It really is location, location, location

[unluky]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

I agree about the cool towns but bad locations, lol.

I love some of the towns in CT on the coast. Same goes for some NC mountain towns. But I refuse to live in those states - it just doesn't make sense financially. I've been buying up property for rental income and after a long hard search, ended up purchasing foreign holdings instead of places here in the USA - for the simple fact that I couldn't find anything that gave a good ROI due to excessive taxation and regulations here in this country.

Oh well, it is what it is.

FWIW - my tax bill on my home in the city was about $800 or so last year. It's a new construction (well, it was in 2015 when I built it) 1600sf home in a planned community. Assessed value was around $225k.

I think the PPT on the farm ran about $1,700 last year, which is about what my house here on 5 acres (assessed about the same as yours) was as well. Farm has a kind of hunting cabin on it with elec and water, but appraises at like $50K of the value of the farm.

By comparison - she paid over $4K in taxes last year. For a house that I would guess to be a $150K-$160K class house? Mostly because it is in a good neighborhood with good schools and has nice upgrades inside. The things she pays to live there are insane.

She can't wait to get out. They will never be able to outvote CHI and everyone fleeing are leaving non-CHI areas, so it only makes it worse faster.

I have a buddy that moved to CT for a good job. It petered out after a few years and he landed another job there, but he wished he had not. He says many of the same things - terrible taxes and terrible policies. He said they are not talking about how to tax people that USED to live there or some such nonsense. LOL

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

Financially, I would see no issue with this, so long as you are cognizant of three things:

1) You buy a condo, don't rent it.

2) You are aware of condo association fees, HOA fees, and any maintenance fees, and incorporate that into your calculations to ensure they are not eroding all of your equity.

3) You can commit to living there a minimum of 5 years. Any less and it won't be a smart move financially, due to buying and selling agent fees, closing costs, and so forth.

Check, check and check. For what I paid for my place and what I'm told that it's worth now, I would make out like a bandit. I paid $118 for it 5 years ago. A close friend of mine who is in real estate keeps telling me to sell it. She swears that I could get $160 easy. It's small, nothing extravagant but nice, newly remodeled with a two car garage and nice view from the back "tree house" style deck off the kitchen. I love my house, but bought it for me and my boys, who no longer live with me. The game plan was to hang on to it for a few years, sell it, get my money back out of it (I paid cash) and then use that money to make money. Life happened and the plan changed. Either way, I have a nice ass house and no mortgage payment at the moment.

[unluky]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

Check, check and check. For what I paid for my place and what I'm told that it's worth now, I would make out like a bandit. I paid $118 for it 5 years ago. A close friend of mine who is in real estate keeps telling me to sell it. She swears that I could get $160 easy. It's small, nothing extravagant but nice, newly remodeled with a two car garage and nice view from the back "tree house" style deck off the kitchen. I love my house, but bought it for me and my boys, who no longer live with me. The game plan was to hang on to it for a few years, sell it, get my money back out of it (I paid cash) and then use that money to make money. Life happened and the plan changed. Either way, I have a nice ass house and no mortgage payment at the moment.

I bitch about the yard work too - but I know I would miss it. Takes me about 2 hours to mow (even with a 60" zero turn) and weedeat, but nothing makes me happier than driving out the next morning to that well trimmed lawn. I spent about 75% of my day yesterday mowing, weedeating, winterizing things, pulling a plugged gas tank off my tractor, cutting out summer landscape, etc - you are right it can be a LOT.

But I know I would miss that sweat work - it just somehow fulfills me. For now anyway. I was not meant to be in an office all day.

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by unluky

I bitch about the yard work too - but I know I would miss it. Takes me about 2 hours to mow (even with a 60" zero turn) and weedeat, but nothing makes me happier than driving out the next morning to that well trimmed lawn. I spent about 75% of my day yesterday mowing, weedeating, winterizing things, pulling a plugged gas tank off my tractor, cutting out summer landscape, etc - you are right it can be a LOT.

But I know I would miss that sweat work - it just somehow fulfills me. For now anyway. I was not meant to be in an office all day.

I always mowed my city home, which is a 1/4 acre, with an electric mower, and enjoyed it.

The new home in the mountains is on 7 acres. So, now, the plan is possible buy some goats. I'm not sure yet. I have some valuable crops on property and can't risk them eating them too, so still doing some research. At this time, I've got someone from down the hill just using his tractor and I am throwing him a couple hundred a month. Not sure what a more permanent solution is. Winter is nearly here, so it's a problem I can deal with in April.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

I always mowed my city home, which is a 1/4 acre, with an electric mower, and enjoyed it.

The new home in the mountains is on 7 acres. So, now, the plan is possible buy some goats. I'm not sure yet. I have some valuable crops on property and can't risk them eating them too, so still doing some research. At this time, I've got someone from down the hill just using his tractor and I am throwing him a couple hundred a month. Not sure what a more permanent solution is. Winter is nearly here, so it's a problem I can deal with in April.

