Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

kyfdx

stickguy said:

we don't have anyone really keeping us around here. so leaving is not an issue.

I would not go someplace just because the kids were there, but it could factor into general location.

we need to make a list and travel around to explore different areas to see what we like. No real rush.

NC seems like the best of everything, regarding climate and cost of living, etc. Spartanburg? Maybe, Greenville, but not Spartanburg

stever

We did that - checked out parts of Cali (my wife grew up in San Diego), Ft. Collins, Austin, and several different spots in NM and a few in AZ in recent years. Good excuses for road trips.

berri

Hey, if nothing else, America is a big and beautiful country with so much to see and do. After retiring we've been doing more driving and less flying, and I'm actually enjoying it

Michaell

I ended up in Colorado due to a job change and found it to be a pretty nice place to live. Having grown up in Southern California, I've gotten used to the winters - for the most part.

Won't go back to CA, though moving somewhere warmer would be nice. However, with the recent sale/purchase of a new home just 10-15 miles from where we were, it's not likely to happen until one or both of us retire.

slorenzen

Michaell said:

I ended up in Colorado due to a job change and found it to be a pretty nice place to live. Having grown up in Southern California, I've gotten used to the winters - for the most part.

Won't go back to CA, though moving somewhere warmer would be nice. However, with the recent sale/purchase of a new home just 10-15 miles from where we were, it's not likely to happen until one or both of us retire.

Is "Californian" still a 4-letter word to native Coloradans?

Mr_Shiftright

There are no "native" Coloradans---very few anyway. They are mostly immigrants from somewhere.

California is a fabulous place to live but there are many Californias, and you'd better pick the right one! There"s North and South (like night and day), there's coast and valley, there's the entire Sierras experience, then way up north it's the Wild West. Something for everybody.

suydam

Well, the right one depends on what climate and community you prefer. I rew up in the desert and many of my friends still live there, but my perfect California is Santa Barbara County.

carnaught

Imminent PUNCH coming in the next two days (an addition, not replacement) ....stay tuned.

Michaell

suydam said:

Well, the right one depends on what climate and community you prefer. I rew up in the desert and many of my friends still live there, but my perfect California is Santa Barbara County.

Probably the second most expensive place to live in the state - after the Bay Area. 

roadburner

We might-repeat, MIGHT-consider a move to Seabrook Island SC someday- but only if someone offered us an absolutely obscene amount of money for our current house and property.

fintail

It is to Oregonians and Washingtonians!

Back in the 80s the LA crowd moved north and bid things up, now the SF crowd is doing it. Californicators, they'd be called.

slorenzen said:

Is "Californian" still a 4-letter word to native Coloradans?

cdnpinhead

Perhaps ex-CA people are thought of in OR & WA (at least away from the Portland and Sea-Tac metro areas) the same as people from Massachusetts are in Maine, though without the clever moniker: Massholes.

robr2

cdnpinhead said:

Perhaps ex-CA people are thought of in OR & WA (at least away from the Portland and Sea-Tac metro areas) the same as people from Massachusetts are in Maine, though without the clever moniker: Massholes.

Hey hey hey - I take umbrage to that. It's Mass-leave-your-tourist-dollars-we-have-no-other-industry-Holes.

Michaell

I've lived in CO for 22 years, so I don't feel like a transplant anymore. Besides, I lived here for 7 years before buying a house, so I don't think I'm part of that group that drove up real estate prices back then.

I've got a few HS classmates that are also here in CO - Co Springs, Boulder and a couple in metro Denver.

slorenzen

fintail said:

It is to Oregonians and Washingtonians!

Back in the 80s the LA crowd moved north and bid things up, now the SF crowd is doing it. Californicators, they'd be called.

slorenzen said:

Is "Californian" still a 4-letter word to native Coloradans?

I moved to Oregon in 1993 from the SF Bay Area, wondering if I'd be the subject of hatred.

By then, things had, for the most part, calmed down. I was told Oregonians hated that the Californians would come up and buy a home without trying to get a lower price, as it was so much cheaper than Cal.(ESPECIALLY where I moved from, Campbell, Ca.)

I determined to not pay full price on whatever I bought(doing my part, don'tcha know).

Been here over 22 years now, I think I'm considered a native...

breld

My wife is actually one of the few remaining true Colorado natives - born and raised. I've been here since I was 5 years old. We certainly love it here, but I didn't come to truly appreciate it until I started working and 1) traveled to other places and 2) realized how many people were trying to transfer here to the Denver office.

