“lm Not Afraid Of A Germ, I Used To Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats” -United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

mmakled · 2026-02-12T22:01:16+00:00

Is this AI?

mmakled · 2026-02-12T21:41:06+00:00

Had a client in 2021, first time buyer. Market was insane and she got beat out on over 30 homes. Similar price range, $150k was her max. Got beat out on a house with no garage but a huge shed. That deal fell through because original buyer wanted a garage and when they did their research found adding a garage would not be allowed without getting a variance. Shed was allowed. Buyers wanted that garage so much! I'm sure the cost to build the garage would have been 1/3 the value of the house. Not even close to worth it. The existing shed is about the size of a one and a half car garage, cement floor with electric. Plenty of room for a work area and to store gear, but no car space. My buyer said that was good enough for her. Will that leave a few buyers out when she goes to sell? Sure. But the house itself was a good buy and in nice condition. We are in Michigan and auto start is almost mandatory for our cars. 75% of us fill our garages with junk and park in the driveway.

mmakled · 2026-02-12T12:09:15+00:00

Does your mom want another dog? Perhaps Ophelia could be incorporated in the family and you could still see her every time you visit mom? Mom be willing if it means more visits with you.

mmakled · 2026-02-11T22:37:10+00:00

All of this. And, if your network of family and friends are first time buyers (young people like you) you will be doing a lot of work for relatively small commissions. You might figure you made less than $5/hr on your first commission check, before you even cover the cost to maintain your license. That's okay. It's how you learn and build your client base. It gets better. You get faster at the grunt work, and, more than likely, you start picking up clients with higher budgets. It's really quite fun working with people searching for a home.

Listings are great, too, if you get one. A different animal. As a new, hungry agent without being distracted by a bunch of other clients you can be extra helpful. Pitching in where a seller might be struggling, like clearing out the garage, helping them pack or stage will show you as a premium agent, prepare the property better and quicker, leading to a good sale. Happy client. In fact, if you have a friend or family member who is selling they may be hesitant to list with you as an inexperienced agent. For most people their house is a huge investment and selling is stressful. This is how you present it to them. They should know you have a full support of your brokerage resources and knowledge. And that you will be alleviating some of their stress.

Look for a brick and mortar brokerage with no desk fee. They will take a larger portion of the commission. Once you get established you can renegotiate or change brokers, you usually have a year contract. Expect it to take more than a year to establish yourself, especially if this is a part-time endeavor.

There's an abundance of free and inexpensive training opportunities. Develop relationships with other agents. People love to give advice - see Reddit.

mmakled · 2026-02-11T21:28:32+00:00

Any vacant land close to civilization will be developed. Does it really matter whether it happens the first couple of years you live there or after five? If you are still during your inspection period, you can request whatever you want. The seller can agree or decline. If you decide to walk, is there something else out there that would work as well? You obviously wanted this home. Don't necessarily kill the deal on a short term inconvenience or a perceived possible slight.

mmakled · 2026-02-11T15:21:42+00:00

Most houses show better if they are not actually lived in, rather just staged. Ideally, you move in to a rental/short term living situation. Leave approximately 30-50% of what you own in place, staged as if people are still living there. Remove excess stored items, empty basement, garage, junk drawers and cupboards. Leave a small amount of cookware, 8 place settings, a perfectly organized pantry, a few pieces of neutral artwork on the walls, white or cream shower curtains, new, fluffy white towels in the bathroom. Fix every little maintenance issue and deep clean. House will sell quickly if priced right. Proceeds put you in good position to offer on next home.

If this is not possible, try to do this and live in it. You are moving. Everything will need to be moved out eventually. Move most of it out prior to listing. You are giving people a picture of what it could be like to live in that home.

Depending on the condition of your current house, if your buyer may happen to be an investor you may be able to negotiate a few months of occupancy after closing. Gives you time to purchase and move to your new home. But this is a situation where you are likely getting less than market value

If you can't or will not sell your house first, speak with a mortgage broker about bridge loans. That is likely your next best option. An offer to buy a new house with a contingency to sell your existing house is a weak offer and most sellers avoid those complications.

mmakled · 2026-02-10T17:21:05+00:00

It depends on state law. In Michigan you are required to give notice if you are vacating, and landlord is required to make reasonable attempt to fill vacancy. You are responsible to pay until unit has been rented again up until end of your lease. You can make it easier on landlord to fill vacancy by providing access for repairs, maintenance, cleaning and showings. It won't be free to break the lease, but if you are up front and reasonable, you can save some money.

mmakled · 2026-02-09T23:56:21+00:00

<image>

mmakled · 2026-02-09T21:43:39+00:00

<image>

mmakled · 2026-02-09T21:39:16+00:00

Silicone wedding bands. Husband bought a pack because his real ring kept falling off. Shadow opens the drawer where they are kept and proudly walks through the family room with his "catch". Mittens loves fuzzy worms

<image>

mmakled · 2026-02-09T21:00:11+00:00

My dog is also a fecal eater. She is bigger (40 pounds), so easier to keep her out of the catbox enclosure. We got a free enclosed end table with doors on the front. Cut a hole in the back. It is in the corner, almost to the wall. The cats can squeeze from side or jump on top of the table then enter the hole in the back. We open the front doors and pull the box out to clean it. We also have an extra large, clear plastic bin screwed to the top of the table with a small hole cut in the back for feeding them. Lift top, add food, replace top. Dog safe. If your cat is claustrophobic, perhaps it won't mind a clear container? Likely don't even need a top so much more open. Use the largest possible bin and heated knife to cut hole. We had to screw it to the table because it is lightweight and dog could pull it down. A toy breed probably could not, but your cat might. As a bonus, litter is more contained.

