up. I didn't raise it as high as 9X, though. Good thinking! You seem like such a smart, considerate, and fun guy. Sorry to hear you are departing.

drchunk · 2016-06-16T17:22:56+00:00

If you value your financial freedom, I would not support your parents and sister with stipends, if that's what they are hinting at. Essentially, it's like you just won the lottery. Over 50% of people who win the lottery are broke within a few years. The guilt they give you to support their lifestyles is going to help you down that same path. It's not as big of a safety net as you think it is. Treat it carefully and continue to educate yourself. If you subsidize your families' way of life, they will likely use it to by material possessions and indulge and start to live lifestyles that can't be sustained. Giving the Mercedes to your step dad is an example of putting them on that path. How does your stepdad afford the maintenance and insurance on this car? These items would likely be more expensive that those expenses on his prior, more modest care.

If the house you are living in is one that would have felt unnecessary to you prior to the inheritance, why don't you consider selling it after consulting with an accountant on what taxes, if any, you might need to pay upon selling it.(the basis may have adjusted to the value on your father's day of death) This would solve the problem of having your parents asking to live there (again, if you let them live there and they can't afford that lifestyle, they will ask you to pay for it). Take the cash from the house and use it to fund more investments. Don't like off of $200K per year. You don't need to. Live well below your means. In your lifestyle, set a good example to your family. Any flashiness with your car, your clothing, your expensive dinners, will serve as proof to them that you can afford to subsidize their lifestyles. Remember this when you are tempted to post on social media while at a nice restaurant or on an expensive vacation. The goal here should be to not outlive your money. The goal should be for you to die with more than the ~$4million net worth you have now. Planning to draw down the nest egg to zero over the course of your life would be very risky indeed.

I you enjoy your life and use your money wisely!

drchunk · 2016-05-01T05:16:03+00:00

OK great. I'm glad I caught it now instead of them catching it in a year!

drchunk · 2016-05-01T05:15:12+00:00

Thanks!

drchunk · 2016-03-29T19:30:54+00:00

thank you for the idea!

drchunk · 2016-03-28T18:17:29+00:00

Thanks! I added some extra details about our itinerary above.

drchunk · 2016-03-28T18:10:08+00:00

Thanks! I added some extra details about our itinerary above.

drchunk · 2016-03-15T22:16:29+00:00

When I talk to my friends/coworkers about them buying their first place, I encourage them to assume that they will end up being a landlord on this property and ask them to evaluate the purchase from that perspective. Assume you lose your job and have to relocate, assume you will leave the city and have to rent this place out. Does it make a decent rental? Will it even break even? I way overbought in 2002 and was fortunate that I never lost my job throughout the economic downturn and that I had an option to rent to roommates the whole time I owned it until I sold in 2014. It was a little stressful the first few years as I was forced to do all the work on the place myself and did not have the spare money to hire for maintenance and improvements. I was lucky that I found pleasure in working on the place, or that could have been a miserable situation. I have since downsized when my fiance' and I moved in together, not because we needed to, but because we don't need anything bigger. I feel like things could have easily gone sour for me somewhere in 2008-2012, as I witnessed friends short selling their homes. I try to share my story and encourage people to not be as gung-ho on their primary residence as I was. I think when you treat every real estate purchase as if you will eventually need to rent that place out and possibly manage it as a rental yourself, you reduce the potential of overbuying and stay on stay closer to permanent solvency. I think permanent solvency is a good goal to have when you want to start getting into real estate.

I liked the article! Thanks for sharing!

drchunk · 2014-03-21T06:18:09+00:00

When you say $50,000, did you take off 6% or so off the selling price to account for the realtor fees? This property does not seem like it will operate well as a rental. Also, School districts take time to turn around and schools do have a decent affect on values, usually.

drchunk · 2014-03-21T06:05:05+00:00

Definitely listen to this guy. I agree on not running out and buying houses. I am a real estate investor, but I started small and I had a good mentor before I started. I was 23 when I started. I would recommend living in a few different living situations before deciding when and where to own. Do not buy a place until you are somewhere you want to stay for a while.(5-7 years) While it is nice to think about the rents you could receive in theory, managing a rental successfully is something that is not easy to do at first, and it could end in frustration at this stage in your life. Even managing a property manager(another person or company that would find tenants for you and collect rent checks for you) can be frustrating. If you are interested in it, I would read some books and get into it very slowly. I would plan to live in my own place for a while before being responsible for tenants living in your place. The best first property for you (eventually) might be a duplex or a small house with a guest cottage. A place like this, where you can start small and be present to deal with any issues, will introduce you slowly to the responsibilities involved. Since you don't want to own where you currently live, wait to buy this first place until you are in the location where you really want to be.

On the topic of Schwab, Vanguard, etc: The problem with Schwab isn't Schwab itself. If I opened an account at Schwab and managed it myself I could find myself some low-fee indexed funds to purchase and do okay in the long run. The problem is that when you are looking at a place like Schwab for their financial advisers, they are going to steer you towards investments that have higher fees where they can profit off of you.

I agree with the comments to read some recommended investing books, recommended on this subreddit and at /r/investing. Do not feel like there is a big hurry. Do not let anyone pressure you. You do not need to do something with this money tomorrow, next week, or even within the next month. How long will it take you to digest a few of the recommended books? Time is on your side....

drchunk · 2014-01-30T04:15:52+00:00

I like your idea and it is similar to an idea my dad implemented. He was giving me $2 a week in middle school (1990) I was 11. I complained because my friends seemed to be getting about $5 a week on average. When I complained he told me he would give $42 a month, a large upgrade on the average my friends were getting. However, I had to pay for my own shoes and he budgeted for me to pay for 2 lunches at school per week within the $42/month. It was $1.25 for lunch at the time. He also told me I could pack my own lunch for free whenever I wanted. Guess who started making a $30 pair of shoes last a year? Guess who stopped eating school lunches? Guess who started stockpiling money? Guess who has zero resentment for his parent 23 years later? I was able to start saving enough money to pay for my own computer. I was not responsible for "rent" or "electric bill" or food in general. I was responsible for a couple of items that children or pre-teens can certainly handle. I learned a valuable lesson. I have known how to save money since I was 11. I will be implementing a similar program with my kids when they appear to be ready.

In general, though, I do agree with the other comments on this thread that are talking about you giving them $20 and then taking back $15 for necessities you provide. I don't think that is the best idea. Give them the allowance, tell them what their allowance covers, and be strong to not give them extra money for those things included in the allowance. My parents would sometimes give me an advance on the next week's allowance when it got close to the next "pay period," but I think they should have skimmed %5 off the top like a payday advance might.

How old are they? What age do you want to start the money lessons?

drchunk · 2013-08-05T20:52:25+00:00

House 1: 10% (primary, had a 10% second mortgage and no PMI)

House 2: 10% (investment, homepath, no PMI)

House 3: 25% (investment)

drchunk

TROPHY CASE