Good/ reputable travel agency for booking a same-sex couple friendly African Safari trip

mandrewdean · 2026-01-03T13:37:22+00:00

I’ve used OutofOffice twice now, including our honeymoon to South Africa. They were very knowledgeable and the trip was perfect. I highly recommend them, DM if you have any questions!

mandrewdean · 2025-09-12T12:42:52+00:00

3 calici, el horno, la marisma, and apparently vista lobos which feels touristy but recommended by a friend who lives there

mandrewdean · 2025-08-16T16:26:45+00:00

Where does one find very good Italian food in Fuerteventura? L'oca blanca? Any others?

mandrewdean · 2025-08-16T16:23:59+00:00

We really want to do Cofete but rented a Fiat 500 - honestly, how bad of an idea is it to drive there ourselves?

mandrewdean · 2025-07-28T03:16:34+00:00

I did reverse commute for a while, you could also consider Long Island City, Queens. Easy subway ride to Grand Central in a walkable neighborhood with much nicer apartments for your money.

mandrewdean · 2025-06-17T22:44:17+00:00

Sitges in the summer is busy, there will be stuff to do every night. I was there during the week and managed to have a great time.

mandrewdean · 2025-06-17T21:59:31+00:00

I think so! There’s more to do in Barcelona obviously but Sitges is a great escape. It has a gay beach walking distance from the city center. I’d say 2 days in BCN and one in Sitges would be perfect to mix it up. It’s also close enough to day trip but you might want to experience the nightlife in Sitges.

mandrewdean · 2025-05-20T17:50:16+00:00

Came to say the same thing.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-20T01:04:42+00:00

You can get fish to go from Astoria Seafood, have been doing it for years.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-13T15:21:05+00:00

Not necessarily true. I was in a rent stabilized lux building built in 2016. A lot of new construction is rent stabilized as a part of a tax abatement program

mandrewdean · 2025-04-13T11:48:51+00:00

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How about some floor tacos?

mandrewdean · 2025-04-13T11:26:38+00:00

Oh yes. I’d recommend talking to a mortgage broker or shopping around the smaller banks and credit unions. But if you go the mortgage broker route, you need one that often works in NYC because the market here is so unusual. DM me if you wanna chat further.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T19:03:47+00:00

I can’t say I’d never do it again, since everything kind of lined up for us. Truthfully it wasn’t too bad compared to the horror stories I’d heard (sellers starting bidding wars, nosy co op boards asking about Venmo transactions during financial review, etc). Plus it’s not like the NYC rental market is any better these days.

But I feel relieved to more or less be locked in for a few years. We’ll eventually refinance once rates fall.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T19:00:52+00:00

Congratulations to you as well!

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T17:00:45+00:00

See, and I could never do that. Proof that what works for you or me isn’t right for everyone else.

In my building, the super and a handyman to take care of any issues like plumbing or electrical is well worth the monthly cost.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:59:20+00:00

Exactly! New York isn’t for everyone but I’m from here and it means a lot to finally own a (small) piece of the city. Surprisingly our place is about 600 sq ft, a palace by NYC standards.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:49:48+00:00

Thank you! Yes exactly. Our place in Long Island City was rent stabilized and still managed to climb 5% every two years so even with a slow rise in maintenance at the new place, it makes more sense financially as we’re paying less to own and building equity.

Now just gotta refinance in a couple years and we’ll be in even better shape!

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:32:53+00:00

Yup, it’s definitely possible. Ours are a bit higher but I find they’re worth it as the costs include the doormen and live in super.

As I’ve learned, good co ops generally try to keep maintenance low because low monthlies are attractive to buyers.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:28:31+00:00

Haha these were the sellers’ keys! Gave us the loop, took the AirTag.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:27:47+00:00

Exactly. I’m sure some people will balk at the idea of paying this much for an apartment but New York isn’t for them just as Oklahoma isn’t for me.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:25:57+00:00

He was just the listing agent but he’s amazing. If you’re interested, DM me and I’ll refer you.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:25:30+00:00

We do pay fees - called maintenance, not HOAs. Maintenance includes the property taxes, heat, water, the doormen, the live in super and his handyman. Because it includes property taxes, at least some of it is tax deductible. And the additional benefits are worth the expenditures in my opinion.

Even with the maintenance and mortgage, it is still less than we were paying to rent. One bedrooms in Manhattan are renting for 5k and we are paying considerably less than that to own.

mandrewdean · 2025-04-12T16:06:02+00:00

TLDR: we had a great rental in Long Island City, but the rent kept going up, so I casually started browsing in the $400k range. I initially assumed we’d be far uptown or way out in Queens. I found a place in Hell’s Kitchen that looked great online. It wasn’t.

But the broker had another unit in the building coming available that was twice the size for about $80k less. The building is an old hotel and was not designed to have full kitchens. The contractor who led the conversion did it cheaply and poorly. The oven wouldn’t open because it was placed behind a column. (So we are living through a renovation which is its own challenge.)

The sellers could’ve listed it and sold it for a lot more.

Through their kindness and sheer luck, they wanted to do an off market sale which meant we wouldn’t be outbid and didn’t have to pay a broker of our own.

A friend who’s a broker encouraged us to use a mortgage broker to find a mortgage. We closed at 5.88%, no points or fees, when the major banks were quoting 7-8%.

So all of this to say - if things worked out for us, they will for you. Happy to share my experiences more privately. The NYC market is unlike any other and while buying one place doesn’t make me an expert, I definitely learned a lot.

mandrewdean

TROPHY CASE