Chuy will work for cheap

[corn18]

We’re on holiday in Cape Town and Stelenbach area and this place is very affordable, especially if you have dollars. We could retire here now if we weren’t so far from our kids in the states.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by FuriouslyFast

That's b/c wages are much area in areas like that so it evens out

I know other IT guys in SoCal - hell, my company is headquartered in Orange County. They don't make enough more to offset the cost-of-living increase in total. Not even close.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by unluky

I bitch about the yard work too - but I know I would miss it. Takes me about 2 hours to mow (even with a 60" zero turn) and weedeat, but nothing makes me happier than driving out the next morning to that well trimmed lawn. I spent about 75% of my day yesterday mowing, weedeating, winterizing things, pulling a plugged gas tank off my tractor, cutting out summer landscape, etc - you are right it can be a LOT.

But I know I would miss that sweat work - it just somehow fulfills me. For now anyway. I was not meant to be in an office all day.

I'm the same way. There are some days I enjoy doing the yard work and then there are days that I have other things I need to be doing, but stuck working in the yard. The next morning, while leaving for work and then returning home, I do enjoy the look of my yard that looks like it's been sculpted by lasers.

I'm starting to feel the same way about my office job. When I was younger, doing manual labor, I always wanted to be the guy dressed nice and sitting in the office. Now I want to be the guy up moving around and working with my hands. We're never satisfied.

[dmatre]

Originally Posted by corn18

We’re on holiday in Cape Town and Stelenbach area and this place is very affordable, especially if you have dollars. We could retire here now if we weren’t so far from our kids in the states.

I've been there a couple of times in the past year, and thought exactly the same thing! Beautiful location, great people, very affordable, but so so far from the family.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Now_Rudi

We're never satisfied.

This entire thread wrapped up in one short sentence.

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by corn18

We’re on holiday in Cape Town and Stelenbach area and this place is very affordable, especially if you have dollars. We could retire here now if we weren’t so far from our kids in the states.

Enjoy! Make sure you check out Franschhoek as well, just outside of Stellenbosch. Particularly Takara winery - one of my favorites.

I own several flats in South Africa that I rent out and am there regularly.

Enjoy the country!

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Chuy will work for cheap

He will also likely steal my ginseng. That'll be a no for me, dog.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Doesn't show ANY space suitable for cooking under a lunar lighting source

Originally Posted by Run Silent

So confused. lol.

I find myself tilting my head like a confused little puppy after reading some of his posts. So glad I'm not the only one. Waiting for the blonde comment....

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I find myself tilting my head like a confused little puppy after reading some of his posts. So glad I'm not the only one. Waiting for the blonde comment....

Well, he's from Oxnard, so.....

[corn18]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

Enjoy! Make sure you check out Franschhoek as well, just outside of Stellenbosch. Particularly Takara winery - one of my favorites.

I own several flats in South Africa that I rent out and am there regularly.

Enjoy the country!

We did make it into Franschhoek and ate at some hoity toity place called petite colombe. Weird food. We stayed at the delaire Graff and it was quite nice.

This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

I find myself tilting my head like a confused little puppy after reading some of his posts. So glad I'm not the only one. Waiting for the blonde comment....

Is this like the KSA thing?

Moonshine. Now the feds will be all over Run Silent since the blonde can't figure out code.

Oh, and Chuy didn't load on the app last night, so here he is. Ginseng COULD be a problem.

[Run Silent]

Originally Posted by corn18

We did make it into Franschhoek and ate at some hoity toity place called petite colombe. Weird food. We stayed at the delaire Graff and it was quite nice.

This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Very nice - yes, a bit upper class, eh?

If back - be sure to check out 'Rickety Bridge' as a lovely place to stay. One of our favorites. They have unlimited free sherry, so that may be why I love it so.

There is also one of the most amazing car collections in Franschhoek I've ever seen at a winery - if you've not gone, you must! The collection is nothing short of breathtaking.

https://www.fmm.co.za/

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Is this like the KSA thing?

Moonshine. Now the feds will be all over Run Silent since the blonde can't figure out code.

Oh, and Chuy didn't load on the app last night, so here he is. Ginseng COULD be a problem.

And I'm not blonde.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Is this like the KSA thing?

Moonshine. Now the feds will be all over Run Silent since the blonde can't figure out code.

Oh, and Chuy didn't load on the app last night, so here he is. Ginseng COULD be a problem.

nice goat

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

nice goat

It's an ok goat, but hardly the Greatest of all Time.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by M_Six

It's an ok goat, but hardly the Greatest of all Time.

He MIGHT be the Greatest of all THYME though. Look at that TH-SMILE!!!!!

[Alfisti]

"Valuable Crops" ... i knew he was a sketchy bastard. Now we know.