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a major part of the HOA fee is also insurance and maintenance, and cable/garbage - in FLA insurance is high due to flood/hurricane - but you're right - got to look at HOA along w/ the quality of the building. In FLA, many condos are conversions of cheaply made apartments.
Also, it can pay to have a real estate-savvy lawyer read a complex's financial records and make sure the reserve account is adequate, check for assessments, etc.
I learned this the hard way, and especially if people are getting into financial trouble with housing/condos. Remember, you are buying property with strangers!
(See Under: Cambridge, 1989-1992).
Thank You for all you readers who have given me the "reputations" for my extensive posts on organic and natural foods. It appears that it has become a "cash cow" for "reputations".
The posts have obviously hit a big issue with people who approve of what I said, and those who did not. So, it is good we have a public debate about the issues and questions the many good truths and the many fallacies of "organic and natural". We are becoming more educated and we have the internet to discuss quickly the issues and we, the consumer, are not easily fooled by words and descriptions. We can now reject many convenience foods, but not all, for the garbage they are; and we can also reject some, but not all, "organic and natural" foods for the fraud that they are.
Thank You for all you readers who have given me the "reputations" for my extensive posts on organic and natural foods. It appears that it has become a "cash cow" for "reputations".
The posts have obviously hit a big issue with people who approve of what I said, and those who did not. So, it is good we have a public debate about the issues and questions the many good truths and the many fallacies of "organic and natural". We are becoming more educated and we have the internet to discuss quickly the issues and we, the consumer, are not easily fooled by words and descriptions. We can now reject many convenience foods, but not all, for the garbage they are; and we can also reject some, but not all, "organic and natural" foods for the fraud that they are.
Livecontent
It's so nice to see you back!! I start to get worried after not "seeing" you for about a whole week. Yes, this is a great forum to discuss our issues of concern.
I don't live where you do, so I really don't know what utilities cost. I live in the Pacific Northwest. I live in a 3bd 2 ba home by myself. There is no natural gas in my neighborhood so everything is electric or propane including the heat. I do have a woodstove which I use only when the temperature dips below 20 degrees. I use scrap wood that I collect all year long and junk mail to fuel the stove so there is really no expense involved. I spend an average of $700/yr for electricity only. This is way below the average electric bill in the area which is closer to the amount you are paying.
I cook only once or twice a week and package food for the freezer to be reheated later in the microwave. I don't use the dishwasher or my washer and dryer most times, as I find that the local laundromat is actually cheaper and more convenient. When I am home in the evening, I have one lamp with a 60 watt bulb and a few night lights in the hall and bathrooms. I basically use the TV, the computer or listen to music for my entertainment. My biggest expense is my 50 gal hot water heater that I plan to replace for a demand heater this year. A demand heater only lights up when the water is turned on and the water goes through a series of coils and heats up before going off to the fawcett. I expect that to cut my electric bill by at least 25%
In the winter, I only heat the room I am in and I dress in warm clothes and have extra blankets on the bed, the couch and my favorite chair. When it is very cold I crank up the woodstove and heat the entire house for several hours to a very warm temperature which chases away the dampness and avoids mildew and mold in rooms that are not used often.
The woodstove has a cooktop, so, I usually kill two birds with one stone and cook a huge pot of homemade soup at the same time.
I am a simple person and I live alone, so this works for me.
However, before investing in a "green house", why not look into how you can change your current lifestyle to use less energy where you are now? You would be surpirsed what a few changes can make in your monthly bills.
I concur that you can make lifestyle changes to reduce your energy costs. We had the misfortune to have our cheaper hydro replaced by expensive diesel power twice over the last two years because of avalanches taking towers out.
In the first instance, it was expected our power cost would go up by five times the regular cost and would last for at least two months. We were able to reduce our power consumption by over 40% and I think some families reduced theirs by 70%. The city as a whole reduced something in the range of 25-35%. We were lucky in that replacing the towers took only a month and the reduced demand kept the use of diesel down, keeping our cost down to $465 that month (compared to a normal $100-125 bill).
The biggest benefit was that it made us more aware about leaving lights on and the power drain a turned off appliance has. This awareness resulted in a sustained 20% drop in power usage since the initial outage. Unfortunately, no cost savings as power costs have risen to negate the drop in consumption, so I guess we're saving by not paying more.
If we ever need to do it again, I think we can drop our usage by 50%. We dropped usage by 30% for the second outage without any effort, but it was fixed quicker and diesel prices were lower so it wasn't quite as dire. So you can reduce consumption and sustain it with small effort.
Wondering how those retiring on a small amount of income are faring with relatives and friends....is it hard to admit you just can't (or won't, b/c of cost) do some of the things they do routinely? Is there an "envy" factor when comparing ourselves (though we did the best we could) with others financially? I have an easier time with family members than with affluent friends....
