Stories from the Sales Frontlines

sterlingdog

"...the Canadians played a huge role in freeing the hostages in Iran,..."

Yes, they did, and we appreciate it so much. I agree that Canada was downplayed in the movie; there should have been a thread of that running through the movie.

We've been out of town in the mountains playing the role of "leaf peekers"---simply beautiful this year due to so much rain this spring and summer. Have many more posts to read.

Richard

sterlingdog

Yes, I understand about the embellishment of so called "factual" movies. Definitely, the terms "based on" and "factual" are very different. Having spent some time in that area of the world, including Iran, I totally agree with you---can't allow one event to explain a problem that expanded many years. In my literature classes years ago, I discussed "poetic license" with my students. I am forever reminded of the fact that Hollywood is the master in that category. Still, I enjoyed Argo as a well produced and directed film.

While on our trip to the mountains, we saw "Captain Phillips". I thought that it was also a very good film. Then again, I'm such a fan of Tom Hanks.

Richard

sterlingdog

"When you go back and have a free meal will you leave a tip and how much?"

I left a tip the first time. It wasn't the server's fault that the prime rib was bad. That originated in the kitchen. As for tips, I follow a 15 % rule usually. If the server is terrible, I leave less; if excellent, I leave more. If it's a student working their way through college, I usually leave 30%....same for an elderly person.

"He must have thought you were some kind of big shot or something."

I am. (Grin) After all, we lived here for 33 years. We know practically everyone in town. Also, we have always been active in civic affairs. Being Human Resources Director to 3,000 employees practically demanded that.

Richard

sterlingdog

"Wikipedia is one source I have very little faith in."

You make a very good point and I'm inclined to agree. Wikipedia is simply a collection and infusion of articles written by contributors who fancy themselves as experts on a topic or topics. I always feel that I need to do additional research to be sure.

Richard

sterlingdog

"Sounds like the Dakota owner has a friend in the insurance company."

I thought the same thing. I can't see $4,800 as being a write-off for a big truck.

Richard

sterlingdog

Loved that post! You have to like the guy for being so creative and down to earth.

Richard

sterlingdog

We also have property tax assessed annually on automobiles. I paid ours for the convertible this morning---$155.00 for an assessed value of $10,500. This is for an '08. New sticker fee was $28 for a total of $183.

Richard

sterlingdog

You are so right about the Cherokee---noisiest car that I ever owned. We had to turn the volume on the radio way up to hear the music.

Richard

graphicguy

Kirstie...I may have added a little bit of gasoline to that Dodge Stealth discussion when it was going on....;)

sterlingdog

"My real estate property tax is now below $1,000...."

You lucky devil. Ours are $4,800 for county and city. Then again, we have a large number of Medicaid people. Our taxes in the resort area of Pinehurst were $2,000----quite a difference. The old rich wouldn't allow the commissioners to raise the rates or do reevaluations. At first glance, you would think that a very rich county would have higher rates, and the reverse for a poor county. It just doesn't work that way.

Richard

imidazol97

>...he loved us so much that he needed more than one user ID.

I believe there have been a couple of others using a different ID after one burned up.

isellhondas

Now Graphic, you're surely not suggesting that some veteran posters just might prod some of the troublemakers into throwing a fit and posting an obscenity filled tirade that ends up getting them booted?

Now, WHO would EVER do that?

explorerx4

My home property tax is about $750 a month. We do live in a good town and neighborhood.
We were away for the weekend to go to the ND/USC football game.
Our neighbors watched our pet guinea pig and even mowed my lawn/picked up the leaves while we were gone.
As NYC will acknowledge, Connecticut is not a cheap place to live.

houdini1

I just checked our property tax bill (we can check on line). We pay it every December, and last year it was $7,234. Something else I have to look forward to in a month or so.

Being able to check on line is a nice feature. All you need is the address and you can see what any house in the county is appraised at. Comes in handy when my son and I are looking for houses to rehab, or if you want to check and see if your assessed value is in line with others in the neighborhood.

Sandman6472

$2600 but we get a discount if we pay it in November...it comes on my birthday, the 1st every year...some birthday gift huh! But we pay it right away to get the discount and usually have a 10 month c d that we cash. I used to pay it from my gratuities when I was working and worked out very well. We can also go online and see what any address in the county pays. From what I've seen, we have the smallest house in the development and pay the least amount in taxes but we do not have a pool, which adds a bit to the bill. Have no problem having the smallest bill actually!

The Sandman

oldfarmer50

"...still not comfortable with some older Caddilac iron..."

You could go with some REAL old Caddy iron like this:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/4143455878.html

Although I owned an 82 Olds 88 and unreliable was it's middle name.

On an Acura Legend you would have to go pretty miled to get it for $2500.

BTW, are you near Chicago or am I confusing you with one of the other posters? I'm old and I forget locations, dates, names etc.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/ctd/4089965170.html

driver100

Our neighbors watched our pet guinea pig and even mowed my lawn/picked up the leaves while we were gone.

At least you get good value for your $750 a month.

