[JViello]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I'll be very happy when my mortgage is paid off. I owe just a bit over $100K on it now.

In the words of KidYankee...must be nice.

Good for you, just remember that there are lots of us in WAY different shoes and it's not because we are stupid or irresponsible etc.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JViello

In the words of KidYankee...must be nice.

Good for you, just remember that there are lots of us in WAY different shoes and it's not because we are stupid or irresponsible etc.

I would never suggest a guy like you is stupid and irresponsible. And it's only over time that I got into this situation. Five years back, I had a fairly large mortgage balance -- over $500K -- but I brought it down steadily by making extra payments. Prior to that, I was the classic person treading water making minimum mortgage payments.

Keep in mind, I'm probably a decent amount older than you (almost 48), and one of the few benefits of aging is the ability to improve your financial situation if you play your cards right. At 35, I owed 80% of the value of my house (it was a different house than what I have now).

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I'll be very happy when my mortgage is paid off. I owe just a bit over $100K on it now.

I told you not to buy that new M5. If you had leased instead, you could have paid off the mortgage.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

I told you not to buy that new M5. If you had leased instead, you could have paid off the mortgage.

How did you know?

Please don't tempt me! I actually love the M5 as well as the M3. I have a 5er now (530i), but I could definitely go for an M5. I don't think I'll ever get one, though. Too much money, insurance too high, and I'd get into too much trouble with it (though it would be pretty fun along the way)...

[JViello]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I would never suggest a guy like you is stupid and irresponsible. And it's only over time that I got into this situation. Five years back, I had a fairly large mortgage balance -- over $500K -- but I brought it down steadily by making extra payments. Prior to that, I was the classic person treading water making minimum mortgage payments.

Keep in mind, I'm probably a decent amount older than you (almost 48), and one of the few benefits of aging is the ability to improve your financial situation if you play your cards right. At 35, I owed 80% of the value of my house (it was a different house than what I have now).

That's great to hear on all accounts. Really, I mean it!

My point was that I find many people in CT in your shoes tend to forget that they struggled or that times can change and when you own a 750K house with 150K payments, yea...property taxes are what they are and are a part of life. Hey you get what you pay for. ( ) They tend to forget that some of us are barely making the mortgage, and the extra 200-300 per month in taxes really hurts! So when elections etc come around, said folks tend to get complacent and well...we get the same old same old.

Know what I mean? (Said, "nowImean" in other "areas". )

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JViello

That's great to hear on all accounts. Really, I mean it!

My point was that I find many people in CT in your shoes tend to forget that they struggled or that times can change and when you own a 750K house with 150K payments, yea...property taxes are what they are and are a part of life. Hey you get what you pay for. ( ) They tend to forget that some of us are barely making the mortgage, and the extra 200-300 per month in taxes really hurts! So when elections etc come around, said folks tend to get complacent and well...we get the same old same old.

Know what I mean? (Said, "nowImean" in other "areas". )

I know exactly what you mean. I'm not one of those people. I want to see taxes kept low, and I don't have a very expansive view of what government should be doing.

You're exactly right about the people you're describing. They're called limousine (or latte) liberals.

[LRPct]

BTW.. there are homes in the Sharon area in the 5 - 9 million dollar range either under forclosure or subject to short sale.