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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I don't have many affluent friends, anymore. I did in the past, and had some "old money" friends back east. Out here, I don't. Of course, it's a relative term, since out here you need a lot more to live well!
I'll be retiring on a lot less than many on this board, I know, for sure. But I've made it this far being frugal, and have still found ways to do a lot of traveling, moving around, exploring, adventures, etc.
As for family, I've been considered the "black sheep" as far as I can tell -- I came from the Hippie generation and they didn't, and I guess I got labeled a "hippie," although I never quite fit into that, either. I did have a very difficult time as a single parent trying to "keep up" with the family and gift exchanges -- it was very difficult for me with just my daughter, and then trying to give to families with 2-3 kids each, plus two parents, while there were only two of us. One year, unfortunately, I did have a relative who admonished me for not sending nicer (expensive) gifts, and when I explained that I was on a very strict budget, I was told that I should start saving in June, to be able to give them those gifts. Well, I couldn't do that, and so I was often made fun of for my gifts I could afford (sometimes I would make candies, or other "crafty" things), but that's not what was wanted. So, I had a difficult time with family (my siblings, not my parents -- they were frugal, too). I was never able to keep up with them, and I never will be able to, but then again, I'm just a lot different from them in my lifestyle, so I don't worry that much about it anymore.
NEG, you already said you live in an "upscale neighborhood," so you may notice it more. I don't have that kind of stigma where I am, and besides, here in the Santa Cruz area, people seem to be into the "natural" and "hand-made is cool," frame of mind. It's not a suburbanish mind-set (which is where I find more of that kind of financial competitiveness), which is why I absolutely hate suburbs -- not to mention, to me they are very ugly, spread out, and sterile.
Most people I am close to are more like myself -- they either have smaller budgets, or if they have more, they are still frugal -- and they just like people for who they are, not what they have.
To me, I am extremely aware that when this life ends that any expensive couch, clothing, item, whatever, is not going with me. I traveled through Europe on pennies, basically (years ago, but I sure did do it cheap -- and fun!). I am one that just finds it really hard to grasp the materialistic attitude and desire. Kind of like the absent-minded professor type -- I don't notice a lot of the material stuff sitting around -- I'm more interested in people, nature, doing things, stuff like that.
And even the people I knew back east or in other places with "wealth," even they weren't hung-up on it. I used to work for the co-founder of Celestial Seasonings in one of his side philanthropy businesses, and you'd never know to look at him that he was a super multi-millionaire. He wore jeans, sneakers, and flannel shirts. Looked just like he did before he got rich. I knew a bunch of trust-fund babies, and maybe because they didn't make the money on their own, they were kind of uptight about money -- maybe it was the guilt, I don't know.
I don't really worry about that. Those who are wealthy with any integrity and personality, aren't the kind who snub their noses at someone with whom they can still enjoy time and camaraderie, regardless of money. Usually, though, they hold a similar philosophy to mine that life is short, we can't take it with us, and what is more important are experiences and people we enjoy. That seems to be the great equalizer: death is gonna get us no matter what! It is good to keep that in perspective -- makes not having a lot of "stuff" so much easier to deal with. But that's just me.
I kind of live in my head, not in my furniture and stuff. I enjoy looking at nice things, but I don't have any envy or covet what others have. Maybe I'm just weird. As long as I have good food to eat, a comfortable place to be, some nice people around, my little furry animals, and beauty in nature, I'm okay.
One suggestion for a simple gift is buy one of those grocery bags that you reuse--they cost a dollar. They come in some great colors. At Easter, I fill them with Easter grass and put all kinds of chocolate treats in them, for a gift to the kids--like you would do an Easter basket. I also added a note with a nickel taped on it, that every time they bring the bag to the store, they will get a nickel for using their own bag. So, now, they want to go shopping with their mothers, and bring their own bags, and get to keep the nickel. The real little ones think that is neat. One little niece, the smart one of the family, asked if she can have more bags.
I do the same for Christmas Gifts. I get the bags, usually red or green, and put the present in it with ribbons to tie the handles together. Well, guess what, the little smart niece said.."You forgot the Nickel".
I agree 100%, nicet4. My husband and I are entering our third week of retirement, but we have been downsizing our household for the past four or five years in anticipation of retiring. We have had garage sales and given away lots of "stuff" that we just don't have the need for anymore. Our attic is empty, and our closets, cabinets, and drawers have empty space. We pretty much have only the things we need and really use left in the house, and it's a great feeling to get rid of all those things. (Our only child didn't want the stuff anyway, and this will save her a lot of hassle down the line when we're gone...hopefully a long time from now.) I plan to have one more garage sale this summer (only because my parents are having one, too), and since I'm not buying anymore "things," we should then have the household finally where we want it.
Too many people have too much "stuff" in their lives, IMHO. I used to have too much, too. Its a great feeling to live simply with fewer worries. With our home paid for, savings in the bank, our retirement checks, and SS to look forward to (maybe) down the road, we should do okay.