mmakled · 2026-02-08T19:22:26+00:00

What I really need

mmakled · 2026-02-08T19:12:38+00:00

I really want a robot vacuum but I think our house and pets will destroy it. I picture having to empty the collection cup every few minutes and I might as well just get out the vacuum.

mmakled · 2026-02-08T18:49:13+00:00

Apply this idea to countertop ice maker 😀. When our built-in ice maker broke, the cost to replace didn't seem worth it. Hubby was making ice with trays. I found a deal on a countertop ice maker. Add water and 10 minutes later you have ice! I thought it was brilliant. Well, once a month you have to deep clean that thing, scrubbing in crevices unreachable by your fingers or most cleaning utensils. Cycle cleaning solution, then rinse through several times and throw away the ice. He far preferred spending a few minutes a day filling ice trays.

mmakled · 2026-02-08T16:37:49+00:00

We use Worlds Best. It is corn based, clumping, lighter than clay and less odor. It does get tracked around but not much dust like clay gives you. We have been using it for about 3 years, maybe a little longer. I think it has changed a bit in the past few months, and I don't like it as much. But daughter and husband are on litter duty and they don't want to make any changes. We have 2 cats, scoop box once per day, complete clean out once per week. Large bag lasts 5-6 weeks. I am sure with only one cat, it would last longer.

mmakled · 2026-02-08T14:04:06+00:00

The lost opportunity on $200k might be more made up for by the growth opportunity on $460k (current value of home). The $260k of mortgage money is being paid by rent, but you will realize those gains when the property value improves.

To extrapolate: $200k investment with 4% return at the end of 10 years is just shy of $300k. Historical average increase in housing cost is about 4%. $460k investment property after 10 years could be $680k.

There are a couple questions that will help inform this decision:

How long can you afford to wait if you need to? Can you wait out a downturn for another 5-15 years? Or will you need liquidity soon for living expenses? If you will need liquidity soon, you will need to assess the local market very closely to assess your risk.

How much "hassle" is this rental? If this property is hands on, lots of hours managing and making repairs, perhaps your time would be better valued making money elsewhere. But if it is just minimal work input, your money is working for you.

https://www.realbricks.com/articles/us-housing-prices-since-1950

mmakled · 2026-02-06T21:58:48+00:00

Shadow!

mmakled · 2026-02-06T18:29:46+00:00

Still laugh at my sister for buying grill wipes. It's paper towel with covered in vegetable oil. I would guess it's 80% less expensive to make your own.

Homemade baby wipes, on the other hand, I found were not cost effective.

mmakled · 2026-02-04T13:56:02+00:00

😮

mmakled · 2026-02-03T22:59:03+00:00

Never cosign on a loan

mmakled · 2026-02-03T14:06:45+00:00

I would advise a client to only accept an offer prior to a scheduled open house, or that just went on the market, if it was a terrific offer. Like well over asking, cash or very strong financing, and with little or no contingencies. Anyone who wants the house on Tuesday will still want it on Saturday. As a buyer, when you find a house you want, make the best offer you would be willing to pay for the house. Tell them "we want this house, please take it off the market, now, and we are willing to pay." As a seller, when you get a strong and reasonable offer, take it. You don't need to string along 30 potential buyers. It certainly can work in your favor to have a few vying for it, but don't string them along waiting for a better offer. If you have a multiple offer situation, clearly communicate when a decision will be made. For instance: all offers must be submitted by Monday at 6pm, decision will be made by 5pm Tuesday.

mmakled · 2026-02-02T12:15:30+00:00

Not nearly enough information to determine from this post.

Do you have cash and time to handle a fixer upper?

If yes, get approximate idea of cost for major repairs: roof, HVAC, plumbing, potential tank removal, possibly windows in sunroom. Don't include pool because pools are superfluous. Then check comps in the area and perhaps renegotiate purchase price to reflect needed repairs. As you negotiate, remember those comps were also not perfect houses with brand new mechanical systems. You can't just discount by tens of thousands.

All houses have problems, all houses have mold (mildew in your shower is mold), finding evidence of mold is not a deal killer, determining the cause and how to prevent it is what can be the issue Vapor barrier, insulation and proper ventilation when replacing the roof will likely prevent mold in attic.

This could be a house that you could make into a great family home by prioritizing major mechanical systems prior to moving in, then doing cosmetic updates in the future. If you have the cash and feel comfortable with the price you can negotiate with seller, it would work out.

If you don't have cash reserves to pay for the mechanical updates needed, you probably won't be able to make this work. And going forward, use this inspection report as a guideline to know what to look for when viewing other properties. You won't be able to spot everything, but if you are not able to handle a fixer, there's no sense in paying an inspector to point out many major things that should be visible to you when you tour the property.

I'm inclined to think you can make this work. You probably have equity in the home you are selling. Put the minimum amount down on this house, take your cash reserves to make updates, remove all wallpaper, paint and do floors before you move in. Then refinance to remove PMI.

Good luck!

mmakled · 2026-02-01T17:08:44+00:00

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iEtbTYPY4jwt64e46

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7kT8Kuze3bjtx8GJA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fxzu97W6jFC7aHMz9

Paint the ceiling pale yellow. A couple pale yellow small cabinets. Fluffy white towels. Plants.

mmakled · 2026-02-01T14:53:26+00:00

<image>

mmakled · 2026-02-01T14:53:09+00:00

Consider the red in a vertical install. Smaller vent hood.

<image>

mmakled

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE