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Our electric rate just went up over 20% at the beginning of the year.
If Stickguy sells his house he can point to having a new Lennox furnace as a selling point.
The schools around here were closed today and will be closed tomorrow.
15 minutes before I can close down and go home and its 8 below.
Edited to add: A fire truck just went by with lights flashing, I do not envy them tonight.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
@explorer, I actually thought of that. May not happen, but it is possible we will move in the next couple of years. So I know that having new equipment is a must (the old rusty stuff would have been an automatic no-sale), and am hoping that the "fancy brand name stuff" will be worth a little extra at sale time. Same with some of the other decisions we made from the recent remodeling. Could have saved some $ on certain things, but potential buyers might have associated it with cheap.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
@robr2 said: All electric?? How can you afford to heat your house??
My house is all electric as well. About 2300 sq ft plus basement that stays about 55 deg. Average bill is $200-250/month for the year. That covers water well also. We're all on 5 to 10 acres out here. We have propane back-up for the living room fireplace and monitor but rarely use them.
snakeweasel and stickguy. Can you guys fill in the location field. You'd think I'd remember after all my years here. I'm hearing temps that don't jive with locations I thought I remembered.
graphicguy..."thermostat envy"...your humor makes me laugh.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Mako, I am in South Jersey, just outside Philly. Smack in the path of the artic express these days.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I am not that for outside of Chicago, about 25 to 30 miles southwest of the Loop (downtown Chicago) or about a 45 - 50 minute drive straight down I-55 in good traffic. While the temps are not unheard of they are rather rare.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Snake, that's about where I lived - Hinsdale/Willowbrook/Bolingbrook and Naperville area - just north of I-55. I lived in a 2-story colonial style house on a 4.5 acre parcel right across from a lake and very close to a runway on a private landing strip - I had a hangar attached to the house where I kept my Beechcraft Baron.
I'm sure you know the community I am talking about, off Lemont Road and Boughton Road, in southwest DuPage County.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Yep I know of that area, it's a little tucked away but it's one of those airport communities where all the homes have a small hanger and are on a taxi way to the runway. IIRC the runway ends a few feet from a road and a taxiway crosses that road. I am not that far from there.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Our house is @3500 sq. ft.and it is all electric as well. Our bill averages out to less than $200 per month. Note that we installed a new heat pump just last year. It is cheaper to run yet keeps the house much warmer during single digit temperatures. That is to be expected I suppose, as it replaced a unit installed in the late '80s.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I finally had the Koni FSDs installed on the Mazdaspeed 3. I have to say that I am very impressed. It's hard to explain but they seem to have smoothed out the ride without degrading the handling. Next I'm going to add an adjustable rear anti-roll bar to dial out the understeer as well as a stiffer rear motor mount. Finally I'm going to add a mild tune which should give me @300 hp and 330 ft-lbs at the crank. I can't wait for my first track day...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Kirstie...How's things out there in the Heartland?
When you're freezing to death and waiting for your pipes to burst you don't have the luxury of researching the best deal. With my pipe problems I figured I overpaid by quite a bit based on parts costs but when you're swimming in sewage is no time to haggle.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My house is all electric also. We built it as a passive solar-super insulated design. House sits sideways on the lot to face south. Larger windows on that side with fewer or none on the rest. In the living room we have large tubes filled with water that absorb solar radiation during the day and release it at night.
Even with that our last electric bill was $419.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Ticket for being outside? What Constitution? I'd love to see that taken to court.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
My brother lives in Hickory NC and he was complaining about his electric bill, since he heats with electric heat pumps. His high winter bill so far this year on a house twice as big as mine is around $350.00/Month. I WISH that my electric plus propane heating bill was that low. I am at least double that this winter. My winter electric bill is around $175. and that's not heat or HW, really only lights, washer dryer and electronics.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
I doubt that my sash problem is due to settling. So my neighbors have told me our houses are on a lot of rock. In fact, they had to blast for about 5 houses either side of us to get it dug out for the basement. Another reason why I doubt that it is settling is that there are no other signs of that. No tell-tale small cracks in the plaster on any of the walls or above doors.