My company builds and manages apartment buildings around the country, so I'm fortunate enough to get to travel to some nice places. North Carolina is indeed a very nice place - have some good friends who moved there from Denver and really enjoy it. We just started building in Nashville, so I'll get to add that to my travel list too.

Sandman6472

Looking like the trip back to New York is going to happen...since the wife can't go and the oldest has never seen "the city", taking her along. It'll help me tremendously to just have another body to help with things and swoop in in case I don't feel well. Going for 6 days, possibly a week as we have relatives as well as friends to see and thinking this is the time. NY, I might email you with some logistical questions dealing with transport as I do not want to take the rental into the city, thinking the train to be a better idea. Staying in Armonk not too far from the airport which is an area I am not familiar with...more familiar more northwest around the Briarcliff/Ossining/Peekskill area.
Kid needs to move some things around at work but think it'll all work out. Just hoping the traffic isn't as crazy as down south here and think a compact should work out just fine. We have an E Z Pass down here for our toll roads but not sure what the northeast has but suppose cash is still taken.

The Sandman

stever

fwiw, we stayed at Croton-on-Hudson our last trip and found the train easy for a bunch of rubes. Figure an hour to get to Grand Central after the morning rush. Plenty of parking there, not sure about the Ossining station.

corvette

roadburner said:
We might-repeat, MIGHT-consider a move to Seabrook Island SC someday- but only if someone offered us an absolutely obscene amount of money for our current house and property.

It's difficult to unload a "nice" house in a rural area for close to what you've invested in it. (Ask me how I know!) Sold my old place to someone else in the same neighborhood who wanted to downsize.

I will have to check out Seabrook Island. 

fintail

I guess you're heading for a generation now, that's not so bad

Some difficulty in Portlandia right now

slorenzen said:

fintail said:

It is to Oregonians and Washingtonians!

I moved to Oregon in 1993 from the SF Bay Area, wondering if I'd be the subject of hatred.

By then, things had, for the most part, calmed down. I was told Oregonians hated that the Californians would come up and buy a home without trying to get a lower price, as it was so much cheaper than Cal.(ESPECIALLY where I moved from, Campbell, Ca.)

I determined to not pay full price on whatever I bought(doing my part, don'tcha know).

Been here over 22 years now, I think I'm considered a native...

slorenzen

fintail said:

I guess you're heading for a generation now, that's not so bad

Some difficulty in Portlandia right now

slorenzen said:

fintail said:

It is to Oregonians and Washingtonians!

I moved to Oregon in 1993 from the SF Bay Area, wondering if I'd be the subject of hatred.

By then, things had, for the most part, calmed down. I was told Oregonians hated that the Californians would come up and buy a home without trying to get a lower price, as it was so much cheaper than Cal.(ESPECIALLY where I moved from, Campbell, Ca.)

I determined to not pay full price on whatever I bought(doing my part, don'tcha know).

Been here over 22 years now, I think I'm considered a native...

Yeah, my daughter and her husband own a really nice 18 acre place about 20 miles away(they have 3 kids) and my son, once done with P.A. school in Spokane, will be moving back to this general area with their new son.

With 4 grandkids in the area, I ain't going anywhere...

stickguy

Sandy, everything up here is EZ pass. you will need it for the bridges and tunnels. or a whole lotta cash (they be pricey!)

yes, train into the city. Metro North into grand Central. Might be the N. white plains station from what I saw, but there are a few near there. Should be easy in and out.

Sandman6472

Yes, since we'll be in Armonk, figured the No. White Plains or White Plains station would be easiest but hope there is enough parking. Mt. Kisco station could work also as not sure I want to drive super far to get to a train. We have EZ Pass transponders here in Florida so will call them and see if I can just bring my unit and use it in New York and Connecticut or else, will bring lots of cash. Usually carry about $100.00 in $1 dollar bills for tips and such. Haven't traveled in about six years, last time was to Chicago area, so a bit rusty. I do know that I do not want to drive into the city or out to Staten Island again and will have to meet folks in the city or somewhere in Westchester that we can drive to.
Will definitely be fun to show my kid where I came from and introduce her to some family that she hasn't met or seen in a long time. Since the wife can't get away, will be nice to have the extra help navigating and such, especially at the airports where I usually require a wheelchair and other assistance as I can't walk very far or stand very long. Another perk will be the cooler weather that we might encounter as anything in the 50's and 60's will be a welcome change for us southerners! Also, having navigation in our cell phones will be a major plus as the kid is very tech savvy unlike myself who is quite challenged in that area!!!
Thanks for the help here as it's been awhile since I went anywhere.