Pics were taken two and a half years ago and since then we've done some additional landscaping, started replacing the roof today with 35 year architectural shingles (three tab that make it look like a shake roof cottage), added and all we need now is the bathroom remodel and we are good to go for the rest of our lives.
Old, established neighborhood. The only time people move is when they die.
A year ago we upgraded to a new high efficiency heating and cooling unit. Keeps the house cooler while chopping my electric bill in half.
Story about the house.
We're the third owner.
House was built in 1939-1940.
A young man with a new wife and family on the way worked at the local lumber mill and it wasn't long before he had the reputation of a hard working dependable man.
The mill was a huge operation with everything. Picture it as a dozen Home Depots selling top quality materials.
The owner of the mill took notice and made a deal that went like this "You are newly married and have a child on the way. You need a home for your family.
I have a piece of property in town I will let you have and what I would like to see you do is build a house on it. You take everything you need from the mill keeping a tab of what you take. When the house is done we'll go together to the bank and get a mortgage."
Since the man owned a large chunk of the bank getting a good mortgage wasn't going to be a problem.
Well, the young man took up the deal and started building.
When he picked material I know he picked the very best stuff the mill had available because it shows. My floor joists are 2"x12" (real 2x12's not the smaller ones of today) 16" on center and not a knot to be found on any of them. My sub-flooring is a full 3" thick and on top of that we have wood floors that don't have a creak or soft spot anywhere in the house. You can jump on the floor right next to the china closet and not hear a rattle.
All the exterior walls are framed with 2x8's and all my interior walls are framed 2x6's.
The roof is framed using 2x10's and 2x10's were used for the sub-roofing. I have looked under and over this house and when the original builder built it you can tell he knew what he was looking at when it came to good lumber.
Not a crack anywhere, no settling.
What sold me was the bedroom. Nearly half the house on the left side, from the chimney left, is our bedroom. Our bedroom is nearly 500 square feet and it even has a fire place. Not that we've ever used it but how cool is that?
We live in the bedroom, flat screen television over the mantle, sitting area with sofa and chair, king size bet, dressers and a table and we still have plenty of room.
What we do need is a remodeled bathroom. Have had plans for this but we do not dig into savings or borrow money, we save for what we want unless it is an emergency. I want a monument to bathrooms when we get it. Jacuzzi tub for two (heck with the bedroom, my wife would live in the Jacuzzi) with everything new including walls and ceiling. I figure we can do that in another year and until then we'll use the 1940 tub with shower we have.
Lot size is 120' wide by 250' deep. Over half an acre and in the back we have this 300 year old oak with spanish moss hanging off it. I love my backyard, three blocks from the center of downtown and by looking you would think we were in the country.
Taxes are less than $75 a month. I figure my wife and I will live here very comfortably on $1,500 per month which is considerably less than half of what we will actually be getting. My idea of retirement is living comfortably with everything you need and taking three or four cruises a year. This is what I want.
This isn't for everyone, some might think "oh how terrible, I could never live like that" but the only ones I have to please is my wife and I. Fits us perfectly.
The mill owner had a good eye for budding young men. The young man who built my house went on to own his own business and eventually became mayor, county commissioner and ended as county sheriff living in this house to the 1980's.
PS
I love hardwood floors throughout. Easy to clean (shop vac and a damp mop), the Pine-Sol smells great and while there are age related blemishes there's an old dark patina I just love the look of.
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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Quote:
nicet4: A young man with a new wife and family on the way worked at the local lumber mill and it wasn't long before he had the reputation of a hard working dependable man.
The mill was a huge operation with everything. Picture it as a dozen Home Depots selling top quality materials.
The owner of the mill took notice and made a deal that went like this "You are newly married and have a child on the way. You need a home for your family.
I have a piece of property in town I will let you have and what I would like to see you do is build a house on it. You take everything you need from the mill keeping a tab of what you take. When the house is done we'll go together to the bank and get a mortgage."
Since the man owned a large chunk of the bank getting a good mortgage wasn't going to be a problem.
Well, the young man took up the deal and started building.
That reminds me of the original owner of this house I'm in. The original and first (I'm only the second) owner got all this land...get this...during the 50s when the San Francisco Chronicle was literally handing out a parcel of land for each new subscription. Well, they got three subscriptions, 3 parcels, all joined together, and now I have over 1/3 acre! But they got it all for FREE! They built the home here, in which I now live.
This whole neighborhood was a summer cottage retreat during the 50s. Many people from San Francisco and Marin County had cottages up here and came for the summer. Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead's family had a cottage up here when he was a kid. Later, it became a year-round community. It's interesting to walk around because it is very eclectic and you can see that each family built their own home, to their own likes and imaginations. (Much better than a suburb to me!)
But think of that: an entire 1/3 of an acre of land in the Santa Cruz mountains for FREE - just for subscribing to the San Francisco Chronicle! Such a cool history here.
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Just Bag It
