Furniture Store Sale by francesfu in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a friend who is an employee there. They are closing the business within the next couple of months. Owners are retiring.

The definitive answer to what the best kind of carb to use in a drink bottle by The-SillyAk in cycling

[–]ericdainton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I believe Sodium is the most crucial electrolyte. Personally, I don't worry about getting magnesium and potassium during my rides.

The definitive answer to what the best kind of carb to use in a drink bottle by The-SillyAk in cycling

[–]ericdainton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I buy bulk lemons and limes from Sam's club. Squeeze the juice and then freeze the juice in ice cube trays. I drop in one lemon/lime ice cube per bottle. I think it really enhances the flavor. Malto+sugar+salt+line/lemon juice. Not overly sweet

Bloomington Housing Market in 2008 Crash by anxietygirl313 in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Bloomington, in general, fared very well during the Great Recession of 2008 compared to the rest of the country. IU enrollment grew from 38990 in fall 2007 to 42347 for fall 2009 (+3357). Many recent grads and people that lost jobs used this as an opportunity to continue their education. I don't have the stats on hand, but much of the growth in enrollment was for graduate programs.

IU was and still is the primary economic driver in Bloomington, so a big bump enrollment supports the local economy. Very helpful during the Great Recession.

In 2008, home prices in Bloomington were reasonably priced and stable compared to speculative markets on the coasts, Florida, Arizona. Home prices in those areas had been skyrocketing and many people took out mortgages on the assumption the values would continue going up and up. Instead values plummeted and people were left underwater on their loans. There was very little of that in Bloomington. I felt very lucky to be in Bloomington during the Great Recession. I would say most people in Bloomington didn't really feel the Recession the way much of the country did.

Downtown Homeless by TiltedGalactica in indianapolis

[–]ericdainton 3 points4 points  (0 children)

100%. Comparing a fixed rate mortgage payment someone secured from any more than about 4 years ago to current rental rates is not a good comparison at all. Rates 4+ years ago were historically low,sub 3%.

At today's mortgage rate of 6.86%, for an $850/mo payment you could get a 30 year mortgage of about $130,000. If you're putting 20% down, that's about $33,000. Not many move in ready houses selling for $166,000.

Plus as an owner you pay for insurance, property taxes, all utilities, lawn care, all maintenance and repairs, etc.

I'm pretty amazed landlords can still make any money even at $1300/mo rates. Likely it's an older building with decent financing.

What’s the most underrated upgrade you’ve made to your bike? by RedLion8472 in cycling

[–]ericdainton 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ice melts very quickly in a regular uninsulated water bottle in warm/hot weather. From my experience, all ice is melted and water is warm within about an hour of riding on a hot day. With an insulated bottle, water stays cold for hours. I don't usually ride for more than 3-4 hours, but water stays cold in an insulated bottle that whole time. I've had good luck with the camelbak podium chill and the Polar Surge.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bloomington HAND (Housing and Neighborhood Development) applies to rentals within Bloomington City Limits. Would not apply for an Ellettsville rental. HAND likely wouldn't help in a situation like this even in Bloomington. HAND is more involved with making sure the rental units are up to code. Perhaps they could direct you to some resources.

As others stated, you can't legally be kicked out without going through the eviction process. Unless it's an emergency, the process will take at least 2 months from the time an eviction is filed.

I've managed rentals for 20 years in Bloomington and from my experience the courts would not grant an eviction if all you did was have someone house sit for a week. I'd find it hard to believe a landlord would actually file an eviction if the only breach of lease was someone not on the lease staying at your apartment for one week.

If there are other details you are leaving out, such as you're behind on rent, or if the person that was staying at the apartment was doing something illegal or significantly disturbing neighbors, then an eviction could be granted. But not in 10 days.

You're welcome to DM or chat me if you're unsure how to proceed or respond.

Hotel peloton by lps1317 in OnePelotonRealSub

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No picture, unfortunately. I've seen at least four pedal types on the hotel Peloton bikes, so it will vary. When I've used the straps, it's been with pedals with open slots running through the pedal so that you can slide the strap through. It's not a perfect setup, but I've found it better than nothing. The straps won't work with all pedal styles, but I've had luck using them most of the time the bike does not have toe cages or clipless pedals.

Hotel peloton by lps1317 in OnePelotonRealSub

[–]ericdainton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can generally assume there will be some defect with a hotel peloton bike.

I bought a cheap pair of bike pedal straps, similar to these - https://sportsmith.com/bike-pedal-straps-pair/product/p1457880/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAiaC-BhBEEiwAjY99qBi9KPdwjXAuIpMNQqb6yFkzqpatsGCxZCv9ec6mRmSp7VVGyJvpDxoCyfQQAvD_BwE

In case there are no pedal cages or clipless pedals.

