Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    Be sure to use your GPS. It's easy to miss the turn in to the lodge from the main highway. At least take a ten minute stop. You'll enjoy it.

    I will enter Cheeca Lodge in the GPS and we'll try our best to visit.

    We went to the Miccosukee Casino near Florida City tonight for dinner.

    There was a big sign facing the highway, "steak and lobster dinner $9.99". Believe it or not that included choice of potatoe, salad, and chocolate cake. 3 had that meal and they loved it, I was going to get it but when I saw orange duck on the menu I just had to go with it.

    After the $10 steak and lobster dinner I am sure the dinner became about a $30 dinner once the slot machines came into the picture...my BIL and SIL love those things.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    GG - you should have charged him for the test drive.....

    That sounds like our good old fez is back!

    Great news!

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,288
    I'm with you on the stove, GG. I love cooking with gas.

    I swear by induction. Love ours.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 17,072
    Richard,
    I would like the recipe when you get a chance. Thanks.

    Fezo,
    Good news, glad you are feeling well!

    Stick,
    LOL.

    Explorer,
    Does your Fusion have the feature where it can parallel park on its own? I think Ford calls it "Active Park Assist". If so I'd be interested how it works.

    2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart

  • mako1amako1a Member Posts: 1,855
    I bought my first house in 1976. Nice, clean and well kept by a widowed lady before me. I had never cooked in my life. I learned from an old Navy buddy how to cook corn on the cob. Take a stainless steel percolator, remove the basket and stem, shuck 3 ears of corn and put them in the percolator. Add water to cover the corn and plug it in. When the light comes on, the corn is done.

    1977 I meet Debi, now my wife. She looks the house over and exclaims how nice and clean I had kept everything (except the garage with a muddy dirt bike) living there for the last 8 or 9 months. Then she looks inside the oven. Looks at me and says what a great cleaning job I had done to get the oven like new. I said nothing. Then she looks at me and says "you've never used the oven have you". I confess I hadn't. I'm living proof that a guy with only primitive cooking skills can survive and even get a little overweight.

    2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,140
    fezo...so happy to hear that. Great news!

    The potential buyer came back to look at the BMW last night. And, as you guys suspected, wanted another test drive.

    Taking everyone's advice, I (politely) said it's the same car he test drove before. I asked him what he missed the first time he test drove it? He got in, started playing with the knobs, turning the radio on/off. Playing a CD he brought with him. Looking under the hood, in the trunk, under the car.

    Just playing around with him a little bit, I asked him what he was looking for while peeking under the car? He said he was looking to see if it had been wrecked. I asked him the tell tale signs. He said overspray on the muffler.

    Now, like most here, I can tell if a car has had body work done. But, how bad and noticeable will body work be if there's paint on the mufflers? I let him do his thing.

    Finally, I get to the point where all this inspection is going nowhere. I ask him what kind of car he's looking for? Ask why he likes my BMW? Are there other cars he's looking at?

    He dismisses my questions, not answering any of them. Living a couple of streets over from me, he said he was referred to me by someone who actually lives on my street. That I take really good care of my cars, Wash and wax them, service them regularly, and that I own nice cars. Apparently, the former GF mentioned to the neighbor what was going on with us, and that I was considering selling the BMW.

    He pulled up in an older Lexus (not sure of the year, but it was an IS 300). He's never owned a BMW before. But, he's heard thay're expensive to maintain and service.

    GG-"This is a great car. Never had one iota of trouble with it. I've owned it since new. Serviced it at the dealer. Have the records to show it's maintenance. It's still under BMW bumper to bumper warranty and "free" maintenance program.

    If you want the car, the time to buy it is now, as I gave you first dibs. If not, I'm going to start advertising it in the local newspaper."

    Neighbor-"Best I can do is give you $33K for the car."

    I thank him for his interest and tell him we're just too far apart.

    He asks for my best price.