The Sandman

Michaell

Sandy, I hope you enjoy your trip. My dad was born and raised in Peekskill, so I've been to that area on several occasions while my grandparents were still alive.

I understand that Peekskill has become gentrified over the last 10-20 years, so not the same run-down town I remember.

rayainsw

Sandy -
Soc Sec - earning while collecting -
= = =
[ quoted from ] http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf

How much can you earn and still get benefits?
If you were born January 2, 1943, through January 1, 1955,
then your full retirement age for retirement insurance benefits is 66.
If you work, and are full retirement age or older, you
may keep all of your benefits, no matter how much you earn.
If you’re younger than full retirement age, there is a limit
to how much you can earn and still receive full Social Security benefits. If
you’re younger than full retirement age during all of 2015, we must deduct $1
from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $15,720.

= = =
What income counts... and when do we count it?
If you work for someone else, only your wages count toward Social
Security’s earnings limits. If you’re self-employed, we count only your net
earnings from self-employment. For the earnings limits, we don’t count income
such as other government benefits, investment earnings, interest, pensions,
annuities, and capital gains.

sb55

Well, my son has another "punch". He just bought a 2010 Jetta TDI wagon last month. He wants to run biodiesel and the Jetta won't take it, so he just bought a 2006 Golf TDI 4 door. He will sell the Jetta.
Should I be proud? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
My wife and I have 4 cars for 2 of us and now he has 2 cars for himself!

robr2

sandman_6472 said:

We have EZ Pass transponders here in Florida so will call them and see if I can just bring my unit and use it in New York and Connecticut or else, will bring lots of cash.

Your Florida EPass or SunPass will not work in EZ Pass states. Bring money or buy a preloaded EZ Pass locally.

roadburner

corvette said:

t's difficult to unload a "nice" house in a rural area for close to what you've invested in it. (Ask me how I know!) Sold my old place to someone else in the same neighborhood who wanted to downsize.

I will have to check out Seabrook Island. 

True, the house is located on an old family farm, so if it ever did sell at a good price it would likely be to an entity that wanted to develop it.

suydam

I thought EZ Pass worked in most states. The one I have is good in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York among others.

qbrozen

henryn: yes, we have another house. I've asked to push closing on that house up to 9/25. Booking movers for 9/28. Renters move in 10/1. Whew!

I had no idea such a thing was necessary, but I just became a registered landlord at the township office. Oh boy.

henryn

qbrozen said:

henryn: yes, we have another house. I've asked to push closing on that house up to 9/25. Booking movers for 9/28. Renters move in 10/1. Whew!

The couple who bought my old house in 1999 showed up for the closing in a U Haul truck, with everything they owned in the truck. They explained that they closed on selling their old house the same morning that they closed on buying our house in the afternoon. Insanity!

I was still married at that time, and the wife and I borrowed a big chunk against my 401k so we could own two houses during the overlap. We made the down payment, did a lot of work on the new house (which was a 27 year old farm house), moved into that new house, and then had a lot of work done to the old house. It's so much easier to work on a house when it is completely empty!

As our old house was completely redone, the new owners were "ready to move in". I have found that to be a big selling point, new paint in and out, new carpet, new bathroom fixtures, including toilets, etc, etc.

Mr_Shiftright

It's funny...some of the so-called "greenest" areas of the country are propelled by a driving materialism that would make Las Vegas blush.

It's kinda like the contradiction of buying a $130,000 Tesla, putting it in a 750 sq ft. garage, installing a 240V charging station, in order to "save the planet".

qbrozen

henryn said:

The couple who bought my old house in 1999 showed up for the closing in a U Haul truck, with everything they owned in the truck. They explained that they closed on selling their old house the same morning that they closed on buying our house in the afternoon. Insanity!

That's exactly what we did when we moved from our first house to our current house. I think that's the most common scenario since most people have to sell one to qualify on the mortgage for the next one.

kyfdx

We sold our last house, and rented it back from the couple that bought it, while our new one was being built. The rent was lower than our house payment had been.. They were engaged and didn't need the house for 8 months, but wanted in that neighborhood.

I told my wife that I could sell the house myself and pull that off, but I don't think she believed me.. We moved out, 5 months after closing (our new house construction was already under way, when we closed on the old house).

Probably couldn't make that happen again, if I tried it a dozen times..

stever

I miss the glory days - back in Boise we got a house with just our credit score. Found one we liked better within a year and bought it. Had two house payments for three months until the first one sold, but Countrywide never blinked on either loan and never asked for Schedule Cs or anything else. Fun times, no wonder they went belly up.

Today's car shopping plan - check out that used Elantra GT to see if the size works.

(Today meaning whenever....)

stickguy

When I was in process of selling my old house I recall being at the agents office, and a sad looking family sitting in lobby. Uhaul parked outside.

Yup. They packed up and sold old house in the AM. Then in the PM something happened and the deal on new house fell apart somehow (not sure if temporary or for good). So they had no where to go, and all their stuff in a truck.

I was glad I overlapped. Bought new one before selling old one. Just don't want to carry that too long!

robr2

suydam said:

I thought EZ Pass worked in most states. The one I have is good in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York among others.

EZ Passes work in the EZ Pass states. It won't work with the other transponder based toll systems.

Sandman has an EPass (notice no Z) that works only in Florida and now Georgia.

But October 2016, all the transponder toll systems are supposed to be inter-operable.

stever

Hey @michaell, can you pop down in your GT and give us a demo? Went to look at the one here but naturally it had been sent back to El Paso.

Looked at some different stuff walking the lot but nothing much grabbed us.

On the way home my wife suggested we check out a Tiguan. Fine with me; we're all over the map anyway. Probably no gas versions within three states though.

Sandman6472

Mike, I was born in Peekskill and we lived there till I was 3 I think, Nelson Avenue. We owned a clothing manufacturing plant in town on Division Street and my other grandpa owned the Dodge dealer for awhile, think that's where m love of cars came from. Hoping to take my kid up there and visit the grandparents house on Lindberg Avenue, off of Washington Street. Spent a lot of time there as a kid and remember the house as being old and small with a real creepy basement. So glad she's coming with me because truthfully, I was going to cancel as I don't think I could handle the luggage and other stuff done with the TSA folks. I usually get wheelchair assistance because I just can't walk that far but when she comes, she handles everything for me so I can just sit and hold the tickets and money.
Think we'll have a real nice time to be honest!

The Sandman

sda

2 years already!
Today is the 2 year anniversary of owning my Accord. 47274 miles, just returned from a 1100 mile round trip to PA. I've owned many cars, and this one has been awesome.

henryn

^^^ It's been a long time since I drove 24k miles in one year. These days, more like 6 or 7k per year.

henryn

I had a voice mail on my work number from last night. Some woman, claims to be with a “research” outfit of some kind. “Not a sales call”, yada, yada. “$150 for an hour and a half of my time” if I still own the 2013 F150. Somehow, I expect this will turn out like the recent post about the Cadillac dealer, $50 for taking a test drive, only turns out they were out of the “cards”.

imidazol97

henryn said:

I had a voice mail on my work number from last night. Some woman, claims to be with a “research” outfit of some kind. “Not a sales call”, yada, yada. .

I had a call on my recorder from the IRS telling me they were filing suit and I needed to call them immediately. 9 months later, I haven't heard a word. LOL

Even my new Malibu got called by the IRS a few months before that on its cell number that no one else had except our son.

It would be interesting if you follow along to let us know what the game is in this call. Did she mean you pay them $150 or they pay you? LOL

stever

Next time get all panicky and try to pay them immediately with your credit card. Then put them on hold, go "hunt" for your wallet for ten minutes while you have a beer, then go hunt for your reading glasses for ten minutes, rinse and repeat.

To mimic the car biz, be a stroke.

qbrozen

That might actually pay, henryn. I had it happen once. Took some online survey giving my opinions on hypothetical car designs and powertrain configurations. I got a check for $100 a few weeks later.

stickguy

I did in person focus groups a few times. Fun and easy money. Never got a car one though. Almost did once.

suydam

This was the winning vehicle in the local classic cars auto show. I'd never seen one: a 1955 Chevy 210 station wagon.

henryn

I went back and listened again to the voice mail. It's not the clearest voice mail I ever heard, but she mentions the date (Saturday, September 26th), and they will pay me $150 for an hour and a half of my time giving my opinion of my 2013 F150 Supercrew. I called back the number given, and left my name and number. I'll let you know whatever happens next.

robr2

stickguy said:

I did in person focus groups a few times. Fun and easy money. Never got a car one though. Almost did once.

Same here. I did two automobile ones. First was about 10 years ago for the advertising of a luxury car brand which I knew immediately as Lincoln. The second one was to give feedback on the styling of what turned out to be the last generation Outback. Again, it was immediately recognizable.

carnaught

Buick Encore.