2023 Real Estate Observations (Boston, Florida: scorpions, snakes, poisonous)

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

Are outdoor kitchens a thing in MA? I've only seen them in new construction southern CA homes.

I know of a few folks who have added them in the last 2-3 years when covid staycations were a thing.

I wouldn't mind one, but it's not really high up on my priority list.

[matrix5k]

Originally Posted by xo_kizzy_xo

A quick glance at my town's social media forum shows that many families are looking to either rent or buy but the inventory right now is slim to none. Some of them already rent in town and want to keep their kids in the school system but obviously their rent must've skyrocketed. I can count a handful of houses around me that were up for sale at the end of last year. Now none of them are because the owners decided to pull them back until the market resettles.

What do you mean until the market resettles? Houses are apparently being purchased for 300k over asking.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I know of a few folks who have added them in the last 2-3 years when covid staycations were a thing.

I wouldn't mind one, but it's not really high up on my priority list.

I know quite a few people who have them as well. Lots of people with pools have them along with a TV they watch outside.

[matrix5k]

An outdoor TV in MA? Those must not last long.

[msRB311]

They are usually under a porch with a cover:

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/outdoo...g-a-tv-outside

But yeah you can use them may through September, maybe october. Not an awful investment if you have the funds I guess.

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Sad that the woman with 12 grandchildren wasn't offered a place to stay by any of her kids.

Yes and sad that she needs knee replacements and can't even get the surgeries until she has a stable place to live either. It's one thing if someone doesn't have a job and isn't making an effort to get a job in order to better their situation. However, it seems many of these people have jobs or had jobs and slipped into homelessness because they weren't exactly high income earners and with the rising rents and housing costs plus the unexpected pandemic event, they had no other options. One guy they interviewed was a two time convicted felon so I can see why he might have trouble getting employment but otherwise....once you slip into that life, seems very hard to get out of.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by newenglandgal123

Yes and sad that she needs knee replacements and can't even get the surgeries until she has a stable place to live either. It's one thing if someone doesn't have a job and isn't making an effort to get a job in order to better their situation. However, it seems many of these people have jobs or had jobs and slipped into homelessness because they weren't exactly high income earners and with the rising rents and housing costs plus the unexpected pandemic event, they had no other options. One guy they interviewed was a two time convicted felon so I can see why he might have trouble getting employment but otherwise....once you slip into that life, seems very hard to get out of.

Yes that's a tough situation. It's one of the reasons I am really careful with my finances and get horrified to see what others spend on homes and renovations. You just never know if/when you could lose a job and be in a tough situation. The job market today isn't as good as it was a year ago. Some people think they're invincible when it comes to getting hired.

I feel like MA has laws to help felons get hired...honestly i think there are many jobs that don't even do criminal background checks these days. They just call your references lol.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by msRB311

They are usually under a porch with a cover:

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/outdoo...g-a-tv-outside

But yeah you can use them may through September, maybe october. Not an awful investment if you have the funds I guess.

I'm using a standard TV on my porch simply because we upgraded our normal TV's and I had a spare to burn, so I installed it outside. Of course, it's enclosed and covered so it's not exposed to rain/snow, but I can open the doors and windows and then the porch will see outside temp/humidity in the hot summer, as well as in the winter when we use it. But it's been 2 years so far, going on the 3rd without a problem.


But i love having a TV "outside". It's great in the fall when football is on and I can do yard work and then grab a drink in the shade on the porch and see the game. My porch is heated so I use it all year long.

[matrix5k]

The outside moisture will shorten the lifespan of any outdoor TV, covered or not.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I made a blanket statement but really one needs to crunch the numbers to determine the best course of action. Historically the vehicles I’ve purchased in the past did not come with any decent rebate, or were purchased 1-year old or private party. You really need to look at each situation and its unique circumstances is how I would modify my statement.

I’ve been in the “want to buy” mode the last year for two specific car models/trims and have found my previous strategy will need to go out the window so I’m certainly not stuck to it

Yeah. My wife keeps saying she wants a new car but I've been trying to hold her off. Would love to see more of an inventory build up so that I can more effectively negotiate before getting any new cars. Plus, she's got a VW Atlas that we bought right after the VW emissions scandal. So, they were giving 6 year bumper-to-bumper warranties that year and I see no reason to dump a car still under manufacturer's warranty while prices are still high.

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Why don't we all get back to real estate, huh?

You say what we're all thinking.

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Maybe she was and was kicked out? Anyway, it seems strange that she would move from Florida to Massachusetts to live in a tent.

Agreed. While I'm sure there are more services in MA for the homeless, the weather is a lot more hospitable for living outdoors in FL.

Originally Posted by matrix5k

Are outdoor kitchens a thing in MA? I've only seen them in new construction southern CA homes.

They're not super common. Some people installed them during COVID as everyone was spending more time with friends outdoors. I know a few people that have them but most of the people I know have a fairly simple one that includes maybe a built in grill and an under counter refrigerator. I saw one at a house in Newton last year that had a really cool beverage dispenser. You just press a button and vodka/rum/bourbon/whatever comes out of the little faucet.

Originally Posted by xo_kizzy_xo

A quick glance at my town's social media forum shows that many families are looking to either rent or buy but the inventory right now is slim to none. Some of them already rent in town and want to keep their kids in the school system but obviously their rent must've skyrocketed. I can count a handful of houses around me that were up for sale at the end of last year. Now none of them are because the owners decided to pull them back until the market resettles.

Why on Earth would you take your home off the market right now if you want to sell? The market is on fire and demand far exceeds supply. The only reason I can think of is they're scared because they don't know where to go if they do sell.

Originally Posted by matrix5k

An outdoor TV in MA? Those must not last long.

I would assume that outdoor TVs are made to withstand the elements. Have you ever priced one? For these prices they better last more than a year. A 65" Sunbrite TV made for full sun costs $9500.

https://www.sunbritetv.com/categorie...-full-sun.html

My brother has a TV setup in his yard and he bought some kind of case to go around it during the winter. I'm still curious if the cold weather shortens it's life though as he's using an indoor TV.

Originally Posted by msRB311

It's one of the reasons I am really careful with my finances and get horrified to see what others spend on homes and renovations.

Why would you be aghast at what other people are spending? You don't know their financial situation.

I was once talking to a group of friends and everyone was asking me why don't I buy a particular house in my neighborhood and move my family into it. My answer was "I'm not spending $X on a house and then have to renovate it to make it the way I want it. If I'm spending that much money on a house I don't want to have to do more than paint and refinish floors." Meanwhile, one of my friends got a bit offended because they had just spent almost double that amount on a house and then spent a significant amount of money renovating it. Granted, that friend is WAY more comfortable than me financially. I wasn't trying to offend her and $X is much more money to me than it is to her. Her old house sold for more than $X when she moved. So clearly $X means something different to me then her.