Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
Comments
I always wanted a VW Thing. Just never bought one. Better if you have 4 people.
Do you still have the old Lexus?
This should keep prices high on the west coast for some time
Still have the Lexus. I leave a trickle charger on it. We drive it the 3 miles to Church on Sundays. We pick people up and need the extra room. We could use the Touareg but the Lexus needs to be run now and then.
The eb-5 program is interesting. As the saying goes Money Talks and BS walks.
I was surprised this place sold in less than a month. They bought for $65k in 1997 and sold for $682,500. It is old and dated kind of like a little ghetto back in the woods. I think ours would bring $800k considering what is selling all around us. This is on a busy road less than a mile from me.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1601-S-Grade-Rd-Alpine-CA-91901/16905709_zpid/
If you ever think of selling that old barge, let me know, I might have a buyer in mind (me). I think really pristine first gen LS will eventually be a special interest car, as nice ones are getting hard to come by. Not especially valuable, but a nice pairing with a MB of the era. People who remember the 90s in their youth will appreciate the car. Storage might be an issue, but something like that is just on this side of being young enough to be a practical daily driver.
The visa thing is BS talks, IMO. For all of the hypocrites who whine about vetting and "law and order", there sure isn't any of it when it comes to the origins of that money. The west coast is now the haven for money laundering, and I wonder how much of this stuff goes though any kind of AML review, and how strictly OFAC style data is reviewed. This is the desired destination for corrupt officials trying to get out before the axe falls at home. As we are now slowly turning towards corrupt oligocracy, maybe it makes sense.
I wonder if that place near you will be rezoned and developed. A few tract mcmansions or maybe multi family stuff could fit, if you don't have commercial or industrial zoning there. Looks like a good spot for a junkyard - that hokey 70s western style gate/arch thing is amusing. Still, in the city where I live, that much money will get you 1500 sq ft, 50+ years old, minor renovations if lucky, 7500 sq ft lot - and that's not on the trendy side of town. The old fashioned American dream here has ceased to exist without family help (I built it myself!), sketchy money, or soul destroying commutes.
The main reason I would get a VW based off road vehicle is the ride. Funny no one has built a suspension that works any better than the old VW Bug on washboard and rough roads. Most off road buggies are built on that design. Subaru leads the way on hot engines. My neighbor's Subaru dune buggy is 900 HP. Scary fast.
I look at the silver lining with all that ill got gain in China ending up in the USA. Most of it came from here to start with.
Beetles are remarkable vehicles. the Model T of a different place and time. They can be made into anything, and tuned to do anything. You should get a baja, you'd look pretty cool cruising around your eventual desert community in one of those. Maybe put a modern diesel engine in it.
It is amusing that the monies made from junk sold here comes back to buy houses - but we lose the property, and now on much of the west coast, the old American dream isn't so possible for younger people anymore. It benefits a lot of people who already had it fairly good, and the well connected and coddled industries revolving around housing. And maybe the worst part, it makes us as a partner in the corruption, which makes sense as we become more intertwined with Russia and China.
Yes the VW designed by Porsche is still one of the best designs ever. Take a VW based dune buggy across the desert at 70 MPH and you will be convinced. A Jeep or PU will beat you to death doing that. I know, I have driven all of them. The most fun is a motorcycle set up for the desert. I am getting too old for that.
Something strange going on with the 19 acre lot next to me. It is listed as 10 acres with the old house that is rented out. Could be a typo by the agent. However it is a very nice piece of property. I would imagine the old lady that has owned it for decades is tired of paying the high taxes. Up to $15k this year. My wife says we need to get out of here before someone buys it and manages to build houses that would block our view of the ocean 35 miles away.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/915-Alpine-Heights-Rd-Alpine-CA-91901/16904967_zpid/
I wouldn't want a motorcycle in the city there anyway - I refuse to ride around where I live, way too dangerous with such poor drivers and lack of enforcement aside from speed. I don't have much of an interest in desert hopping, but it could be nice cruising on flat dry sunny roads in an old car.
Doesn't the old lady owner qualify to pay taxes based on her purchase price, not the value? I thought CA had something like that. I am pretty sure there are senior citizen rates in WA, my grandmother's house would carry a hefty tax bill, but I think she pays a fraction of it, as she's been there 50+ years, and a house that cost 2.5 years salary now costs 6. I suspect I would agree with your wife. Cash in on windfall equity and move somewhere more enjoyable.
I am in Vancouver right now. I stopped by an estate sale this morning, as it was near where I was headed, and I like looking for odd junk. The sale was a bust, nothing I wanted that I could have hauled home, but the house was amusing.
