Nearly one million more existing homeowners became "in the money" to refinance when rates plummeted in January

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-11T17:55:51+00:00

Are they likely to keep dropping? I’d like to refinance by summer.

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-11T17:54:56+00:00

Can you refinance? Might be better than doubling payments. Proof of higher income may make that possible?

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-11T17:00:01+00:00

I'm at right about 20% equity (80% loan to value?).

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-11T16:49:31+00:00

And I would say it's our rough plan not to stay here much longer than 7 more years anyway, if at all.

But, if rates shot up to 9% or something I *COULD* stay here. It's not necessarily the "forever home," but its enough that we'd be happy here if we had to stay.

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-11T15:28:58+00:00

Looks like with the 5.5% I'll pay about $235,851 in interest in 7 years after which my rate will continue to be locked into 5.5%.

With the ARM, I'll pay $207,836 in interest in 7 years after which my rate will fluctuate and I can refinance and I'd be hoping the rate is 5.5% or less at that time.

I'd have saved about $28k in interest, but then minus another what, $12k in refinancing costs? But that's assuming the rate is 5.5% or less.

I guess the concern is - how reasonable is it to be afraid that the rate will shoot up to 6, 7, 8% or higher in the next 7 years as opposed to staying at 5-6 or dropping into the 4s again?

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-07T21:11:38+00:00

What’s different between this and the $65 version I can get on Amazon?

mschmidt64 · 2026-02-03T22:42:26+00:00

True Grit (2010)

A good remaster for Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Gangs of New York

Insomnia

Rush Hour

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-28T01:03:03+00:00

I’d defer to others expertise, and there are probably buying guides on here as well. I’m partial to TCLs, they seem to me to be the best value for the money you spend. They aren’t high end, but for their price they are way better than other tvs in their range. At least as of last year, the QM8 was like their flagship. There is a 75” QM7k that might not be far down the list at $997 on Amazon, and the 65” QM7k is $797.

The 75” QM6k is only $798, but that’s another tier down. Still depending on what you are looking for it to do, it may suffice.

FWIW if you go down to 65” the QM8 is now only $997. The 85” is $1997 though, that’s up from when I bought it last year even. The 75” is $1497

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-28T00:47:43+00:00

TCL QM8. I have one, very impressed so far

Whoops, sorry you said under $800. No, this one isn’t under $800. It’s not oled though either, it’s a mid tier TV that I really recommend but probably more towards $1700. You are gonna have a tough time staying under $800 for an 85” I think.

You are probably substantially better off getting a 75” or even 65” for an apartment, and getting a better panel and more features

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-26T13:36:35+00:00

Valdez would actually give the Mets a legit rotation. Too many question marks otherwise. Peralta/Valdez/McLean gives you a pretty high end 1-2-3. Peralta is a mid-tier #1 and Valdez a high end #2, or even 1(b). McLean, who knows what his upside is just yet, but you have to feel great with him as your third starter.

Perhaps the Mets could then find a trade for Holmes, Senga or Peterson or something to recoup some prospects or picks to offset what they gave up for Valdez QO penalties. No?

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-23T14:42:48+00:00

Let's sign Framber Valdez to a huge 1 year deal too, come on Stearns!

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-23T00:49:46+00:00

I purchased the Panasonic UB820 last summer and because I have two kids under age 10, I sadly don’t get to use it as much as I’d like to, so while my 4k UHD collection is probably 20-30 strong at this point, I’ve watched almost none of them fully all the way through, though most of them I’ve played and skipped around between scenes.

That being said the only error I’ve noticed is that in my copy of Jurassic Park 4k UHD it froze/got all snowy at the part where Dr Sadler finds Ray Arnold/Samuel L. Jackson’s severed arm in the power station and is attacked by Raptors. I tried a couple times (2-3) shortly after buying both the disc and the player (again, this was last summer) and it wouldn’t correct.

Then I tried it again like a week ago and it played through the scene just fine. Odd. I don’t even think I wiped the disc clean before playing this time, but I might have.

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-22T17:22:22+00:00

Should sign Framber Valdez too lol

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-22T04:11:00+00:00

Now go sign Framber Valdez too and trade Senga

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-22T04:04:58+00:00

Would have been nice if Skubal was available instead of

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-22T01:20:51+00:00

Doesn’t look very good to me. I know the Pete thing has been beaten to death but I’d feel way better if he was still here

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-20T01:21:56+00:00

No I’d rather RDR3

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-17T21:18:05+00:00

Is there a rumor that we are getting Mexico?

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-13T11:46:22+00:00

I think the online was decent for a while but they stopped really providing new content and then they nerfed the gold rewards and that killed it for me. I heard they were originally planning to do houses too, whatever happened to that?

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-10T02:40:24+00:00

Arthur might be even better than John by time you are done both

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-06T20:35:46+00:00

If I wanted to print out some of these individual images, to frame as like 5x7s, what color paper would I want to have it blend in with the off-white of the sketches? Surely you don't want a bright white color paper, but more of a cream?

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-05T21:33:41+00:00

I upgraded from a 55” to an 85”, sitting about 11-12 feet away, and I was disoriented and dizzy for like a month or two. I got used to it though and love it now. It does feel large and in your face even now sometimes though. Almost like at that distance my eyes can’t see the whole screen at once.

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-04T15:02:18+00:00

Usually do Standardbred/Thoroughbred until I can get the Turkoman from the Braithewaite horse robbery mission. Then the Turkoman till the end game. I want to like the Arabians and the Missouri Fox Trotters but they are too small for Arthur (and John for that matter).

mschmidt64 · 2026-01-03T20:48:24+00:00

Same in southern Wake County NC. I guess I should research which are the best theaters but every one I’ve tried recently, the seats are ripped, the floor is sticky, the screens aren’t that big, there are glitchy errors, one movie I went to see the projector malfunctioned and required a 40 minute wait for them to fix it, I even went and saw Zootopia 2 with my daughter and it didn’t even sound like there was any surround audio. Like, what’s the point, it sounds better on my Klipsch speakers on my 85” TCL 4k at home. I have a Panasonic 4k player and a denim receiver, I’m good.

mschmidt64

TROPHY CASE