We are lucky to get the road cleared after a snowfall for our $7000 a year!

snakeweasel

I think that you might be thinking of me, as far as I know I am the only one here near Chicago. FWIW those two ads are some distance from Chicago although it is in the greater metro area, the second one is on the wisconsin state line.

bwia

As NYC will acknowledge, Connecticut is not a cheap place to live.

You are right about that. In addition to our outrageous property tax bill in the Boston area, we have water & sewer bills as well as an auto excise tax based on value. Looking at the bright side, we have sales tax holiday one weekend per year.

bwia

One other negative, but I think the rear camera monitor should be built in

I believe this is a design statement calculated to appeal to the their target market, Generation Y. By the way, if all this tech is offered a la carte the final price of a C-Class might end up above the E-Class. But then again with attractive lease deals and creative financing that might not be a problem for MB.

sterlingdog

What a lucky baby boy he will be, to have such a great dad.

Funny thing happened this afternoon. The UPS guy walked through our garage to deliver a package. He spotted the convertible and wanted to buy it. When he asked what I wanted for it, I told him that I really hadn't thought about it lately. He said that he didn't need to give it a test drive because he could tell that I was the type who took care of my cars. ???? He went on to say that he had a '78 MG (British racing green) that he wanted to sell. That got my attention so I asked the mileage and price. He wasn't sure but would check. We exchanged phone #s. Could there be a sales story here?

Richard

sterlingdog

"...is concubine the same as mistress?"

Depends on whether the wife knows about her. (Grin)

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks for those car show pictures. It was great fun to see them.

Richard

sterlingdog

"...and reading every post..."

Do you really think that those posters in "Prices Paid" are telling the truth? Some stories seem just too good to be true. Others appear to try to outdo other posters.

Richard

sterlingdog

Hwy 101 is the most beautiful highway in the country.

Richard

stickguy

you pikers. I would kill to have property tax of only $7,200. If NJ has anything, it is outrageous PT.

Richard's house up here? His PT would probably get you 2, maybe 3 months tops, depending on the town.

sterlingdog

Don't you love neighbors like that? We have the same situation here. When we hosted the big farewell Dubai dinner party for my nephew in August, all of our neighbors offered their driveways for the many cars. Our house is on a busy corner in the historic district, so parking can be a problem at times. In so many places today, people don't even know their next door neighbor. As for your taxes, I shouldn't complain a bit.

Richard

sterlingdog

What a cream puff Caddy! Then again, who knows with Craigslist?

Richard

houdini1

Yeah, but all you guys from NJ are rich anyway, so you can afford to pay those big bucks !!

Richard was kind enough to send me a few pics of his house. It is gorgeous. With those taxes, I think I will retire down there.

stickguy

If I'm rich, the rest of you must be Bill gates.

And there is a reason I am trying to convince my wife to move the the Carolinas next year when my youngest graduates HS. Cost of living goes to about zero.

as soon as I cure that pesky hot/humid issue, and get it within a 5 hour drive of upstate NY, I am all set!

nyccarguy

I do hereby acknowledge that Connecticut IS NOT a cheap place to live. My beef isn't with the property taxes per say, but with the cost of the said property.

My property taxes really aren't that bad, about $9,000 (I have 1 acre) for the year. Stamford's taxes are offset by a thriving downtown with lots of bars & restaurants as well as many corporations having a large presence such as GE, Nestlé Water, Thompson Reuters, RBS, UBS, NBC Sports Network...

Where I used to live (Westchester County, NY) I believe had the highest taxes in the country. I was looking at homes built on 1/4 - 1/2 acre with property taxes between $13,000 & $18,000 per year.

Our sales tax rate @ 6.35% seems OK. The car tax thing does bug me. I paid $145 for the Prelude, $525 for the Pilot, & $622 for my BMW. I have a new septic system (installed by the PO before I closed), but think that city sewers are not that far away. Gas here is very expensive.

And just to keep this on topic (HA), dealer doc fees (called conveyance fees in CT) are unregulated and range anywhere from $179 to $499. In neighboring NY, doc fees are capped @ $75.

roadburner

Also, interesting, the lady waiting next to me in the waiting room had this report from the consultant........whoever changed your oil last stripped the threads so we have to replace the bolt etc, that will cost $150! Must be a lesson in there somewhere.

A friend of mine was the SM at an East Coast Audi/BMW/Porsche dealership. He could usually tell when a car had been taken to Jiffy Boob or similar- sometimes the idiots had stripped the pan threats and replaced the drain bolt with a rubber plug...

mako1a

as soon as I cure that pesky hot/humid issue

stick, I had the same problem in Virginia Beach, hot sticky temps and hurricanes.

After a bit of looking I found that elevations do more to ease that kind of thing than latitudes. Instead of retiring in a northern state, we came to the mountains. We're at 2,265 feet elevation and find it to be very comfortable most of the year.

roadburner

Now, WHO would EVER do that?

Me???

roadburner

I also posted this in the "Tales From Under the Hood" Topic...