    I tell him"...today and today only (picked that trick up by visiting too many dealerships), I'll sell it for $36.5K, cashier's check only."

    He counters with $34K.

    I thank him for his time and walk towards the house. He ups himself one more time saying he might do $35K. I again thank him for his time, wave to him and pull the car into the garage.

    I'll drive the car around this weekend with the "For Sale" sign in it before putting it in the newspaper to see what happens.

    Richard...don't know how cool I am at this stage, but youy're right that most of these cars that the former GF is bringing home are ones she knows I don't like. Funny way of irritating me, but c'est la vie.

    Since I was going to use the money from the sale of the BMW to buy the S4, and my desire to wrap up any final "dealings" she and I have as soon as possible, I'm going to get a very quick loan to buy the S4 now. I'll pay it off when the BMW sells.

    As it stands, this whole ordeal feels like I'm walking through molasses.

    Thanks for listening to me "whine", everyone.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    The new glass top stove was 1/8 of an inch too big. No matter how they tried, it just wasn't going to fit. The island top and our counters are Majestic White by Corian. The thought of cutting that Corian sent fear into my heart. I couldn't get a countertop man to even think of touching it---granite yes, Corian no.

    I’m surprised that they didn’t want to cut Corian. I would have thought they wouldn’t want to cut granite. As I mention a few posts back, the builder we had in SC had counter top installers glue pieces of Corian strips to a counter top then grind and polish the patch area when a cutout was too large. He said the job came out perfectly but it took hours to do, mostly waiting for the glue to dry. This wasn’t for our house, it was for another customer he had about a year before he built our house. When he was telling me this story I remember him saying something like, “just my luck, the cutout had to be too large, if it were too small it could have been easily cut to the right dimensions”.

    Corian is nothing more than a glorified plastic and cutting it is actually pretty easy. While I have not cut the Corian brand material myself, I have cut its generic counterpart for a friend who wanted a piece of his counter top shortened back in the 80’s and I had no problems. Lots of smelly plastic dust but the cut came out almost perfect. There were very few minor burn marks that could have been easily sanded away but since the cut edge was going against a wall I didn’t bother removing them completely but I could have.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm actually partial to Formica myself.

    There's a brief thread over in Buying American Cars extolling the "glorious" 50s and one of the photos linked is of a smiling white bread family with 2.0 kids sitting around the Philco TV.

    That's when the hearth changed from the fireplace and I think that's when conversation died (although radio "appointments" with Fibber and Molly McGee surely killed a lot of talk too) . I think computers are actually reversing the trend since they are more interactive than just yelling back at the TV.

    It's still rare to go visit someone and not have the TV blaring.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I thank him for his time and walk towards the house. He ups himself one more time saying he might do $35K. I again thank him for his time, wave to him and pull the car into the garage.

    Over in RWTIV, qbrozen said $35K was a fair selling price. You had it in hand with the first buyer. I know he also said $37K asking but that's the starting point.

    Don't step over the quarters to pick up the nickels.....especially when you are talking about taking a loan to buy the Audi in the meantime.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    When I get a chance, I'll post on how to make it. You'll love it once you try it. It's not just a cake; it's a creation of sheer delight.

    Gee…a recipe from the kitchen of Richard Child, right here on a car forum. Who’da thunk that would be happening?

    ‘tj’… I hope you can understand the recipe given with a Southern twang. :)

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Fezo, I'm delighted to hear that you are feeling so well and received a good report from the doctor. I can't believe that it has been nearly a year since the transplant. You have weathered such a terrible storm, with such grace, dignity, and humor. You are an absolute marvel and model for us all. Continue to take care of yourself.

    Richard
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,140
    edited March 2013
    robr....yeah...saw what qbrozen pegged it at. I also understand that sometimes you can talk yourself out of a deal. But, I'm not one to "grind", whether buying or selling. And, that's what this guy wants to do.

    I'm not trying to rape anyone. I'm just trying to get what I consider fair value on the car. Plus, I'm not so motivated that I'll make it a fire sale.