This is the listing
It's that insane here. The house was aged, in a nice but not the best neighborhood, on a decent sized but not huge lot. Incomes here are no higher than Seattle, if not lower purchasing power. But there's an ample supply of no-questions-asked outside money, so here we are. The house was kind of sad as it wouldn't be replaceable with modern standards. Too nicely finished. Leaded glass, built ins, beautiful inlaid hardwood floors - it'll all be sent to the dump.
My wife wondered about that also. She has owned since 1992 so with prop 13 they can raise the appraisal 2% each year. She lives in another part of San Diego. So she may not get prop 13 on this property. County still shows it as 19.39 acres. So not sure about the 10 acre listing. It has a big for sale sign out front by the road for the 10 years we have lived here. Shows a plat map with 14 lots. Nothing in the county records, so I don't think they ever got past the planning dept. I think the new rules for septic is 2.5 acres. It is a pretty piece of land that just keeps taking money from the owner. Not sure how much they rent that dump of a house for. The current renter seems to be collecting old junker cars. Not a great site. May have to call the county. That is forbidden.
That Vancouver property is INSANE. I did not think people made that kind of money up there? Is it all to grab the Chinese buyers? I like Vancouver Island and Victoria BC. I would not even venture into the city. We flew direct to the island and rented a car for a week. Really liked the area around Sidney and the airport. Little farms were not that much money 12 years ago.
Down here old homes with nice woodwork, doors and glass get salvaged. Roofing, bricks, blocks and siding go to Mexico.
https://www.remax.ca/on/toronto-real-estate/na-3029-queen-st-treb_e3688098-lst/
People don't make that kind of money in Vancouver or Toronto. Income to price/mortgage ratios are insane. It's not local money at play - condos in Vancouver are often not much more expensive than Seattle, rents as well. There's a fetish for detached housing that has attracted offshore money. Another sad part is that the places often sit idle and empty for months or years after purchase - it happens here too. IMO there should be a significant tax for offshore buyers (more than the pittance Vancouver recently enacted), and onerous penalties if said buyers let property sit vacant for extended periods.
I can see Toronto being expensive, it is the financial and corporate center of Canada. It has been the NYC of Canada for 150 years, and like Vancouver, attracts offshore speculators. Vancouver is more of a regional city though, it doesn't have massive native industries like Seattle. It has gobs of undocumented money flowing in, more than anything else. Now it is kind of the LA of Canada, but without the native industries. I suspect local authorities are too nosy and restrictive in those areas for you, and the cost of living is not low.
I suppose the doors or glass may be salvaged, but I don't think there's a lot one can do with tile, nailed in flooring and trim, etc. Mass market housing quality is really depressing when you compare it to older places.
Rocky should know that no place is perfect. Canada is great but has loads of its own issues. Same for Norway. If I was to move to Canada, Toronto would not be my first pick, it would only be on my list if I was independently wealthy - and the harsh weather alone might still nix it.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4030-Manse-Rd-Pahrump-NV-89061/62709835_zpid/
on the house above. Talked to the realtor today. That house is the talk all over Pahrump. It goes with all the memorabilia just as you see it in the pictures. Family wants to sell it all. If I did not have so much STUFF of my own I would be tempted. Could open an antique shop in there. Right on the golf course so all the rich folks drive by every day.
on the house above. Talked to the realtor today. That house is the talk all over Pahrump. It goes with all the memorabilia just as you see it in the pictures. Family wants to sell it all. If I did not have so much STUFF of my own I would be tempted. Could open an antique shop in there. Right on the golf course so all the rich folks drive by every day.
on the house above. Talked to the realtor today. That house is the talk all over Pahrump. It goes with all the memorabilia just as you see it in the pictures. Family wants to sell it all. If I did not have so much STUFF of my own I would be tempted. Could open an antique shop in there. Right on the golf course so all the rich folks drive by every day.
I don't know if I would want to run an antique shop, unless it was some kind of labor of love. I think that business has declined a bit since ebay and CL, unless one is dealing in really high end stuff, or selling to decorators. My parents were hobbyist antique dealers when I was a kid , and sold out of an antique mall. 25 years ago, antique malls were everywhere here, now they are much less common.
Speaking of houses for sale, I like the style of this - way out of my budget, of course, but maybe if my employer triples my salary I could get that mortgage. Iffy siting though - lot looks smaller than it is, good zipcode but close to a major highway and akward to get to. Still a cool house, but maybe one that won't be restored.
