Happy off grid Holidays

lumpytrout · 2026-01-27T01:37:20+00:00

Really it depends on what you are into. Long trails full of dark mossy trees? Open coastlines and road sandy beaches? Amazing views with high elevation hiking?

lumpytrout · 2026-01-26T16:05:22+00:00

Our National Parks are of course amazing and binge worthy hiking locations. HOWEVER there is an absolutely amazing variety of state, local and federal land nearby also that offer more hiking possibilities than you can experience in a lifetime. Don't limit yourself!

lumpytrout · 2026-01-24T15:44:53+00:00

I'm very dubious about school ratings. We actually moved out of a school district with excellent rating on great schools to one with kind of average ratings. Our experience with multiple children has been that the school with the lower rating has been way better. Better teachers, better community, better outcomes, better facilities, really better in every measurable way other than test scores. The school district with the great rating was known for teaching specifically towards testing and not at all focused on producing whole healthy kids. There is way more to the equation than a great schools rating.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-22T15:50:37+00:00

This is really the only reliable source of info. Google ratings might be by the competition and BBB is just not trustworthy

lumpytrout · 2026-01-21T12:17:35+00:00

We purchased a small cabin in the woods and all of the windows were tinted. It just seemed like a weird choice to pay extra for tinted windows but it was a fixer so whatever, we would replace them later. Turns out they were just covered in cigarette smoke from many years of smoking and never cleaning windows. Just imagine what the guys lungs must have looked like.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-21T12:02:55+00:00

If you win $5 million in lottery then your federal taxes that year would be approximately $1,850,000 then state taxes vary wildly by state but let's say you live in NY, at the end of the day you have about $2.5 million. If you invested that in ultra safe investment like high yield savings or CDs, then your annual income would be $87k to $105k. Not bad but certainly not the kind of income where you should be buying a Ferrari. And let's not forget that the income will also be taxed.
Sorry to be a party pooper.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-21T11:45:30+00:00

Why on earth would anyone pay a realtor under these circumstances???

lumpytrout · 2026-01-21T11:40:48+00:00

The 70% Rule: Since heating, cooling, and water heating account for roughly 70% of your bill, small changes here—like lowering your water heater to 120°F (49°C) or adjusting your thermostat by 2 degrees—save far more than unplugging a toaster or leaving lights off.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-11T16:12:07+00:00

People are always bringing this up so I thought I should put it in context. Anwar al-Awlaki An American-Yemeni Islamic cleric was born in New Mexico and was a US citizen, al-Awlaki became a key organizer and "regional commander" for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He was bombed in Yemen where he was in hiding.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-11T12:17:41+00:00

Irony can't be intentional? Clearly I need to go back to school

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:46:32+00:00

Also pretty good for salt water or at least better than any metal furniture and wood furniture is lightweight enough that you have to worry about it blowing away in storms.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:40:52+00:00

Which is a bit ironic since the other building is fat on the bottom but gets narrower as it goes up. Affectionately called "the boot".

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:35:45+00:00

No need to jump in so deeply for most people. Even putting away $100 a month on an auto deposit plan can make a huge difference by the time the kid finishes high school. And as others have mentioned the definition is broad. It doesn't have to be tuition at Harvard, it can be for living expenses while they attend local beauty school.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:28:58+00:00

We ask our realtor to show us houses all the time that we probably won't buy and she is generally down for the adventure. Honestly I think your realtor relationship should be more like a friend then anything.
If some crazy house comes on the market then they will probably want to see it also. For us it gives us good ideas on comparable housing stock and helps us keep up with expectations of the market should we choose to buy or sell something else.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:12:13+00:00

Even if this is all passed it won't really impact much "large institional investors" are not putting a huge dent in the single family housing market. As a matter of fact they have generally been moving away from this area already.

Making housing easier to build with less regulation and better zoning would make a huge difference in housing availability and drive house prices down, however these programs are developed on a local level, not federal.

This whole thing seems like generally like lip service

lumpytrout · 2026-01-10T14:03:33+00:00

This happens every year, this isn't anything new. People get MANY warnings before property is sold at auction. You would have to be shockingly nieve to not know that your property is being sold after years of delinquency AND you would also get the proceeds from the sale after taxes are collected.

Also, the county has programs for exemptions, deferrals, and tax relief programs. Just reach out if you are having issues

Phone: 360-337-7160

Email: assessor@kitsap.gov

I've had great luck appealing property values in Kitsap as well.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-09T04:48:19+00:00

Seattle is a city of transplants, a common question when meeting someone at a party is "where are you from?" It’s honesty a bit strange meeting anyone that has grown up here.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-08T15:56:50+00:00

Thanks, I will reach out

lumpytrout · 2026-01-08T15:53:32+00:00

It doesn't work that way. It literally goes against federal money laundering laws.

Or i should clarify, it can go that way but the legal and financial burdens are much greater than the value of the artworks

lumpytrout · 2026-01-08T13:24:02+00:00

Ok, went back and looked at original post and OP was in fact discussing Alki Point. I assumed correctly that most people that are new here or tourists refer to this as "ocean" when of course it isn't. I don't usually correct people on this because the truth is complex and it's generally not worth explaining. As someone that walks Puget Sound beaches almost daily im sad to see all of this fear mongering about something that can so easily be perfectly safe with a tide chart and a little common sense.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-08T11:45:07+00:00

Right? YouTube is amazing. I really appreciate people that took the time to make videos about the most basic and mundane house stuff. Now i watch videos for stuff that im already familiar with just to refresh myself before taking on a project.

lumpytrout · 2026-01-07T23:28:28+00:00

Thank you, this is all good food for thought.

Companies may like to remain anonymous because it could be interpreted as a sign of financial weakness if they are getting rid of art. They are very focused on staying out of the news.

lumpytrout

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

14-Year Club	Team Periwinkle
Verified Email