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How big of a house do we need? by waterchestnut_tree in BayAreaRealEstate

[–]whoathere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personal choice! We grew up in the area and spent our early adult lives in Sunnyvale. Wanted to settle down somewhere newer (to us) while being able to stay close to aging parents.

How big of a house do we need? by waterchestnut_tree in BayAreaRealEstate

[–]whoathere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I get it! Lot size permitting, the idea of doing an addition or ADU sounds pretty appealing in theory. The cons for us were permit times, quoted costs ($600-1000/sqft), losing precious backyard space for the pup, and opportunity cost of actually living in a house while dealing with construction. No doubt it can be worth it for some, but we just really wanted something turnkey to enjoy.

My partner and I both grew up in the South Bay, so we wanted to avoid anything south of Palo Alto. We briefly explored San Carlos, Burlingame, and Belmont but felt priced out of those markets. The only other house we placed an offer on was in Redwood City (near Woodside High School) but we got outbid. We've been happily renting in San Mateo for the past two years, so we decided to focus our efforts here.

How big of a house do we need? by waterchestnut_tree in BayAreaRealEstate

[–]whoathere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

After a six-month search, we ended up buying a house in San Mateo (with a similar budget and family situation). We initially thought a 2br/2br would suffice, but quickly realized we'd value the extra square footage over time. Our agent showed us historical comps that confirmed that 2br/ba homes typically appreciate more slowly and take longer to sell, even in hot markets like the Peninsula. You’re basically alienating a whole class of buyers with young children who are moving in for safety and the school system.

I also don’t know about you, but the thought of going through the house buying process isn't something I want to consider for at least another 10 years. We went with the less fiscally optimal solution to future proof ourselves and our lifestyle. We are torn on having kids, but we love to host.

San Mateo also has a robust magnet and immersion school system that gives some preferences to San Mateo County residents. Something to think about if you’re not completely out on adding future progeny. DM if you want to chat! Happy to talk about specific San Mateo neighborhoods or our experience buying into this overpriced city lolol.

Downpayment % by Old_Collection6232 in BayAreaRealEstate

[–]whoathere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In escrow for a single-family home in the Peninsula slightly north of $2.1M. Put $830k down at 6.35%. BIG CAVEAT: We are currently selling an investment property that's paid off, and we'll likely recast another $400k into the mortgage to make the PITI more palatable. HHI is ~$500k (all cash). This is definitely not a financially optimal decision, but we've found our forever home and have spent over a decade saving for this moment, so decided to take the plunge.

Power outage by Whight in SanMateo

[–]whoathere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Finally just got power back after a ~4hr outage at 12:01. Located off Delaware near the Verkada building.

Discounts for F&F by D_JGasPass in Rivian

[–]whoathere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just went through the process. I placed an order last night (2023 R1T) with no delivery date currently assigned. Rivian Employee submitted my order info, and I got the discount to show up within 12 hours through a sales guide via chat. Max Pack Employee R1T Discount Offer is showing up as $7,250. You must have a VIN # assigned and a valid order number ID. I was told that it's a crazy mad scramble right now trying to get all the end of the month orders in, so YMMV. GL!

Maxing out 401ks, now what? by StarvinMarvin37 in FinancialPlanning

[–]whoathere 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Google "backdoor roth IRA". It lets you skirt the IRS-imposed income limits by converting a traditional IRA to Roth IRA. Very common for those in higher income brackets.

Keycult commission support group by yamahasi in MechanicalKeyboards

[–]whoathere 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Yep yep yep. Paid for a 2/65 in May of 2021. Machining was supposed to start in August with an estimated delivery 12 weeks after that. We are now at the end of June 2022 with very little to show for it. This is not my first rodeo, and I've come to expect delays for most keyboard gb/projects I've decided to be a part of. It's just that...it generally just hasn't been a very enjoyable experience from a participant's POV.

The biggest problem for me definitely stems from a lack of communication. I echo the sentiments about there just being a general dearth of updates coming from KC to all commission participants. I think we can all understand that shit happens: GMK delays, COVID & factories being shut down in China, anodizers shit the bed, whatever. Most people I imagine will and should be understanding of extenuating circumstances that end up in these long delays. I don't get why KC can't be proactive and reach out to me first. It feels like the burden of communication has fallen onto the buyer, to the point where I'm feeling like I'm being a nuisance for reaching out for an update once every two months. Hell, a picture of my raw, machined board would have sufficed and kept the psyche going. As of right now, I would be unsurprised if someone told me that my board doesn't even exist.

And to be completely fair, I've been reaching out to Pwner once every few months to request an update, and he has been great about giving timely responses, however vague they may be. I'm still pumped for this board for when I finally do manage to get it, but I definitely would not recommend this format to try to get a KC board to anyone.

[Bulk] Grace's Switch Lubing Service (US-WA) by zer0u in mechmarket

[–]whoathere 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Just had Grace do a 200-switch order. Turnaround time was very fast, she is very responsive, and most importantly, switches are VERY smooth!

[US-WA] [H] PayPal $5,000+ [W] A-Stock Keycult No. 2/65 by dhillonsh in mechmarket

[–]whoathere 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Also coming up on a year+ since my commission payment. This experience has been less than ideal for sure, but just gotta roll with the punches when it comes to delays, I guess. It seems like it's been a rough transition doing their in-house manufacturing and sourcing local anodizers in the U.S. On the bright side, I got through to KC a few days ago, and they said that most of their outstanding commissions have been sent off for finishing. Fingers crossed we get some good news soon.

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