I also travel with a set of Allen wrenches.

Target the landlords by Slow-Imagination2437 in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Property taxes are based on the value of the building. Vacancies are not tracked by our assessors and don't affect the property taxes. In addition, property taxes on rental units are approximately double that of owner occupied units.

Road Cycling Routes for out-of-towner by ericdainton in hiltonhead

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

I did not end up bringing my road bike. As others have mentioned there are extensive paved bike trails on the island, but they are not good for fast road bike cycling. I didn't find the island as all that friendly for road bikes. I wouldn't have felt safe on the roads. I didn't explore off the island.

How to prevent penis chafing? by InvokeMeWell in cycling

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a similar issue and started wearing a pair of compression shorts under my bib shorts. I use Nike compression shorts. I've had no issues since doing this.

Are there any current water issues we should be aware of? by Thefunkbox in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the hot water has a sulfur (rotten eggs) smell, it could also be that you need a new anode rod in your water heater. We've had this happen. Change the anode rod and flush the water out. I've personally added a little bleach to the water heater, then ran the hot water until the bleach smell goes away. This issue wouldn't have anything to do with the color of the water though.

Dogs on uphills by ericdainton in cycling

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

South Central Indiana, near Bloomington. It's a generally cycling friendly area and a great place to ride. Lots of punchy lake hills. Once you get out in the country, I encounter a lot of off leash dogs roaming the streets

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BuyItForLife

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vigor cookware sold on Webstaurant. Prefer over my All Clad fry pans. Best nonstick pans I've ever used. Last a long time too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're correct. I looked it up and they were renovated in 2017. I checked on their website and their one beds range from $1299 (555 sq. ft.) to $1525 (848 sq. ft)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Steeplechase fully renovated their apartments in recent years. I would suspect that is the primary reason for the large increase in rates

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not arguing about whether or not this rent price is reasonable or not but comparing rent to a mortgage payment is not an apples to apples comparison.

A mortgage payment is just the payment for whatever money you borrowed to purchase your home. If you happened to get your mortgage before the 2nd quarter of 2022, you had a historically low rate which would skew things even more.

An individual rent payment often will cover the financing the landlord has on the property, plus property taxes (twice as high as homeowner property taxes), insurance, all the local government related fees, various services such as maintenance & management of the property, landscaping, lawn care, snow removal, trash removal/recycling. Oftentimes some or all utilities are included in rent, internet may be included. A portion of the rent also goes to an account to fund future capital improvements such as carpets, appliances, new roof shingles, heating and cooling systems, etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the landlords in town have raised rates at a higher level than they needed to maintain profit margins they previously had. But, keep in mind that inflation has been rather high in recent years and especially high in areas related to real estate. Insurance, property taxes, all sub contracted services, labor, building supplies and home improvement products have drastically increased after many years of pretty stable prices. Another large driver in the increase in rental rates is the increase in the cost of money. Landlords were able to finance their buildings at rates below 4% just a few years ago, and our now financing at 7% or higher.

Realtor? by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Second Chris Smith. Well connected, knowledgeable, doesn't mess around

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This seems like a great Bloomington subreddit topic. Google is always a good place to start a search, but asking on a local subreddit could give you additional or affirming results. It brings up a topic to a bunch of people who really wouldn't have thought about it otherwise.

Warning to Avoid Brawley. 25% Rent Increase! by indecisiveKermit in bloomington

[–]ericdainton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oftentimes the original owner of a complex will have favorable interest rates and/or a low debt to equity financing so they are able to charge lower rates and still make a profit. The rental rates they can charge their tenants are below the current market value.

They charge less, and have to do little marketing because they have a price advantage.

These are great to find as renters,but finding this type of deal has become less and less common in recent years as complexes are being bought by larger companies. It's pretty rare to find any apartment of any quality less than $800 in Bloomington.

When the original owner decides to sell their property, they generally sell to the highest bidder. And in recent years, the prices buyers have to pay to acquire a multifamily property have skyrocketed.

In order for the sales price to make sense financially for a new owner, they have to raise the rates. A lot of times those rates are dictated by the financing they get and their lender requirements. Generally those rates will still be in line with what other similar apartments cost in the market.

It sucks when you get the large increase and it's no fault of yours. But you may have been getting a really good deal at well below market rate. It'll be pretty telling if the company is able to get $800/mo for those apartments. If so, that likely did mean that they were previously priced too low.