That bit about double pane windows only lasting about 12 years has to be an old wives tale propagated by window salesmen. If it were true all of my windows would be gone by now. Then again, you are in the South where the soil is sandy so you guys might have that problem.
I have to believe my neighbors about the rock stuff because when I extended the deck a year after we moved here in 1998, once I got down to a little over 3 feet for the support posts the digging bar hit solid rock in all 6 holes. The first hole where this happened I must have only been about 2 or 3 inches above the rock when I removed the last bit of dirt with a post hole digger to continue digging. When the bar went through that little bit of dirt and hit the rock the digging bar damn near bounced clear out of the hole. Based on this I’m sure my house is on solid ground, so to speak.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
WRT to heating, electric here in the Boston area would cost a fortune to run.
For electricity: lights, computers, a/c, et al (no appliances or heat) I pay about $140 a month with the highs last year being in July of $260.
For gas: 2 furnaces, hot water, cooking and dryer I pay about $120 a month with December-February topping $250 a month and I love my $25 gas bill in August.
Let me tell you my little tale about the heat exchanger when we replaced our furnace and A/C in August of 2008.
All along I was telling Mrs. j that our furnace was just fine, it was the A/C that needed replaced. However, there was no way I was going to keep the furnace that was the original when the house was built in the mid 70’s. So we had the whole shebang done at the same time. I even remember saying to the installer that the furnace was fine but it was old. After he had the furnace in the driveway before he put it in the truck to haul it away, he knocks on the door and said, “hey, I want to show you something about your good furnace”. I walk out onto the porch and Mrs. j is right behind me. He says, “there’s your good furnace”. I see 4 large holes in the top of the heat exchanger at least 2 inches across. Mrs. j jumps in and says, “I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE FURNACE WAS FINE. THAT DOESN’T LOOK FINE TO ME". OK, I’m now into back peddling mode and I said, “yeah, but it’s at the very top, right by the flue. So, all the carbon monoxide went right up the flue. Furthermore, the carbon monoxide detectors in the basement and the upstairs hall didn’t go off. So there, what do you have to say about that"? This wise [non-permissible content removed] installer jumps into our conversation and asks if I have the combo smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector units. When I said, “yeah, what’s it to you”? He says, “those things are set at the lethal level. You should get the ones that plug into the AC outlet because they are a lot better”. I’m not sure if this is true or not but I now have one of those in the upstairs hallway and it has never read anything other than zero when I look at.
I throw this out so as to keep all my poster buddies safe during this constant-on furnace thing we’re going through right now in the colder climates.
Mike, you can scroll past this post.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I'm in mid-Missouri, and thankfully we were on the western edge of the super-cold front. It was cold yesterday, and started out at 0 today, but it's not as bad as others east and north of us have had, and it's moving on its merry way today. I hate cold weather. I didn't even bother to go outside to get the mail yesterday.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
I can top that but I have to go back a bit.
We were married in mid-July and we got the apartment starting the first of July. This was back in the era when you didn’t set up shop until after you were married so we moved into the apartment after our honeymoon which ended in the fourth week of July. We consumed gas for cooking for that week (heat was steam which was included in the rent). The bill was for 86 cents. I didn’t even know how to write a check for that piddlley amount but I did figure it out. I still have that cancelled check to this day.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
November to April in Florida........May to October back up North.....I hope I never experience cold or see snow again!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'm with driver. Still trying to convince the wife. I will never get her full time too far south as she does not like real hot or humid.
Upper North Carolina seems perfect to me for year round
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
No harm in staying indoors. I had to go to the airport early this a.m. My temp gauge said -1º. Don't mind the cold once I'm out in it. It's that first opening of my garage door and getting that "blast" of cold. It only lasts a minute or two, until I get acclimated, though.