This sold last year, but I saw the estate sale and remember the address - preserved time warp, very stylish to me. Great location, of course. That's a pretty penny, however.
The gingerbread house on Mercer Island is cute. I can see a young yuppie couple owning that place. One of the things that turned me off buying in Oregon besides the eternal rain was the houses themselves. Seems no one builds ranch style homes up there. One of the pluses for us with Pahrump is all the homes are single level. Much better the older you get. If one of us had to be in a wheel chair it would be no problem.
As for the hobby house full of 1950s retro. I can't see my self using that space. Heating and cooling 5500 ft is not going to be cheap even in Pahrump. A wealthy family with teens might find that place fun to own. If it is still on the market our next trip, I will check it out. I talked to a contractor about adding a large shop/garage if we buy a place without one. He can match this finished inside for about $40k. With an acre lot no problem getting permits.
No shortage of homes in the $230k to $280k range I could add a nice shop to. I would add a vault for guns and valuables to protect from fire and theft. This would be nice to have.
https://www.safeandvaultstore.com/products/amsec-vd8036bf-burglar-fire-resistant-vault-door-vd8036bf?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=28446162445&gclid=CjwKEAjw8ZzHBRCUwrrV59XinXUSJADSTE5k-wCr__KIo1M-NwkEJrppNIkuu4X527unhlx8wv16YxoCYzLw_wcB
There are many ranch and rambler houses here, but many aren't in the most densely populated areas, as they require more land. My grandma's neighborhood, once considered a bedroom community and now just on the edge, is 50s-60s ranch houses on quarter acre to half acre lots. Developers in the area now put houses twice the size on lots half the size, and charge three times as much compared to incomes. And people snap it up.
A big garage like that for 40K might be a nice investment, yes. That would be the key benefit to a detached house for me, a nice garage. I think in many of those areas, and in many here, protection and a home CCTV setup would be necessities.
https://www.trulia.com/property/3262410195-3331-Winchester-Ave-Pahrump-NV-89048#photo-1
My parents got into the old house thing a couple times when I was growing up. One was a lovely brick tudor house that needed little work and was a charming place, with immense detail. An older traditional house from around 1910 needed more work - I remember a couple plumbing issues, it had a large chimney with a couple of fireplaces, which in one section was iffy, and the basement would leak in heavy rain. We only stayed in that one for a few years, I think it frustrated my dad. I do like some of these "time capsule" houses - and I am not into decorating, but I appreciate quality, and I think it is easier found in the past.
I'd like a 3 car garage with extra room for working or bikes, etc. What gets me here is when I see million dollar places in trendy areas with no garage - but some of them are just teardowns. That house you link doesn't look bad. The style reminds me of something from Florida, I like the tile roof, and the garage space looks amazing. The land alone would be worth over a million here, but it would be used to build 8-10 tract boxes sold to some the lucky and money launderers. It is kind of generic inside, but looks updated. Offer 300 and see what happens
The house on Winchester is laid out nicely. When you google it and look across the street you can see why it has not sold. It was bought on foreclosure last year and looks like they spruced it up to flip. I think $300k would buy it. Maybe even less come summer time. Plus with new Federal money coming into further study the Yucca Mt nuclear repository, home values may come down further. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-nuclear-idUSKBN16N0D5
There have been times in my life when fixing up a vintage house was on my agenda. I am too old now to get involved. Simple house new enough to not need lots of maintenance. I must admit I got those feelings when this place in Coquille Oregon came on the market. So much of the nice woodwork from a hundred years ago. And for Oregon a very good price.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/52-N-Dean-St-Coquille-OR-97423/75150013_zpid/
No doubt the Winchester house is a flip. If the market gets soft, it might warrant an offer - flippers often get in over their heads, and need cash flow even if they take a loss. That old house in Oregon reminds me of a larger version of the old traditional house we lived in. I remember it also had wainscoting, built-ins, lots of wood trim, etc. I like the box beam ceilings in that too - that wood would cost an immense amount of money to replicate today. Looks like it needs a bit of work though - just like with cars, I'd rather buy a mostly finished project.
My mother's 1920s bungalow hasn't had updates in 25 years, and hasn't been perfectly maintained. I've suggested to her that when the time comes, she buy a new manufactured home and move to a senior park. No maintenance worries, as my siblings and I aren't available much to help her out, and she doesn't have a million dollars to pour into an old place. She doesn't embrace the idea yet though, still too young.
The intensity of the competition this spring has surprised even sellers like Kathleen Mulcahy, a 37-year-old product manager in Seattle.