    On a dealer's lot, my car is $38,999. A dealer would be into it for about $35K, and cut it loose about $37K. That's where I want to be. It's still under warranty. There's even a good amount of free maintenance left.

    If I'm wrong in my thinking, no harm-no foul. I can re-adjust my thinking. It's not like I haven't been wrong in the past. I'm feeling good about my pricing on this though.

    I can take out a 30-day loan on the Audi for next to nothing. That's not my plan, though. But, I'm ready to do it as that would cost a lot less than taking $2K-$3K less for the car just to sell to the first person who shows interest.

    As isellhondas would say....."it's not distressed merchandise that no one wants."

    I have this theory....if one person that you know of is interested in buying your car, in fact, 2 more people will be interested, if they know it's for sale. If you have 2 people who know about it and are interested, that means 6 will be interested, if they find out about it, etc, etc, etc!
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,389
    Great news- so glad to hear it!!!

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    edited March 2013
    I don't know your numbers, your car. It may be just great, but it's still used. Dealer's car (one you are referring as "same as yours") went through certain amount of scrutiny, from inspection, to (perhaps small) reconditioning to a small decision of a dealer if he actually thought it would sell. The reconditioning may be just a small buffing up, wash and wax, but it could be new tires, or perhaps some more, I don't know. All I can say, all things equal, if a local dealer "would let go" its car for 37K, I expect to pay less from an individual, even if he is my neighbor. You probably don't want to hear that, but I think you should price your product lower than your competition (car dealer) if you want to sell it, because they have some advantages over you. However, you can always try get more. Nothing wrong with that. This guy was your first customer - he seemed to be "cold and heartless" in his demeanor, perhaps even a bit obnoxious, but I can't really blame him for trying to get lower price. As much as you could say "this joker came to my place, drove the car and then lowballed me", he could say "this joker put his car on sale for such a high price, I heard he was good in keeping it so came in to see if it was as special as advertised and I saw pretty average car for that age - I perhaps started too low, but then I upped my offer by couple of grand and he still would not budge".

    Every tale has its two sides. You definitely need to wait for more people, the market will verify if you are realistic in your expectations, or not.

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • mako1amako1a Member Posts: 1,855
    I'll sell it for $36.5K, cashier's check only."

    He counters with $34K.


    I would have countered in between or taken his price as only about 15% of the population spends that much on a used car. Maybe you're not really ready to be without your BMW.

    2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    I'm actually partial to Formica myself.

    I don’t mind Formica either. While we got granite when we redid the kitchen in January 2010, I personally think granite is way over rated but it has lots of talk given to it as we all know.

    In about 2009 when we first gave thought to redoing the kitchen we went to a cabinet shop that was recommended. The woman designer at this place offered to come over to the house to see what kind of space we had. I told her we were probably going to keep the same layout but she insisted that she should come over and take a look. As you could have guessed, she was going to turn everything around, top to bottom. Selling more cabinets had nothing to do with the proposed new arrangement. Xxxxxxxxxconf To get her reaction I remember saying that to afford all that I’d have to go with Formica. She almost fainted right there in our kitchen. When she finally caught her breath she said, “now why would you want to do something like that”? :(

    The surprising thing about the kitchen redo was that Mrs. j liked her cabinets just the way they were so we kept them but we fell for the granite hype. I’ll never forget when we went to the big counter top fabricator in our area. We actually had to make an appointment and work through a cabinet company to use this place, although we didn’t use the woman who almost passed out in our kitchen. When we walked into this place, the first display that Mrs. j walked up to was a counter top that was made of Formica but was made to look like granite. She asked me if it was Formica or granite and I said, “if you can’t tell the difference the knockoff must be pretty good, huh”? Like I said in the end we went with granite mainly because she liked the idea that a hot pot wouldn’t bother granite. I couldn’t argue with that other than I could have probably bought 4 Formica tops for what the granite cost.