So I took the 2004 X3 to the dealer to have the cooling system rebuilt(radiator, water pump, thermostat, and upper and lower hoses- after eight years and 156k miles it was way overdue). When I fired it up the left xenon bulb died- that's what I get for not replacing them both when I had the time, but I digress.

Anyway, the tech noticed that the vapor separator and it's associated hoses were looking the worse for wear- one hose was partially collapsed and filled with oil. The vapor separator is BMW's fiendishly complex PCV system which-when it fails-can actually flood the cylinders with oil. While replacing those components it was discovered that the intake boot between the MAF and the intake was also split and it was duly replaced as well.

Needless to say, I'm blessed to have a dealer shop that knows what they are doing. Next up is the MS3- which just last week threw a "Low Coolant Temperature" CEL. Luckily my Mazda dealer's service department is also excellent, so I'll let them tackle it next week when it goes in for a scheduled service.

After that I only have to R&R the aforementioned bulb on the X3 and find time to put the Koni FSDs on the MS3- after which my Visa and I can rest for a few months.
Hopefully...

robr2

Taxes are one of those things that we can all complain about and try to compare and leaves almost nobody happy.

For instance, MA has the reputation as "Taxachusetts" but I have seen reports where it's ranked 40th lowest taxes in the country (sales and income). Property taxes are set by cities and towns. I live in a town with lots of high tech, biotech, corporate headquarters and shopping. Thus our property taxes are pretty low at about $10 per thousand. I have friends in hoity toity NIMBY towns that pay close to $20 per thousand and receive fewer services.

I also read a story yesterday about the states with the highest crime rate and I was surprised to see South Carolina, Nevada, Alsaka and Tennessee in the top ten - all states traditionally noted to have a low tax burden. Is there some correlation?

bwia

roadburner--you write so beautifully and so elegantly but unfortunately I did not understand a word of it. :-D (Big Grin)

graphicguy

Iselllhondas...I would never instigate or prod anyone into a mental melt down on these boards. I know you wouldn't either.

The very thought.....

Michaell

I should consider myself lucky on the property tax issue, then. I pay only $2200 a year - 1600SF house on a 5000SF lot. And, that number has come down from $2600/yr a few years ago.

We also pay personal property tax when we register our cars - it's calculated as a percentage of 85% of the MSRP, but can be claimed on our federal taxes as a deduction.

Sales tax? Varies by city and county here - I pay 7.5%.

My HOA fees are $75 each quarter - that takes care of the common spaces and also my trash pickup.

Regarding "Prices Paid" - I'm sure there are posts that are simply not true.

imidazol97

I thank the gentleman who takes those pictures at various car shows around the 60 mile or so radius of Dayton, OH. He runs the site keeping a listing of the repeating car cruise-ins each day of the week and a listing of the car shows. Then puts up pictures of cars from whichever ones he went to.

I look back through his pictures from various shows going back years just to look for the certain cars I enjoy seeing.

Life is good.

oldfarmer50

"...you might be thinking of me..."

No, I knew you were out there. Maybe GG mentioned going to Chicago to get a car deal and that's what I'm remembering.

You used to get a posters location if you clicked on the name.

driver100

lucky on the property tax issue, then. I pay only $2200 a year - 1600S
My HOA fees are $75 each quarter

Just where do you live Michael....I am on my way!

Actually Florida isn't too bad, $1600 for 1400 sq ft, and it would be 1200 if we were homesteaders.

oldfarmer50

"...I am on my way..."

I'd trade my near $5k tax bill (1100 sq ft house & 7 acres) and 8% sales tax for your $1600 any day. It would only be $1200 because I'm fleeing NY except to vacation in summer.

sterlingdog

LOL! I thought that I was the only one!

Richard

snakeweasel

My guess it's just showmanship at times. I peeked in one of those forums and someone gave the specifics in a purchase they made in the western burbs of Chicago. They gave a sales tax rate that does not exist in any Chicago suburb. So take what they say with a grain of salt.

snakeweasel

I take it you have never been on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

sterlingdog

I just spent five days there. I also went to undergrad school there. You're right; it really is pretty. Still, I love HWY 101.

Richard

Michaell

Just where do you live Michael....I am on my way!

I'm in Colorado, about equidistant from both Denver and Colorado Springs.

graphicguy

I did go to Chicago (from Cincinnati) to get the Audi. Worth the trip as there was a significant $3K difference between what I could buy the same identical car for locally vs driving 5 hours to Chicago.

First time I've ever done that.

The 3 local dealers (2 in Cincinnati, one in Dayton) wouldn't honor my supplier discount (6% off). Chicago dealer gladly did, plus bought me lunch and dinner for traveling so far to do business with them. In addition, I spent a nice couple of days in one of my favorite U.S. cities.

Aside from some reliability issues with the car, I'd do the same thing again given the same circumstances.

snakeweasel

Just a few roads that I think beat out the PCH, the Road to Hana on Maui. North Shore drive in MN. Going to the Sun Road in MT. TN Highway 143. On Kodiak Island there is a road that follows the coast that is spectacular that few will ever drive.