Within a week of listing her one-bedroom, one-bath condo, Mulcahy received 21 offers - all above her asking price of $398,000. Most of the offers came with built-in triggers to automatically rise in case a rival bidder sweetened a bid. In the end, she accepted an offer of $500,000 - all cash.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HOMEBUYING_SEASON_SHORTAGE_OF_HOUSES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-04-10-03-01-34
The city council has voted to study a housing proposal that would essentially subsidize new housing for what qualifies as middle-class nowadays, families making from $150,000 to $250,000 a year.
Randy Bean says while she still loves her Palo Alto neighborhood, she can’t help but notice the changes that are making it unrecognizable.
“I just find it kind of sad that we are reducing ourselves to this small profile of young, rich, mostly white, mostly tech. It’s not the community that I moved into 33 years ago,” Bean said.
And now, as a documentary film producer, she says she can’t afford to stay here.
Some of the small two-bedroom, one-bath homes on her block are worth between $1.5 and $2 million – as teardowns. That’s just what the dirt is worth.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/03/22/250k-per-year-salary-could-qualify-for-subsidized-housing-under-new-palo-alto-plan/
IMO offshore transactions should be taxed, with funds to help infrastructure. We need to get something out of it, as nobody will dare try to vet the source of the money.
I was looking around online and trying to find gaming houses/team recruitment etc. Does anyone have any experience with this and know anywhere to find opportunities, or do I just have to slog through forums until I find them.
Thanks!
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/HI-96778/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/89171220_zpid/98913_rid/globalrelevanceex_sort/19.50978,-154.810174,19.489917,-154.837639_rect/14_zm/
Speaking of being on the water:
Here's a rather overdone piece of waterfront in my area - money and subtle good taste, so often in inverse proportion.
I like this one, but a lot less land
Neat house, not a lot of waterfront
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13-1264-Kamaili-Rd-Pahoa-HI-96778/2119344916_zpid/
The latest HI house you link has a more appealing price anyway, and doesn't look bad. Would you want something so big, or actually use it as a B&B?
Pahrump might be easier from a budget and transportation standpoint - easier and cheaper for family to visit, easier for you to visit them, just hit the road.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/2095073098_zpid/2-_beds/globalrelevanceex_sort/19.846891,-155.958095,19.807246,-156.013027_rect/13_zm/
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/2100766623_zpid/2-_beds/globalrelevanceex_sort/19.966371,-155.826859,19.926756,-155.881791_rect/13_zm/
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/2095921134_zpid/2-_beds/globalrelevanceex_sort/20.005895,-155.788922,19.96629,-155.843854_rect/13_zm/
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/2099267191_zpid/2-_beds/globalrelevanceex_sort/20.242786,-155.88258,20.237843,-155.889446_rect/16_zm/
Get to the South end of the Island and find bargains galore. Like this place.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/pmf,pf_pt/house_type/2095134658_zpid/2-_beds/2500-_size/globalrelevanceex_sort/19.104378,-155.711203,19.024715,-155.821066_rect/12_zm/
This is currently the cheapest detached listing in my zipcode
And the next cheapest
That first house wouldn't be bad for me, but it is too small for a family, and on a sometimes busy street. That's what almost a million dollars gets you here.
There's been an exodus out of CA for some time, right? Half of the people here seem to be from there!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3063-W-30th-Pl-Yuma-AZ-85364/59792819_zpid/?fullpage=true
A weekend there in August would tell the story.
I imagine the town is quiet in the Summer. The snowbirds are all gone home.
When I was a kid, my paternal grandparents would spent the winter in Quartzsite AZ - they'd drive the round trip each year until they were in their 80s. Retiree hotspot, rockhound mecca, hotter than Hades in the summer no doubt.
We stayed at Wine Ridge in April. The rates are $85 in the winter. A bargain for sure. I just spent an average $241 per night for 24 nights in Hawaii. Probably our last trip to Hawaii. Back to just road trips for us.
https://www.trulia.com/property/3003546055-1820-Lost-Creek-Dr-Pahrump-NV-89048
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1901-N-Woodchips-Rd-Pahrump-NV-89060/67888671_zpid/?fullpage=true
The house with the 3300 sq ft hobby building set up like a 1950s diner has dropped by $96,000. No small drop in price. Family must be getting anxious to unload. More than we want to deal with.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4030-Manse-Rd-Pahrump-NV-89061/62709835_zpid/?fullpage=true
Neither of those other houses look too bad, for what they are. I wonder why the seller raised the price of the first one. Those would be a million dollars here, easy.
This is still the cheapest detached house in my zipcode right now