    Of course when she mentioned to several people when we were about to pull the plug and get a new counter top everyone said, “surely you’re getting granite, right”? :sick: I still don’t get it but it isn’t my kitchen. She calls the shots for what goes in the kitchen and I call the shots for what goes in the garage. Just a little thing we worked out long ago.

    FWIW, Son #1 is seriously thinking of moving and is talking about putting in a granite counter top just because that is what people expect today when they buy a house. He figures he’s going to get back almost all of what he spends so that is his justification. From everything I’ve heard, he’s probably right.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    I read here, I think it was Craig, saying that some lowball offers are insulting. This may be true, but using this logic, more than not dealer stickers for used cars are equally insulting. I still can't shake off a sticker on a used Ford Escort in Tallahassee. At the time the car was worth between 5 ans 6 thousand dollars and the sticker was almost 10 - and that would be before fees and other add-ons charged extra, of course. Of course there is a context to such outrageous pricing tactics. Tallahassee is a government and college town, it was just before the semester would start. The town was empty at the moment, but ready for new arrivals in couple of weeks. The inventory seemed low. So what's the harm in putting this on, perhaps a 19-yo girl or boy walks in with dad's ten grand check, needing a car. Why not.

    So, the dealers are equally "unserious" with some of their offers. If anything, that's what started the whole thing. With stickers like those around, less-than-insightful person may simply conclude everything is market up by 20% and nothing would dissuade them it's not always the case.

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I'll agree with this. Don't forget that the dealer is probably offering that car with a CPO warranty. That's something you can't do.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    FWIW, Son #1 is seriously thinking of moving and is talking about putting in a granite counter top just because that is what people expect today when they buy a house. He figures he’s going to get back almost all of what he spends so that is his justification. From everything I’ve heard, he’s probably right.

    Granite or some sort of solid surface is expected today. Although laminate (Formica is a registered trademark of DuPont) is a good alternative, it's looked at as a cheap alternative. The price of granite has come down so much that it's not much of a stretch to upgrade to granite.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited March 2013
    If I lived near any big box stores, I'd be driving my wife crazy. We have maybe 6' feet of countertop (still the original '34 stuff at that). Small enough that I would experiment with small glass tiles first and then get a trim router and play with some sheet goods. It's a difficult kitchen but it's kind of fun since it's basically unchanged since the '34 remodel from the first owners.
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Corian is nothing more than a glorified plastic and cutting it is actually pretty easy."

    Though you are correct, Corian is actually more expensive than granite, or at least that has been my experience. Granite is about $60 per square foot installed. Corian runs any where from $50-$100 per square foot installed. We've had both. This particular designer kitchen just happened to come with Corian. One advantage that I see with the Corian is that I no longer have to polish it once a month or put the sealer on once a year. As for scratches, you can use light sandpaper on the Corian. It's not a problem for us yet. We don't drag objects across the Corian and we use cutting boards for various foods.

    As for being easy to cut, I guess it depends on who does the cutting. I asked two countertop guys to do it and they refused. The thinking was that there is the danger of splitting the material and the placing of new strips might or might not match or sand out to a perfect match with the remainder of the counter. I think one thing that helped in our case was that my electrician had a new diamond drill that seemed to work perfectly. The dust that you mentioned wasn't a problem at all. His assistant used a hand held water sprayer to keep the cutting edges wet constantly. We were very pleased with the results. I do have a large piece of the original Corian that was used. That is a comfort in case we ever need it for a repair.

    Though I love the granite and the Corian, the most beautiful countertops that we ever had was made of neither. In 1992 we gutted a large kitchen. We saw a countertop sample by WilsonArt that was emerald green with black and white streaks in it. The results were absolutely beautiful and spectacular. We installed a white floor with emerald green diamonds that had a black dot in the middle of each diamond. My wife had white window treatments made that had the green Ivy leaves in them. We found a copper antique out door light fixture whose patina had turned green. We hung it over the breakfast table. That was one beautiful kitchen when we finished.