But, if I ever move to a warmer climate, it won't be Florida (sorry Mike). I can see Puerto Rico, though.
If someone were to offer us an obscene amount of money for our house and farm we would almost certainly relocate to South Carolina- most likely Kiawah or Seabrook Island.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I keep looking at Asheville, NC as my preferred place to retire to although I'm YEARS away. It's in the mountains so great outdoor activities - skiing close by. It has lots of colleges so I could continue taking classes. It's relatively inexpensive compared to Boston. It snows in the winter and the humidity is low in the summer. It's a political blue spot in the middle of a red state.
asheville is a real neat place. My grandparents lived in Hendersonville NC briefly when I was little, and that was a beautiful place, though definitely in the boonies!
I could live somewhere in the Greenesboro/ashville area of the state I think. Just have to convince a few relatives to move down too. Start a family compound or something.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Yesterday we were on the I-75 headed toward Sarasota. We got caught in traffic and it took an hour to travel 2 miles. We were getting off at the next exit so I was in the right lane...there are 3 lanes at this point. What got me was a lot of people who drove up the right hand shoulder of the road....got up to the next exit, then had to move in front of the cars who were actually on the highway and trying to exit. In other words, the traffic illegally going along the shoulder bullied there way in once they got to the exit, slowing down the people who moved up in the right hand lane.
This picture shows one car doing it, but, after awhile it became a string of cars;
My idea is to have unmarked police assistants, who patrol the roads and can give fines for this type of infraction. They also give out tickets for lane hopping and not signalling. They would have dash cams of course. The revenue would be a great way for States to generate income...it frees up the police to do more important work.....and it will make the roads safer.
A win-win-win.
btw....the road was closed because a truck carrying a pile driving cushion was on a bridge that crosses I-75 swerved and the piece of steel which weighs many tons bounced on the pavement and made 3 holes and knocked concrete onto the road below.
bradenton.com/2014/01/27/4958012/debris-falling-from-interstate.html
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I have seen cops nail people running the shoulder like that, but not too often. It is dangerous, in addition to annoying. If they were at least running up to the close by exit you can sort of let it slide.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
That exactly what happened to mine, holes on the top. Same scenario too, showed it to me in the driveway.
I find myself wondering if I should have got a heat pump/electric furnace setup instead. A buddy did a heat pump/oil furnace combo at around the same time and he says the furnace only ever comes on during the coldest days. I would have needed an electrical upgrade for the house to do it and it would have been more expensive than what I ended up doing, but of course I would have gotten central A/C as part of the deal.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Actually, there are some great places to live in Florida - I just don't live in one of those great places. If I had a choice, I'd move to Ft. Myers, Naples, Panama Beach, Melbourne Area, St. Augustine area or any number of a dozen other places. I just don't like Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville or any other large metro areas.
Where my brother lives is beautiful (Ponte Vedra Beach) but it gets too darn cold up there in the winter (30's-40's most nights and 50's-60's by day.
Puerto Rico is too darn hot and humid and gets hit with hurricanes and tropical storms much more often than we do here in south Florida.
The greatest thing about Florida is that we have no state income tax and sales taxes are 6-6.5%, depending on which county you live in. We also have great homestead exemptions on property taxes.
But of course, there are disadvantages such as an over abundance of immigrants from all over the Caribbean and South and Central America that depend heavily on state financial support and our public schools are below average.
Other disadvantages include hot and humid summers and hurricanes and tropical storms.
Our unemployment rate is well below national averages. Tourism and its income from taxes eliminates the need for income taxes.
I hate the traffic and the inordinate numbers of elderly drivers who can't see very well and the extremely high auto insurance rates because of no fault and so many people who drive uninsured cars.
But, don't give up on Florida - there are lots of beautiful areas in the state to live.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
That drives me crazy. I would happen almost daily on my old commute into Boston. Traffic would be backed up for miles and since we have exits every half mile or so, it happened often. I sometimes would pull into the breakdown lane, put on my hazards and sit for a minute or so just to piss them off.
