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Thread: What would you do here?

  1. #41
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    I think it's great that you and Rob bought when the market was low, Lainey. I also think that homeowners and landlords have options that most poor people do not. I think that is fortuitous for them. I think if you can live in an area that keeps a roof over your head you are fortunate, more fortunate than the folks that I see living in their cars in my local Walmart parking lot.

    I don't get how living in the OP's zipcode is a sign of moral strength or having to overcome terrible unfairness in life. That is what I was trying to convey. I don't think being poor is virtuous; nor do I think being rich is virtuous.

    Most of us are one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy. So none of us are secure, but none of us are secure in life, anyway, in that sense.

    I think if the rings can go back to the deceased owner's family, that would be a good thing, from a fairness standpoint.

  2. #42
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    You win the real estate volitility in Phoenix debate! I concede! Depending on when you got into the market, it could be a really good deal for you.

    But we all will have to think of the wealth you in the 85006 have now, given the bubble. Granted, it is wealth on paper and not realized until you sell.
    BINGO! And kudos to you for understanding - I respect you, truly I do, for "getting this" where many others are not able to for whatever reason. It truly is only wealth on paper until such a date as you sell, and the problem with selling is that real estate these days is pretty much overpriced anywhere you are going to go. (at least in the US, and hey, Canada, too, and at a worse rate in Canada overall). So we that own houses in the 85006 are pretty much locked in - even Nogales, that's right, Nogales, Arizona, has had major real estate increases - though I will admit I did find one house I'd live in for 93K in Nogales - great, so if that's paid off in cash, how does one find work in sky high unemployment Santa Cruz County, Arizona? At least legal employment anyway (said because Nogales, Arizona is right on the Mexican border).


    What I would dearly love to do if real estate were to continue it's upward climb (which I don't see happening here for the long term based on historical trends of real estate volatility in Phoenix) is sell and then perhaps move to Nogales, Arizona if I don't end out leaving the US...…..but I would want a bigger spread between Phoenix prices and Nogales, AZ prices......Rob

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    You win the real estate volitility in Phoenix debate! I concede! Depending on when you got into the market, it could be a really good deal for you.

    But we all will have to think of the wealth you in the 85006 have now, given the bubble. Granted, it is wealth on paper and not realized until you sell.
    BTW IL, Thank You. This shows class on your part here and I respect that. Kudos! Rob

  4. #44
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    About the rings.....this person who passed away had no living relatives by her own admission and since my Mother often came over to visit and spend time with her, she said that were she to pass she'd want my Mother to have her things and to decide what to do with them. My Mother did not want to touch her things with a ten foot pole as she was incontinent and the guesthouse and her belongings in general smelled really bad due to that. It was such a sticky situation and we had to deal with that horrible smell BUT if we evicted her, likely she'd die out on the streets and we couldn't live with that. So my Mother passed her things on to me.

    Something else - usually when people pass they leave some type of debt behind and you end out getting phone calls due to this - when this tenant passed there were no phone calls period - not from family stepping forward (and as per her own statement, there was no family to step forward) nor from creditors. Well, I take that back - there was ONE phone call - from the instructor at her Parkinson's class at St. Joes Medical Center as to if this person were still interested in attending classes. Other than that, nothing. So that's the story of how the rings ended out in my hands. Rob

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tybee View Post
    I think it's great that you and Rob bought when the market was low, Lainey. I also think that homeowners and landlords have options that most poor people do not. I think that is fortuitous for them. I think if you can live in an area that keeps a roof over your head you are fortunate, more fortunate than the folks that I see living in their cars in my local Walmart parking lot.

    I don't get how living in the OP's zipcode is a sign of moral strength or having to overcome terrible unfairness in life. That is what I was trying to convey. I don't think being poor is virtuous; nor do I think being rich is virtuous.

    Most of us are one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy. So none of us are secure, but none of us are secure in life, anyway, in that sense.

    I think if the rings can go back to the deceased owner's family, that would be a good thing, from a fairness standpoint.
    About the one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy bit - this is why I stay in Phoenix (close proximity to affordable medical in Mexico) and why I instinctively am nervous if I am any physically further from the Mexian border than I already am living in Phoenix. I see America only too well as it is and of course being further from the border instinctively frightens me. Realistically the only cure for this while I am still alive would be permanent residency/citizenship in a better country in which human life is worth socialized medicine, or at least to live on the border on the US side. Or for Americans to value human life over constant war and cut the military BS and spend this money on socialized medicine for all (good luck with that ever happening!!!!! AKA Don't hold your breath!) Rob

  6. #46
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Everyone, move to Hermann, MO! It is a tiny town, bit given that, it seems to have strong quality of life markers.

    I am still in the honeymoon phase and am assessing it for permanent residency. But so far, it seems to have a richness that so many rural dying towns do not, richness in the incredibly strong German heritage that plays out in culture and architecture.