    The moral of this story is: It's not always the most expensive materials that make things pretty. It's the selection of what to use that makes the real difference.

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Gee...a recipe from the kitchen of Richard Child, right here on a car forum. Who'da thunk that would be happening?"

    Why not? We've covered every other topic in the free world. Just be glad that it's Richard Child and not Richard Simmons. I could be leading you in a funky dance to exercise that flabby, worn out body. :D

    Richard
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    It sounds like you handled him the right way.

    When he said he "might" go 35,000 I think I may have let him out with these words..." We aren't that far apart...if you are REALLY serious, I'm willing to talk some more"

    NEVER, EVER suggest "splitting the difference" that automatically weakens your position. If the buyer suggests doing this, don't bite.

    You can't expect to get the same money as a dealer. You just can't.

    Shoppers expect a private party sale to be less money. The buyer is taking more risk.

    Also know that you are competing with brand new ones at your price point.

    Your "buyer" sounds like a stroke but you never know.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    edited March 2013
    I hate to tell you this graphicguy but it sounds like your guy wouldn't buy even if you agreed to his price. I might be wrong but I think I'm right.

    He just sounds too flaky, first lowballing because he knows you won't agree to it (hence he doesn't have to whip out his chequebook and go ahead with the deal), then saying he "might" do $35k as Isell pointed out.

    I bet if you agreed to the $32k or $35k he would still say he has to "think about it" or ask his wife, or he'd give you some other lame excuse as to why he wouldn't move ahead with the purchase.

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    The moral of this story is: It's not always the most expensive materials that make things pretty. It's the selection of what to use that makes the real difference.

    Truer words have never been written, Richard.

    Our house is a tract home, bottom line series from the builder. Would make no sense to replace our laminate countertop with granite - the wife and I have talked about it and we feel that we would be 'overimproving' the house based on the price point.

    We did, however, have our son install some wonderful glass tile backsplash on the wall behind the stove.
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Your wish is my command. This is for you, Stickguy, and any others who care:

    THE ITALIAN CREAM CAKE (cake and frosting recipes)
    Cake ingredients:
    1 stick of butter
    1/2 cup of oil
    2 cups of sugar
    5 egg yokes
    1 teaspoon of baking soda
    2 cups of plain flower
    1 cup of buttermilk
    1 teaspoon of vanilla
    1 small can of coconut (one cup)
    1 cup of pecans (Use walnuts if you prefer.)
    5 egg whites stiffly beaten

    Process:
    Cream the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add egg yokes and beat well. Combine the flower and soda. Then alternate with the buttermilk (some flower, buttermilk; some flower, buttermilk) and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, add the coconut and nuts, and stir. Fold in the egg whites stiffly beaten. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes in 3 eight inch pans. Cool.

    Frosting ingredients:
    8 oz. of cream cheese (softened)
    1/2 stick of butter
    1 box of powered sygar
    1 teaspoon of vanilla

    Process:
    Beat cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Then spread the layers. Sprinkle the top with nuts.

    Tips: Don't sprinkle the top with any coconut. It seems to change the overall flavor. The nuts can be pieces or bits. I prefer the bits; wife prefers the pieces. Either way is fine. Don't forget that the egg whites should be stiffly beaten. It's a key factor with this cake. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

    Richard
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    (Formica is a registered trademark of DuPont)

    Do NOT buy any products from DuPont if you can help it (and for the most part you can't). It is specifically waste from a Dupont plant that they STILL aren't admitting to that caused my myleodysplasia and has caused 100s of cancer deaths in the town I grew up in. They are the most lawyered up company in the world and dumping industrial waste into local waterways has been a habit with them at various locations forever.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,388
    edited March 2013
    Do NOT buy any products from DuPont if you can help it (and for the most part you can't

    I never buy DuPont products. They are not the company I want to support anyway. Now, I have another reason, *fezo. They support the state of Delaware and have been responsible for chemical spills, etc. But the government is not going to go after them because of their money and power. Besides, they are French ancestry, and after WWII, and the stories my father told me about the french people (socialists, etc.) I want nothing to do with them. When I go to Europe, I avoid France like the plague!

    2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger

  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    There are laws about publicly demeaning a company or individual. Liable is one, Slander is the other, depending if it is oral or written down somewhere

    I agree but the internet allows for people to hide behind phony and anonymous screen names. Most of the time there is no real way of finding out who the reviewer is (good or bad)

    If we do something wrong I want to address the issue and resolve the problem. Too many times people rush to post reviews but never contact the dealer to come up with a solution.
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Michael, you and your wife are doing the right thing. Don't overly upgrade a tract home. I do have a suggestion in case you don't care for your laminate countertops. Not long ago, I walked by the countertop section in Lowe's. I saw an exhibit countertop that caught my eye. When I walked over to it, I discovered that it was a new pattern by WilsonArt----copper and black that looked just like granite. It was absolutley beautiful. The price was very reasonable. It's funny. We had copper and black granite in our last house. I thought that the WilsonArt pattern was prettier than our granite. You just never know.

    I'll share another little story with you. When we purchased this dream house nine months ago, we did all new window treatments. Because the house is a very formal older home, we wanted expensive (looking) fabrics for the windows. Most fabrics that we saw were $40 to $80 per yard. Then our seamstress had to figure in her labor. With these large windows and the designs that we wanted, I could see $25K easily. We began a search across the state for fabric. We found three fabric stores that sold fabrics for $7 per yard and closeouts at $4 per yard. Not expecting much, we hit the roads. What a wonderful surprise. We found Duponi silks, Irish linen, etc. in these stores. Our seamstress loved the materials and people asked us at the open house where we found such beautiful materials. We did the entire house for $7,000 ($3K for fabric and $4k for labor for 32 windows) That's about $218 per window which no decorator would ever do. It pays to shop around---just as with cars (to stay on topic :D )

    Richard
  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    Great news! I knew you would outlast all of us !! :)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    GG, I could be wrong but I think that your neighbor will be back with a check. If he's willing to do $35K, he'll do $36K.

    As for the ex-gf. continue to stay cool and say nothing. Remember: A fight is no fun if the other person isn't responding. She'll make her exit sooner than you think. Good luck on both issues.

    Richard
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Not long ago, I walked by the countertop section in Lowe's. I saw an exhibit countertop that caught my eye. When I walked over to it, I discovered that it was a new pattern by WilsonArt----copper and black that looked just like granite. It was absolutley beautiful. The price was very reasonable.

    We, too, have seen these "granite look" laminate materials .. very nice looking.

    With the wife taking a new job - and a cut in pay - it's not likely that we'll be doing any major home renovations soon.

    We did the backsplash and painted the kitchen and family rooms over Christmas. About a year ago we tiled the master bath.

    The year before we installed tile downstairs (heated the kitchen and hallway areas).

    The good news is that home prices are starting to finally rebound. Not that we're looking to move or anything .... at the moment.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    We saw a countertop sample by WilsonArt that was emerald green with black and white streaks in it.

    Back in the mid 70’s when I was doing my fair share of woodworking I used a piece of Wilsonart laminate.

    We were out shopping for a table one day and we came across a table that was ‘T’ shaped (looking at it from the front or back). It had a black lacquered finish. We both liked it because it had a contemporary look which was our style. We liked everything about it except the price. IIRC, it was around $400 and that was insane for our budget at the time for one table. I said to Mrs. j that I could make a table that was ‘T’ shaped out of some scrap particle board and cover it with a piece of neutral colored plastic laminate. I figured the only real cost would be for the laminate itself which I guessed would be around $40 and I was right. We found a piece of Wilsonart laminate called Carpathian Elm Burl that was just the right color for us. So, I went to a laminate supplier got the vertical grade of the laminate (thinner than counter top stuff) fired up the saws got some contact cement and trimmed the laminate with my router. Mrs. j likes that table as much today as the day I brought it out of the garage and put it in the living room of our first house.