Best was the police officers parked behind the overpass support and standing in the breakdown lane. He would pick them off in multiples.
@driver100
@robr2
People driving up the shoulder in heavy traffic are just the worst offenders in my eyes. When I was younger, I used to stick my car half way into the shoulder. Not anymore, I just let them pass. You never know who's behind the wheel these days. I do get an amazing amount of satisfaction when they get pulled over though:)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Mike, all your disclaimers sound like one of those medication ads on TV. The medication itself sounds great - I am all set to see my doctor and ask for some - and then come the disclaimers....may cause running nose, itchy feet, sore arms, loss of appetite, may make you suicidal, may cause headaches, dizzy spells, blurry vision, throbing pain in the back of the head, sore buttocks, may cause hair to change color, bell ringing in ears, loss of memory, fur to grow in odd places....if you get these symptoms see your doctor immediately.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Already did!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
@driver100
You didn't even mention the worst of the side effects, death & cancer. I saw a drug advertised on TV and while they were going through the laundry list of side effects, it said "certain types of cancer may develop."
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
@graphicguy
My issue revolves around the time it takes me to get ready to get out in this kind of cold. I have thick hair, and I mean SUPER thick. If I shower in the early morning and don't blow dry, I will still have damp parts underneath at 4pm. Getting it fully dry even with a dryer is a task, and it's just too cold to go out damp. On the plus side, when it's above 30 degrees, I don't mind, and I'm a 15-minute from pjs to out-the-door gal on those days.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
I wish I could say that but unless I die right now I will see more, a lot more. I have told the wife that when we retire we are moving south, to where it doesn't get cold or snow. This winter is enough to convince her.
Belize, here we come.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I used to say and feel the same things when I lived in the Chicago suburbs during the winter. It's extremely depressing as "cabin fever" begins to set in.
New Orleans is bracing for its first snowfall in 20 years. NEW ORLEANS? They've got to be kidding!
This cold blast is due to pass through down here tomorrow night and Thursday, but once the front hits central Florida, it usually ebbs.
I don't envy you guys up north - been there/done that!!!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
We left out sinkholes.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Them, too!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
It takes me about 25 minutes, but I'm guessing you don't shave your face every morning with a razor.
I've been hearing quite a bit about that place lately and that includes several commercials about Belize. From what I've gotten out of all this is that Belize is an English speaking country that doesn't kill you with taxes on your investments or taxes in general. So, you being into taxes I gather this is true, huh?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Also Pythons, alligators, recluse and Black Widow Spiders, Black Bears, Sharks, there are 6 types of snake in Florida which are venomous and a danger to humans: copperheads, cottonmouths (water moccasins), coral snakes, plus Eastern diamondback, timber and dusky pigmy rattlesnakes, Wild Boars, Fire ants, Bobcats, Jellyfish, not to mention but I will, hurricanes, tornadoes and rip currents.
Other than that it is a great place to be...................
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
And you are complaining about that....there are a lot of guys that would love to have thick hair that wouldn't dry until 4 pm. Most of us spend 30 seconds pat drying with a towel.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I gather you're not into multi-tasking and doing that in the car on the way to work. I've seen this a few times but I don't get it. Sure must make a mess with the shaving cream all over the interior.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Speak for yourself. I still have ALL of mine so pat drying won't do it for me.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Me, too! If I don't blow-dry it every morning, it stays wet for quite awhile.
Yep! Will be 70 on my next birthday and I still have a full head of hair - no bald spots and my barber still has to thin my hair with thinning shears every month.
But if we want to talk about health - that's my undoing, unfortunately.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
That was in response to explorer. But for Kirstie, I wonder if plugging in a hair dryer in your car can cause electrical system failure with the high amperage? (Some cars have 120 v outlets now.)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/28/it-was-god-detroit-mother-saves-daughter-from-terrifying-sinkhole-right-outside-the-childs-school/
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,