    I am a little worried about how Air BnB will affect Hermann, which is chock full of legitimate, tax paying Bed and Breakfast Inns. Air BnB pays non of those taxes.

    to compare Hermann to Europe— I was interested in the idea of retiring to Bulgaria, a place that welcomes Americans and is inexpensive. We were in nearby Romania last year and I quizzed our tour guide about real estate prices and taxes in that area. We visited a little farmette of a couple of acres on a major road, and I estimated that spread to be well over $100,000. This is rural, Eastern/Centeal Europe, so not cheap when compared to Hermann.

  7. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tybee View Post
    I think it's great that you and Rob bought when the market was low, Lainey. I also think that homeowners and landlords have options that most poor people do not. I think that is fortuitous for them. I think if you can live in an area that keeps a roof over your head you are fortunate, more fortunate than the folks that I see living in their cars in my local Walmart parking lot.

    I don't get how living in the OP's zipcode is a sign of moral strength or having to overcome terrible unfairness in life. That is what I was trying to convey. I don't think being poor is virtuous; nor do I think being rich is virtuous.

    Most of us are one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy. So none of us are secure, but none of us are secure in life, anyway, in that sense.

    I think if the rings can go back to the deceased owner's family, that would be a good thing, from a fairness standpoint.
    Tybee, to be clear....living in the 85006 has nothing to do with possessing moral strength nor with overcoming terrible unfairness in life. The pride I display in my zip code is all about casting off the shackles of societal BS regarding living in a "less desirable" area - though I will say that in parts of the 85006, folks with actual money are starting to stream in and things are changing up a bit. I also have noticed in the past few months less police cars driving about and those that do are not stopping as often to check out those walking by and attempt to intimidate by virtue of being a cop - they are driving by fairly fast now and it's hard to get good video on them (maybe that's part of the reason too though, who knows?) Rob

  8. #48
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    Everyone, move to Hermann, MO! It is a tiny town, bit given that, it seems to have strong quality of life markers.

    I am still in the honeymoon phase and am assessing it for permanent residency. But so far, it seems to have a richness that so many rural dying towns do not, richness in the incredibly strong German heritage that plays out in culture and architecture.

    I am a little worried about how Air BnB will affect Hermann, which is chock full of legitimate, tax paying Bed and Breakfast Inns. Air BnB pays non of those taxes.

    to compare Hermann to Europe— I was interested in the idea of retiring to Bulgaria, a place that welcomes Americans and is inexpensive. We were in nearby Romania last year and I quizzed our tour guide about real estate prices and taxes in that area. We visited a little farmette of a couple of acres on a major road, and I estimated that spread to be well over $100,000. This is rural, Eastern/Centeal Europe, so not cheap when compared to Hermann.
    A Bulgarian passport gets you into the EU - anywhere that is Schengen becomes open to you.....for some buying that farmette in Bulgaria is worth it due to that. In my case, it would mean the ability to live and work in the Homeland even though I would not have the citizenship or the passport to the Homeland. Rob
    Last edited by gimmethesimplelife; 8-9-18 at 12:32pm.

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lainey View Post
    I agree with others who suggested selling the rings, and also to take that cash and buy gold or silver coins. Portable wealth.

    and another AZ real estate market datapoint: I bought a small 1bd/1bath house in foreclosure in 85008 zip code in summer 2011 for $29,000. This week a slightly larger house on the same street (that also has a pool) sold for $225,000. Yes, Phoenix real estate is a driver in our overall economic ratings, but that comes with greater volatility when the greater U.S. economy is shaky.

    However, as has been said, the sharp increase in value has been across the board so there is no $ to pocket if you're going to buy or rent something else in the Phoenix metro area. And don't get me started on the real estate sharks who have purchased mobile home parks all over the place here to tear down and rebuild as luxury apartments and left those renters scrambling …

    So, good for you Rob for giving a break to a young mother. I've been contemplating the same if/when my family member who is renting my tiny house passes away. I'd like to make a small profit but no need to gouge someone on something as basic as housing.
    Ugggggggh….I've heard about the mobile home parks being torn down......uggggggghhhhhhh…….to me this is proof that American style capitalism is cruel. Just cruel and uncaring for the everyday person and what's more, it's blatantly so these days with little effort at bothering to sugar coat.

    Moving on to something positive, Thank You for the comment regarding renting to a struggling young mother. We could get more for the guesthouse but we want to give someone a chance and not gouge. I agree so much about not gouging on something as basic as housing. Rob

  10. #50
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    Another tidbit about the rings.....I have never been in this situation before so I really did not know this, but...….gold jewelry, apparently though having some meltdown value, is not the blast of instant wealth I was thinking it was. Perhaps there are about $500 involved here, which is not a small sum of money by any means and in many points in my life this money would have been enough to make a difference - I'm doing better now but I will never forget that part of my life nor do I believe for one moment that I am insulated from returning to this life as long as I remain in the United States. I'm far too much of a realist not to know/realize this. The money I do get for selling - which I have decided to do - I will either stash away or I will buy maybe a couple 1/10 oz gold coins or maybe a 1/5th ounce if such exists. Portable as others have said and worth more as it's much closer to purity. Rob

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