    Over the years she has gotten quite a few compliments about it when people see it for the first time. The first time some of her friends saw it they wanted to know where she bought it. When she told them I made it they said, “really, I thought he just liked to work on cars”. Let me clear up this misconception, I don’t necessarily like working on cars at least it didn’t start out that way. It started because I was trying to save what I had in my wallet and I was tired of having to fix what the garages screwed up the first time.

    Because I have made a few pieces of furniture over the years when Mrs. j gets a piece of furniture now her friends want to know if I made it. Today she says, “no, he doesn’t do that anymore. All those expensive tools of his in the garage have just been sitting around collecting dust for the last 20 something years”. Again let me set something straight; that is not entirely correct :( Every so often I turn on the shop vac, reverse the hose and blow the dust from them. :)

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • abacomikeabacomike Member Posts: 12,388
    I agree but the internet allows for people to hide behind phony and anonymous screen names. Most of the time there is no real way of finding out who the reviewer is (good or bad)

    You are correct about people hiding behind phony identities and screen-names, however, in those cases where the individual is known, legal action can be taken.

    As an example, if you sell a car to someone and that individual comes back 2 weeks later stating that another dealer told him he could have saved another thousand dollars by buying the car at another dealership. He states he wants $1000 or he will go on the internet and tell everyone he was cheated.

    You apologize, try to show the customer the net profit (if the profit was small or negligible, if not, you would respond different) or some other example, etc. If the customer continues, and you refuse, and you find out he is the one behind the internet comments or lies to Craig's list and Angie's list, you get an attorney and sue him for slander/liable, whatever.

    If you can't identify the individual, all you can do is answer the attacks in like manner, explaining your side of the situation.

    I do not believe in buckling to threats.

    2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger

  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Your neighbor may still be thinking about the purchase or he may have gotten cold on the deal. Sounds like the kind of guy after buying, would probably call you before the dealer if an issue [however minor] would arise with the car.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,389
    I joined one of the Fiat 500 USA forums to check on any chronic problems the Abarth might have; I found a thread titled Abarth Reliability. The guy who started it turned out to be a textbook example of the type of person a dealership should NEVER sell a car to. OCD, paranoid, picky- he had it all...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    Not me, it's graphic guy.

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,140
    edited March 2013
    Richard...as always, we're in agreement, and you're right. Thanks for reinforcing it, that I just need to stay cool.

    Isell....boom...I also think you guys are right. Craig, I am indeed competing for new cars at the price point I'm asking (albeit with Toyotas, Hondas, Fords....not a new BMW 335i).

    boom....if the "neighbor" comes back again, I think he would be serious, just a little difficult to deal with.

    I also think you're right that this guy, even agreeing to his price, would have to "think about it".

    Just driving around a little last night and today with the "For Sale" sign in the car, I'm getting calls from people, mostly 20 somethings, wanting to know everything from my willingness to finance (NO), to co-signing (for people I don't know? I won't do that for people I'm related to), to....would you take $20K for it?

    I'll leave it on the market for 30 days, drive it around town with the sale sign in the window, to see what turns up. I'll float a loan during that time and buy the S4 from the former GF. And, if worse comes to worse, I'll take it to my dealer and his competitor to see what they'd give for a straight buy.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    You had a clever idea and the skills to carry it out. The table that you made in your shop is ten times better than tables that they make today. I guess that I have always loved antique furniture becasue of the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship involved. I had rather refinish an old piece of furniture than buy a new one.

    Richard
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    My mistake.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,389
    I don't think I've posted these pictures here, but in any event, here are some shots from our kitchen remodel.

