Blow That Dough! -2021
- Thread starter audreyh1
- Start date
- Status
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
Just curious, but what are the $14,000 annual condo fees for?
ivinsfan
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2007
- Messages
- 9,965
Dashman I feel your pain. A 110 acre farm tract with no buildings about 3 miles SW of our place sold Thursday for 9780 an acre. My first thought, Geez that's a lot of money, my second dang it our RE taxes just went up again.
It's a involuntary BTD....
It's a involuntary BTD....
Dash man
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Includes 24/7 security, water, cable tv, fiber optic Internet, newly redone gym, newly resurfaced and retiled pool, beautiful decks, but a large portion is for concrete restoration, new hurricane windows for public areas, new cooling units on each tower, new roof and anything else needed to pass a 50 year inspection, and increased insurance costs. When we bought in 2016 it was $2,000/qtr.
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
Wow, sounds like a lot of restoration work. It sounds like accruals for periodic restoration work were not anticipated or the costs have escalated.
Our HOA is going through a similar situation at our 55+ community that is now 20 years old. But our dues haven't increased (yet).
Dash man
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Yes, they’re financing it through a bank loan line of credit. So fees went up to make the payments. Don’t get me started on the tenants constantly voting down building a reserve fund. It’s a really nice building and we love it there. Fortunately we can manage the payments. But because of my DFIL we haven’t been able to enjoy the place much. We’re hoping to get down in January for three months. The we’ll discuss if we should keep it or sell it.
Dash man
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
My chromebook repair failed, so I picked up a Lenovo Flex 5 that was getting cleared out at Costco. It has the i3 4.2 processor, 8 GB of ram and a 128 Gb SSD. With Chrome OS it is snappy as can be. Hooked it up to my samba shares on the fileserver and plays my tunes and vids quickly.
Another Reader
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 3,413
I think that's the one for $350 online. Did you get a better price in store?
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
The $354 one has 4 Gb of ram, Celeron processor and 32 GB eMMC. Costco was closing out the old model at $400.
Another Reader
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 3,413
This is the one I was looking at.
https://www.costco.com/lenovo-flex-...ntel-i3-1115g4---1080p.product.100744753.html
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
One of our neighbor condos recently started a million dollar spalling project. Special assessments on steroids. Our condo, by contrast has attempted to keep ahead of spalling, so no special assessment. BUT we pay $10K/year in condo fees. One more "price of Paradise" AKA BTD! YMMV
Drove to Texas in a convoy last week with the winemaker, family (2 year old, 4 year old, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law) to see my 88 year old mother and older sister. Mother-in-law paid for the Air B&B so the expense was mostly gas and food and time. There was a bad wreck in Gallop, so we detoured and by accident went back up to 40 through Zuni and the Malpais which I've always wanted to see. The grandkids loved the Petrified Forest.
In Texas we met up with daughter-in-law's brother and dad (DW saw her brother and son when she dropped our youngest son off at DFW Sunday night), so it was a real Thanksgiving, only with fajitas and pizza. 4 days on the road up (grandkid's tolerance is about 300-330 miles) versus 2 days back. Good times.
In Texas we met up with daughter-in-law's brother and dad (DW saw her brother and son when she dropped our youngest son off at DFW Sunday night), so it was a real Thanksgiving, only with fajitas and pizza. 4 days on the road up (grandkid's tolerance is about 300-330 miles) versus 2 days back. Good times.
Last edited:
corn18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2015
- Messages
- 1,890
Just hired a company to install Xmas lights. First time ever doing this. Not cheap, but they will make me smile every night.
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Heh, heh, I dread decorating the lanai. DW insists on Christmas lights over the screens and that means the 3-step ladder. Scares me to death. One fall and it could be death or worse. No way would she consent to hiring it done - if such a service were available.
I approve of your decision to hire it done! YMMV
Winemaker
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
The family hired a bonded caregiver outfit for my mom who has been declining in health the past 11 months. 24/7 care @$28/hour, thank God I was able save a stash for her.
explanade
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 10, 2008
- Messages
- 7,448
How much?
Are they climbing the roof?
Is it an extensive lighting install or just the string of lights?
corn18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2015
- Messages
- 1,890
$920 for 115 ft of lights. Just outlining the roof line which has a lot of peaks. $8 a ft. That includes the lights, timers, cords and any maintenance required. Put them up, take them down. No idea if that is a good price but this is one instance where money buys happiness.
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
yup that is it, I will go get the $50 back and thanks for the reminder.
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
@brydanger way to go! If I want to go do that kind of boating I am on my own, DW is not down for extended sailing.
In our neighborhood they go in on a lift. Although some pay upwards of $700 to get them done by a "pro"?
I just DIY like most other things but I am only 40 and have plenty of pep left in the step. I don't climb the roof though. We do go all out on the inside with decorations...we are starting to catch up to Dr Phil's wife.
Spent a mint on a trip for the WHOLE family to go to Wisconsin Dells indoor water park resort the weekend before Xmas. DM, DF, DS, Nephews and Nieces...even bringing the BIL along...although he says he will drink his way through the madness. The kids will have fun. Followed by booking 8 day trip to San Diego for January to get away from the COLD. Paying for 5 airline tickets isn't cheap, but DD is under 2 flies free, and I had a buy one get one companion ticket so that helped. Had I been a little more proactive and booked for February I would have had the luxury of free lodging through a friend. Guess I'll have to go back next February. What a shame 
tmm99
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
- Messages
- 5,223
Wow, that's a lot of money!
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I was watching our building maintenance folks putting up the lights at our building. One guy was standing on the next to top rung of his 10 foot step ladder (on one foot) bending over the top of a tree to set the lights. Scared me. NOT what I want to do in my retirement. Just on our lanai, I too would pay someone else if DW would let me - heh, heh, or, better yet, skip the whole thing!
YMMV- Status