    First up, the old kitchen. With the exception of the Bosch dishwasher and the kitchen faucet, it looked the same as it did back in 1974:

    image

    A solid bearing wall with a single door separated the family room from the kitchen. We knew we wanted to open things up a bit, and we looked at adding another door or removing the existing door and putting in a set of french doors. We finally decided to get rid of the entire wall:

    image

    Here is the (almost) finished kitchen. At the time we were waiting on a custom cutting board for the island. We later decided to put the cutting board on the end closest to the cooktop:

    image

    Finally, here is the breakfast bar that replaced the wall in the second picture. My wife saw a picture of the design in a magazine and the carpenter built it directly from the picture with no plans whatsoever:

    image

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,288
    As long as they are ventilated, there's no problem down here.

    I see what you did there. :shades:
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 17,072
    Not sure what brand you can do it with, but one of the companies offers the laminate and solid surface in the same patterns. You can do the entire top in laminate with the solid surface edge. It's a nice look on a budget.

    We have granite top and matching backsplash. I think it was $55 a square foot installed.

    Richard,
    Many thanks for the recipe. When we make it, I'll report back. This sounds like a good project for the new Kitchen Aid stand mixer we purchased last month.

    2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,529
    you have a carmax? always a decent way to get a baseline. How about one of the high end used car places? May even be able to get it as a consignment.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,529
    we put granite counters in the bathrooms when we did the recent remodels (with nice undermount sinks).

    It was actually cheaper than getting solid surface counters with the integral sinks.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,140
    Thanks, Stick. There is a Carmax off the interstate about 15 miles from me. I'll check with them. I'll assume their number is "trade-in".

    Roadburner....what a transformation from your old kitchen to the new one....beautifully done.

    I have granite tops. There are many times I've wished for Formica. It's durable and doesn't require any special care.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,527
    We painted our kitchen and breakfast room that same gold color, when we built our house in 1998. Just changed it out a year ago. Sage green, now.

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  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,594
    I am tired, caught up on 50 posts yesterday and 50 more today. Today we traveled for 3 hours from Florida City to Key West and 3 hours back.

    I told my wife and BIL, and SIL that I told a friend I would check out Cheeka Lodge in Islamorada in the Keys. I didn't want to explain that it was an imaginary cyber friend, so I didn't, although my wife knows who it is.

    We drove by the Lodge the first time so I asked for a vote whether to go back. They voted that it would be an adventure if we went back and fulfilled the promise.

    We went back and went inside. There was a guard at the gate so I thought we would have a problem. I told him a friend recommended we look at Cheeka because he was impressed, and we wanted to see if it was a place we would want to stay at.

    He said, it is beautiful and maybe I could let you in so you could go to the restaurant and have breakfast, wink, wink. I said certainly, that's exactly why we want to go in.

    The grounds are amazing with lots of greenery and giant Banyon trees. We took some pictures outside. Lots of nice cars there too, including a red Ferrari. My SIL said she thought it was a Mustang because it has the same pony emblem.

    The lobby is beautiful. We were going to get a coffee, but the coffee was all free. So, we enjoyed a coffee outside on the patio facing the beach. There was a huge buffet breakfast and we could have helped ourselves to all kinds of eggs and pancakes, fruit, cereals etc., but we are far too polite to do that. There is a beautiful pool next to the patio too.

    I could use one of 5 free computers in the lobby too to see if my lawyer is still ignoring me by taking 3 months to do something that should take one week.

    The washrooms were very nice too....

    We decided if we won the lottery we would definitely stay for a week ($350 a night). My SIL loves coupon books but there wasn't any discount coupons for the Cheeka.

    Very worthwhile seeing. Key West was well worth seeing too, but, the best part is off the main drag. Seeing a mixture of the old and new houses is really spectacular.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    You did post the pictures a while back, but I enjoyed seeing them again. You certainly did a nice job and what a difference it made. Isn't it funny---I can remember when I would have killed to have the copper or avacado appliances. How times and tastes do change!

    Richard
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